I have been pretty convicted lately about speech. Oh, the difficulties of taming the tongue. It is a fire that ruins and yet also the instrument that offers praise to God. No man can tame it, only God can. To live to the Spirit is to put to death the flesh, and with it all the utterance of evil that flows so easily from our mouths. Today, I wish to speak of several things: the speech that so totally corrupts, lies which must be absent, and the obligation we have in speech.
Let
no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Eph 4:29
But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be
no filthiness and silly talk, or
coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. Eph 5:3,4
As Christians, we endeavor to be like Christ. We know not to take lightly the grace that was received by the shedding of blood on the cross. The innocent Lamb of God bears the punishment for sin, OUR punishment for sin. Why are we so eager to cast off the freedom grace offers and reattach the chains that sin provides?
The righteous life that Christ lived is the basis for our righteousness. His speech was always seasoned with grace, uplifting to those who hear. The words he spoke offered love, comfort, hope and eternal life. Should not Christians speak in way that imitates our Lord and King?! His mind was focused on the will of the Father and the Kingdom; so was His speech.
Are we not foolish to utter words of evil, gossip, and slander? Indeed every swear is an affront to God on two counts. One, we take so lightly the commands He has given us despite the grace He has bestowed upon us. Two, it is a challenge to the sovereignty of God: When do we swear? When a situation does not go our way. Is that not a declaration: I know better than You, Holy God? My way is better than Your way?
Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, Col 3:9
Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him.
When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." John 8:42-47
Jesus Christ spoke no lie. His testimony is true, and wholly true. We cannot doubt the truthfulness of His statements for our faith would be shipwrecked without it. For if the God-man lied, His beckoning to eternal life, His discourses on holy living, His proclamation of divinity would all be suspect. If God lies, how can we even trust that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone... that could a lie! May it never be!
Lies are the language of the devil. Jesus Christ is the light, a stark contrast. God's actions although sometimes invisible to our eyes will never draw shame nor something that must be hidden. He can operate in plain sight, not having to disguise His motives: for they are righteous and good, holy and just. The wicked are not so. For they must operate in darkness, exposure to the light will be the revealing of their evil deeds.
As Christians, how can we even entertain lies and ally ourselves with the devil? And I fear much for the brother or sister that is so steeped in falsehood that comes to their lips naturally.
Let your
speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. Col 4:6
Do not participate in unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead
even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. Eph 5:11-12
Our speech should be like the speech of Christ. He spoke words of kindness, love, and hope. He offered new life to those that would believe. He gave grace to the humble, strength to the weary, hope to the hopeless. He offers words of prayer for His followers, and words that come from the Father, Himself. Indeed, Christians know this well, though it is sometimes difficult to imitate Him in this regard.
What we often forget, is that Christ also exposed the evil deeds of men. He challenged the self-righteousness of the Pharisees, calling them a brood of vipers. He demonstrated time after time again, that the Pharisees were not in the business of pleasing God. Whether it was prayer on a street corner, offerings given to the temple, or "righteous" living... it was all in worship of themselves. His rhetoric was not reduced to mere pleasantries and happy feelings, but TRUTH tempered in love. For the blind and unwilling, the truth seems unnaturally harsh.
And so Christian brothers and sisters, we know that our speech is to be clean and edifying to God. The words that leave our lips should be pleasing to God in every respect. Encouraging a brother, speaking kind words to a sister, the abstaining of foul words and coarse jesting are all things that should be eagerly practiced. May God give us wisdom, that we may know how to respond to evil deeds of men. Let us not lose heart in doing good.
My Prayer
Oh, Lord...let not this discourse be in vain. I pray that I not be a man with a plank in my eyes, trying to clean the speck from my brother's. Sanctify my speech, that I may be holy and pleasing to you. May I never tire in doing good, but trust in Your strength.
