Here is something to consider that will help us to know which kingdom we really live in! Jesus gave us a test to show which kingdom rules over us.

We reveal the kingdom in which we live, for example, by what comes out of our mouths…

There is awesome power in the spoken word. God created…

Psalms 33:6 NLT
[6] “The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.”

And upholds His creation…

Hebrews 1:3 NLT
[3″The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command.”…

By His word.

Proverbs 18:21 NIV
[21] “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

The tongue represents the words we speak that proceed from what we believe in our hearts. Hence, what we say will produce the fruit of life or death. This is a principle that illustrates the nature of the kingdom in which we live.

James explains that our mouths are the fountain out of which flows whatever is inside. Unfortunately, what we say exposes the truth that we are constantly at war inside.

James 3:2, 9-12 NLT
[2] “Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way….
[9] Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. [10] And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! [11] Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? [12] Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.”

How can a spring of water produce fresh and salty water at the same time? This does not happen in nature but it does happen in the spiritual realm. You see, the old polluted spring is still inside us. We show by our words which fountain is flowing, the fountain of polluted or living water!

Drinking dirty water is unhealthy. Impure water carries mud and germs which harm those who drink it. In the same way, “dirty” words pollute those who hear them.

Since we are responsible for the way we influence people around us, how important it is for us to keep the fountain inside pure to ensure that what comes out is also pure.

And Jesus declared that what we say will be the measure of our judgment. Our tongues give away the nature of the kingdom that rules over us.

Matthew 12:35-37 NLT
[35] “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. [36] And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. [37] The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”

According to the Bible, there will be judgment for all who are in God’s kingdom now. This judgment has nothing to do with our salvation. Scripture declares that…

Romans 8:1 NLT
[1] “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”

The Holy Spirit assures us of our salvation by His presence in us, and by His witness that we are God’s children.

Ephesians 1:13-14 NLT
[13] “And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. [14] The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.”

Romans 8:15-16 NLT
[15]”So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” [16] For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.”

But… there is still judgment coming for the way we live in God’s kingdom. Are we submitting to His authority or still living for ourselves?

So, the question is, “What will God judge when we stand before Him?”

Strangely enough, God will judge our words. Why not our actions?

According to Scripture, our words reveal what us in our hearts.

Matthew 12:35-37 NLT
[35] “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. [36] And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. [37] The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”

What we say is really a revelation of what is in our hearts, what we believe that guides our words and eventually our actions. You see, God wants His people to be real, genuine, pure, not mixed with ungodly thoughts, and ways, guided by the truth of what God says.

The only way we can be pure inside  is to replace wrong thinking and beliefs by the truth of what God says. When we fill our minds with God’s Word, we replace lies with truth so that, when we open our mouths, truth will come out.

This leads me to another thought. Not only will we be judged by what we say but we also set up the standard of our own judgment.

God is so just in His dealings with us that He makes us our own judge. We cannot accuse Him of injustice because our own standard will condemn us.

Matthew 7:1-2 NLT
[1]  “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. [2] For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.”

Whatever words we use to show our contempt or condemnation of another will boomerang back on us.

www.gotquestions.org has an excellent answer to the question, “What are idle words (Matthew 12:36)?”

“In Matthew 12:37, the significance of words is that they will be used to gauge a person’s spiritual condition in the judgment: “For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Jesus was speaking to a group of Pharisees who had just accused Jesus of being demon-possessed (verse 24). Jesus calls them a “brood of vipers” and asks them, “How can you who are evil say anything good?” (verse 34). Just as vipers have a mouthful of poison, so the Pharisees had evil words concerning the Savior.

Then Jesus warns the Pharisees of the coming judgment, at which they will be held accountable for their words (Matthew 12:37). There is no better judge of a person’s heart than the words he allows to come forth from his mouth. Just like good trees produce good fruit and bad trees produce bad fruit, so does the mouth reveal the heart’s condition (verse 33).”

So, recognising how harmful his words could be, David prayed…

Psalms 141:3-4 NLT
[3]”Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips. [4] Don’t let me drift toward evil or take part in acts of wickedness. Don’t let me share in the delicacies of those who do wrong.”

And so should we if we truly believe what Jesus said.

Isaiah gives us a beautiful alternative to the often mindless chatter that comes from our mouths.

Isaiah 12:3-6 NLT
[3] With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation! [4] In that wonderful day you will sing: “Thank the Lord! Praise his name! Tell the nations what he has done. Let them know how mighty he is! [5] Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things. Make known his praise around the world. [6] Let all the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy! For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.”