“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: …a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,”

‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬, ‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The counterpart to what Jesus did with words is what we do with our words. Did Solomon connect “a time to tear and a time to mend” specifically with “a time to be silent and a time to speak”? 

Unlike Jesus, we humans use words carelessly because we do not understand the power God has placed in our mouths, either to tear or to mend. 

The Bible is full of both warnings about the damage our words can do and encouragement to use our words to benefit others. Such is the power of our words that we can influence people for life by what we say. 

This is a very big topic…so, I can only present it in summary form. 

What does the Bible say about the human tongue? 

A. The tongue has the power to do good or evil. 

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭18‬:‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As a child, I used to chant…

“Sticks and stones can break my bones

But names can never hurt me!”

How false that turned out to be!

B. The tongue (a euphemism for speech) is an untameable, unruly and dangerous organ in the body. 

The first thing we must recognise and acknowledge is that every tongue is a wrecking ball in the mouth of every person. 

The instruction, therefore, is to guard out tongues. 

“We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.”

‭‭James‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…but is this possible?…

The Bible’s diagnosis is accurate. 

“All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”

Horses can be trained and 

ships steered, but…

“…the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”

‭‭James‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭8‬ NIV

C. The tongue exposes our hypocrisy

“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out  of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”

‭‭James‬ ‭3‬:‭9‬-‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…forked, like the tongue of a serpent. 

Left unchecked, this is what the tongue is and what the tongue does.

What are the consequences of an untamed tongue?

Even if we are not aware of it, what we say has both temporal and eternal consequences…

A. The words we speak reveal who we really are. 

“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭45‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A person who makes vile accusations about another person thinks he/she is revealing the wickedness of another, not realising that his/her own heart is on display. 

B. Our words expose the guilt of our sinful hearts…

“But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭15‬:‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭NIV‬

What we say exposes the evil in our hearts. What we say confirms what we are. 

C. We are accountable for what we say. 

“But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty (useless, unemployed, lazy) word they have spoken.”

D. God will judge us by what we have said. 

“For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭36‬-‭37‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Why will God judge us by our own words? 

Although Jesus did not specifically state the reason…we can deduce from other things He said about our words, that what we say clearly reveals who and what we are. We put our own hearts in the spotlight by our words. 

How can we protect ourselves from God’s judgement? Did Jesus mean that we can lose our salvation by what we say?

First, let me state categorically that what Jesus said has nothing to do with our salvation. If it did, our words could cancel what Jesus did on the cross for us. 

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We must examine Jesus’ statement in context. 

“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭33‬-‭37‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To whom was Jesus speaking? Not to His followers but to His opponents. 

“But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Pharisees had just accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons. Jesus pointed out that this was ridiculous. No divided household can survive.

Then Jesus warned the Pharisees about blasphemy…deliberately attributing to Satan what the Holy Spirit was doing…which is exactly what they had just said. 

Just as the fruit that grows on a tree reveals the nature of the tree, so also the words that come from the mouth reveals the nature of the heart. The Pharisees spoke rotten words because their hearts were rotten. This would be their judgment. 

What is the antidote to a defiled heart? To produce words that heal, first, we need s new heart. 

A. A divine heart transplant. 

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭36‬:‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

B. A disciplined mind

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Just as what we say reveals our hearts, so what we think is what we become. 

C. A protected mouth

“Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭141‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We are responsible for thoughtful, careful words. By God’s grace,  we can control what comes out of our mouths. Silence has great power when used strategically. 

D. A rejoicing, prayerful, thankful heart

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Fortified with a new heart and a renewed spirit, a mind filled with

wholesome thoughts, and a mouth full of joy, prayer, and gratitude…God’s judgment cannot fall on you because these are the fruit of a renewed, redeemed heart and a life that mirrors what is in the heart.