BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY
BRIAN YEAGER

 Sometimes in Christian life we fail to remember to let our lights shine to the world.  When we make it known, and we should, that we are Christians we must be willing to live the life to allow others to see what Christ like living is.  We need to be careful what communications pass through our lips.  We need to be careful how we speak.  We need to make sure that we are talking the way the Jesus would.  The inspired Apostle Paul wrote these words to the Church at Ephesus: (Ephesians 4:29) “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” 

 I was once in a very awkward position when I had a women tell me of a fellow Christians lifestyle.  She had told me some of things that would proceed out of this Christians mouth.  It is difficult to defend someone that is outright sinning.  All I could do is shake my head in disappointment and disgust.  The warnings of our speech need to be made known.  Some Christians fail to remember that they are under the microscope.  If someone could find a Christian doing something wrong that would give them the ammunition to charge the Church as being immoral which evidently ends up charging Christ since it is his Church (Matthew 16:18).

 Paul in another letter made a like statement as he did to those in Ephesus. Colossians 3:8)”But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.”  There is a great text of consideration in the book of James.  We need to try and tame our tongues; they most surely can get us in much trouble.  (James 3:8-18) “But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.  Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.  Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.  Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?  Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.  But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.  This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.  For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.  But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.  And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”
If we are going to allow ourselves to say things we should not, we must realize that earthly wisdom is not from above.  We must realize that if we speak of things above, as we should, then our speech would have to be pure.

 The Psalmist wrote concerning the tongue and Peter confirmed and made the same statement.  (Psalms 34:13-14) “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.  Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.”  (I Peter 3:10) “For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile.”  As the Psalmist says and so is the conclusion of this article, we need to depart from evil and do good.  The next time you start to speak in a way, in which you should not, think about the judgment you will receive for such evil talking.
 
 

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