Weekly Devotional 3-28-16 Guarding Our Words
Recently I was reading a book entitled One Christian’s Perspective of Man’s Dilemma, God’s Solution. The author begins with these comments; “A short time ago I overheard a conversation in which one of the conversationalists spoke several words of profanity and vulgarity. In the next breath, he talked about the men’s group of the church of which he belonged. Granted, I don’t know the man’s heart, but something didn’t seem to match up. I wondered how a man could take the Lord’s name in vain and yet be a true Christian. Now, I am not suggesting that I am without sin, or that anyone is without sin. Each one of us sins every day by commission or omission. But it seemed by this man’s language that this was his ‘general’ way of expression. He certainly was not respectful of the Lord, the One who suffered so greatly for him and for the sake of mankind. I wondered, ‘Is this man so blind that he doesn’t realize that such language is an affront to the Lord whenever His name is profaned in this way?’ Is his heart so calloused that his words don’t bother him?”
As I thought about that book this past week and those opening comments, I was caused to reflect on Jesus’ words when He responded to the Pharisees who charged His disciples of being unclean when they began to eat without first washing their hands. “1Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, 2’Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread’….10When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, ‘Hear and understand: 11Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.’ 12Then His disciples came and said to Him, ‘Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?’ 13But He answered and said, ‘Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.’ 15Then Peter answered and said to Him, ‘Explain this parable to us.’ 16So Jesus said, ‘Are you also still without understanding? 17Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? 18But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man’” (Matthew 15:1-2…10-20 NKJV).
Jesus’ words in verse 13 identified the accusers as being outside of the Kingdom of Heaven or non-believers. The principle of His judgment was also applicable to His disciples or those who claimed to be believers. Further, it is applicable to us of today. It is for those of us who name the name of Jesus Christ as our Savior. His words were instructions about how a person should live.
In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul wrote; “17This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20But you have not so learned Christ, 21if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. 25Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another. ‘26Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27nor give place to the devil. 28Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you’” (Ephesians 4:17-32 NKJV).
Isn’t it true that our language exposes the condition of our heart? Whether we truly love the Lord, or not, and if we claim to love Him, shouldn’t our language be such that it pleases and glorifies Him? Certainly we should guard our words.
Blessings
stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man
Evangelical Free Church www.efreebible