Speech
Jesus said:
Mat 5:33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
Mat 5:34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:
Mat 5:35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
Mat 5:36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
Mat 5:37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
Mat 5:33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
What does forswear mean?
-To swear falsely
– to commit perjury
-to willfully say an untruth after taking an oath or affirmation
Under the old covenant, if a person made a vow or an oath, it was of utmost importance to keep it!
It was wrong to take the name of God in vain and willfully say an untruth after taking an oath.
Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Leviticus 19:12 And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.
Numbers 30:2 If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth
Deuteronomy 5:11 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Deuteromony 23:21 When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.
22 But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.
23 That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.
Under the Old Covenant, it was much better to not make a vow then to make one and not keep it.
Ecclesiastes 5:4 ¶ When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
Do words matter?
Is speaking the truth something that still matters to God today?
How many of you, after making a statement, have said this?
-that is not what I meant.
-Or I didn’t mean that.
Are you honest in your speech?
Did you know that your speech betrays what kind of a person you are?
A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit
Mat 12:33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
Mat 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Mat 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
Mat 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
Mat 12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Ye have heard:
– Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
But what does Jesus say?
Mat 5:34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:
Mat 5:35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
Mat 5:36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
Jesus said:
Do not swear at all!
Truth stands on its own and doesn’t need vain words to validate it!
Jesus is simply saying; I have a better way!
What is this better way?
Mat 5:37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
James 5:12 ¶ But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.
How should we speak…
Proverbs 17:27 ¶ He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.
Titus 2:6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. {sober…: or, discreet}
7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
James 3:2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body
Do you struggle with a loose and uncontrolled tongue?
Psalm 34:13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Proverbs 13:3 ¶ He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.
Proverbs 21:23 ¶ Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.
James 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain
1Peter 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:
What do you say about others?
Has your tongue defiled you?
The tongue is a powerful weapon and needs to be controlled by the power of God!
That which is in your heart will eventually make it through your lips.
James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell
James 4:11 ¶ Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Is my speech pure and does it bring Glory to God?
Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Ephesians 5:3 ¶ But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
What is pure speech?
-words that encourage and are upbuilding
-words of kindness
-words that are shared from a heart of love
…..and so on.
Things that do not belong to pure speech:
-idle words
-by-words
-slang phrases
-vulgar language
-profanity
-gossiping
-taking the name of the Lord in vain
……and so on.
There are three things that are essential to overcoming wrong speech:
- A pure heart.
Mt 12:34 …………for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
- A persistent and prayerful walk with the Lord
- Anda surrendered will.
-Am I willing to say yes to the will of God and no to self and old habits.