I am often disturbed when I hear professing christians speak as the world speaks. People who profess to know and love The LORD JESUS CHRIST, yet they:

• revile those who rule over them (government leaders, pastors, bosses…); by criticizing in an abusive or hostile way, or spreading negative information about them (Exd 22:28, Ecc 10:20, Act 23:5, Rom 13:1-2)
• complain about adversity (Num 11:1, 1 Cor 10:9-10, 1 The 5:16)
• complain about others (Jam 5:9, Jam 4:11-12)
• gossip or reveal personal information about others (Pro 20:19, Pro 13:3, Rom 1:28-32)
• lie continually (Pro 14:5, Pro 12:22)
• lie to others (Pro 12:17-19, Pro 19:5, Eph 4:25, Col 3:9, Zec 8:16)
• tell coarse jokes (jokes lacking in refinement or good taste; vulgar; crude) – (Eph 5:4)
• use unwholesome words (Eph 4:29-31) and filthy language (Col 3:8)

In Matthew 12:33-37 our Beloved LORD JESUS CHRIST shows us that our words reveal our character:

Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad

For the tree is known by its fruit

You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good?

For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.

The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good;

And the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.

But I tell you that every careless word that people speak

They shall give an accounting for it in the Day of Judgment

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

Matthew 12:33-37

Our Beloved LORD GOD tells us in James 3:2, “For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.” Our Beloved LORD GOD, tells us two things in this passage of Scripture:

1)     For we all stumble or sin in many ways. The following examples show us how we can sin in many ways:

a) The NLT translation of James 2:10-11 plainly shows us ― “the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of GOD’s laws. For the same GOD WHO said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.” So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.”

b) Our Beloved LORD GOD tells us in Hosea 4:6 ― “MY people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” An example of this truth is when GOD’s people do not know HIS character or HIS WORD. Our GOD has called us to serve HIM in our innermost being, in our spirit (Psa 51:6, Psa 15:2, Jhn 4:24). For it is there HIS Holy SPIRIT dwells within us (Jhn 7:38-39) and from there we walk righteously or we sin. Most are aware of HIS commandment not to commit murder (Exd 20:13) or adultery (Exd 20:14), but very few are aware that our Awesome GOD’s definition of sin, does not start with the physical act, but starts with the heart as demonstrated from the ensuing versus. “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Mat 5:27-28). Also “everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” (1 Jhn 3:15).

2)      If we do not sin (stumble) in what we say, we are perfect (spiritually mature), able to keep from sinning in other ways. To fully understand what is being said here, we must understand that the mouth does not drive the behavior of man, but it is the spirit within the man that drives both his behavior and his mouth. For example a man who has no guile or deceit in his spirit, is a man who walks with integrity and does not lie (Psa 24:3-5, Mal 2:6, Jhn 1:47, 1 Pet 2:22, Rev 14:5), his very heart is filled with truth (Psa 15:1-2, Psa 37:30-31).

 

The person who does not sin in what they say, is a person who has:

o   accepted our Beloved LORD GOD’s free gift of eternal life (Rom 5:15-17, Rom 6:23)

o   been delivered from the bondage of sin (Jhn 8:32-36)

o   been rescued by our Almighty GOD from the authority of darkness (Col 1:13), and the hands of our enemies (Psa 107:2, Psa 136:24, Luk 1:73-74, Jhn 8:31-36)

o   been transferred (Col 1:12-14) from the kingdom of darkness (Act 26:18) to the Kingdom of Light (1 Jhn 1:5, Rev 21:23, Rev 22:5), the Kingdom of HIS Beloved SON (Col 1:13).

o   had their minds renewed (Rom 12:2, Tit 3:5), through the transforming power of GOD’S Holy SPIRIT

o   become mature by continually denying the flesh to practice righteousness (Luk 9:23, Rom 8:13, Heb 5:14)

This is a person who lives in a new way, thinks differently, and speaks a new language; because the old life is gone (2 Cor 5:17); they are now a child of Light (Jhn 8:12, Jhn 12:36, 1 Thes 5:5).

 

Though the person was formerly a child of darkness (Eph 5:8), lived as a person of darkness (Eph 2:1-3), thought as person of darkness (Gen 6:5, Pro 24:1-2, Isa 59:7, Mic 2:1-2) and spoke as person of darkness (Psa 10:3-7, Psa 12:2-4, Psa 28:3). They have been transferred (Col 1:13) and transformed (Rom 12:2, 2 Cor 3:18).

 

Our Beloved LORD GOD tells us to examine ourselves to see if we are truly living a life of faith. A life of faith is one in which are becoming less and less like the person we were before trusting in CHRIST JESUS and all HE did for us, and more and more like our Beloved SAVIOR HIMSELF (Rom 8:29):

o   having a constant desire is to be pleasing to our LORD (Jhn 8:29, Eph 5:10, 1 Jhn 3:22)

o   always seeking to do HIS will (Jhn 4:34, 1 Jhn 2:3-4), even at great personal sacrifice (Mat 26:39, Rev 12:11)

o   continually spending intimate time with ABBA FATHER through prayer (Luk 6:12, Mat 14:23, Mar 6:46, Luk 9:28, Col 4:2) and meditation upon HIS WORD (Psa 119:15-16, Psa 119:48, Psa 119:97-104)

o   loving and serving HIS people (Luk 22:31-32, Jhn 21:15-17, Jhn 13:34-35, 1 Ths 4:9, 1 Pet 1:22, 1 Jhn 4:7-20)

 

Are you being transformed into the image of CHRIST JESUS or are you languishing (failing to advance or move forward)?