I.   The Spirit of God is greatly grieved when the words of our mouths do not edify
      or minister grace to those around us. 

                      Ephesians 4:29, 30

      A.   Bitter & sweet waters cannot come from the same well.  

                      James 3:10-12

      B.  A bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit; neither can a good tree bring forth bad fruit.

                      Matthew 7:16-18

      C.  We must separate the precious from the vile ("worthless").  

                       Jeremiah 15:19

II.   There is great power in the tongue; it can minister either life or death.   Proverbs 18:21

     A.  The tongue can be a destructive & deadly weapon.   Proverbs 11:9; 15:4     Psalms 57:4

           1.  It is "like a sharp razor."   Psalms 52:2

           2.  Scripture describes the tongue as a sword.   Psalms 55:21; 57:4; 59:7; 64:3

                Proverbs 12:18; 25:18; 30:14

           3.  "And the tongue is a fire..."   Psalms 57:4; 120:3, 4    Proverbs 16:27; 26:20, 21

                Isaiah 5:24   James 3:5, 6

           4.  It is like the deadly poison of a serpent.   Psalms 58:3, 4; 140:3   Romans 3:13 (Psa 5:9)   James 3:8

           5.  Words can eat away like gangrene ("canker," KJV = ganggraing, Greek).

                 2 Timothy 2:16, 17

     B.   But our words can minister life as well.   Proverbs 15:4; 18:21; 10:11, 21

           1.  There is healing in a soft word.   Proverbs 4:22; 12:18; 16:24; 17:22

           2.  A kind word can minister grace to the hearers.   Ephesians 4:29

           3.  A word spoken in season can impart joy.   Proverbs 12:25; 15:23

III.  We are, therefore, exhorted to guard the words of our mouth.

              Psa 24:13; 39:1; 141:3   Prov 13:3; 21:23   1 Pet  3:10

       A.  "When the people complained, it displeased the Lord; and the Lord heard it; and His
             anger was kindled..."    

             Numbers 11:1

       B.  "All these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth"
             are a part of  the "old man with his deeds," and must be dealt with accordingly.

             Colossians 3:8-10 

       C.  By our words we shall be justified, and by our words we shall be condemned.

                 Matthew 12:36, 37

       D.  Since we are to "speak as the oracles of God" (1 Peter 4:11), God would rather that
             we give thanks and edify one another, than cause dissention and strife among the
             brethren.   

              Proverbs 6:16-19     Ephesians 4:29; 5:4

       E.  Not what goes into the mouth but what comes out of it defiles a man.  

                Matthew 15:11, 18 (Mark 7:20)

       F.  We are to be an example in speech (1 Timothy 4:12), even as Jesus Christ "did no sin,
            neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again..."  

                1 Peter 2:21-23

IV.  To be able to tame the tongue is a sign of true spiritual maturity.  "If any man offend not
       in word, the same is a perfect (mature) man ..."  

          Job 1:1, 8, 22 cp. 2:9, 10   Zechariah 3:13   James 1:26; 3:2   Revelation 14:5

Copyright © 1976, 1977, 1997 by Diane S. Dew  

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For information on how to obtain a complete, printed & bound copy of 100 other such studies, write:  

D.Dew, P.O. Box 340945, Milwaukee, WI 53234 

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