For many of God's children there is no progress, no forward state, in their spiritual life and in their earthly life, but dryness, weariness, and decay. Thinking about what is the reason, it is not possible to find that reason. But God is in grace to speak on the subject of man's tongue, or word, which seems small in the eyes of man, great in the sight of God, and does much good in life, and at the same time causes much harm because it is misused. Here we see Isaiah whose iniquity of the tongue is gone, or whose sin is gone. Isaiah says I am a man of unclean lips; Dwelling in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
What is the characteristic of the tongue? Proverbs 18:20-21 From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied. 21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. A man's belly is filled with the fruit of his mouth; He shall be satisfied with the fruit of his lips; Death and life are in the power of the tongue; Those who love it will experience its results. Death and life are in the power of the tongue. How many murders have been committed for a single word. How many family ties have been severed. How many suicides are taking place. The tongue is the cause of many people's spiritual life being weak, dry, and many backsliding. Their tongue is the cause of the dryness of the earthly life of many, and of their laboring day and night, without any good or progress. Let us be at the Lord's feet, opening our hearts and saying, Holy One, speak to me.
James 3:2-12 “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. 3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water”.
We all stumble in many things; If one does not stumble in his word, he is a virtuous man, strong and able to control his whole body. To control the horse, the bridle is put in the mouth and its whole body is turned. No matter how big the ship or how stormy it is, the helmsman steers it in the direction indicated to him by the smallest rudder. In the same way, the tongue, although it is a small organ, speaks very loudly. How a small fire burns a large forest; The tongue is also a fire; It pollutes the whole body as an unrighteous world among our members and sets fire to the cycle of life and sets it on fire with hell. All beasts, birds, reptiles, and aquatic creatures are and have been addicted to the human race. Neither the tongue nor men can heal; It is an inexhaustible evil; Full of deadly poison. Therefore we praise the Lord and Father; Human beings made in the image of God are therefore cursed. Praise and cursing proceed from the same mouth. Brethren, it is not worthy to be like this. Can sweet and sour water come out of the same hole in the spring? Brethren, shall the fig tree bear olives, and the vine figs? And sweet water will not flow from the mountain.
Once upon a time, someone said that God made the tongue and kept it inside a fort made of 32 teeth of stones to tame it. But let me tell you that even though the boneless tongue is kept inside the fortress built with stones, which are 32 teeth, we see that even today it has no manners. The tongue is a small organ in the body. A normal human being 5 feet 7 inches tall or about 170 cm tall will weigh about 70 kg. The weight of each organ in that person's body is different. Among those organs, the weight of the person's tongue is about 70 grams. If one kilogram is 1,000 grams then 70 kg weight is 70,000 grams. So 70 grams is one-tenth of one percent of total body weight. 0.1%. We are going to think about the most deadly dangers that this little organ can present.
The first, sin of the tongue. Second, how does the sin of the tongue damage human life? And thirdly so with the tongue, what is their punishment for sinning with words? Fourthly, what is the deliverance from the sin of the tongue and the word. Fifth, what are the characteristics of a purified tongue?
The first thing we are thinking about today. Sin of the tongue. Let's read Psalm 39:1. I said, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.” Note the verse, I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin If you do not keep the ways, you will commit sin with your tongue. There is a lot to do with the foot and the tongue. If we stand where our feet should not stand, sin will enter our tongue unknowingly. The mind must be guarded when alone, and the tongue guarded when in company. At these two occasions sin can enter one's life rapidly. Unwanted thoughts come to mind when you are alone with no one around. Similarly, when standing in the middle of many people, the words come out of the mouth without realizing it. Many of God's children have sinned by being unable to control their words in a gathering. So the psalmist David says that he will keep his ways so that he does not sin with his tongue and he told himself. How many that read this will say, I will keep my ways, keep my tongue from sin.
The first Psalm reads in the first verse If a child of God stands in the way of sinners, not walking in the counsel of the wicked, not standing in the way of sinners, not sitting in the seat of scoffers, if your feet stand in the path of impurity, if your feet stand in the path of sinners, you will unwittingly allow sin to enter your tongue. And again, here the Psalmist says, I will keep my tongue in check when the wicked is before me. Bridle - horse. When does the wicked one stand before, and who is this wicked one? It shows the enemy, Satan. The whole world is under the power of the evil one. Don't forget that. He is always with us. What does it mean to hold one's tongue in the presence of the wicked? Don't forget that Satan records every word that comes out of our tongues and uses these words as a weapon to judge us when we stand before God.
That is why we read in the prophecy of Zechariah chapter 3 that when the high priest Joshua stood before God, Satan stood on his right side to accuse him. His clothes were dirty. Satan accused him by taking the words out of his mouth one by one. Satan takes into account the words that come out of our mouths and can judge us before God. Therefore, the psalmist says, I will bridle my tongue when the wicked stand before me.
What are the words that cause sin?
Verses from Job 16:2-3. I have heard many of these; You are all annoying comforters. Will there be an end to idle words? When the pious Job utters these words, there is a background. The story of Job. And the Sabeans came and took away the oxen and the asses, and slew the servants with the edge of the sword; The fire of God fell from heaven and burned, and the sheep and servants fell prey to it; And the Chaldeans came in three companies, and took away the camels, and slew the servants with the edge of the sword; The sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the elder brother's house. A storm came from the wilderness and beat the four corners of the house: it fell on the young men; They are dead; Everything was lost and Job was afflicted with sore wounds from the sole of his foot to the top of his head. His wife refused. Here Job is responding to the words of his friends who came to see him to comfort him, as they were close to him during his illness, seeing his sufferings and comforting him. You are all annoying comforters. Will there be an end to idle words?
Vain words are sin. Many of us have this evil at work. Many do not know that it is a sin. When he goes to see someone in his sick bed, he makes comments while standing a little distance away, if not listening. It is the evil of his conduct that he lies here. Oh, didn't you see that bed, do you know who he was before. Those who, not from near, but from afar, annoy with vain words. Have you said this, dear readers? Having gone to see in the suffering of a believer, has he gone to see in the suffering of an evangelist and expressed his opinion like this? Have you hurt their minds by saying that you are experiencing the consequences of your actions today? Have you hurt them? Job says. You are all annoying comforters. Will there be an end to vain words? The first is the sin of idle talk. Thus, if vain words come out of our tongue, it is a sin.
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