Taming Our Tongues
Priscilla Van Sutphin
God is taking us into a place of overcoming the sin in our lives that has so easily beset us, and a reflection often times of overcoming is what comes out of our mouth. Jesus said, "Hear and understand: not what goes into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a man." Matthew 15:10b-11 NKJ
That means, the pent up rage, anger, lust, insecurities, fears, greed, murders, bitterness, covetousness, jealousies that are hidden in our hearts when we are not yet healed completely in our soul, are reflected in our speech. Our speech often betrays what demons have strongholds in our lives. Listening to people and what they say, how they say it, is one key in discernment.
Following is a list of definitions. Definitions are important. Oftentimes people accuse others of things they don't even truly understand what those things mean. Any accusation we make against others is a judgment, especially in the sense of saying in our own minds " I wouldn't do that". And we are not judges. There is only One Judge, Christ Jesus our Lord. Also we cannot defend ourselves without accusing someone else. Jesus was led as a lamb to the slaughter. There were times he defended himself, however, against pharisees usually. So there are times to defend, and times to be quiet and just pray. We must be led of God, and not our own hurt and pain when doing so.
Alot of Christians ASSUME that whatever they think or is put in front of them is from God, just because the Spirit of God indwells them. But this is far from the truth. We are easily led away by our own desires, our own flesh. When we say things to others, we should consider first, what would YOU want me to say LORD? We must be dependent on God for direction, or else we are depending on our own self, our flesh, and our own earthly wisdom.
James 3:17 tells us "Wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
Definitions:
Curse: [from Dennis Cramer's book: p. 9 "Breaking Christian Curses"]
"A conscious willful attempt by a Christian to invoke a higher spiritual power against another Christian to at least wish him harm, if not actually destroy him. "
" An appeal by a Christian to a supernatural power for evil to befall another Christian [or non-Christian says Priscilla]. It is a scourge, a profane oath by one Christian against another" [ or other.]
" The heartfelt invoking or violent or angry calling down of evil by one Christian on another Christian"
Gossip: A person who HABITUALLY retails facts, rumors, or behind-the-scenes information of an intimate, personal or sensational nature. Idle talk especially about other people's affairs.
Slander: Accusing falsely. Those given to finding FAULT with the demeanor and conduct of others, and spreading their innuendoes and criticisms in the church; in 2 Tim 3:3.
Dictionary: 1) utterance of false charges or misrepresentations which defame and damage reputatation . 2) a false tale or report , maliciously uttered orally, tending to injure the reputation of another and constituting a legal tort.
Malign: 1) to regard with intense ill-will or bitter dislike or hatred: resentment 2) to utter injuriously misleading or deliberately and injuriously false reports about: induce misunderstanding of and lower regard for by falsehood or misrepresentation. (suggests malevolent calculation as a motivating force) and specific and subtle misrepresentations.
Backbiter, backbiting: Greek (katalalos=backbiter, and katalalia-backbiting) "to speak against" or to speak evil against someone.
Babbler 1) Greek-spemalogos (4691-Strongs) is primarily an adjective, but came to be used as a noun signifying a CROW, or some other bird, picking up seeds l (sperma-seed, lego-to collect). Then it was used of a man accustomed to hang about the streets and markets, picking up scraps which fall from loads; hence a parasite, who lives at the expense of others, a hanger on. Metaphorically it was used of a man who picks up scraps of information, and retails them secondhand, a plagiarist, or of those who make a show, in unscientific style, of knowledge obtained from misunderstanding lectures.
2) kenophonia (2757) "babbling" from keno- empty, and phone-a sound; signifies empty discussion, discussion of useless subjects, 1 Tim 6:20 and 2 Tim 2:16. See whisperer (greek 5588) seen in Romans 1:29 and (5587 greek) for whispering which is used of secret SLANDER in 2 Corinthians 12:20:(amplified)
For I am fearful that somehow or other I may come and find you not as I desire to find you, and that you may find me too not as you want to find me that perhaps there may be factions ( quarreling ) jealousy, temper ( wrath, intrigues, rivalry, divided loyalties ), selfishness, whispering, gossip, arrogance (self-assertion), and disorder among you.
Ecclesiastes 10:11 of a murmured enchantment. Katalalos is a backbiter and synonymous with whisperer, Rom. 1:30. The distinction being that this denotes one guilty of open calumny (false and malicious statement) (psithuristes; one who hides it clandestinely (in hidden, secret, underhanded, stealthily).
Clamor - NT:2906 krauge (krow-gay'); from NT:2896; an outcry (in notification, tumult or grief): KJV - clamour, cry (-ing). NT:2896 krazo (krad'-zo); a primary verb; properly, to "croak" (as a raven) or scream, i.e. (genitive case) to call aloud (shriek, exclaim, intreat): KJV - cry (out).
Eph 4:31 AMP Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind).
Evil Speaking ( as in Eph 4:31 above ) NT:988 blasphemia (blas-fay-me'-ah); from NT:989; vilification (especially against God): KJV - blasphemy, evil speaking, railing.
NT:989 blasphemos (blas'-fay-mos); from a derivative of
NT:984 and NT:5345; scurrilious, i.e. calumnious (against men),
or (specially) impious (against God): KJV - blasphemer (-mous),
railing.
NT:5345 pheme (fay'-may); from NT:5346; a saying, i.e. rumor
("fame"): KJV - fame.
NT:5346 phemi (fay-mee'); properly, the same as the base of
NT:5457 and NT:5316; to show or make known one's thoughts,
i.e. speak or say: KJV - affirm, say. Compare NT:3004.
Debates /contention - OT:4683 matstsah (mats-tsaw'); from OT:5327; a quarrel: KJV - contention, debate, strife.
OT:5327 natsah (naw-tsaw') a primitive root; properly, to go forth,
i.e. (by implication) to be expelled, and (consequently) desolate;
causatively, to lay waste; also (specifically), to quarrel: KJV - be laid
waste, runinous, strive (together). notsah. See OT:5133.
Isa 58:4 NKJV Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, to make your voice heard on high.
Prov 15:18 NKJV A wrathful man stirs up strife,But he who is slow to anger allays contention.
OT:7379 riyb (reeb); or rib (reeb); from OT:7378; a contest personal or legal): KJV - adversary, cause, chiding, contend (-tion), controversy, multitude [from the margin], pleading, strife, strive (-ing), suit.
OT:7378 riyb (reeb); or ruwb (roob); a primitive root; properly, to toss, i.e. grapple; mostly figuratively, to wrangle, i.e. hold a controversy; (by implication) to defend: KJV - adversary, chide, complain, contend, debate, ever, lay wait, plead, rebuke, strive, thoroughly.
Prov 17:14 NKJV The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.
Prov 18:6-7 NKJV A fool's lips enter into contention, And his mouth calls for blows. 7 A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.
Prov 22:10 NKJV Cast out the scoffer, and contention will leave; Yes, strife and reproach will cease.
Acts 15:39 NKJV Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus;
NT:3948 paroxusmos (par-ox-oos-mos'); from NT:3947
("paroxysm"); incitement (to good), or dispute (in anger): KJV
contention, provoke unto.
NT:3947 paroxuno (par-ox-oo'-no); from NT:3844 and a derivative
of NT:3691; to sharpen alongside, i.e. (figuratively) to exasperate:
KJV - easily provoke, stir.
(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance
with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003
Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
(The following inserted article has an unknown author and was given to me by a charasmatic Presbyterian friend.)
Talkativeness
" Talkativeness is utterly ruinous to deep spirituality. It is one of the hindrances to deep, solid union with God. Notice how people will tell the same thing over and over, how insignificant trifles are magnified by a world of words; how that things that should be buried are dragged out into gossip; how a worthless nonessential is argued an disputed over; how the solemn, deep things of the Holy Spirit are rattled over in a light manner until one who has the real baptism of divine silence in his heart, feels he must unceremoniously tear himself away to some lonely room or forest, where he can gather up the fragment of his mind, and rest in God.
Not only do we need cleansing from sin, but from our natural human spirit a radical death to its own noise and activity and worldliness. See the evil effects of so much talk. First it dissipates the spiritual power. The thought and feeling of the soul are like powder and steam the more they are condensed, the greater their power.
Second it is a waste of time. If the hours spent in useless conversation were spent in secret prayer or deep reading, we would soon reach a region of soul life and divine peace beyond our present dreams.
Third, loquacity (which is a spirit says Pris) inevitably leads to saying unwise, or unpleasant or unprofitable things. In religious conversation we soon churn up all the cream our souls have in them and the rest of our talk is all pale skim milk until we get alone again, and feed on His green pasture, until the cream rises again. The Holy Spirit warns us that " in the multitude of words there lacketh not sin." And James 1:19 NKJ says So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; It is impossible for even the best of saints to talk beyond a certain point without saying something unkind, or severe, or foolish, or erroneous. We must settle this personally. If others are noisy and gossip, I must determine to live in quietness and humility of heart. I must guard my speech as a sentinel does a fortress and with all respect for others, I must many a time cease from conversation or withdraw from company to enter deep communion with my precious Lord. To walk in the Spirit we must avoid talking for talk's sake, or merely to entertain. To speak effectively we must speak in God's appointed time, and in harmony with the indwelling Holy Spirit.
"He that hath knowledge spareth his words." Proverbs 17:27
"In quietness and confidence shall be your strength." Isaiah 30:15
" Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes through much activity. And a fool's voice is known by his many words. Ecclesiastes 5:2-3 NKJ
God has had me to post this, not because I have overcome, but, am overcoming. The scriptures I always find are convicting and say enough without explanation sometimes. So here are more on the mouth and it's best or improper uses.
Luke 6:31-33 AMP
31 And as you would like and desire that men would do to you, do exactly so to them. 32 If you [ merely] love those who love you, what quality of credit and thanks is that to you? For even the [very] sinners love their lovers (those who love them). 33 And if you are kind and good and do favors to and benefit those who are kind and good and do favors to and benefit you, what quality of credit and thanks is that to you? For even the preeminently sinful do the same.
Luke 6:35-37 AMP
35 But love your enemies and be kind and do good [ doing favors so that someone derives benefit from them ] and lend, expecting and hoping for nothing in return but considering nothing as lost and despairing of no one; and then your recompense (your reward) will be great (rich, strong, intense, and abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind and charitable and good to the ungrateful and the selfish and wicked.
36 So be merciful (sympathetic, tender, responsive, and compassionate) even as your Father is [all these].
37 Judge not [neither pronouncing judgment nor subjecting to censure], and you will not be judged; do not condemn and pronounce guilty, and you will not be condemned and pronounced guilty; acquit and forgive and release (give up resentment, let it drop), and you will be acquitted and forgiven and released.
JAMES 4: 11-12 Amp My brethren, do not speak evil about or accuse one another. He that maligns a BROTHER or judges his brother is maligning and criticizing the Law and judging the Law. But if you judge the LAW, you are NOT a practicer of the Law but CENSOR and JUDGE [ of it ]. ONE ONLY IS THE LAWGIVER AND JUDGE-[the ONE] Who has the ABSOLUTE POWER OF LIFE AND DEATH- Who is able to save and destroy. [But you], WHO ARE YOU THAT YOU PRESUME TO PASS
JUDGEMENT ON YOUR NEIGHBOR ?
Psalm 141:3 Amp Set a guard, O Lord, before my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.
Job 16:5 Amp But I would strengthen and encourage you with [the words of] my mouth, and the consolation of my lips would soothe your suffering.
Psalm 12:2-4 Amp To his neighbor each one speaks words without use or worth or truth; with flattering lips and double heart [deceitfully] they speak. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and the tongue that speaks proud boasting. Those who say, with our tongue we prevail, our lips are our own [to command at will]; who is lord and master over us?
Psalm 15:1-3 NAS O Lord, who may abide in Thy tent? Who may dwell on Thy holy hill? He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart. He does not slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
Psalm 34:13 NAS Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.
Psalm 59:12 Amp For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be trapped and taken in their PRIDE, and for the cursing and lying which they utter.
Proverbs 4:24 Amp Put away from you false and dishonest speech, and willful and contrary talk put far from you.
Proverbs 6:16-19 Amp These six things the Lord hates; indeed, seven are an abomination to Him; A PROUD look [ the spirit which makes one overestimate himself, and underestimate others] a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that manufactures wicked thoughts and plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies [ even under oath ], and he who sows discord among his brethren.
Proverbs 10:18-20 Amp He who hides hatred is of lying lips, and he who utters slander is a [self-confident] fool. In a multitude of words transgression is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is prudent. The tongues of those who are upright and in right standing with God are as choice silver; the minds of those who are wicked and out of harmony with God are of little value.
Proverbs 17:27 He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding has a cool spirit.
Proverbs 13:3 Amp He who guards his mouth keeps his life, but he who opens wide his lips will come to ruin.
Isaiah 32:6-7 NAS For a fool speaks nonsense, and his heart inclines toward wickedness, to practice ungodliness and to speak error against the lord, to keep the hungry person unsatisfied and to withhold drink from the thirsty. As for a rogue, his weapons are evil; He devises wicked schemes to destroy the afflicted with slander, even thought the needy one speaks what is right.
Jeremiah's complaint: Jeremiah 20:1-13 false prophets against the true.
Ecclesiastes 9:17 Amp The words of wise men heard in quiet are better than the shouts of him who rules among fools.
Eccl.10:12 Amp The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious and win him favor, but the lips of a fool will consume him.
Matthew 5: 22-26 You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgement.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to JUDGEMENT. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca', is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says 'You fool!' will be in danger of the FIRE OF HELL. "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.'
Matthew 12:34-37 "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 out of his good treasure brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth what is evil. And I say to you, that every word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgement. For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned."
Romans 1:28-32 NKJV And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, "God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent , arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
Ephesians 4:29-32 Amp Let no foul or polluting language, not evil word, nor unwholesome talk [ ever ] come out of your mouth; but only such [ speech ] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and occasion, that it may be a blessing and give GRACE (God's favor) to those who hear it. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, (do not offend, or vex, or sadden him) by whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God's own, secured) for the day of redemption of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin. Let all bitterness, indignation, and wrath {passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and SLANDER (evil speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill-will or baseness of any kind). And become useful and helpful, and KIND to one another, TENDERHEARTED (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 5:1-4 Amp Therefore, be imitators of GOD - copy Him and follow His example as well-beloved children [ imitate their father]. And walk in LOVE esteeming and delighting in one another as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [ for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance, [Ez. 20:41] But immorality (sexual vice) and all impurity [ of lustful, rich, wasteful living] or greediness must not even be named among you, as is fitting and proper among saints (God's consecrated people). Let there be no filthiness (obscenity, indecency) nor foolish and sinful (silly and corrupt) talk, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting or becoming; but instead voice your thankfulness [to God].
Philippians 2:14-15 Amp Do all things without grumbling and faultfinding and complaining [against God] and questioning and doubting [ among yourselves ], that you may show yourselves to be blameless and guileless, innocent and uncontaminated, children of God without blemish (faultless, unrebukable) in the midst of a crooked and wicked generation -[spiritually] perverted and perverse. Among whom you are seen as bright lights stars or beacons shining out clearly in the [dark] world;
Philippians 4:8 Amp For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and loveable whatever is kind, and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things FIX YOUR MINDS ON THEM.
Colossians 4:6 NAS Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person.
See 1 Timothy 6,
Titus 3,
James 1:19, 26 Amp,
and JAMES Ch 3 Amplified is GREAT.
