approached by those who say, “ Now I am not gossip ing, but I think you should know . . .” They prefer to think of it as information but it is just a self-justify ing, polite way of prefacing a piece of bitter gossip. Christian, if gossip comes to your ears, do not pass it on! Refuse to tell it. In Proverbs 26:20 we read of a sure cure for gossip: “ Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.” A fire will be but smoking embers if wood is not added. Likewise gossip will die never to live again if, by God’s grace, you refuse to repeat it. Let it die in your heart. The strife will cease at that very moment. Progress in God’s work will no longer be hindered. Souls will be saved. Your church will prosper. You will be happier. How we need to cry out in the words of David’s prayer in Psalm 141:3 : “Set a. jvatcli, 0 Lord, before my mouth; keep the door o f my lips.” Consider, on the other hand, the positive side of the Christian’s speech. It should BENEFIT and BLESS. “Let no corrupt communication proceed out o f your mouth, but that which is good to the use o f edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers” (Ephe sians 4:29). God not only tells us in this verse what not to do, but very clearly what to do. It is not enough to refrain from “worthless speech,” but as believers we should substantiate our faith with helpful and kindly words that bless others. Paul surely advocated this in Colossians 4:6: Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” A famous publisher declares, “ If you are an articu late person, you utter some thirty thousand words each day.” Think of it! If put in print, this would mean enough books to fill an entire college library. How many pages of these volumes you are constanly writing will be denounced by God as “worthless speech?” We read in Matthew 12:36, 37 : “Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the clay of judg- men. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Words are so dangerous. It should be understood that because we are Chris tians, we are not to be as doormats, letting others tread and stomp upon us. This is not humility as taught in the Bible. What God desires is that we speak decorous ly when we are offended. We should always speak in a way that will benefit and bless. Keep in mind that there is a right and a wrong way to say and do everything. In the final analysis of “worthless speech,” the prob lem lies deeper than we have mentioned thus far. In Matthew 12:34, the crux of the matter is unfolded: “Out of the abundance o f the heart the mouth speaketh.” “Worthless speech” has its beginning in an unsurren dered heart. If one carrying a bucket of water is in advertently bumped or jostled by someone else, he spills water; for he can spill only what is in the bucket. Amidst the jostling of life, you can spill out of the lips only what is in the heart. If your experience with Christ is shallow and insincere, “worthless speech” will be the result. Grievous and bitter words must come. On the other hand if you are living in close communion and fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ, your words will be profitable and commendable. If Christ is your Lord and you are failing God with “worthless speech,” bow your head and confess your sin immediately. Pray with David: “ Let the words o f my mouth, and the meditation o f my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, 0 Lord, my strength, and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).________________ Available in printed form from the American Tract Society, Oradell, New Jersey.
a sense of guilt every time we are tempted to stretch the truth, for this is natural. The psychologist is cor rect! It is natural for the unredeemed man, for “ The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God’’ (1 Corinthians 2:14). “ The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray os soon as they be born, speaking lies” (Psalm 58:3). But for the true believer in Christ, lying is an abnormality. Even though the psy chologist may try to tone down and moderate the seri ousness of lying, God’s attitude has not changed. To Him a lie is “worthless speech.” He hates lying and liars. In Proverbs 6:16,17 He says: “ These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a LYING TONGUE,” and in verse 19 \“A false witness that SPEAKETH LIES.” In Revelation 21:8 God offers a word of caution to the unsaved and warns that liars will be judged. “All liars shall have their part in the lake which bumeth with fire and brimstone.” In Ephesians 4:25, He ad monishes the Christian to renounce lying and says: “ Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.” No Christian should be deceived by this degrading and detrimental form of “worthless speech.” Speak the truth in love. Be honest with all men. There are no short-cuts. You have a Saviour to respect and ven erate. Slanderous Speech How prevalent this kind of “worthless speech” is in Christian circles! Gossiping, backbiting and acri mony are important wedges used by Satan to destroy Christian unity and harmony. Indescribable injury is being suffered in the church of Christ as a result of this loathsome disease. Frequently slanderous speech assumes some form of grumbling, complaining, or murmuring. The children of Israel had no sooner been miraculously delivered from their Egyptian bondage than they began to mur mur and complain against God. The early church, shortly after its inception, began to prosper. Yet, what do we read next but that “ There arose a murmuring.” Wherever a work of God is being done, you may be sure Satan will find some willing aspirants for the ad vancement of his fraudulence and trickery by means of “murmuring.” He usually enmeshes the weaker Chris tians, and they become more and more critical and ma licious in their speech. Their sky darkens until it has no sun. All becomes as darkness. They criticize every thing and everybody, and soon are so victimized and duped that they can no longer see the good, but only the bad. This is a cancerous disease which can easily weaken and enfeeble the most mature believers. Are you afflicted? Get to your knees quickly and confess it. Receive the soothing balm of the Holy Spirit’s healing before it is too late. The slanderer is usually known by his gossiping. Like all gossipers, he has few or none of the facts. Because of his lack of understanding, he gets things all mixed up. Like a blotter, he soaks it all in but gets it all backwards. Because of this, he consciously or unconsciously perverts the facts and assumes the role of judge, becoming harsh and critical. God says in Ro mans 14:10: "But why dost thou judge thy brother ? or why dost thou set at naught thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat o f Christ.” We are called to be witnesses, but at no time has our God ap pointed us to the bar of justice as judges. God alone is the judge. We are commanded to pray one for an other but never to judge one another. Unfortunately, the gossiper does not recognize the fallacy of his own evil. How many times we have been
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JULY, 1964
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