What do you say?
Matthew 12:36-37(MSG) Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation.
Introduction: Glory be to God for another week of Speaking Scriptures. The word of God will profit us as we study in Jesus name. Today’s message is a question? ” What do you say? “What do you say in every situation to yourself and all that are yours?Scriptures speak in Joel 3:10b….. let the weak say, I am strong.
Words that come out of your mouth to your spouse, children, marriage, business and every sphere of your life will determine your salvation (deliverance from evil) or damnation (suffering or staying in hell an abode of the Devil).
🙏 Father, deliver me from the words that will keep me in the habitation of the wicked in Jesus name.
Negative words that you speak to your spouse, children, marriage, business and even to yourself will come back to hunt you in time of reckoning which is usually futuristic.
In my younger years, without knowing this truth, I told my wife when we started dating that if our relationship is going to last, she should never abuse or curse me under any circumstances and I will never do so also. In those days, it’s common to hear people in relationship abusing themselves such as; Olòsì (someone with poverty) Olóríburúkú (someone with bad destiny) and many other terrible abusive words and curses. I didn’t have revelation of it’s effects on victims, I just reasoned that no relationship under abusive scenario can breed genuine love and last long. This decision among us has major positive impact on our marital relationship. No matter disagreements and anger in quarrels, there has never been any abusive words between us till date.
Now Christians are expected to know better. Jesus spoke expressly from our text that Every one of these careless words that we speak is going to come back to haunt (cause problems for) us in future, and because words are powerful; we are to take them seriously because these words can bring salvation, which is deliverance from demonic oppression, and these words can also be your damnation, which is living where devil reigns.
Why must we watch out and take our words seriously?
1️⃣ Whatever God hears from you shall be done to you.
Numbers 14:28(NLT) Now tell them this: ‘As surely as I live, declares the lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you say.
In your moments of anger, what have you said? What do you say to your spouse and children even jokingly? Remember what God hears from you shall be done.
2️⃣ In the matters of your life, either Justification or condemnation comes to you through what you say.
Matthew 12:36-37 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
What are those idle or careless words you speak to your spouse and children? Some say their wives or children are useless in the face of anger!! Then Devil will have opportunity to rule in that home, thereby making all progressive efforts useless.
Moses’ Error at Kadesh was that God asked him to speak to the rock so that water will come out for the children of Israel to drink but hear what he said in anger before striking the rock instead of just speaking to the rock to bring forth water in Numbers 20:10 ….“Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” That generation except Joshua and Caleb did not get to the promised land because no rebel can make it to God’s place of rest. Unfortunately, it was that incidence that denied Moses also from getting to the promised land.
Will you allow anger to bring words that will deny you and your family the marital bliss promised by God? Who will want to die without enjoying God’s promises for Christian home? Watch your words.
3️⃣ Enjoyments of good life and happy days as Christians
1 Peter 3:10(NLT) For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.
Have you checked why there seems to be no joy in that marriage? What you say every time there’s misunderstanding can be the root cause of lack of joy or probably you are not naked before your spouse, little lies here and there can destroy the vine. Watch your words.
4️⃣ Controlling tongue brings long life and prevents destruction.
Proverbs 13:3(NLT) Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything.
Most homes are ruined because of what comes out of the month. I’ve heard spouse saying “I will kill you”, “marrying you is the worst thing in my life”, some go as far as abusing and cursing their parents during quarrels. When quarrels are settled, what about the spoken words? Life and death are in the power of the tongue.
Proverbs 18:21(NLT) The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.
Find out what is bringing ruin to your marriage and settle the matter before God and watch your words henceforth.
5️⃣ In order to stay out of trouble.
Proverbs 21:23(NLT) Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.
Trouble often brews in marriages, families, businesses, offices and public places due to what comes out of the mouth and inability to keep shut. Words against ethnic groups in Rwanda fuelled the civil war in the 90s. Can you dig deep into what gets you into trouble with your spouse and others?, Probably it’s inability to keep quiet in provocations. Hear the Scriptures in Proverbs 17:28(NLT) Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.
6️⃣ To prevent Christians from being worthless.
James 1:26(NLT) If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.
Can you imagine after claiming to serve God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and one’s religion is regarded as worthless before the King of kings just because of inability to control tongue. It is better to watch what we say so that at the end of our race, we are not disqualified.
7️⃣ With careless words, there’s Danger of going to hell
Matthew 5:22(MSG) Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.
Hear the Goodnews version Matthew 5:22(GNS) But now I tell you: if you are angry with your brother you will be brought to trial, if you call your brother ‘You good-for-nothing!’ you will be brought before the Council, and if you call your brother a worthless fool you will be in danger of going to the fire of hell.
Jesus stated that truth when He taught His disciples during sermon on the mountain. There’s danger of going to hell for any Disciple of Christ that cannot control the tongue. Message version says; The simple moral fact is that words kill.
Words can kill marriage, family, business and send Christians to hell.
How can we control our words?
1️⃣Ensure you are Spirit filled.
Any believe without Holy Spirit baptism will fight every battle with human efforts and fail.Remember Peter boasted never to deny Jesus but he denied Him 3times before the day of Pentecost where Peter received power and served Jesus with boldness until his death.
John 6:63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
2️⃣Constantly fill your heart with the words of God.
Matthew 12:34-35 (NLT) You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart.
Hear apostle Paul to the Colossians Church
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Since whatever is in the heart determines what comes out of the mouth, it is profitable to fill the heart with God’s words and spiritual songs.
3️⃣Living by God’s word gives victory over satanic agenda.
Matthew 4:4(NLT) But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Living by God’s word is to be doers of what Jesus has taught us, written in the Scriptures for us. Part of the teachings are the sermon on the mountain. For example, Jesus said this on what should come out from the mouth of a disciple during His sermon
Matthew 5:34,37 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.
4️⃣Hold on to the Word of Life.
Holding firmly to the word of God and applying it to every sphere of life prevents vanity in Christian service. We are not to fill our hearts with words of men and traditions of men if our religion will not be in vain.
Philippians 2:16(NLT) Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.
Finally brethren, let us watch our words, spoken or written so as to stand before God in Justification and to escape being held captive by the Evil one. Scriptures speak 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.
🖐 Maranatha.
