Much of what we are living today
we were speaking yesterday. Of course, not everything in one's future is
determined by his words. However, in real ways, our words are seeds that bloom
in future hopes and fears; they are the trailblazers of our future, the
pioneers of our tomorrows.
Still, most of us are too casual,
or ignorant, about the weightiness of our words. Recall: it was Jesus Himself
who warned, "For every idle word men may speak, they
will give account of it in the day of judgment." He continued, "For
by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matt. 12:36-37 NKJV)
We will each stand before God and
give an account for our words. We actually will be justified or condemned by
the things we uttered in life. In truth, idle words create idols, false
realities and hollow goals, to which we bow down and serve.
The Kernel of Life or Death
There is a weightiness to words,
a spiritual substance within our words, and that substance has the power to
impact those who receive them. Jesus said His words were "spirit and
[they] are life" (John 6:63). The substance in Christ's words is eternal
life, and believing His words transforms us.
So also our words can contain
either life or, conversely, they can contain death. If I wrote a string of
profanities, blasphemies and curses, would not the vileness of such words, at
least temporarily, degrade your soul with their toxic affect? Our words,
manipulated by hell, can actually become weapons the enemy uses to destroy us
and wound others, as Job challenged his so-called friends: "To
whom have you uttered words? And whose spirit was expressed through you?"
(Job 26:4)
When we slander or gossip, we
must ask ourselves: Whose spirit is being expressed through us? You see, Satan
seeks to use our words against us. With our words, we criticize but do not
pray; we judge without showing mercy. These things immediately affect our
future. Satan knows that if he can capture our tongues, he can capture our
future. As it is written: "The
tongue...sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell."
(See James 3:2-6)
The devil can take our careless,
insensitive words and literally crush people with them. Although a word has no
measurable mass, it can become an unbearable burden on a person's soul, especially
a harsh word spoken in anger. It can actually destroy another's life.
Still think words are
unimportant? A definite aspect of our salvation unfolds when we "confess with [our] mouth Jesus as Lord." (Rom. 10:9) Our confession takes salvation out of
the vague, provisional state and makes it a distinct, effective dimension of
our life. Our confession of faith in all things helps chart our lives in a
Godward direction.
Prayer itself is the expansion of
the heart toward God through words, and when you pray according to the will of
God, your words begin to shape your future in God.
Combining Spiritual Thoughts with Spiritual
Words
"Now
we have received . . .the Spirit who is from God, that we may know the things
freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by
human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts
with spiritual words." (1 Cor
2:12-13)
As we combine spiritual thoughts
with spiritual words, the things freely given us by God begin to manifest in
our lives. This is not to say that merely repeating words has power, as if by
magic. No. However, the Bible calls us to combine "spiritual thoughts with
"spiritual words," enabling new dimensions to open in our
relationship with God.
Becoming Like Christ, the Word
The church is beginning to
realize its singular purpose is to be like Christ. To be like Jesus, however,
is to be purified in both heart and speech. James said that "if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a
perfect man." (James 3:2) Our words, therefore, are a
measure of our maturity.
Or consider Isaiah. When this
mighty prophet saw the Lord, he was immediately convicted concerning his words.
Isaiah said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am
a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips." (Isa. 6:5)
Taking a burning coal from the altar, the first thing the Lord cleansed
was Isaiah's speech.
Likewise, when we truly see
Jesus, our words will also be brought under the burning coal of divine
conviction; a process of cleansing will begin. Thus, Peter says, "Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the
utterances of God." (1 Pet. 4:11)
It is an honor to be anointed to
speak a timely word; it is a greater honor to speak a timeless message. Christ
spoke both. If we were, this day, required to stand before God, would our words
justify us or condemn us? Would we be honored for speaking the utterances of
God?
Lord, put a guard over my heart
that I might not sin with my mouth. Master, purify me that my words might be
the expression of Your heart. Help me to crucify my instinct to talk. May I
serve You as one entrusted to speak, as it were, the utterances of God.
Francis Frangipane
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