{"id":165,"date":"2014-10-04T15:09:26","date_gmt":"2014-10-04T15:09:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/leadinghorsestowater.net\/?p=165"},"modified":"2020-08-30T01:33:53","modified_gmt":"2020-08-30T01:33:53","slug":"the-words-of-my-mouth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leadinghorsestowater.net\/?p=165","title":{"rendered":"The Words of My Mouth"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cIf any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man\u2019s religion is vain (empty)\u201d (James 1:26).<\/strong><\/p>\n

Plumbing question\u2026\u2026\u2026can you get drinking water and sewage out of the same pipe? \u00a0The Scripture asks this question in regards to speech, \u201cCan a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?\u201d (James 3:11). <\/strong><\/p>\n

The answer is an understood \u201cNo!\u201d \u00a0What we get from the pipe is determined by the source. \u00a0If the source is fresh clean spring water, we get fresh clean spring water. \u00a0If the source is contaminated, contaminated water will come out. \u00a0According to the source we receive one or the other, but not both.<\/strong><\/p>\n

James is dealing with the tongue. \u00a0In chapter three he calls the tongue a fire, a world of iniquity. \u00a0He goes on to say that every kind of beast, bird, reptile and sea creature has been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. \u00a0He calls it an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. \u00a0With it we bless God and with it we curse men who are made in the image of God. \u00a0In verse 10 of chapter three, James says \u201cOut of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. \u00a0My brethren, these things ought not so to be.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Consider the source of our words. \u00a0Christ said, \u201cNot what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man\u201d (Matthew 15:11). \u00a0He continues in verse 18, \u201cthose things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile the man. \u00a0For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.\u201d \u00a0Christ is speaking again in Matthew 12:34b where he says, \u201cFor out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh\u201d.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s be honest with ourselves. \u00a0What characterizes our speech? <\/strong>The character of our speech and the content of our thoughts reveal the condition of our heart. \u00a0Do we find ourselves in a bad way? \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reforming our speech is not the answer.\u00a0\u00a0That would be like the doctor giving an aspirin and a band aid for a ruptured appendix. \u00a0We would die. \u00a0If we just reform our speech, we would still die and go to hell. \u00a0<\/strong>The answer is a new source, a new man. \u00a0\u201cTherefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new\u201d (II Corinthians 5:17). \u00a0A new creature is born when we accept God\u2019s provision for our sin by inviting Christ into our heart to be our personal Saviour.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The remedy for a Christian who is having trouble controlling his tongue is a renewed mind and no unconfessed sin. \u00a0\u201cAnd be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind\u201d (Romans 12:2). \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The word for transformed is the same as for metamorphosis. \u00a0This is referring not to an external change (conformation), but rather a complete change (transformation) from the inside out. \u00a0It starts at salvation and continues as we read, study and meditate on God\u2019s Word which is the sword of the Spirit. \u00a0\u201cThy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee\u201d (Psalm 119:11). \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Believers should read the Scriptures, meditate on what they mean and how they apply to our lives, allowing God\u2019s truth and the Holy Spirit to change us from the inside out.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cLet the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer\u201d (Psalm 19:14).<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cIf any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man\u2019s religion is vain (empty)\u201d (James 1:26). Plumbing question\u2026\u2026\u2026can you get drinking water and sewage out of the same pipe? \u00a0The Scripture asks this question in regards to speech, \u201cCan a spring send forth fresh … Continue reading The Words of My Mouth<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadinghorsestowater.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadinghorsestowater.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadinghorsestowater.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadinghorsestowater.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadinghorsestowater.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=165"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/leadinghorsestowater.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3104,"href":"https:\/\/leadinghorsestowater.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165\/revisions\/3104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadinghorsestowater.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadinghorsestowater.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadinghorsestowater.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}