hatchcreek.com Bible blog

In recent lessons we learned that God gives us help in our thought lives and cares about what we say. God also is very concerned about what we do.These three things are connected. Have you ever stopped to realize what we think about usually ends up coming out in our speech, and later leads to our actions? Here is one example:

An action starts in our minds. For instance, we think we’d like a new car. We start dwelling on that and pretty soon come up with all kinds of reasons why we need one. Finally, after thinking about it a couple of days we might just mention it to our spouse. Then we both dream about having a bright shinny new car. We talk it over and eventually stop by the car dealer to just look around. The salesman gets us to sign a contract and we have a new car.

This is the way God has made us and how we work. It is not necessarily bad but can be detrimental if our thoughts, speech and actions do not line up with the Word and will of God.

Here is another example which is not good. You and your spouse have an argument. Finally, one of you says, “Oh, let’s just get a divorce.” Whoops! That should not have been said out loud even if one of you thought it. What happens next is that thought of divorce is entertained by both of you. Eventually it comes out in speech again and seems like a real possibility when it never had before. You wind up in divorce court. This example is where our thoughts, speech and actions work against us and God’s will for us. We need to be careful of how we think, speak and act.

Here is a good verse that tells us how God wants us to act.

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. (James 1:22 NASB)

People who merely hear the Word and think they are saved are actually kidding themselves. This kind of person might go to church every Sunday and even be involved with the inner workings of the church. They might look like a Christian on Sunday, but the rest of the week you can’t tell them from anyone else. Their actions and speech do not measure up. We must prove ourselves as we continue to do the Word of God.

The best way I know of being a doer of the Word is to have a daily personal Bible study where pray, read the Word and actually take time to think about what it says and how it applies to you. The Holy Spirit will guide you if you ask Him. If we actually obey what God tells us in the Bible, then we will be doers of the Word.

As a Christian we are new creations in Christ. We need to manifest the attributes of Christ in our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit working in us. It is important to know we can not do anything on our own. We need to pray and ask for His help.

We are to put off the old and put on the new. Here are a few scriptures that help us see how God wants us to act.

But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. (Colossians 3:8 NASB)

Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, (Colossians 3:9 NASB)

and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him. Colossians 3:10 NASB)

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32 NASB)

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; Colossians 3:12 NASB)

bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. (Colossians 3:13 NASB)

Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 0″>(Colossians 3:14 NASB)

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. (Colossians 3:17 NASB)

You can make a list from the above scriptures. On one side of the page write down the negative things mentioned and on the other side write down the positive things mentioned. You can then easily see how you can “put off” certain habits and replace them by “putting on” another better habit.

If you slip and do one of those things God tells us to put off, then go to God in prayer and ask Him to forgive you.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 NASB)

When we do this we will walk with Christ and grow into a mature Christian. Be a doer of the Word!

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Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for edifying as the need may be, that it may give grace to them that hear. Ephesians 4:29 ASV

Earlier we talked about how God can help us control our thought life. He is also interested in our speech.

When we become Christians our talk should change. I know after I became a Christian it started to bother me to be around my old friends who talked rough. When anyone would take the name of Jesus in vain it smarted. I wasn’t really aware of it as much before, but after finding the Lord bad language jumped out at me and made me uneasy. Have you ever felt that way? I’ve discovered the reason is because the Holy Spirit comes to live inside us when we are converted and He causes that uneasiness inside us. The bad language is offensive to Him.

Throughout the years we acquire a lot of habits that we carrying along with us, but we need to recognize them and make a conscious effort to put them off. It is kind of like changing a dirty set of clothing. We take off the old dirty ones and put on nice clean fresh ones.

Here is what God says:

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and railing, be put away from you, with all malice: (Ephesians 4:31 ASV)

We are to peal all that old junk off and put on the following:

and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32 ASV)

We need to be careful with our speech and make sure it is graceful and kind.

Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer each one. (Colossians 4:6 ASV)

Did you know our tongue can be our worse enemy? It can literally destroy us. God knows this and warns us in the book of James.

And the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body,… (James 3:6 ASV)

We need to learn to control our tongues. Have you ever stopped to analyze what you talk about when with your friends and family? Our talk can actually do us harm as well as others. God is not in favor of idol talk, gossip, slander, or swearing and cussing. How do your friends talk?

On the other hand those who learn to control what they say are much better off and keep out of trouble. God will judge us on what we have said.

“Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue Keepeth his soul from troubles.” (Proverbs 21:23 ASV)

God tells us that we are fools if we allow our tongues to rule us.

A fool’s mouth is his destruction, And his lips are the snare of his soul. (Proverbs 18:7 ASV)

Here are Jesus’ own words. He tells us that we have a heart problem. Have you ever said something and thought, “why did I say that?” Or, “that didn’t sound very nice.” The Lord says what we say comes from our heart. It reveals what is on the inside of us and shows us what we need to change. That is a scary thought. I don’t like to think the ugly things that come out of my mouth actually reveal the real me. Ouch!

Ye offspring of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. (Matthew 12:34 ASV)

We need to clean up our speech. We need to build each other up and not tear each other down. We are to minister to others in love and kindness. It is so easy to fall into the trap of talking about others. We need to be on constant guard of our mouths. This isn’t a hopeless situation. There are several things we can do. We can pray and ask God to forgive us when we misspeak or when we fall into the trap of gossip. He will forgive us and give us another chance to get it right. We can ask God to put a guard on our mouth and alert us when things are getting out of control. If we are with others who are not speaking in a God honoring way, we can avoid joining into the conversation and sometimes we even have to stop being around certain people. I’ve had to do that too.

Another thing is that God wants us to be ready to tell others about our hope in Christ.

(Psalms 119:11 ASV) but sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord: being ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear: (1 Peter 3:15 ASV)

We have clearly seen from the Bible how God is concerned not only about what we think, but also about what we say. Even though I’ve been a Christian for over 30 years I haven’t arrive at perfection.  I pray you will examine yourself along with me and try to speak in a way that is always pleasing to our precious Savior.

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