When to Speak

How do we know what is acceptable in the sight of God? His Word is his voice to us. How can we prove what is acceptable? By studying the Word and knowing it in our heart we can know how God looks at things.

There is so much garbage floating around in the news media, which has no business passing through our spiritual lives. But some how it seems that this garbage has mustered its way into the lives of many Christians.

There is a spirit working in our world today which is so deceptive and destructive that even our pulpits and government is allowing this corruption to filter through. People are preoccupied with gossip and most of the gossip is centered on sex. Everywhere we turn and practically in everything we see in life centers around sex and other people's business. I would like to share what the Word of God says about such things in hopes that the Christian community will begin to abide by what God says.

The bible says that it is a shame to even speak of those things, which promote dark themes. Many people will say something like this: "I don't want to be gossiping or anything but have you heard…." "I'm not the type to talk about other people but did you hear…."

We as a Christian body have become relaxed in our conversation and many have either never cleaned up their conversation or they have gone back to the way they used to behave. This ought not to be so!

1 Peter 4:11 "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God gives: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever." This scripture alone has many truths. First if we are to speak always in reference to God. Idle talk and gossip are not allowed in the Christian life. There is a reason for this. To speak about the things of this world is disrespect to God. God is so mighty and so great, if someone has a personal relationship with him why would that person want to discuss anything except that which is applied to God the Father? This verse says unmistakable "in all things" we are to be in reverence to God.

2 Peter 2:10 "But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities." This is a scripture of warning, an example of how the world thinks and behaves. Being self-willed is not divine will. Self-willed will always seek its own. This type of person is not afraid to speak of those things, which should not be spoken of.

1 John 4:5 "They are of the world; therefore speak they of the world, and the world hears them." This is a spirit of error. They speak and the world hears, because the world wants to hear the lies and the gossip. People are like sponges that want to absorb every tidbit even if it does not apply to their own lives. There are dozens of gossip magazines and grocery store tabloid papers and it seems like the News Media too has conformed to sensationalism when reporting the news. A story about sex sells, so many stories are being published and broadcast which are built up and glamorized even if the facts are not available. The world has an ear for this type of reporting. Christian men and women have no business reading or listening to this trash!

1 Peter 3; 10 "For he that will love his life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile." Did you know that speaking evil shortens your life? People say drinking city water, smoking, alcohol, drugs; eating fats shorten life, however the bible says that speaking. Speaking of evil things will also bring judgement to your house. Knowing that the eyes of the Lord are everywhere, and his ears open to our prayers shouldn't we seek peace and avoid evil?

James 4; 11 "Speak not evil one of another." We are to speak as God's mouth pieces. When people hear Christians speak they expect to hear them say something positive or uplifting. How can God receive glory if the Christians are preoccupied with speaking about the same things, which the world speaks about? Our way of speech should be obviously different. Our language should be God's language.

James 1; 19 "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath." Slow to speak gives us time to think and consider the situation. It gives us time to consult God without jumping to conclusions. It is our duty to do the work of the righteousness of God. We are to lay aside "all filthiness impure and unholy affections. The language of the world is cheap and stained with filth. We are not to receive the words of the world but rather receive the engrafted Word of God which is able to save our souls".

Colossians 4; 4, "that God would open a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I might make it manifest, as I ought to speak." Paul always looked to God for the words to speak. He did not want to speak his own words because he understood that they would mean very little and may not hold true. When Paul spoke, he did it as God's messenger in boldness. He did not speak of the things of the world. He did not take part in spreading rumors, telling dirty jokes, or inventing gossip. Paul was sure enough about himself because he had Christ living inside of him that his life was full. When people's lives become empty and they feel like they have no meaning or are not important, sometimes they will either invent gossip or join the gossip to bring something back into their lives.

1 Corinthians 2; 13 "Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual." You see since man's wisdom is foolishness with God, can you imagine how he views us when we are foolish? Paul taught that God is a spirit and we must worship him in spirit and in truth. He also taught that we are to stay in the spirit comparing and measuring spiritual things with spiritual things if are to achieve God's agenda in our lives. God provides to us freely his spirit to lead and guide us. His spirit will not lead us down a wrong path. Therefore putting on the mind of Christ it is possible to obtain the things which are spiritually discerned if we put off the world and its mindset.

I will leave you with words of wisdom from the wisest man in history:

Proverbs 8:6 "Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things. For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. They are all plain to him that understands, and right to them that finds knowledge."

Christian people cannot continue to allow and accept secular principles. The believers' standard needs to be higher. Perversion and vulgarity should not be part of our lives. The church should not be expected to compromise and permit the practice of any sin within the body of Christ.

1 Peter 4:17 "For the time has come that judgement must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?"

Verse 18 "And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?"

In Christ Jesus,

Dale Thompson