God created the human head with seven openings. Seven speaks of completeness and perfection. We have two ears, two eyes, two nostrils but we have only one mouth. If we have more than one mouth it will not be perfect. But as it is that one mouth causes us more problems than all the other six put together. The truth of the matter is there is no area in our personality more directly related to our total well being than our mouth and our tongue. God gives us the responsibility to make the right use of our tongue.
Scriptural Principles on the importance of the tongue
There are many Scripture passages which all emphasize the vital importance of the mouth and the tongue:
1. "Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit" (Psalm 34:11 - 13, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
I. Two things that go with the fear of the Lord are, one, love life and two, see many good days. Life and its fullness and the fear of the Lord always associated together. The measure in which we have the fear of the Lord is the measure in which we enjoy true life.
II. The practical application is that when we begin to fear God, the first place that it will be manifested is to keep our tongue from evil and our lips from speaking lies.
2. "He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction" (Proverbs 13:3, NKJV).
In other words, if you want to guard your life then you have to guard your lips. The weak area is the lips where the enemy will gain access. But if you don't guard your lips and speak rashly you will face destruction.
The alternatives are very clear - either take control of your tongue or face destruction.
3. "He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity" (Proverbs 21:23, NIV).
The vital area that you have to protect is your mouth and tongue. Calamity is a strong word. Once again the alternatives are very clear cut. If you fail to guard you tongue calamity may visit you.
4. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit" (Proverbs 18:21, NKJV).
Each one of us eats the fruit of his own tongue. If our tongue brings forth sweet fruit we will eat sweet fruit; if our tongue brings forth bitter fruit we will eat bitter fruit.
Your Spiritual condition is revealed by your tongue
The state of your tongue is a guide to your spiritual condition. Let us consider some passages of Scripture that established this principle.
1. Jesus said, "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! how can you, being evil speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matt. 12: 33, 34, 36, 37, NKJV, emphasis added).
Notice that Jesus referred to the heart as the tree and to the words that come out of the mouth as the fruit. The condition of your heart is revealed by the kinds of words that will come out of your mouth.
2. Jesus said in similar language in Matt. 7:17, 18, "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit" (NKJV).
There is an absolute inescapable connection between the state of our heart and the state of our mouth. We may deceive ourselves about the state of our heart; we may have all sorts of ideas about our own goodness, purity or righteousness, but there is a sure and infallible indicator which comes out of the mouth. If the state of our heart is corrupt our tongue is corrupt. The words that we speak indicate the true condition of our heart.
Prophetic Pictures of Christ the Messiah and His Bride
1. Picture of Christ the Messiah
"My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. You are fairer than the sons of men; Grace is poured upon Your lips; therefore God has blessed You forever" (Ps. 45:1, 2, NKJV, emphasis added).
The first aspect of the beauty of Christ that is manifested is His lips. Primarily His grace is manifested in His lips. Secondly, for this reason God has blessed Him forever.
2. Picture of His Bride
"Your lips are like a strand of scarlet, and your mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil are like a piece of pomegranate. Your lips, O my spouse, drip as the honeycomb; honey and milk are under your tongue; and the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon" (Song of Solomon 4:3, 11, NKJV, emphasis added).
The Song of Solomon was addressed to Christ's Bride (His true Church). The first feature of the Bride are her lips. The beauty of her voice comes out through the veil.
"Honey and milk" speaks of the Promised Land. Therefore the tongue of the Bride of Christ is full of God's promises! To be qualified as Christ's Bride she is expected to use her tongue in the right manner! The Scripture is very consistent.
Diseases of the Tongue
The Bible revealed many diseases that affect the tongue. Here are some of them:
1. Excessive talking
"In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise" (Prov. 10:19).
If you say too much you are bound to say something wrong. If you restrain your tongue you are wise; otherwise you are foolish.
The Bible also warns us never to use too many words toward God Himself:
"Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil. Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes through much activity, and a fool's voice is known by his many words" (Eccles. 5:1 - 3, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
I. "Sacrifice of fools" means "saying a lot of words to God that we don't really mean".
II. "Many words" is a signature mark of a fool. When you hear a person continuously talking you don't need any other evidence that he is a fool. I think the root problem is restlessness. People who are always talking are restless people. The contemporary culture is full of restless people.
2. Idle or Careless Words
Idle words are words that account for nother - just empty words. We have spoken many words, but we don't really mean what we said, and we are not prepared to stand behind it.
Jesus said, "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment" (Matt. 12:36).
Every idle word we have spoken we have to answer to it one day.
Jesus in delivering His Sermon on the Mount said, "Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes', and your 'No', 'No', for whatever is more than these is from the evil one" (Matt. 5:37).
If we say more than what is necessary; for example, the unnecessary emphasis or exaggeration - all these words are from the Devil!
3. Gossip
"You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor; I am the Lord" (Leviticus 19:16, NKJV, emphasis added).
Other words for "talebearer" are gossip, slanderer, untrue and malicious talker. In the New Testament the very title of Satan is the Slanderer. Therefore if you go round as a gossip telling tales you are actually doing the Devil's work for him. You are a representative of Satan!
Not only we must be careful not to give out gossip, we also must not receive gossip:
"The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts" (Proverbs 18:8, NIV).
To receive gossip is the same as swallowing the morsels that a talebearer gives you. It is like swallowing poison which affects your whole being!
"A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much" (Proverbs 20:19, NIV).
A gossip usually talks too much.
4. Lying
"These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren" (Proverbs 6:16 - 19, NKJV, emphasis added).
Notice that out of the seven things, three are related to the tongue - lying tongue, false witness and someone who stirs up dissension among brothers.
"Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight" (Proverbs 12:22).
Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord because when we trace to its source, every lie comes from the Devil:
Jesus said to the Pharisees (unbelievers), "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it" (John 8:44).
The Destiny of Liars
"But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death" (Rev. 21:8, NKJV, emphasis added).
"But outside are dogs .... and whoever loves and practice a lie" (Rev. 22:15).
What a solemn warning - The qualifiction of being lost forever is so simple; just to love and practice one single lie!
5. Flattery
"They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. May the Lord cut off flattering lips, and the tongue that speaks proud things, ..." (Ps. 12:2, 3).
"A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it, and a flattering mouth works ruin" (Proverbs 26:28).
"A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet" (Proverbs 29:5).
Notice that lying and flattering are closely related - both work ruin!
6. Hastiness in words or speech
"Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him" (Proverbs 29:20).
In other words, a man who says things in haste and without forethought is worse than a fool. The Bible says nothing good about the fool. Yet the fool still has some hope. He has a higher measure of hope in comparison with a person who is hasty in his speech!
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