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# 46 Code:SH - TONGUE TROUBLE! - SPEAK HOPE! color:purple. SH stands for this proposition: - - - Every Christian should either Speak Hopefully or keep quiet! (Sh!) |
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-1. Ja.1:26,19-20- - In order for any Christian to have an effective religious witness what must he do with his tongue?
Ja.1: LB 16. Anyone who says he is a Christian but doesn't control his sharp tongue is just fooling himself, and his religion isn't worth much. 19. Don't ever forget that it is best to listen much, speak little, and not become angry, 20. for anger doesn't make us good, as God demands that we must be.
-2. Ja.3:6-10- - What is the tongue like? Is it ever right to curse some men?
Ja.3: LB 6. The tongue is a flame of fire. It is full of wickedness, and poisons every part of the body. And the tongue is set on fire by hell itself, and can turn our whole lives into a blazing flame of destruction and disaster. 7. Men have trained, or can train every kind of animal or bird that lives and every kind of reptile and fish, 8. but no human being can tame the tongue. It is always ready to pour out its deadly poison. 9. Sometimes it praises our heavenly Father, and sometimes it breaks out into curses against men who are made like God. 10. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Dear brothers, surely this is not right! --- Only with God's help can we control our tongue, but He will help us to gracious, kind, tactful and sweet. "Study to be quiet..." (1 Thes.4:11) is good advice to save us from all kinds of trouble.
3. Col.4:6- - Like salt in food, what should be in our speech?
Col.4: Amp. 6. Let your speech at all times be gracious (pleasant and winsome), seasoned (as it were) with salt, (so that you may never be at a loss) to know how you ought to answer any one (who puts a question to you). - - - Moffat = Let your talk always have a saving salt of grace about it, - - - TEV = . ...always be pleasant and interesting... - - - LB = ...gracious as well as sensible, ... the right answer for everyone. - - - Berkely = Let your speech always be gracious and so well reasoned out that you will know how to reply to each individual.
4. Matt.5:37- - Is it better to speak positive or to be diplomatically ambiguous?
Mat.5: Berk.V. 37. Let your word Yes be Yes and your No, No. Anything beyond this is from the evil one. --- There needs to be both truth and tactfulness.
5. Matt.15:11,19-20- - What defiles a man more than unwashed hands?
Mat.15: NIV 11. What goes into a man's mouth does not make him "unclean," but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him "unclean." 18. But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man "unclean". 19. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20. These are what make a man "unclean"; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him "unclean."
6. Prov.16:27-30- - Who separates friends
Prov.16: TEV 27. Evil people look for ways to harm others; even their words burn with evil. 28. Gossip is spread by wicked people; they stir up trouble and break up friendships. 29. Violent people deceive their friends and lead them to disaster. 30. Watch out for people who grin and wink at you; they have thought of something evil. "A scoundrel repeats evil gossip; it is like a scorching fire on his lips" v.27 (NEB). "A perverse man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends." v.28 (RSV). "Wickedness loves company--and leads others into sin." v.29 (LB). "The slanderer concocts a lie, the detractor has designs of mischief." v.30 (Moff.)
The story of Betsy's tongue illustrates how we need divine help to control both our thoughts and our tongue. It uses the next nine texts: (#7 thru #15)
7. Prov.15:1-2,4,28- (1. UNKIND WORDS) What do harsh words stir up?
Prov.15: LB 1. A soft answer turns away wrath, but harsh words cause quarrels. 2. A wise teacher makes learning a joy; a rebellious teacher spouts foolishness. 28. A good man thinks before he speaks; the evil man pours out his evil words without a thought. --- What is a kind, wholesome tongue like? Prov.15: NIV 4. The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.
8. Eph.4:29- (2. IMPURE) and -Eph.4:31- (3. FAULTFINDING) What words should never be used by any Christian?
Eph.4: SE 29. Don't let any rotten word come out of your mouth. Instead, say something good to build up what is missing. Then it will be a blessing to those who hear it. 31. KJ Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
9. Phil'p.2:14- (4. GRUMBLING) What will we avoid? --- LB - In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing.
10. Rom.12:14- (5. SWEARING) When mistreated what should you do? --- LB If someone mistreats you because you are a Christian, don't curse him; pray that God will bless him.
11. Lev.19:16- (6. TATTLING) --- LB Don't gossip. Don't falsely accuse your neighbor of some crime. "You must not go around among your people as a gossiper" - Berkeley V. "You shall not go about spreading slander." - NEB.
12. 2 Tim.2:14- (7. QUARRELING) Why was Timothy to instruct his people to avoid word battles and debates? --- LB . Remind your people not to argue over unimportant things. Such arguments are confusing and useless, and even harmful.
13. Prov.19:5- (8. LYING) Who will be found and punished? ---- A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies will not escape.
14. Ps.12:2-3- (9. FLATTERY) What will happen to those who continue to use flattery for their personal gain? -- LB 2. Everyone deceives and flatters and lies. There is no sincerity left. 3,4. But the Lord will not deal gently with people who act like that; he will destroy those proud liars who say, "We will lie to our hearts' content. Our lips are our own; who can stop us?"
15. Matt.12:36-37- - By what are we justified or condemned? --- LB 36. You must give account on Judgment Day for every idle word you speak. 37. Your words now reflect your fate then: either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned.
16. Mk.15:3-5- - When Jesus had false witnesses testify against him, what was his response?
Mk.15: LB 3,4. Then the chief priests accused him of many crimes, and Pilate asked him, "Why don't you say something? What about all these charges against you?" 5. But Jesus said no more, much to Pilate's amazement. # EE@"ЈBiqߋ=|f }=wӳ! D,z!D"V˔UQSf SNrRpjI' eX9-NNd&L2i!eYW
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What about using Minced Oaths?
Here is a copy of a little tract that was given to me on that subject:
(Author = George H. Seville. -- Good news Publ., 99th and Roosevelt Rd., Westchester, Ill.)
MINCED OATHS
A visiting minister was asked to lead in prayer in Sunday school, and when he had finished, a teacher heard one of her girls whisper, "Gosh, what a prayer!" Such an exclamation seems incongruous in expressing one's appreciation of a prayer, but a little thought will lead anyone to the conclusion that "gosh" is not an appropriate word for a Christian on any occasion. When we look into the original meaning of such interjections, we may be surprised that even Christian people are habitual users of expressions which the dictionary terms "minced oaths."
A commonly used interjection is "Gee." It is capitalized in Webster's New Inter- national Dictionary, and given this definition: "A form of Jesus, used in minced oaths" Two common words and their definitions are these: "Golly--a euphemism for God, used in minced oaths; gosh---a substitute for God, used in minced oaths." "Darn, darned, darnation" are said to be "colloquial euphemisms for "damn, damned, damnation." Persons who allow their lips to utter "Gosh-darned" quite freely, would be shocked if they realized the real meaning of the word.
A certain minister was not allowed to use "goodness," "mercy," or "gracious" as exclamations when he was a child. he was inclined to think the restrictions a family peculiarity, merely a parental over carefulness; but now he can see that it had a sound Scriptural basis. The Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, "What is required in the third commandment? The third commandment requireth the holy and reverent use of God's name, titles, attributes, ordinances, words and works." Certainly goodness, mercy, graciousness are attributes of God.
The use of minced oaths is quite contrary to the spirit of the New Testament teaching. For example, our Lord Jesus said, " .Let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay; and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil one" (Matt.5:34,37 RV) The phrase "whatsoever is more than these" suggest the use of an exclamation or an expletive, which is defined as "something added merely as a filling; especially a word, letter, or syllable not necessary to the sense, but inserted to fill a vacancy."
While no attempt has been made to give a complete list of all the words in the vocabulary of near-profanity, enough has been said to indicate that present day speech has fallen below that standard which Christ set for His disciples. A careless following of others in the use of these common minced oaths will dull our own spiritual sensitiveness, and will weaken our Christian testimony.