Taming the Tongue: Application (VI)
(This is a sermon transcript, and may contain small inaccuracies.)
I think this is the last message on the tongue, and we will see. But second only to the sins of the mind and of the thoughts, no sins are easier to commit than are the sins of the tongue. Let me say that again. Second only to the sins of the mind and of the thoughts, no sins are easier to commit than are the sins of the tongue.
And yet perhaps no category of sin is indulged with less concern, less sense of guilt, less sense of shame than are the sins of the tongue. However, against the scareless attitude to the sins of the tongue stand the changeless sobering words are the blessed lips of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. Matthew 12, 36 and 37.
We are presently considering the subject of Taming the Tongue in our verse by verse studies through the epistle of James. And we have considered those 12 verses together concerning the use of the tongue, and saw it necessary to linger, profitable to linger for a time to apply the truth contained in James 3. We then together addressed those major sins of the tongue which are identified and condemned in the scriptures, namely the sin of lying, the sin of corrupt or unwholesome speech, the sin of abusive speech, and the sin of gossipy, meddlesome, intrusive speech.
We then proceeded to take up the question last time. Well, how can I really overcome the sins of the tongue? That is, what is the biblical antidote to this horrible plague of a sinning, loose tongue?
And in answering that question, I underscored the essential prerequisite, essential prerequisite, without which there is no hope that I shall overcome the sins of my tongue, and it is nothing less that essential prerequisite than the gracious supernatural work of regenerating, renewing grace. But then we looked up to the... We took up the question, does this real, supernatural, radical transformation of heart, one of the great blessings of the New Covenant, does it automatically by itself work itself out in our speech patterns?
Do we just sit back and shift into neutral, take our hands off of the oars and say, well, the tree has been made a good tree, I'll just watch the fruit grow? The treasure has been made a good treasure, I'll just watch the good thing spill out? The answer to that question, as we saw together, is absolutely not.
Of course not. Certainly not. Because the God who transforms us is the God who tells us that we are responsible to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, for it is He who is at work in us, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
And so in light of that, we began to consider some key directives for overcoming the sins of the tongue. And last time, we had time to consider only three such biblical directives. And I know I mentioned there are six in total this week.
I thought, well, seven is more biblical, so we have seven directives. So we only covered last Lord's Day three. And just quickly to refresh our memory of them, I'm just going to mention them simply and pick up where we left off.
The first one is number one, we ought to engage in consistent, earnest prayer that God will guard our tongues. Consistent, earnest prayer that God will guard our tongues. And we specially considered Psalm 141 verse 3, where the psalmist used military imagery, asked God to set up a garrison of soldiers, sentinels before his mouth and to guard the door of his mouth.
And secondly, we saw that if we're to overcome the sins of the tongue, one, we ought to engage in conscious, the conscious constant effort to bridle our tongues. And we looked at two major texts, Psalm 39 verse 1 and James 1, 26. And then thirdly, we ought to engage in continual, faith-suffused response to the reality of our union with Christ, how we died with Christ, we're buried with Christ, and risen to newness of life with Christ and in Christ.
Romans 6 and in particular, verses 11 to 14. Well, this evening, we will take up several more directives for overcoming the sins of the tongue. Directives that do not appear immediately on the surface of the text that we're going to consider, but which I trust after examining the text together, will persuade you that these are indeed essential vital necessary Biblical directives if we're going to make continual progress in overcoming the sins of the tongue.
And here's directive number four. Directive number four. If we are serious about overcoming the sins of the tongue, number four, you and I ought to engage in a continuous honing of our consciences by the many scriptures which address the issue of the use of the tongue.
I am asserting this evening that according to the Word of God, if you and I are to make progress in overcoming the sins of our tongue, then we ought to engage in a continuous honing of our consciences by the many scriptures which address the issue of the use of our tongues. And I want to zero in on that word honing. This word honing, by using the word honing, I hope that we really grasp what this directive is all about.
You see, if you're going to help us really catch it, here's a way hopefully it would help us. If you're to go into a butcher shop and watch an expert butcher work, a seasoned butcher work, you would notice that next to his knives, there would be a whetstone. Alas, these days, you don't really, it's very, very hard to find a butcher shop or a good butcher shop for that matter.
But back in the day, maybe you remember that growing up, perhaps, a good butcher working. Next to his working station, you'll find to his knives, there would be a whetstone. And every so often, he pauses in his cutting up of the meat to take his knife and run it over the whetstone.
He is honing the edge of his knife, which becomes dull as it cuts through the meat and touches bone. And if he is to cut and do his work efficiently as a butcher, he must keep a keen edge upon his knife. And the only way to do it is by continual honing, because there are influences upon the edge of the knife as he does his work as a butcher, that continually take the edge off of his knife.
And in a similar way, beloved, our consciences, that internal moral monitor, that says to us when we're about to speak, yes, that's righteous, no, that's sinful, or having spoken gives us approval or condemns us for what we have said, or the manner in which we have said it, that there are continual influences to take the edge off our consciences, the influence of our remaining sin, the influence of the world with its horrible indifference to the sins of the tongue. And unless we are continually, deliberately honing the edge of our consciences by the Word of God, we will make little or no progress in overcoming the sins of the tongue. And we will be permitting in ourselves and endorsing from others things that God identifies as sin, but which we will not have the moral sensitivity to recognize them as sin, because the edge is dull.
Now, this of course brings us immediately into this category of the place of the Word of God in our ongoing sanctification generically. The Bible is clear. If you and I are to make progress in the life of holiness, there must be that continuous constant vital interaction of our minds and hearts with our Bibles, with the Word of God.
You remember Psalm 1, right? How is the blessed man or woman described? Described not only negatively as the one who does not walk in the council of the ungodly, sits in the seat of scoffers, etc.,
etc., but he delights in the law of God, and in his law, he meditates, he muses, he mutters day and night. He's continually bringing mind and soul perspective on all things into direct contact with his Bible.
Or Joshua 1, 8, the book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it, for then you will make your way successful, and then you will be prosperous. Or the prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ, his high priestly prayer, John 17, 17, sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth.
Our Lord Jesus recognizes that his purpose, that his people be sanctified, will be realized only so far as the truth is continuously exerting its influence upon them. And then another passage that you may want to look up at your leisure is Proverbs 4, 20-23, in which the father exalts his son to keep constant contact with his words, and thereby he would be able to guard his heart above all that he guards, for out of it are the issue of life. And so then I am asserting this evening that if you are serious, according to the Bible, if you're serious, if I'm serious about making progress, about overcoming the sins of the tongue, we ought to engage in this continuous honing of our consciences by the many scriptures that address the issue of the use of the tongue.
And therefore, beloved, I would urge you, I would urge you as I would urge my own heart to go over periodically the major text that we've studied together in the series on the tongue. Matthew 12, James 1, James 3. Especially, I would urge us to be reading regularly, trafficking in the Book of Proverbs.
In fact, turn there. And tighten your seatbelt, because I just don't want to say it. I want to give an example of it.
How to do this. And I'm only going to read it. I'm going to do it with the first half of the Book of Proverbs, and I'm only going to be selective with the verses in the first half of the Book of Proverbs.
Get ready. Are you ready to take your conscience, regarding your tongue, and put it on the wet stone, and have it dragged over, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth? Here we go.
We're going to wet our consciences by the Word of God. And I'm just going to read the Scripture. I'm not going to comment on it.
I know what you're thinking. He's not going to be able to do that. I'm going to do it by the grace of God.
Proverbs 4, 24. Proverbs 4, 24. Here we go.
Put away from you a perverse mouth, and put devious lips far from you. Chapter 6, verse 12. A vile person, a wicked man, is the one who walks with a perverse mouth.
Chapter 6, verse 16. There are six things that Yahweh hates, even seven, which are an abomination to Him. Haughty eyes, a lying tongue.
Verse 19. A false witness who breathes out lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers. Chapter 8, 6 through 8.
Wisdom personified speaks, Listen, for I will speak noble things, and the opening of my lips will reveal upright things. For my mouth will utter truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are in righteousness.
There's nothing twisted or crooked in them. Chapter 10. Chapter 10, verse 11.
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked covers up violence. Chapter 10, verse 19. When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who holds back his lips has insight.
The tongue of the righteous, verse 20, is as choice silver. The heart of the wicked is worth little. The lips of the righteous feed many, but ignorant fools die for lack of a heart of wisdom.
Chapter 11, verse 13. He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, but he who is faithful in spirit conceals a matter. Chapter 12, 17 to 19.
Chapter 12, 17. He who breezed out truth declares what is right, but a false witness deceit. There's one who speaks rashly like the thrust of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Truthful lips will be established forever, but a lying tongue is only for a moment. Verse 22, lying lips are an abomination to Yahweh, but doers of faithfulness are his delight. Chapter 13, verse 3.
The one who guards his mouth keeps his soul. The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. Verse 5, same chapter.
A righteous man hates a lying word, but a wicked man acts audaciously and is humiliated. Chapter 14, verse 3. In the mouth of the ignorant fool is a rod of lofty pride, but the lips of the wise will keep them.
Verse 5. A faithful witness will not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies. Verse 25.
A truthful witness delivers souls, but he who breathes out lies is deceitful. Chapter 15, verse 1 and 2. A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
The tongue of the wise makes knowledge look good, but the mouth of fools pours forth, falling. Verse 4. A tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but perversion in it breaks the spirit.
Verse 7. The lips of the wise disperse knowledge, but the hearts of fools are not so. Verse 23.
A man has gladness in an apt answer, and how good is a timely word. Verse 26. Evil thoughts are an abomination to Yahweh, but pleasant words are pure.
Verse 28. The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil things. Here it is.
I read it with no comments. Rann your conscience and mind back and forth over the whetstone of selected verses from one half of the Book of Proverbs. And some of the most penetrating, convicting, instructing, encouraging verses on the tongue are found in the last half.
This is what I'm talking about, beloved. If Jesus is praying, Father, sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth.
It will not do to moan and groan and mourn the fact that you and I are always flapping our lips, running off at the mouth, speaking, cutting words, and making no progress. You and I need to get in touch with our Bibles. Get our conscience honed by the Bible.
Frequent, prayerful, earnest contact with the Word of the living God. This is God's means that He's put in our hands. And we need to make use of it.
The fourth directive from the Bible to overcome the sins of the tongue is this. You ought to engage in a continuous honing of your consciences by the many scriptures which address the issue of the use of the tongue. Directive number five.
Number five. You must seek to be continuously filled by the spirit. Or to state it differently, or to put it another way, you must maintain vigorous, general, spiritual health.
You must maintain vigorous, general, spiritual health. We will not make progress in overcoming the sins of the tongue. If that is one of our besetting sins, unless we are committed to the maintenance of the overall vigorous spiritual health.
And here I ask you to turn with me to, well, Ephesians 5. And again, a quick word about the context. Verses of verses 18 to 21.
You remember from chapter 4 and verse 17 onward, the apostle is describing the alternative lifestyle to which all true believers are called. Chapter 4, verse 17. Therefore this I say and testify in the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk.
What is he saying? You no longer walk as your former pagan associates walk. You're to walk in the newness of life.
That is yours in union with the Lord Jesus Christ. So from 417 onward, we have various description of this alternative lifestyle to which the people of God are called in Jesus Christ. And no little part of that lifestyle touches the use of our tongue.
Look at verse 25 of chapter 4. Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth to each one of you with his neighbor. And then furthermore, down in verse 29, let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for building up what is needed so that it will give grace to those who hear it.
Verse 31. Let all bitterness and anger and wrath and shouting and slander, remember, that's abusive speech, be put away from you along with all malice. You get the chapter 5, verse 4.
Filthiness, foolish talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. In other words, as Paul envisions, these Ephesian believers living out by the grace of God, their union with Christ, this alternative Christian lifestyle in the midst of their pagan associates, he has in mind an alternative lifestyle that will very practically and pervasively influence what comes out of their mouth. And notice the apostle does this for the most part in terms of the negative.
He does it in terms of the negative for the most part. Not this, not this, not this. No lying, no bitterness, no anger, no slander, no clamor, etc.
But now, how is this to be done? Well, when Paul comes to chapter 5, to summarize the exhortations, notice what he says in verse 15 of chapter 5. Therefore, look carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise.
In other words, you and I are to have a conscious concern about the manner in which we walk. That is, whether or not by the grace of God, we are living out this alternative lifestyle in union with Christ, that is a stark contrast to the Gentiles, to the pagans, to the unconverted around us. Verse 15, therefore, look carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil.
On account of this, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Understand what God's will is for you. God's will for you is living out this alternative lifestyle in every department of your life, in every area of your life, in every segment of your life, without exception, everywhere I am, everything I do, everything I say is to manifest that I am a new man, a new woman in union with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Everything about me is to bear witness to that marvelous reality. Now, He comes in verse 18. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be being filled with the Spirit.
Be continually under the control, the domination of the Spirit's influence, literally. Be continually filled, better translation by the Spirit, that's the imperative, and then He gives five participles that I like to consider as the conduits that flow out of the Spirit-filled heart. Where you find a man, a woman, a boy or a girl who is continually being filled by the Spirit, what will the manifestation of that be?
Do they jump up and down, fall back, and being slain by the Spirit as some contend? Absolutely not. That is unbiblical.
Do they jump and scream and break out into gibberish? No, no. Paul said, be continually filled by the Spirit.
And here are the conduits that flow out of a Spirit-filled heart into life and into other relationships. And here they are. Look at that.
Verse 19. Speaking, that's the first one. Speaking, that's the first participle, to one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.
The second one. Singing, and then making melody with your heart to the Lord, and always giving thanks for all things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father. And here it is, being subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
Five participles that describe the conduits that flow out of a Spirit-filled heart and life. Three of them have to do with this member, the tongue. Three.
Three out of the five. Look at them. Be being filled by the Spirit, speaking, singing, giving thanks.
Speaking, singing, giving thanks. All of those are things you do with your tongue. In other words, Paul says, the most effective way to have the tongue controlled and not to sin and be an instrument of praise to God, edification to your brothers and sisters, a tongue that is a fountain of life, it is to be filled by the Spirit of God.
To be filled by the Holy Spirit. That is to maintain a vigorous, general, spiritual health. Let my mind and my heart be saturated with the Word of God that will enable me to have vigorous, general, spiritual health.
Do you see that, beloved? It's there in the Bible. So then if you and I want to make progress in overcoming the sins of the tongue, we must seek to continuously be filled by the Spirit.
That is, we must maintain vigorous, general, spiritual health as we marinate our minds and hearts with the Word of God. Now, this, this leads us into one of the most vital principles of the Christian life, and it is very powerfully and clearly articulated by John Owen. Listen to what John Owen said, and this is, let us not miss this.
This is absolutely crucial. He said this, and I quote, It is utterly impossible to keep the heart in a prevailing holy frame in any specific duty unless it be so in and unto all and every duty. He goes on to say, If sin entanglements get hold in one thing, then they will put themselves upon the soul in every thing.
A constant even frame and temper in all duties, in all ways, is the only preservative for any one way. End of quote. Do you want to make progress in this matter of controlling your tongue, the sins of the tongue?
Then according to Owen, and according to scripture really, you must be committed to being continually filled by the spirit, with a view that in all duties, in all relationships, you will be manifesting the grace and the power of Christ. You see, here's the point. You can't be careless and sloppy and lazy regarding the maintenance of your general spiritual state, and expect progress in overcoming the sins of your tongue or any other specific besetting sin.
And that is a key, vital principle that we can't miss. With that in mind, we come to now Biblical Directive No. 6.
Would we make progress in overcoming the sins of the tongue? Well, here's Directive No. 6.
You must exercise discretion in the choice of your friends and in your voluntary social associations. You must exercise discretion in the choice of your friends and in your voluntary social associations. Now, hear me carefully, beloved.
You must exercise discretion in the choice of your friends and in your voluntary social associations. And by voluntary social association, I mean those associations where you have a choice as to who you will associate with. In your place of work, there are people that you have to associate with.
It's not your choice, it's your employer's choice, he hired them. I'm talking about those social associations where you have a choice as to whether or not you will enter them, those associations or not. So what I'm saying is this, the Bible teaches if you and I would make progress in overcoming the sins of the tongue, we must exercise discretion in the choice of our friends and in our voluntary social associations.
The Bible, the Word of God, our compass, our guide, the means to our sanctification. The Bible is abundantly clear in teaching that there is a moral and ethical contagion by association. The Bible is clear in teaching that there is a moral and ethical contagion by association.
And where does it teach that? Well, it works in two ways. Turn to Proverbs 13.
I want us to see this from the Word of God. This is not an opinion. Proverbs 13 and verse 20, and it works both ways.
It works both positively and negatively. Positively and negatively. Proverbs 13 verse 20, He who walks with the wise will be wise.
Positively. In other words, when you voluntarily choose to come in a close relationship, friendship with men and women of wisdom, well, guess what? Their wisdom will rub off on you.
As you listen, as you observe, as you interact, there will be a kind of a spiritual osmosis in which their wisdom becomes yours by association. He who walks with the wise will be wise. That's the positive, but look at the negative.
There's a but. But that's the negative. The friend of fools will suffer harm.
You choose to be with fools. Remember, fools in the Book of Proverbs are not people with limited IQ. No.
Fools are, according to scripture, are morally perverse people whose moral perversity here in context comes out in their tongues. So Solomon is saying, if you choose to be a companion of fools, you're going to suffer harm for it. That's what he says.
There will be a negative contagion of their spiritual falling. It will get into your spiritual pores and into your system, and it will be coming out in many ways, not the least of which will be what? The mouth.
Surely this is what the apostle meant when he said in 1 Corinthians 15, 33, do not be deceived. Bad company corrupts good morals. Bad company, young people especially, corrupt good morals.
Oh, but I'm so strong, that wouldn't be. No, no, no, no, get off that stuff. Get off that stuff.
He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, the Bible says, Proverbs 28 verse 26. The one who thinks is the exception to this is a fool, according to God's assessment. Be careful, dear ones.
I can walk with fools and not suffer harm for no, no, do not be deceived. Bad company corrupts good morals. Bad company corrupts good morals.
Now, what's the first thing Solomon warns his son about in Proverbs 1? After setting out the purpose of these Proverbs, and after entreating him to listen to his counsel, what is the first thing he warns his son about starting in verse 10? He says, My son, if sinners entice you, do not be willing.
If they say, come with us, they know, they know if they can get you into their intimate social circle, they'll get you into their moral perversity. And the father says, son, don't do it. Don't do it.
If you don't exercise discretion and determination to insulate yourself from those kinds of associations, you will make little progress in conquering the sins of the tongue. What are you to do? Well, let's look at the explicit directives of the Book of Proverbs and Second Thessalonians.
Proverbs 20, verse 19. Proverbs 20, verse 19. He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets.
Therefore, do not associate with one of loose lips. Don't associate with one of loose lips. Don't keep company with him who opens wide his lips.
You see what God is saying? You have someone with loose lips. God says, don't keep company with them.
Don't associate with them. But they're my friend. But they're my friend.
Who's your friend more? Who's your friend more? The Christ who redeemed you by His precious blood to give you a holy tongue, or your friend who provokes you to sin?
The text could not be more explicit. Do not associate with one of loose lips. Associate.
Not talking about reaching them out with the Gospel. Associate. Friendship.
We need to have the moral discernment to say, this friendship is no help to me in overcoming the sins of my tongue. Either change your ways or our friendship is over. 2 Thessalonians chapter 3.
A New Testament example of this. What does Paul say? That church members are to do with the one walking in an unruly manner.
Verse 6, 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, verse 6. Now we command you, not we suggest to you. This is not suggesting, this is not even pleading.
This is a command from a real authoritative apostle with delegated authority from the Lord himself. We command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who walks in an unruly manner. And remember, there were two manifestations of the unruliness.
The prominent was that they were lazy, they wouldn't work, and Paul goes on to explain that. He says, if anyone is not willing to work, neither let him eat. In verse 10, withdraw from him, then he'll feel the pressure of that, perhaps come to repentance.
But there's a second manifestation of this unruliness, and notice what it was. In verse 11, 2 Thessalonians 3, in verse 11. For we hear that some among you are walking in an unruly manner, doing no work at all, but acting like busy bodies.
The tongue. Busy bodies. They don't work with their hands, but they're constantly flapping their tongues.
And he says, withdraw yourself from them, break off the social interaction, break it off to what end? That they might feel the pressure of being cut off from the people of God, and if they're true saints, that really kills them. They can't take it.
Two saints can't live in isolation with delight, and they'll change their ways by the grace of God. That's what Paul says. Do not associate with such a person to what end?
Look at this, verse 14. So that he will be put to shame, with the end in view being to change his ways. Beloved, if we're serious, if we're serious, we must exercise discretion in the choice of our friends and our voluntary social associations.
But now I want to say another word. In light of this, you know, what are some of our other voluntary social associations? You know what they are?
They're not living people with flesh and blood sitting next to us, but the social associations of the kind of music we listen to. The kind of music we listen to. All music is either expressive or impressive.
You open up your soul to associations of musical expressions, particularly with unrighteous lyrics. The movies you watch and listen to, the kinds of books you read are riddled with unwholesome, corrupt speech. Dear young people, particularly in this place, is that what you want to make impression upon your mind and upon your soul?
This tongue will be influenced by your voluntary social associations. And that brings us to seventh and finally. Would you make progress in overcoming the sins of the tongue?
You must. You must. You must.
And we need to hear this very carefully. You must be more faithful in obeying the manifold, the manifold imperatives concerning the giving and receiving of mutual rebuke, admonition, exhortation, and instruction concerning the use of our tongues in this context. I know it's a loaded sentence, a loaded principle, or a loaded directive, but I don't know how else to reduce the biblical principles, but to state them this way.
You and I must be more faithful in obeying the manifold imperatives. Manifold, there are many imperatives. They are commands concerning the giving and receiving of mutual rebuke, admonition, exhortation, instruction with respect of the use of our tongues.
Now follow me closely, beloved. The New Testament, nowhere envisions your progress in sanctification in any area or mine in an individualistic, independent way. Never, never envisions it that way.
It never envisions our progress in sanctification, yours or mine, in any area, in an individualistic, independent way. The picture of the New Testament is that everyone who's brought into Christ is brought into the body of Christ. Everyone who's brought in union with Christ is brought in union with the people who are in union with Christ.
That is, that it is in the fellowship of the church that we make progress as individual believers. And that is why we underscore the importance of membership and coming under the God-given, under-shepherding hand of the people of God in the body of Christ. Now, this is taught everywhere in the New Testament, perhaps nowhere more succinctly and yet comprehensively in one passage than in Ephesians 4.
Turn with me there, Ephesians 4, where Paul envisions the growth of every individual, every individual believer in context of the body of Christ with pastors and teachers, given, verse 12, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, a situation in which every member of the body speaking to one another in love, verse 16, being joined and held together by what every joint supplies according to the properly measured working of each individual part causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love until we all attain to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of God. That's the biblical vision of individual sanctification. It is in the context of the body of Christ, always.
And therefore, therefore, we need within the body, both to give and to receive, remember the household of God, the body of Christ, we need within the body, both to give and to receive, instruction, rebuke, admonition. And when we drift into speech that violates the norms that we have articulated from the Word of God, we need to receive and to give admonition. In Romans 15, turn with me there, 15 verse 14, Paul envisions, one of the cardinal marks of true spiritual maturity within any congregation, that there is this free loving exchange of mutual admonition and exhortation among the people of God.
And this is really important and refreshing and helpful and healthy in the body of Christ, in the family of God. Look at what he says, But I myself am also convinced about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness. He said, I'm convinced.
I'm convinced. He says, he's confident that they are a people in whom the Spirit of God is bringing a rich harvest of the fruit of love, of gentleness, of meekness, of goodness, the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5, Paul says, I am persuaded that you are a people filled with the Spirit and the manifold fruit of the Spirit, causing you to be filled with goodness, not meanness, not, I'm going to pick on you, ism.
He said, I am convinced you are full of goodness, having been filled with all knowledge, biblical knowledge here. You have an accurate grasp on the Gospel and all of the implications of the Gospel. And what does he expect from people?
Full of moral goodness by the Spirit, full of an integrated sound biblical knowledge of the ways and words of God. What does he expect of them? Look at the text.
I myself also am convinced about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness. And having been filled with all knowledge, here it is. And being able also to admonish one another, to admonish one another, able to do that, able to do that, one to another.
This goodness and this knowledge flow into this ability to admonish one another. And do you know what this word admonish, nutheteo means? We've come across this word before.
It means to point out error and fault, and to call someone to account for it, and seek to help them to see the way out of that error. That's what this admonition is. And he says, when you have a congregation full of the fruit of the Spirit, that is described in a generic way as goodness, well instructed in the Word of God, the manifestation of that among other things should be, he said, there is a free flow of what?
Admonition. Admonition. People seeing in their brothers and sisters, that which needs to be pointed out as fault, and doing it lovingly, gently, in humility and love, and the one in whom it is pointed out, receiving the benefit of the admonition.
And in turn, that one by God's grace, being able to give admonition in due time. This is not, this is not, I say evidence of a mean, spirited, unloving congregation. This is biblical.
This is New Testament church. This is evangelical. Some have the idea, oh, we just need to be one big tub full of love, where I tolerate everything in you, you tolerate everything in me, we cover everything under the carpet, we just pretend it's not there, and where our unwritten code of interaction is, you don't point out my faults, I don't point out yours, and we'll all be happy making no progress in Grace whatsoever.
Beloved, so often we're blind to our own sins, and the thing to which we're blind is very evident to another brother in Christ or a sister in Christ who love Christ enough and love us enough to come gently and admonish us. And Paul is saying, if I'm filled with goodness and knowledge, it will be manifested in loving, gracious, mutual admonition of one another. And by means of this, we make progress in Grace.
And there are many other passages. Galatians 6.1, you remember, brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you, our spiritual, restore such one in a spirit of gentleness, each of you looking to yourself so that you too will not be tempted. Yes, there's a time of examination and prayerful.
This is done prayerfully, in humility and love, not in a condescending, holier than thou fashion. Proverbs 9, verse 8, Do not reprove a scoffer. Why?
Lest he hates you. Reprove a wise man and he will what? Love you.
Love you. If we're full of God's wisdom, we will love being reprove for the purpose of godliness. You come to me and help me see my sin, I say you're my friend and I love you for it.
A wise man recognizes that I don't see all my sins. I have blind spots, and my brothers and sisters may see things that I don't. A wise man will love you.
Thank you, brothers. I want my tongue to be more and more an instrument of life and edification. Proverbs 15, verse 31 and 32.
He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof will lodge among the wives. He who neglects discipline despises his soul, but he who listens to reproof acquires a heart of wisdom. What a beautiful scripture.
And all through Proverbs, that emphasis is there. That's the climate we must cultivate. All the more in this place, beloved.
But maybe you're sitting here tonight and you're thinking concerning this point, but, Habib, there will be somebody who thinks he's the Lord's Chief High Executioner. He'll go around admonishing everything that lives and breathes and walks. Don't worry, we'll take care of him.
We'll take care of him. But for the most part, far from, far more harm can come to a congregation by sinful silence among people, full of goodness and full of knowledge, but kept silent. May God help us.
May God help us. Well, beloved, we've considered these, what I believe are Biblical directives. If we're serious about making progress and controlling the sins of the tongue, engaging in earnest prayer that God will set a watch, conscious effort to bridle our tongues, engage in Biblical response to our union with Christ, continue to hone our consciences, seek to be filled by the Spirit, exercise discretion in the choice of friends, and be more faithful in our mutual admonition.
And I can hear perhaps another objection, but that's a lot to do. That's a lot to do. Seven directives.
That's exhausting. Yes, it is. It is.
But remember, remember, if anyone thinks himself to be religious, but while not brindling his tongue, but deceiving his own heart, this man's religion is worthless. Worthless. May I encourage you, beloved, just take one of those principles a week for the next seven weeks, and pray them in.
Just pray them in. Say, Lord, help me this week to concentrate on this principle, this weaponry in dealing with my tongue. Pray it in, work it out, until these things become as it were, a second nature and part of the whole complex of your inner life.
Remember, beloved, Christ came to save us from our sins, not in them. Not in them. He died on the cross to have a people zealous for good works.
Zealous to have a godly tongue. Keep that in mind. Let's pray.
Father, we are indeed so thankful that your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our pathway. And we never cease, never cease to marvel at its richness. And we pray that you would help us, Lord, in light of the things that we've contemplated this evening to be a people more and more whose tongues are indeed instruments of life and grace, not instruments of death and of harm to others.
We need your help. Seal your word to our hearts for your glory and for our good. We pray all of this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
And yet perhaps no category of sin is indulged with less concern, less sense of guilt, less sense of shame than are the sins of the tongue. However, against the scareless attitude to the sins of the tongue stand the changeless sobering words are the blessed lips of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. Matthew 12, 36 and 37.
We are presently considering the subject of Taming the Tongue in our verse by verse studies through the epistle of James. And we have considered those 12 verses together concerning the use of the tongue, and saw it necessary to linger, profitable to linger for a time to apply the truth contained in James 3. We then together addressed those major sins of the tongue which are identified and condemned in the scriptures, namely the sin of lying, the sin of corrupt or unwholesome speech, the sin of abusive speech, and the sin of gossipy, meddlesome, intrusive speech.
We then proceeded to take up the question last time. Well, how can I really overcome the sins of the tongue? That is, what is the biblical antidote to this horrible plague of a sinning, loose tongue?
And in answering that question, I underscored the essential prerequisite, essential prerequisite, without which there is no hope that I shall overcome the sins of my tongue, and it is nothing less that essential prerequisite than the gracious supernatural work of regenerating, renewing grace. But then we looked up to the... We took up the question, does this real, supernatural, radical transformation of heart, one of the great blessings of the New Covenant, does it automatically by itself work itself out in our speech patterns?
Do we just sit back and shift into neutral, take our hands off of the oars and say, well, the tree has been made a good tree, I'll just watch the fruit grow? The treasure has been made a good treasure, I'll just watch the good thing spill out? The answer to that question, as we saw together, is absolutely not.
Of course not. Certainly not. Because the God who transforms us is the God who tells us that we are responsible to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, for it is He who is at work in us, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
And so in light of that, we began to consider some key directives for overcoming the sins of the tongue. And last time, we had time to consider only three such biblical directives. And I know I mentioned there are six in total this week.
I thought, well, seven is more biblical, so we have seven directives. So we only covered last Lord's Day three. And just quickly to refresh our memory of them, I'm just going to mention them simply and pick up where we left off.
The first one is number one, we ought to engage in consistent, earnest prayer that God will guard our tongues. Consistent, earnest prayer that God will guard our tongues. And we specially considered Psalm 141 verse 3, where the psalmist used military imagery, asked God to set up a garrison of soldiers, sentinels before his mouth and to guard the door of his mouth.
And secondly, we saw that if we're to overcome the sins of the tongue, one, we ought to engage in conscious, the conscious constant effort to bridle our tongues. And we looked at two major texts, Psalm 39 verse 1 and James 1, 26. And then thirdly, we ought to engage in continual, faith-suffused response to the reality of our union with Christ, how we died with Christ, we're buried with Christ, and risen to newness of life with Christ and in Christ.
Romans 6 and in particular, verses 11 to 14. Well, this evening, we will take up several more directives for overcoming the sins of the tongue. Directives that do not appear immediately on the surface of the text that we're going to consider, but which I trust after examining the text together, will persuade you that these are indeed essential vital necessary Biblical directives if we're going to make continual progress in overcoming the sins of the tongue.
And here's directive number four. Directive number four. If we are serious about overcoming the sins of the tongue, number four, you and I ought to engage in a continuous honing of our consciences by the many scriptures which address the issue of the use of the tongue.
I am asserting this evening that according to the Word of God, if you and I are to make progress in overcoming the sins of our tongue, then we ought to engage in a continuous honing of our consciences by the many scriptures which address the issue of the use of our tongues. And I want to zero in on that word honing. This word honing, by using the word honing, I hope that we really grasp what this directive is all about.
You see, if you're going to help us really catch it, here's a way hopefully it would help us. If you're to go into a butcher shop and watch an expert butcher work, a seasoned butcher work, you would notice that next to his knives, there would be a whetstone. Alas, these days, you don't really, it's very, very hard to find a butcher shop or a good butcher shop for that matter.
But back in the day, maybe you remember that growing up, perhaps, a good butcher working. Next to his working station, you'll find to his knives, there would be a whetstone. And every so often, he pauses in his cutting up of the meat to take his knife and run it over the whetstone.
He is honing the edge of his knife, which becomes dull as it cuts through the meat and touches bone. And if he is to cut and do his work efficiently as a butcher, he must keep a keen edge upon his knife. And the only way to do it is by continual honing, because there are influences upon the edge of the knife as he does his work as a butcher, that continually take the edge off of his knife.
And in a similar way, beloved, our consciences, that internal moral monitor, that says to us when we're about to speak, yes, that's righteous, no, that's sinful, or having spoken gives us approval or condemns us for what we have said, or the manner in which we have said it, that there are continual influences to take the edge off our consciences, the influence of our remaining sin, the influence of the world with its horrible indifference to the sins of the tongue. And unless we are continually, deliberately honing the edge of our consciences by the Word of God, we will make little or no progress in overcoming the sins of the tongue. And we will be permitting in ourselves and endorsing from others things that God identifies as sin, but which we will not have the moral sensitivity to recognize them as sin, because the edge is dull.
Now, this of course brings us immediately into this category of the place of the Word of God in our ongoing sanctification generically. The Bible is clear. If you and I are to make progress in the life of holiness, there must be that continuous constant vital interaction of our minds and hearts with our Bibles, with the Word of God.
You remember Psalm 1, right? How is the blessed man or woman described? Described not only negatively as the one who does not walk in the council of the ungodly, sits in the seat of scoffers, etc.,
etc., but he delights in the law of God, and in his law, he meditates, he muses, he mutters day and night. He's continually bringing mind and soul perspective on all things into direct contact with his Bible.
Or Joshua 1, 8, the book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it, for then you will make your way successful, and then you will be prosperous. Or the prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ, his high priestly prayer, John 17, 17, sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth.
Our Lord Jesus recognizes that his purpose, that his people be sanctified, will be realized only so far as the truth is continuously exerting its influence upon them. And then another passage that you may want to look up at your leisure is Proverbs 4, 20-23, in which the father exalts his son to keep constant contact with his words, and thereby he would be able to guard his heart above all that he guards, for out of it are the issue of life. And so then I am asserting this evening that if you are serious, according to the Bible, if you're serious, if I'm serious about making progress, about overcoming the sins of the tongue, we ought to engage in this continuous honing of our consciences by the many scriptures that address the issue of the use of the tongue.
And therefore, beloved, I would urge you, I would urge you as I would urge my own heart to go over periodically the major text that we've studied together in the series on the tongue. Matthew 12, James 1, James 3. Especially, I would urge us to be reading regularly, trafficking in the Book of Proverbs.
In fact, turn there. And tighten your seatbelt, because I just don't want to say it. I want to give an example of it.
How to do this. And I'm only going to read it. I'm going to do it with the first half of the Book of Proverbs, and I'm only going to be selective with the verses in the first half of the Book of Proverbs.
Get ready. Are you ready to take your conscience, regarding your tongue, and put it on the wet stone, and have it dragged over, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth? Here we go.
We're going to wet our consciences by the Word of God. And I'm just going to read the Scripture. I'm not going to comment on it.
I know what you're thinking. He's not going to be able to do that. I'm going to do it by the grace of God.
Proverbs 4, 24. Proverbs 4, 24. Here we go.
Put away from you a perverse mouth, and put devious lips far from you. Chapter 6, verse 12. A vile person, a wicked man, is the one who walks with a perverse mouth.
Chapter 6, verse 16. There are six things that Yahweh hates, even seven, which are an abomination to Him. Haughty eyes, a lying tongue.
Verse 19. A false witness who breathes out lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers. Chapter 8, 6 through 8.
Wisdom personified speaks, Listen, for I will speak noble things, and the opening of my lips will reveal upright things. For my mouth will utter truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are in righteousness.
There's nothing twisted or crooked in them. Chapter 10. Chapter 10, verse 11.
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked covers up violence. Chapter 10, verse 19. When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who holds back his lips has insight.
The tongue of the righteous, verse 20, is as choice silver. The heart of the wicked is worth little. The lips of the righteous feed many, but ignorant fools die for lack of a heart of wisdom.
Chapter 11, verse 13. He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, but he who is faithful in spirit conceals a matter. Chapter 12, 17 to 19.
Chapter 12, 17. He who breezed out truth declares what is right, but a false witness deceit. There's one who speaks rashly like the thrust of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Truthful lips will be established forever, but a lying tongue is only for a moment. Verse 22, lying lips are an abomination to Yahweh, but doers of faithfulness are his delight. Chapter 13, verse 3.
The one who guards his mouth keeps his soul. The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. Verse 5, same chapter.
A righteous man hates a lying word, but a wicked man acts audaciously and is humiliated. Chapter 14, verse 3. In the mouth of the ignorant fool is a rod of lofty pride, but the lips of the wise will keep them.
Verse 5. A faithful witness will not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies. Verse 25.
A truthful witness delivers souls, but he who breathes out lies is deceitful. Chapter 15, verse 1 and 2. A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
The tongue of the wise makes knowledge look good, but the mouth of fools pours forth, falling. Verse 4. A tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but perversion in it breaks the spirit.
Verse 7. The lips of the wise disperse knowledge, but the hearts of fools are not so. Verse 23.
A man has gladness in an apt answer, and how good is a timely word. Verse 26. Evil thoughts are an abomination to Yahweh, but pleasant words are pure.
Verse 28. The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil things. Here it is.
I read it with no comments. Rann your conscience and mind back and forth over the whetstone of selected verses from one half of the Book of Proverbs. And some of the most penetrating, convicting, instructing, encouraging verses on the tongue are found in the last half.
This is what I'm talking about, beloved. If Jesus is praying, Father, sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth.
It will not do to moan and groan and mourn the fact that you and I are always flapping our lips, running off at the mouth, speaking, cutting words, and making no progress. You and I need to get in touch with our Bibles. Get our conscience honed by the Bible.
Frequent, prayerful, earnest contact with the Word of the living God. This is God's means that He's put in our hands. And we need to make use of it.
The fourth directive from the Bible to overcome the sins of the tongue is this. You ought to engage in a continuous honing of your consciences by the many scriptures which address the issue of the use of the tongue. Directive number five.
Number five. You must seek to be continuously filled by the spirit. Or to state it differently, or to put it another way, you must maintain vigorous, general, spiritual health.
You must maintain vigorous, general, spiritual health. We will not make progress in overcoming the sins of the tongue. If that is one of our besetting sins, unless we are committed to the maintenance of the overall vigorous spiritual health.
And here I ask you to turn with me to, well, Ephesians 5. And again, a quick word about the context. Verses of verses 18 to 21.
You remember from chapter 4 and verse 17 onward, the apostle is describing the alternative lifestyle to which all true believers are called. Chapter 4, verse 17. Therefore this I say and testify in the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk.
What is he saying? You no longer walk as your former pagan associates walk. You're to walk in the newness of life.
That is yours in union with the Lord Jesus Christ. So from 417 onward, we have various description of this alternative lifestyle to which the people of God are called in Jesus Christ. And no little part of that lifestyle touches the use of our tongue.
Look at verse 25 of chapter 4. Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth to each one of you with his neighbor. And then furthermore, down in verse 29, let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for building up what is needed so that it will give grace to those who hear it.
Verse 31. Let all bitterness and anger and wrath and shouting and slander, remember, that's abusive speech, be put away from you along with all malice. You get the chapter 5, verse 4.
Filthiness, foolish talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. In other words, as Paul envisions, these Ephesian believers living out by the grace of God, their union with Christ, this alternative Christian lifestyle in the midst of their pagan associates, he has in mind an alternative lifestyle that will very practically and pervasively influence what comes out of their mouth. And notice the apostle does this for the most part in terms of the negative.
He does it in terms of the negative for the most part. Not this, not this, not this. No lying, no bitterness, no anger, no slander, no clamor, etc.
But now, how is this to be done? Well, when Paul comes to chapter 5, to summarize the exhortations, notice what he says in verse 15 of chapter 5. Therefore, look carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise.
In other words, you and I are to have a conscious concern about the manner in which we walk. That is, whether or not by the grace of God, we are living out this alternative lifestyle in union with Christ, that is a stark contrast to the Gentiles, to the pagans, to the unconverted around us. Verse 15, therefore, look carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil.
On account of this, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Understand what God's will is for you. God's will for you is living out this alternative lifestyle in every department of your life, in every area of your life, in every segment of your life, without exception, everywhere I am, everything I do, everything I say is to manifest that I am a new man, a new woman in union with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Everything about me is to bear witness to that marvelous reality. Now, He comes in verse 18. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be being filled with the Spirit.
Be continually under the control, the domination of the Spirit's influence, literally. Be continually filled, better translation by the Spirit, that's the imperative, and then He gives five participles that I like to consider as the conduits that flow out of the Spirit-filled heart. Where you find a man, a woman, a boy or a girl who is continually being filled by the Spirit, what will the manifestation of that be?
Do they jump up and down, fall back, and being slain by the Spirit as some contend? Absolutely not. That is unbiblical.
Do they jump and scream and break out into gibberish? No, no. Paul said, be continually filled by the Spirit.
And here are the conduits that flow out of a Spirit-filled heart into life and into other relationships. And here they are. Look at that.
Verse 19. Speaking, that's the first one. Speaking, that's the first participle, to one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.
The second one. Singing, and then making melody with your heart to the Lord, and always giving thanks for all things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father. And here it is, being subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
Five participles that describe the conduits that flow out of a Spirit-filled heart and life. Three of them have to do with this member, the tongue. Three.
Three out of the five. Look at them. Be being filled by the Spirit, speaking, singing, giving thanks.
Speaking, singing, giving thanks. All of those are things you do with your tongue. In other words, Paul says, the most effective way to have the tongue controlled and not to sin and be an instrument of praise to God, edification to your brothers and sisters, a tongue that is a fountain of life, it is to be filled by the Spirit of God.
To be filled by the Holy Spirit. That is to maintain a vigorous, general, spiritual health. Let my mind and my heart be saturated with the Word of God that will enable me to have vigorous, general, spiritual health.
Do you see that, beloved? It's there in the Bible. So then if you and I want to make progress in overcoming the sins of the tongue, we must seek to continuously be filled by the Spirit.
That is, we must maintain vigorous, general, spiritual health as we marinate our minds and hearts with the Word of God. Now, this, this leads us into one of the most vital principles of the Christian life, and it is very powerfully and clearly articulated by John Owen. Listen to what John Owen said, and this is, let us not miss this.
This is absolutely crucial. He said this, and I quote, It is utterly impossible to keep the heart in a prevailing holy frame in any specific duty unless it be so in and unto all and every duty. He goes on to say, If sin entanglements get hold in one thing, then they will put themselves upon the soul in every thing.
A constant even frame and temper in all duties, in all ways, is the only preservative for any one way. End of quote. Do you want to make progress in this matter of controlling your tongue, the sins of the tongue?
Then according to Owen, and according to scripture really, you must be committed to being continually filled by the spirit, with a view that in all duties, in all relationships, you will be manifesting the grace and the power of Christ. You see, here's the point. You can't be careless and sloppy and lazy regarding the maintenance of your general spiritual state, and expect progress in overcoming the sins of your tongue or any other specific besetting sin.
And that is a key, vital principle that we can't miss. With that in mind, we come to now Biblical Directive No. 6.
Would we make progress in overcoming the sins of the tongue? Well, here's Directive No. 6.
You must exercise discretion in the choice of your friends and in your voluntary social associations. You must exercise discretion in the choice of your friends and in your voluntary social associations. Now, hear me carefully, beloved.
You must exercise discretion in the choice of your friends and in your voluntary social associations. And by voluntary social association, I mean those associations where you have a choice as to who you will associate with. In your place of work, there are people that you have to associate with.
It's not your choice, it's your employer's choice, he hired them. I'm talking about those social associations where you have a choice as to whether or not you will enter them, those associations or not. So what I'm saying is this, the Bible teaches if you and I would make progress in overcoming the sins of the tongue, we must exercise discretion in the choice of our friends and in our voluntary social associations.
The Bible, the Word of God, our compass, our guide, the means to our sanctification. The Bible is abundantly clear in teaching that there is a moral and ethical contagion by association. The Bible is clear in teaching that there is a moral and ethical contagion by association.
And where does it teach that? Well, it works in two ways. Turn to Proverbs 13.
I want us to see this from the Word of God. This is not an opinion. Proverbs 13 and verse 20, and it works both ways.
It works both positively and negatively. Positively and negatively. Proverbs 13 verse 20, He who walks with the wise will be wise.
Positively. In other words, when you voluntarily choose to come in a close relationship, friendship with men and women of wisdom, well, guess what? Their wisdom will rub off on you.
As you listen, as you observe, as you interact, there will be a kind of a spiritual osmosis in which their wisdom becomes yours by association. He who walks with the wise will be wise. That's the positive, but look at the negative.
There's a but. But that's the negative. The friend of fools will suffer harm.
You choose to be with fools. Remember, fools in the Book of Proverbs are not people with limited IQ. No.
Fools are, according to scripture, are morally perverse people whose moral perversity here in context comes out in their tongues. So Solomon is saying, if you choose to be a companion of fools, you're going to suffer harm for it. That's what he says.
There will be a negative contagion of their spiritual falling. It will get into your spiritual pores and into your system, and it will be coming out in many ways, not the least of which will be what? The mouth.
Surely this is what the apostle meant when he said in 1 Corinthians 15, 33, do not be deceived. Bad company corrupts good morals. Bad company, young people especially, corrupt good morals.
Oh, but I'm so strong, that wouldn't be. No, no, no, no, get off that stuff. Get off that stuff.
He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, the Bible says, Proverbs 28 verse 26. The one who thinks is the exception to this is a fool, according to God's assessment. Be careful, dear ones.
I can walk with fools and not suffer harm for no, no, do not be deceived. Bad company corrupts good morals. Bad company corrupts good morals.
Now, what's the first thing Solomon warns his son about in Proverbs 1? After setting out the purpose of these Proverbs, and after entreating him to listen to his counsel, what is the first thing he warns his son about starting in verse 10? He says, My son, if sinners entice you, do not be willing.
If they say, come with us, they know, they know if they can get you into their intimate social circle, they'll get you into their moral perversity. And the father says, son, don't do it. Don't do it.
If you don't exercise discretion and determination to insulate yourself from those kinds of associations, you will make little progress in conquering the sins of the tongue. What are you to do? Well, let's look at the explicit directives of the Book of Proverbs and Second Thessalonians.
Proverbs 20, verse 19. Proverbs 20, verse 19. He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets.
Therefore, do not associate with one of loose lips. Don't associate with one of loose lips. Don't keep company with him who opens wide his lips.
You see what God is saying? You have someone with loose lips. God says, don't keep company with them.
Don't associate with them. But they're my friend. But they're my friend.
Who's your friend more? Who's your friend more? The Christ who redeemed you by His precious blood to give you a holy tongue, or your friend who provokes you to sin?
The text could not be more explicit. Do not associate with one of loose lips. Associate.
Not talking about reaching them out with the Gospel. Associate. Friendship.
We need to have the moral discernment to say, this friendship is no help to me in overcoming the sins of my tongue. Either change your ways or our friendship is over. 2 Thessalonians chapter 3.
A New Testament example of this. What does Paul say? That church members are to do with the one walking in an unruly manner.
Verse 6, 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, verse 6. Now we command you, not we suggest to you. This is not suggesting, this is not even pleading.
This is a command from a real authoritative apostle with delegated authority from the Lord himself. We command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who walks in an unruly manner. And remember, there were two manifestations of the unruliness.
The prominent was that they were lazy, they wouldn't work, and Paul goes on to explain that. He says, if anyone is not willing to work, neither let him eat. In verse 10, withdraw from him, then he'll feel the pressure of that, perhaps come to repentance.
But there's a second manifestation of this unruliness, and notice what it was. In verse 11, 2 Thessalonians 3, in verse 11. For we hear that some among you are walking in an unruly manner, doing no work at all, but acting like busy bodies.
The tongue. Busy bodies. They don't work with their hands, but they're constantly flapping their tongues.
And he says, withdraw yourself from them, break off the social interaction, break it off to what end? That they might feel the pressure of being cut off from the people of God, and if they're true saints, that really kills them. They can't take it.
Two saints can't live in isolation with delight, and they'll change their ways by the grace of God. That's what Paul says. Do not associate with such a person to what end?
Look at this, verse 14. So that he will be put to shame, with the end in view being to change his ways. Beloved, if we're serious, if we're serious, we must exercise discretion in the choice of our friends and our voluntary social associations.
But now I want to say another word. In light of this, you know, what are some of our other voluntary social associations? You know what they are?
They're not living people with flesh and blood sitting next to us, but the social associations of the kind of music we listen to. The kind of music we listen to. All music is either expressive or impressive.
You open up your soul to associations of musical expressions, particularly with unrighteous lyrics. The movies you watch and listen to, the kinds of books you read are riddled with unwholesome, corrupt speech. Dear young people, particularly in this place, is that what you want to make impression upon your mind and upon your soul?
This tongue will be influenced by your voluntary social associations. And that brings us to seventh and finally. Would you make progress in overcoming the sins of the tongue?
You must. You must. You must.
And we need to hear this very carefully. You must be more faithful in obeying the manifold, the manifold imperatives concerning the giving and receiving of mutual rebuke, admonition, exhortation, and instruction concerning the use of our tongues in this context. I know it's a loaded sentence, a loaded principle, or a loaded directive, but I don't know how else to reduce the biblical principles, but to state them this way.
You and I must be more faithful in obeying the manifold imperatives. Manifold, there are many imperatives. They are commands concerning the giving and receiving of mutual rebuke, admonition, exhortation, instruction with respect of the use of our tongues.
Now follow me closely, beloved. The New Testament, nowhere envisions your progress in sanctification in any area or mine in an individualistic, independent way. Never, never envisions it that way.
It never envisions our progress in sanctification, yours or mine, in any area, in an individualistic, independent way. The picture of the New Testament is that everyone who's brought into Christ is brought into the body of Christ. Everyone who's brought in union with Christ is brought in union with the people who are in union with Christ.
That is, that it is in the fellowship of the church that we make progress as individual believers. And that is why we underscore the importance of membership and coming under the God-given, under-shepherding hand of the people of God in the body of Christ. Now, this is taught everywhere in the New Testament, perhaps nowhere more succinctly and yet comprehensively in one passage than in Ephesians 4.
Turn with me there, Ephesians 4, where Paul envisions the growth of every individual, every individual believer in context of the body of Christ with pastors and teachers, given, verse 12, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, a situation in which every member of the body speaking to one another in love, verse 16, being joined and held together by what every joint supplies according to the properly measured working of each individual part causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love until we all attain to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of God. That's the biblical vision of individual sanctification. It is in the context of the body of Christ, always.
And therefore, therefore, we need within the body, both to give and to receive, remember the household of God, the body of Christ, we need within the body, both to give and to receive, instruction, rebuke, admonition. And when we drift into speech that violates the norms that we have articulated from the Word of God, we need to receive and to give admonition. In Romans 15, turn with me there, 15 verse 14, Paul envisions, one of the cardinal marks of true spiritual maturity within any congregation, that there is this free loving exchange of mutual admonition and exhortation among the people of God.
And this is really important and refreshing and helpful and healthy in the body of Christ, in the family of God. Look at what he says, But I myself am also convinced about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness. He said, I'm convinced.
I'm convinced. He says, he's confident that they are a people in whom the Spirit of God is bringing a rich harvest of the fruit of love, of gentleness, of meekness, of goodness, the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5, Paul says, I am persuaded that you are a people filled with the Spirit and the manifold fruit of the Spirit, causing you to be filled with goodness, not meanness, not, I'm going to pick on you, ism.
He said, I am convinced you are full of goodness, having been filled with all knowledge, biblical knowledge here. You have an accurate grasp on the Gospel and all of the implications of the Gospel. And what does he expect from people?
Full of moral goodness by the Spirit, full of an integrated sound biblical knowledge of the ways and words of God. What does he expect of them? Look at the text.
I myself also am convinced about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness. And having been filled with all knowledge, here it is. And being able also to admonish one another, to admonish one another, able to do that, able to do that, one to another.
This goodness and this knowledge flow into this ability to admonish one another. And do you know what this word admonish, nutheteo means? We've come across this word before.
It means to point out error and fault, and to call someone to account for it, and seek to help them to see the way out of that error. That's what this admonition is. And he says, when you have a congregation full of the fruit of the Spirit, that is described in a generic way as goodness, well instructed in the Word of God, the manifestation of that among other things should be, he said, there is a free flow of what?
Admonition. Admonition. People seeing in their brothers and sisters, that which needs to be pointed out as fault, and doing it lovingly, gently, in humility and love, and the one in whom it is pointed out, receiving the benefit of the admonition.
And in turn, that one by God's grace, being able to give admonition in due time. This is not, this is not, I say evidence of a mean, spirited, unloving congregation. This is biblical.
This is New Testament church. This is evangelical. Some have the idea, oh, we just need to be one big tub full of love, where I tolerate everything in you, you tolerate everything in me, we cover everything under the carpet, we just pretend it's not there, and where our unwritten code of interaction is, you don't point out my faults, I don't point out yours, and we'll all be happy making no progress in Grace whatsoever.
Beloved, so often we're blind to our own sins, and the thing to which we're blind is very evident to another brother in Christ or a sister in Christ who love Christ enough and love us enough to come gently and admonish us. And Paul is saying, if I'm filled with goodness and knowledge, it will be manifested in loving, gracious, mutual admonition of one another. And by means of this, we make progress in Grace.
And there are many other passages. Galatians 6.1, you remember, brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you, our spiritual, restore such one in a spirit of gentleness, each of you looking to yourself so that you too will not be tempted. Yes, there's a time of examination and prayerful.
This is done prayerfully, in humility and love, not in a condescending, holier than thou fashion. Proverbs 9, verse 8, Do not reprove a scoffer. Why?
Lest he hates you. Reprove a wise man and he will what? Love you.
Love you. If we're full of God's wisdom, we will love being reprove for the purpose of godliness. You come to me and help me see my sin, I say you're my friend and I love you for it.
A wise man recognizes that I don't see all my sins. I have blind spots, and my brothers and sisters may see things that I don't. A wise man will love you.
Thank you, brothers. I want my tongue to be more and more an instrument of life and edification. Proverbs 15, verse 31 and 32.
He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof will lodge among the wives. He who neglects discipline despises his soul, but he who listens to reproof acquires a heart of wisdom. What a beautiful scripture.
And all through Proverbs, that emphasis is there. That's the climate we must cultivate. All the more in this place, beloved.
But maybe you're sitting here tonight and you're thinking concerning this point, but, Habib, there will be somebody who thinks he's the Lord's Chief High Executioner. He'll go around admonishing everything that lives and breathes and walks. Don't worry, we'll take care of him.
We'll take care of him. But for the most part, far from, far more harm can come to a congregation by sinful silence among people, full of goodness and full of knowledge, but kept silent. May God help us.
May God help us. Well, beloved, we've considered these, what I believe are Biblical directives. If we're serious about making progress and controlling the sins of the tongue, engaging in earnest prayer that God will set a watch, conscious effort to bridle our tongues, engage in Biblical response to our union with Christ, continue to hone our consciences, seek to be filled by the Spirit, exercise discretion in the choice of friends, and be more faithful in our mutual admonition.
And I can hear perhaps another objection, but that's a lot to do. That's a lot to do. Seven directives.
That's exhausting. Yes, it is. It is.
But remember, remember, if anyone thinks himself to be religious, but while not brindling his tongue, but deceiving his own heart, this man's religion is worthless. Worthless. May I encourage you, beloved, just take one of those principles a week for the next seven weeks, and pray them in.
Just pray them in. Say, Lord, help me this week to concentrate on this principle, this weaponry in dealing with my tongue. Pray it in, work it out, until these things become as it were, a second nature and part of the whole complex of your inner life.
Remember, beloved, Christ came to save us from our sins, not in them. Not in them. He died on the cross to have a people zealous for good works.
Zealous to have a godly tongue. Keep that in mind. Let's pray.
Father, we are indeed so thankful that your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our pathway. And we never cease, never cease to marvel at its richness. And we pray that you would help us, Lord, in light of the things that we've contemplated this evening to be a people more and more whose tongues are indeed instruments of life and grace, not instruments of death and of harm to others.
We need your help. Seal your word to our hearts for your glory and for our good. We pray all of this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
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