Let us close with some Practical Directions for bridling our tongues
Direction #1
Meditate on the fact of what our tongues were created for.
Our tongues separate us from the beasts of the fields and the fish of the sea.
We are men that are made in the image of God.
And our tongues were created to bring His name glory and for our doing good to others.
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Our tongues were created to communicate with God and with each other.
Our tongues were created to praise God.
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A wicked tongue is a gross violation of its intended use.
It is a most heinous sin to use our tongues in a sinful way.
God’s Word tells us that there are seven things in which He hates…..and 3 of them have to do with the misuse of the tongue, that He created to bring glory to His name.
Proverbs 6:16-19 …”Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, and false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.”
The Lord created our tongues for a purpose, and He hates the sinful use of our tongues.
Psalm 12:3…”May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the toungue that speaks great things; Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?”
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In our day we are told by the world that we are to express ourselves and speak our minds…
This is a lie of Satan indeed.
God tells us that we are to let no unwholesome word proceed from our mouth.
God tells us in James that we are to bridle our tongues.
Let us think about and meditate upon the fact of what our tongues were created for.
Proverbs 8:13 God tells us what we are to hate “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil” And God tells us what He hates…“Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate.”
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Direction #2
Let us be slow to speak.
God’s Word tells us in James in 1:19 “This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.”
God’s Word warns us very clearly about empty and worthless idle talk.
We are only to speak that which is edifying to others.
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How many instead of being quick to hear are slow to hear?
How many instead of being slow to speak are quick to speak and quick to anger.
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A subject comes up and how many stumble over each other to be quick to speak on the subject.
Men will interrupt each other as they are quickly trying speak on a subject.
Let us be slow to speak that we might think about our words very carefully, before pulling the trigger and in machine gun like fashion-fire out a bunch of words that we will later regret and have to repent of.
Proverbs 29:20 “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”
Richard Baxter “You have two ears and one tongue: hear twice and speak once: we oftener repent of speaking than of being silent.”
Seeing that our words are so important let us be quick to hear; and slow to speak.
Richard Baxter “Think before you speak: it is better to try your words before you speak them than after; a preventing trial is better than a repenting trial...”
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Direction #3
Let our words be few.
Pr 10:19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.
Speaking too much can be a gross misuse of the tongue.
Pr 13:3 He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.
Seneca “It is then the best way to be quiet, and to say little to others, and much to yourselves.
Plutarch “There needs but few laws for them that speak but few words.”
Proverbs 18:6,7 “A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are the snare of his soul.
Let our words be few.
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Direction #4
Let us be in the Word much; and there learn much; so that when we do talk, we have something to say.
Pythagoras 500 years before Christ said: “Either be silent, or say something that is better than silence.”
God’s Word has much to say about empty talk.
God’s people should not be empty in what they say.
We should say things which are edifying and glorifying to our God.
We should know God’s Word and speak about His glorious works and His amazing providences.
We should know What God has to say to us in His Word and then we will be able to speak to others.
Richard Baxter “learn to be silent till you have learned to speak.”
Let us fill our heads and hearts with the knowledge of God; and we will then know how to speak.
Simo Ralevic “You can tell from our speech with what food we are feeding our souls.”
Ps 77:12 I will also meditate on all Your work, And talk of Your deeds.
Ps 105:2 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works!
“My tongue shall speak of Thy Word” 119:172
“My tongue shall speak of Thy righteousness and of they praise all the day long.” Psalm 71:24
Ps 145:11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, And talk of Your power,
Richard Baxter “An empty head and heart are the causes of empty, frothy, vain discourse.”
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Direction #5
Realize the difference between delaying what we say and bridling our tongues.
I am afraid that many have cultivated the art of knowing what not to say in certain situations, in order to appear as one having a bridled tongue.
But then these go on to say what they were holding back; on another occasion.
Husbands and wives should pay special attention to this.
We appear to bridle our tongue because we want to be seen as spiritual…
And then alone in the car on the way home – the dam breaks open.
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Now I fully realize that some things that need to be said, need to be said in a certain way and in the proper setting.
But I’m afraid many mistake delaying their speech; for bridling their tongue.
We need to cultivate the grace of mortifying worthless, slanderous, gossip, not cultivate the crafty art of just saving it for another time.
Much of what can’t be said in certain company…should never be said at all.
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Many people perpetuate their own problems and the problems of others by continuing to throw words at a situation.
Many times a situation doesn’t need words; it needs silence.
Pr 26:20 Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.
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Direction #6
Let us plant it firmly in our minds that we are not more sanctified than our tongues.
Now this is simply to say that the tongue is a great test of the depth of our sanctification.
The tongue speaks the heart.
The tongue reveals the soul.
If we are being conformed into the likeness of Christ…then we will a tongue that is becoming more and more bridled as we grow in grace.
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A Christian can never be more sanctified than his tongue.
The tongue rather is an indication of the level of our sanctification.
Where you consistently see a not very bridled tongue….necessarily you are seeing an immature Christian.
And where you see a sanctified well bridled tongue you are most likely seeing a mature Christian.
Where you hear a harshly critical tongue – a carping tongue -(continually), you are hearing someone who is self centered…someone who bases true religion on their own example of it.
This is simply to say that the tongue is a great indicator of our growth in grace.
Let us all be convicted here:
God’s people are never satisfied with the level of their bridled tongues.
The bridled tongue is never satisfied with how it is being bridled.
The bridled tongue never sees itself as being well bridled.
The bridled tongue laments deeply that it is not more bridled.
The unbridled tongue can’t wait to speak it’s next words – words designed to bring attention to its own religion.
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Direction #7
Let us cultivate the grace of quiet reflection on how we have used our tongues at the end of the day.
As God’s people we are to use our minds.
Let us use our minds that we might reflect quietly and honestly about the use of our tongue at the end of the day.
Let us search ourselves and ask ourselves the true motives behind what it is we said.
This is a great discipline to expose our pride.
Much of what we say comes from pride.
Let us be people who learn to honestly identify the motives behind the use of our tongues, and quietly reflect on these things and be humbled.
This will surely lead to repentance and prayer for any of God’s true people.
Let us examine ourselves, which includes our words, and see whether or not we are in the faith.
This is a painful thing, but a most profitable thing, and very much needful in our day.
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Direction #8
Let us ask God to put a guard on our mouths.
David Ps 141:3 Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.
We must go to the One who made us thinking people.
We must go to the One who made our tongues.
We must go to the One who knows how we are to use our tongues.
And we must be in constant prayer to God that He would set a watch over the door of our lips.
And this is to say that we are to ask God to give us a conscience towards Him in all that we say.
A praying tongue is less likely to be an idle, gossiping tongue.
To make our tongues busy in prayer, is the best use of our tongues in this life.
Let us begin to better sanctify our tongues in prayer, and remain in prayer for this purpose.
A tongue reliant upon God is less likely to be babbling and boasting and slanderously criticizing others.
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Direction #9
Avoid idle talk.
Plant it firmly in your minds that idle talk is of no value.
And not only is it of no value; it is very dangerous.
The tongue that is engaged about nothing important; will most likely be saying nothing important.
And to be saying nothing important is to be idle and wasting time
RB “Idle gentlemen, and beggars, and idle gossiping women, and old men that are void of the fear of God, and children that have no business to do, are they that can sit talking away their time to as little purpose, as if they had been all the time asleep. All idle persons swarm with the vermin of idle thoughts and words.”
Richard Baxter “How weary would it make a man to hear the talk of many babblers! How insipid is it! How Sottish! Like the talk of a mad-man, or a drunken man, or a man in his sleep: it is far pleasanter not only to hear a bird chirp, but a swine grunt, than to hear much of their discourse.”
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Direction #10
Be very careful what you say to others about others.
If you have an issue with someone…
And your tongue must be employed…go to the one you have the issue with, or don’t speak at all.
So many problems in the church would never have even surfaced if Matthew 18 were followed.
Matthew 18:15-17
Matthew 18:15-17 15 "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. 17 "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church.
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Also, If one does go to a person privately and addresses their concern (it isn’t to be discussed afterwards to others).
Many follow Matthew 18 properly – and then tell others about what they did.
This is an unbridled tongue (drawing attention to yourself – making sure others are aware of your high level of religion).
Many there are who do not intend to slander and gossip, but they get counsel on how to deal with an issue with a brother, and in so doing they slander and gossip.
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The bible nowhere says that if you have an issue with someone in the church tell it to the (pastor)
Many think the pastor is unaware and uninformed and it is their duty to inform him of what is going on in the church.
Sadly, because of tongues that desire to draw attention to how religious they are – the pastor knows too much of what is going on in the church.
Trust in the Lord – the Lord says go to the person and speak with them.
Or, our other option is to close our mouths.
If we must speak – speak to that person in private.
If we can’t keep quiet – let us go to that person…
If we are unwilling to do this – then there is only one option (keep quiet).
Spurgeon, (speaking of dealing with a man who had a problem in the church when he was a young pastor).
The spoke of how he was treated shamefully by some in the church –
“He mentioned the names of half-a-dozen person, all prominent members of the church, who had behaved in a very unchrisitian manner to hem, he, poor innocent sufferer, having been a model of patience and holiness. I learned his character at once from what he said about others (a mode of judging which has never misled me).”
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If others come to you about others.
Simply ask them to take the matter up with the interested party.
If one cannot stop others from slander and gossip under the guise of zeal…one can not listen to it – and this would be a great help.
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Let us examine our tongues – examine our religion by the use of our tongues.
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