When God confronts us about the way we talk, he strikes a nerve. Let’s be honest—we all struggle with sins of the tongue. Whether we’re prone to say too much or too little. Whether it’s gossip or boasting or exaggeration or slander or judging or criticism or complaining, or whatever. It’s every believer’s battle (James 3:2, 8).
And words are a big deal. We may say “talk is cheap,” but it’s not. It’s costly; words have a powerful impact. Of course, Christ-centered, truth-telling, love-spreading speech has immense value for good.
Just think what words of encouragement can accomplish, by God’s power: Encourage one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13). With words we help each other avoid spiritual destruction! Ponder that.
Just think how urgent it is to speak up and spread Jesus’ good news: How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? (Romans 10:14). In order to believe in Jesus, people must hear the message of life (cf. Acts 11:14).
Just think how many of the fruits of the Spirit involve expressing our faith in words: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness… All of them.
Just think how many of the Bible’s “one another” commands involve how we talk: Forgive one another, pray for one another, admonish one another, bear with one another, love one another… All of them.
We know that following Jesus involves more than mere talk. Real faith takes action (James 2:14-26)—“faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6). But active faith always unpacks and/or points to the truth-content of the Bible. By contrast, good deeds divorced from the gospel message are shallow at best and deceiving at worst.
Let me recommend a few resources about how we talk: *Ken Sande, The Peacemaker, pp. 94-97 (and the whole book); *Randy Newman, Questioning Evangelism; *William Baker, Sticks & Stones; *Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins, ch. 19, “Sins of the Tongue”; *Paul Tripp, War of Words; *The Power of Words & the Wonder of God, Piper & Taylor, eds.
