TOPIC:‌“Be Careful With Your Words”

                 by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap

TEXT:‌Matthew 12:33-37

“But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (12:36, 37).

‌It is now estimated that there are more than one million words in the English language. It just goes to show that words are indispensable to life. If there were no such thing as words, we would have a difficult time expressing our thoughts and feelings. The most important thing about words is the use we make of them.

‌Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, was right when he declared: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). Or to put it in the words of the Apostle James: “But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8). All of which finds power in the prayer of the Psalmist David: “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalms 141:3, NKJV).

‌Here in our text Jesus speaks against the evil and hurtful use of words. Listen again to the already quoted words of Jesus: “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”

I.

‌Consider, to begin with, the kind of words that Jesus said should be DENOUNCED - “by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Let us think of those words that dishonor God and degrade mankind.

‌First of all, Jesus denounced all PROFANITY. Give ear to these words from our Lord: “But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by Heaven, for it is God's throne; Nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.”

‌The disrespectful use of our Lord's name should never come from our lips whether we are friends, followers or foes . . .