Your Speech Betrays You

 

This is what the people in Pilot’s courtyard said to Peter because his accent betrayed him as a Galilean and a disciple of Jesus (Mat 26:73). This is such a simple truth which we apply every day as we listen to people’s language and accent in order to determine where they come from and what their background is. Here in America I am learning the difference in speech between people from various parts of the country as well as the sound of the languages of the many peoples who live in this country. As much as we know how people’s home language betrays their origin, we somehow forget that this is also true spiritually.

Jesus said to the Pharisees: "Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”" (Matthew 12:34-37).

Here in Hollywood there are a number of ex-South African actors who have spent a lot of money and time in elocution lessons to disguise their origins, but a fellow South African will always pick up that they are not American. Your speech will betray you! Solomon said "Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive." (Proverbs 17:28). In other words the moment he opens his mouth everyone knows who he really is. I have often met new people who, by careful grooming and expensive clothing look very impressive, yet the moment they begin to speak reveal that they are ignorant, arrogant or dysfunctional in some way or the other. So our words betray who we really are spiritually and that is why Jesus said that we will be judged by our words, not only by men, but by the Lord on the Day of Judgment. The context of the passage in Matthew 12 equates words with the fruit which reveal the species of tree.

In Matthew 7 Jesus said it is impossible for a good tree to produce bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Here He says the same thing. What is in your heart will be revealed when you open your mouth. Of course the solution is not to be more careful when we speak, or not to speak at all, but to make sure that the source of our words (our hearts) are right. Often people make judgments based on body language and that does betray something about our attitudes and emotions, but the Bible never gave body language as a measure, but it did give speech as an infallible test. So, there are three things we need to do.

First we need to make sure that the source of our own speech is clean. A clean and righteous heart will produce life-giving speech. James highlighted the problem with people who bless God and the next moment curse men. The same fountain cannot produce fresh and salty water. He also provides the cure for this age-old problem: "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded." (James 4:8). The Pharisees were good at cleaning the outside while leaving the inside dirty. Jesus stressed the cleaning of the inside. As we cleanse our hearts and allow our minds to be renewed through the Word and the Spirit, our speech will change. A clean heart will bring forth rivers of living water which will heal, soothe, refresh and water the thirsty souls around. A sinful heart will only produce hurt, strife and more sin. It is also James who highlights the power of our words to set a whole world on fire.

Second we need to count our words. "Do not be rash with your mouth… let your words be few. " (Ecclesiastes 5:2). Even as I write these words, I weigh each word and recheck my words many times before I hit the “print” or “send” button because I know these words will spread right across the globe and thousands will read them. Yet when we speak, we often open our mouths without engaging our brains, let alone God’s Spirit! "… let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak…;" (James 1:19)

Third we need to listen far more critically to preachers before opening ourselves to their influence. I have two things in mind here. Their doctrine and the things they speak about. The scriptures commended the Bereans who checked Paul’s words against the Scriptures. (Acts 17:11). We must be far more critical of the abundance of teaching and preaching that fills our pulpits, computers, libraries and televisions. Generally you don’t have to listen for very long to determine if the wisdom being propagated is from above or below. (James 3:12-18)

There also seems to be a modern trend amongst preachers to be crude and rude in their speech. I am hearing more and more preachers use crude language, sexual innuendo, lavitorial humor and sacrilegious references to that which is holy - often in the pulpit. They probably think it is very funny and hope it will help people to “connect” with them but all it does is reveal what is really in their hearts. Any preacher whose speech is sprinkled with sex, money and vulgarity reveal who and what they really are. Remember “an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things”. If you enjoy that sort of talk, there is something seriously wrong with your own heart. If your leaders, even if infrequently, are guilty of this kind of vulgarity, you need to flee for your life. Yes, I am serious. By all means go the Matthew 18 route, but get out of that influence before you are also contaminated. "Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits." (1 Corinthians 15:33). No preacher who is not wholly sanctified should be supported by your presence or your money. Paul is emphatic that leaders must be “blameless” (1Tim 3:2,10; 1Tim 5:7; Titus 1:6,7). Vulgarity is not “a slip of the tongue” it is indicative of a state of heart.

"Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." (Ephesians 4:29)

 

 

 

Anton Bosch
antonbosch@sbcglobal.net

www.abcd.co.za/offi
www.abcd.co.za/plumbline

Tel 818 846 5520
Fax 818 846 4357
3310 West Magnolia Blvd
Burbank, California
91505-2907
USA