Evil Speech Corrupts
“Evil speech corrupts us…Our wicked speech can burn down our own lives and even our own souls, for the evil use of the tongue is inspired by hell itself (James 3:6).”1
Do we believe that?
In the Bible, God repeatedly warns His people of pride, arrogance, and evil speech (Prov 8:13). Jesus declared, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak” (Matt 12:33-37).
The Apostle Paul commanded the church, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Eph 4:29).
As I was reflecting over these passages, I began to realize how often I engage and subject myself to evil speech.
How often do I speak evil of others?
How often do I listen to evil speech?
I am drawn to social media like a moth to flame. I am a proud person.
Pride is insidious. Pride causes the spiritually immature to quarrel and the spiritually mature to despise (Romans 14). Nowhere is this seen more than on social media.
I am reminded of an old sermon I heard Adrian Rogers preach when I was a boy. The sermon was on the importance of maintaining purity in a wicked age. Dr. Rogers gave a good illustration, one that has stuck with me for 30 years. He asked, “How many of you would go outside and eat out of a dumpster? That’s what it is like filling your mind with garbage.”
Jesus said that “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt 12:3). And we know that “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick…” (Jer 17:9). Sometimes the heart craves evil speech like the mind craves evil pictures. But we must choose not to pollute ourselves.
Evil speech, either spoken or devoured, corrupts the soul. Let us give ourselves “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things” (Phil 4:8).
"Powerful to Destroy”, TableTalk, Ligonier Ministries.
Thank you for leading us to the foot of the cross to confess the sins of my tongue there. I pray that the Holy Spirit would tame that beast in my mouth!