Words -- Speaking Life or Death
"Ten Sins of the Tongue" - Part 3
Proverbs 18:21; Isaiah 59:1-3; Proverbs 6:16-19
Sunday - Jan. 24, 2016
Pastor Theone Maupin, Jr.
Proverbs 18:21 -- Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those
who love it will eat its fruit. (NKJV - emphasis added)
Isaiah 59:1-3
(NKJV - emphasis added)
(1)
(2)
(3)
Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear.
But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
And your sins have hidden His face from you,
So that He will not hear.
For your hands are defiled with blood,
And your fingers with iniquity;
Your lips have spoken lies,
Your tongue has muttered perversity.
Matthew 12:34 -- Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things?
For out of the abundance of the heart (the tree) the mouth speaks (the fruit comes).
(NKJV - emphasis and clarity added)
THERE ARE AT LEAST TEN SINS THAT ARE COMMITTED BY OUR TONGUES:
I.
Lying
Wisdom Point:
It's good to remember that the book of Proverbs speaks to three major issues in
life: your money, your morals and your mouth.
Proverbs 6:16-19
(NKJV - emphasis added)
(16)
(17)
(18)
(19)
These six things the LORD hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren.
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Proverbs 12:22 -- Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who deal truthfully are His
delight. (NKJV - emphasis added)
Word Meaning:
There a number of both Hebrew and Greek words that are translated as "sin."
The most common Greek word is the word hamartia which means "to have
missed the mark."
Romans 3:23 -- " for all have sinned (hamartia: missed the mark) and fall short of the glory of God,"
(NKJV - emphasis and clarity added)
II.
Word Meaning:
The Hebrew word for abomination is the word tow`ebah which means
detestable, morally disgusting or loathsome. The root word for abomination in
Greek is the source for our English word "idolatry."
Wisdom Point:
To break a stronghold, a repetitive cycle of sin, in your life you must do two
things. You must become both accountable and correctible. It requires both!
Sowing Discord
Proverbs 6:12-15
(NKJV - emphasis added)
(12)
(13)
(14)
Wisdom Point:
A worthless person, a wicked man,
Walks with a perverse mouth;
He winks with his eyes,
He shuffles his feet,
He points with his fingers;
Perversity is in his heart,
Because perversity is in his heart, it comes out of his mouth.
Matthew 12:34 -- For out of the abundance of the heart (the tree) the mouth speaks (the fruit comes).
(NKJV - emphasis and clarity added)
(14)
(15)
Perversity is in his heart,
He devises evil continually,
He sows discord.
Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly;
Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.
Proverbs 16:15 -- Because of this (sowing discord), disaster will strike them without warning, and
they will be fatally wounded. (GNT - clarity added)
Wisdom Point:
When you are sowing discord (disharmony and disunity) among the brethren,
you will reap discord (disharmony and disunity) in your own life. The spiritual
principle of sowing and reaping applies in this part of our life as well!
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III.
Gossip
Definition:
A gossip is someone who spreads intimate or private rumor or facts.
Proverbs 20:19 -- A gossip can never keep a secret. Stay away from people who talk too much.
(GNT)
2 Corinthians 12:20 -- For I am afraid that when I come I won’t like what I find, and you won’t like
my response. I am afraid that I will find quarreling, jealousy, (outbursts of) anger,
selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behavior. (NLT - emphasis and clarity
added)
IV.
Slander
Definition:
Slander is a false and malicious statement or report about someone. (The Encarta
Dictionary defines it this way: Slander is a false and malicious statement that damages
somebody's reputation.)
Psalm 140:11 -- Let not a slanderer be established in the earth; let evil hunt the violent man (the
slanderer) to overthrow him.” (NKJV - clarity added)
Proverbs 10:18 -- Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool. (NKJV)
Proverbs 10:18 -- Hiding hatred makes you a liar; slandering others makes you a fool. (NLT)
1 Corinthians 5:11 -- But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who
claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a
drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. (NIV - emphasis added)
V.
Tale-bearing
Definition:
Tale-bearing is the act of revealing secrets or breaking confidence.
Proverbs 11:13 -- A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.
(NKJV - emphasis added)
A.
The church should be a safe place to reveal something about your life that no one
knows.
James 5:16a -- Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be
healed. (NIV - emphasis added)
1 John 1:9 -- If we confess our sins (to God), He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (NKJV - clarity and emphasis added)
B.
When you know something about someone, it gives you power.
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Wisdom Point:
VI.
Character is having power and handling it wisely.
Cursing
Romans 3:13-14 -- “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers
is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” (NIV - emphasis added)
Psalm 109:17-18
(NKJV)
(17)
(18)
VII.
As he loved cursing, so let it come to him; As he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far
from him.
As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, So let it enter his body like water,
And like oil into his bones.
Blasphemy
Definition:
Blasphemy is to use God's name in an unsacred or self-serving way.
Exodus 20:7 -- “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not
hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain." (NKJV)
VIII. Filthy Language
Definition:
Filthy language includes not only blasphemy and cursing, but all other bad words.
Colossians 3:8 -- But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy,
filthy language out of your mouth. (NKJV - emphasis added)
IX.
Contentious Speech
Definition:
Contentious speech is habitually speaking strife; speaking disagreeable, belligerent,
argumentative, combative, quarrelsome, bellicose and cantankerous words.
Proverbs 21:9 -- Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, than in a house shared with a contentious
woman. (NKJV)
Proverbs 26:21 -- As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle
strife. (NKJV)
X.
Unbelief
Hebrews 3:12-13 -- See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that
turns away from the living God. But (rather) encourage one another daily, as long as it is
called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. (NIV - clarity
added)