Do Not Grieve the Spirit (Part 2)
Speech that Grieves–Speech that Heals and Overcomes
Dear Friends and Family,
Last week I shared with you some passages of scripture that revealed the extreme importance of how we speak to one another. Our habitual patterns of corrupt communication, what we say and do, reveals our hearts and dramatically affects our lives and the lives around us.
This is what Jesus taught in the scripture from; Luke6:45 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
How we speak to one another as Christians certainly has vital and significant impact on our homes . What ever grieves the Holy Spirit and gives place for Satan, is a terribly destructive problem in our lives.
Ephesians Chapter 4 “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”
The bible has a lot to say about how we talk, what form of speech we employ to express ourselves. Many passages contrast evil, ungodly speech, speech which defiles, and corrupts, verses speech which is righteous and godly, which edifies, builds up, and encourages, which brings conviction not condemnation. The evil speech coming from the heart of flesh, contrasts to godly speech under the control of and in accord with the Holy Spirit. It is abundantly clear from these passages that God expects us to guard our hearts and our tongues in obedience to Him.
I must say, to those of us who have or who would be tempted to lash out with the tongue, in a fit of anger, disappointment, or in the heat of a disagreeable situation in our homes STOP!! Repent!, ask forgiveness from God and from your spouse and children. Confess that you have no right to ever indulge in such corrupt and hurtful and destructive speech!!
Romans 12:21 – “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
(The light of Christ will overcome the darkness of evil and unrighteousness)
The only way to overcome evil that has been done by ourselves to others, or by others to ourselves, is to replace the evil done or to overcome the evil done with good!
We know that the Bible tells us that “God’s ways are not our ways”, yet if we obey God in this area of our lives we have His promises of healing and reward.
Colossians 3:23 – 25 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done and there is no partiality.
In the Grace and Love of Jesus our Lord
Pastor Vince