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DOOR OF OUR LIPS

1. Psalm 141: 3 - “Set a watch, O Lord, before my ______; keep the _____ of my _____.”

What a thought that our lips have a door! If they have a door then we must be able to close the door, right? Sometimes we need to learn to do just that --- close the door of our lips --- before the undisciplined child, the tongue, gets out! As parents we keep the doors of our houses and cars checked and locked so that our toddlers can’t get out. Why not learn to keep the door to our mouth closed and locked so as not to let words out that shouldn’t be said. Just a few words that we unconsciously let come out can sometimes either lead someone to Christ or drive them away forever. A good reason to learn the lesson of keeping lock on the door to our lips.

As Christians we must learn the right way to talk to people so that the light of Christ shines through. Our tongues and the words that come out of our mouths have the power to create or to destroy. We are to learn to be uplifting and give encouragement to those who need it. They way to do that is to first take time to meditate on His Word and not only learn what it says but to apply it in our lives. Another way to accomplish the controlling or our lips is to guard what we allow to fill our hearts and minds. Filling ourselves up with clean, pure thoughts will teach us how to speak the same.

2. Philippians 4:8 - “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are _____, whatsoever things are _______, whatsoever things are ______, whatsoever things are ______, whatsoever things are ________, whatsoever things are of ______ ________; if there be any ______, and if there be any _______, _______ on these things.”

3. Psalm 19:14 - “Let the ______ of my ______, and the __________ of my _______, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.”

THE WICKED AND THEIR TONGUE

God’s Word is clear on His thoughts of the wicked and their tongue. His instruction is clear on the fate of a wicked tongue. In Psalm 10 David is describing the ways of the wicked and this is what is told to us about the wicked and his tongue:

4. Psalm 10:7 - “His _______ is full of ________ and ________ and ______: under his ________ is ________ and ________.”

Let’s look at some more places in God’s word that tell us about the tongue:

5. Psalm 34:13 - “Keep your ________ from ______, And your _______ from __________ ______.”

6. Psalm 12:3 - “The Lord shall _____ _____ all ____________ ______, and the ________ that speaketh ________ _________.”

7. Psalm 120:2 - “Dliver my soul, O Lord, from _______ _____, and from a ___________ __________.”

We are even told what God hates in Proverbs 6:16-19; and the lying tongue is one in the list of hated things.

8. Proverbs 6:16-19 - 16)”These six things ______ _____ _______ _____; yea, seven are an abomination unto Him: 17) A ______ _____, a ________ _______, and _______ that ______ __________ ______, 18) An ______ that __________ __________ _______________, ______ that be _______ in __________ to _________, 19) A _______ _________ that speaketh ______ and ___ that _______ ________ among brethren.”

9. Proverbs 10:31 - “The _______ of the just bringeth forth wisdom; but the _________ _________ shall be _____ _____.”

God has given inspired men much to say on the tongue in the New Testament as well, and we don’t want to forget to meditate on what He says to us in His Word, whether in the Old or New Testament. In James there is much given about the tongue, what is expected and what to do concerning it. Let’s take a look now at that:

10. James 1:26 - “If a man among you seem to be religious, and __________ ______ his ________, but __________ his own heart this man’s religion is vain.”

James continues to tell us how important control over the tongue is in

11. James 3:5 - “Even so ____ ________ is a _______ ________ and _________ --3-

_______ things. Behold how ______ a matter a _______ fire _________.”

12. James 3:6 - “And the ________ is a ______, a ________ of ___________: so is the _________ among our members, that it _________ the whole body, and _________ on ______ the __________ of _________; and it is set on _______ of _______.”

13. James 3:8 - “But the ________ can no man _______; it is ________ ______, full of _________ ______.”

Let’s stop here and take a look again at the scripture, James 3:8, above and discuss what it means to us as Christians.

14. “But the _________ can ____ ______ _______”

Does this mean that we have no hope of controlling our tongues . Of course not. This means that no man has ever tamed the tongue as a whole or completely, unfailingly. In other words, no matter how hard we try sometimes we do fail to keep this tiny organ of the body under complete control, we sometimes get out in the world and forget that we have to keep constant watch over it, guarding all the time that we don’t participate in unruly talk or envy, malice, or slander and so on. It all boils down to becoming in charge of ourselves and our tongues so as to be doing good for the church and using our tongues for the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ and not for the unruly evil things. We must be a light unto the world and for Christ.

WE SHOULD FOLLOW CHRIST’S EXAMPLE

14. I Peter 2:21-22 --- 21)”For to this you were ________, because Christ also suffered _____ ____ leaving us an _________ that you should _________ His ________. 22)Who ___________ no ____, nor was _________ found in His ________.”

This show us that what we say is as important as what we do! What we say can either rescue people from a life of sin by leading them to Christ or can run them right out the door where we are not able to reach them ever again.

As we have previously seen from scriptures in James the tongue needs to be bridled. As many of us have been taught in classes and heard in countless sermons the tongue needs a bridle to control it, just as a horse needs a bridle to be controlled. How strong this little organ, the tongue is! So many times in our life we say something we wish we could take back after we have had time to think on it. We don’t stop, in the heat of the moment, to think on what one little, mostly unseen, but loudly heard member of the body can do! We don’t think of the hurt, heartbreak and damage it can cause and then because we didn’t have it bridled we have to face the consequences of it’s uncontrolled actions.

TAMING THE TONGUE

God’s Word tells us:

15. Proverbs 18:21 - “_______ and _______ are in the _________ of the ________: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

16. Proverbs 15:23 - “A man hath _____ by the _________ of his _________: and a _______ _________ in due season, how good it is.”

Only by constant guarding can we begin to tame this very ample and able little member of our bodies --- the tongue! Just as a word in due season is good so also can it be the wrong word at the wrong season and therefore, be bad and damage beyond repair.

Do we really realize some of the dangers of the uncontrolled tongue? Are we aware of things that we might say that could cause harm, hurt and irreparable damage to individuals and to the church of our Lord and ourselves? Let’s look at some things that could cause us not to be able to say that we have control over our tongue if we were to be guilty of them. I think if we just read each one and meditate on it won’t be necessary to have you type out the verses but if you have a question about one or all then by all means send it in with your lesson so that we can discuss it.

Speaking Evil Of One Another - James 4:11-12

Telling Lies - John 8:44 - tells us it is of the devil; Proverbs 6:16-19 tells us God hates such

Foolish Oaths - James 5:12

Use of Profanity - Euphemisms not acceptable - Exodus 20:7; Psalm 111:9; Nehemiah 9:5

Hypocrisy - Matthew 23 - Can show in our singing praises if we don’t believe them -- example -- we might sing, “Take Time To Be Holy” but

never take the time to study or pray -- which would be hypocrisy. It can

also be that we are two faced with people or that we don’t keep our word and so on.

Complaining - Numbers 14:27 - Like the Israelites after being led from Egypt, do we constantly complain and never give thanks for our blessings?

Now that we have looked into some danger of an uncontrolled tongue let’s also look into some of the good uses of a well controlled tongue. This one we will do a little different. Look up and read each scripture below and give the good use of the tongue that it contains.

17. I Thessalonians 5:17 -

Ephesians 6:18 -

Colossians 4:2 -

18. Hebrews 13:15 -

James 1:17 -

19. Matthew 28:18-21 -

20. Romans 8:28 -

Romans 8:38-39 -

I Corinthians 10:13 -

Proverbs 25:11 -

Now let’s sum up all that we have learned in this lesson:

1. We must be sure that our speech and communication are godly. This means we must put away from us lies, slander, gossip, quarreling, and foolish course talk. (Read Ephesians 4:25; 5:3-4; Colossians 3:8-10; I Timothy 5:13; and II Timothy 3:23)

2. We must speak only what will encourage and build up the hearer. (Read Ephesians 4:29)

3. Christians should speak as though they are speaking the very words of

God because in truth that is exactly what we do. We are His representatives on earth. (Read I Peter 4:11)

NOTE FROM Beverly Rainwater: Please be sure to include the acronym WFS which stand for “Words Fitly Spoken” the name of this course, the Lesson # and your name in the subject line when you send the lesson back in. For instance if I was taking this course in the subject line I would have: WFS-Lesson 1- Beverly Rainwater. Always copy and paste your lesson into a regular email with your answers in a different color so I can find them easily. This will expedite the grading and handling of these lessons for me.

Thank you and May God lift you up and teach you to fly on wings as eagles.

Beverly Rainwater

RainwaterB3@aol.com