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Ephesians 4 – What Comes Out Our Mouths
What Comes Out Our Mouths
What’s the first thing to come out of your mouth if, while holding a nail, you hit your thumb with a hammer?
1. Cuss words?
2. Name calling (i.e., “Perry, you’re such a clumsy idiot!”)?
3. Shifting Blame to others (i.e., “You must have given me a bad nail!”)?
4. Shifting Blame to things (i.e., “There must be something wrong with this hammer!)?
5. Loud sounds that aren’t exactly words?
We can learn concerning speech from this commendation:
“No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.” (CSB’17 Ephesians 4:29-32)
To give real life examples, I’ve talked to believers who changed their lives later in life rather than earlier. They’ve all said the hardest habit to break was foul language. They meant the first choice listed above, but Paul shows language can be foul in many ways. Language is hard to change because it becomes “involuntary speech”. We aren’t thinking about what to say. We just say it. What is hardwired in our brains comes out of our mouths.
That brings me back to another example. Instead holding a nail and hitting his thumb with a hammer, someone held his hands and feet down and used a hammer to “hit” him with nails.
Having the above in mind, remember the sayings of Jesus on the cross. What was in his heart and mind, came out of his mouth:
1. “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do (Prayer, Forgiveness)
2. “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise (Forgiveness, Others, Hope)
3. “Woman, behold, thy son! Behold, thy mother! (Forgiveness, Family)”
4. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Scripture, Teaching)
5. “I thirst (Scripture)
6. “It is finished (God’s work)
7. “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit (Prayer, Trust)
When Jesus was crucified, the last things to come out of his mouth were the first things he lived.
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