One of the very first aspects of our daily lives to be affected for the better, after the process of godly conversion has begun, is the aspect of speech, the way in which we speak in all of our conversations, and interactions with friends and foes, in-laws and outlaws. Whatever comes out of our mouths bears testimony either for or against the truth, and thus it is imperative that the most careful consideration, caution, and wisdom be used in speaking, lest we cause the name of Christ to be reproached by an un-Christ-like mode of conduct. What we say, when we say it, and how it is said is deemed of such great importance, and such great eternal consequences that Christ, and several of the Bible writers spoke, and wrote extensively on the matter, with the hope that as Christians we will not only be well-informed as to our manner of speaking, but that we will also put into practice, that which we have seen, heard, and handled of both the spoken word and the Living Word. Let’s read:
Titus 2:7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
Matthew 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. 7 “A time to keep silence, and a time to speak.
This last passage in Ecclesiastes tells us with certainty that there is a right time to speak, and there is time to refrain from speaking, and as the disciples of Christ we should know the difference. In all of our discourses with one another, it is the will of God that we deal only in the currency of heaven, meaning that whether we be in friendly territory, or in volatile, tense, or argumentative situations, we should, by the grace and power of God, maintain our cool. Some of us as Christians are in dire need of growth, and development in this area, for many of us are tripped up much too easily, and are prone to blow a fuse whenever we are short-circuited by the enemy of all righteousness, or by those human agents who may despitefully use or persecute us.
The currency of satan on the other hand, consists of slander, gossip, snitching, arguments, all bickering, accusation, anger, rumors and fairy tales. It is one of satan’s main methods to stir up bad feelings, by digging up old grievances and sins from the past, thereby tempting the ones who were thus involved to respond to the said charges, whether they are real or phantom. The political front runners, in both the Democratic, and Republican parties, as well as those who sit at the “Kids” table in the debates are finding this out the hard way, for it is the work of Satan through human agencies, which goads both reporters and investigators to search for any wrong doings in the past, and then to insinuate ulterior motives for the course of action thus pursued. And because there is nothing new under the sun, all we need to do is to look back at the Biblical, historical precedents so that we may understand the issues currently taking place with Ben Carson, the one who is causing some former, spiritual leaders to literally turn in their graves. Let’s read:
Daniel 6:1It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom;
2 And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel
was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.
3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.
5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.
What Seventh-day Adventists like Ben Carson believe. By Daniel Burke, CNN Religion Editor Updated 11:52 AM ET, Wed November 4, 2015
Carson, who earnestly committed himself to the church when he was 14, is perhaps the faith's most famous member. Trump later said that he wasn't trying to "send a dog whistle" to religious conservatives who might look askance at Adventist doctrine. "All I said was that I don't know about it," he told ABC. Fair enough. A lot of Americans don't know much about the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Protestant Christian denomination turned 150 years old in 2013, which makes it a relative newcomer on the religious scene.
Unique Adventist beliefs:
1. Adventists worship on Saturday, the "seventh day"
2. Adventists do not believe in an eternal hell
3. They do believe that Jesus' second coming is imminent.
4. Adventists believe in the visions and prophecies of Ellen White.
And then, sitting squarely inside of op-ed is the mention of his earlier years:
“Carson's violent past: Bricks, bats, hammers”
This method of digging up old dirt goes directly contrary to the teaching of scripture, for whenever we have given our lives to God, our past sins are not even to be mentioned. Furthermore, the concerns that are being raised about a person’s violent past, when we all know that such an individual has been touched by the grace of God, does not figure into God’s reckoning of that person’s ability to lead, because again, as the Bible clearly says, there is nothing new under the sun. Moses had a much more violent past than any of the currently leading candidates, yet he too was touched by the grace of God, and was enabled to lead the Hebrews out of Egyptian slavery, to the borders of the Promised Land. As a matter of fact, in spite of his violent past, Moses is described in the scriptures as being the meekest man to live on the face of the earth, that being under Christ. Let’s read:
Exodus 2:11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.
12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?
14 And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.
15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.
Numbers 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
Ezekiel 18:21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.
James 5:19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
Another ploy of the devil is to start an unfounded rumor, then give it to the news media to spin, and churn in the rumor mill, so that the end product is loaded with many additional details that cannot be corroborated. Thus a minor traffic incident such as a fender-bender, can end up being a major accident with several people severely injured and taken to the hospital in very critical condition, and with the poor driver fleeing the scene on foot, into a densely wooded area. The disposition to take the gossip of the day to discuss among other people, or to accuse a person of any wrong-doing behind their backs, instead of directly approaching the one who may be at fault, is one of the ways in which satan manifests himself through human agencies, and the tendency to regurgitate the sins and errors of the past, whilst dwelling upon the juicy tidbits of bad news, is a display of satanic character. These are just some of the reasons why the wise man says there is a time to speak, and a time to refrain from speaking. Let’s read:
Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out,
that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Zecharia 3:1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
2 And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and
stood before the angel.
4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
[Desire Of Ages pp. 353>354] “Behold,” said Jesus, “I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Christ Himself did not suppress one word of truth, but He spoke it always in love. He exercised the greatest tact, and thoughtful, kind attention in His intercourse with the people. He was never rude, never needlessly spoke a severe word, never gave needless pain to a sensitive soul. He did not censure human weakness. Every soul was precious in His eyes. While He always bore Himself with divine dignity, He bowed with tenderest regard to every member of the family of God. In all men He saw fallen souls whom it was His mission to save. The servants of Christ are not to act out the dictates of the natural heart. They need to have close communion with God, lest, under provocation, self rise up, and they pour forth a torrent of words that are unbefitting, that are not as dew or the still showers that refresh the withering plants. This is what Satan wants them to do; for these are his methods. It is the dragon that is wroth; it is the spirit of Satan that is revealed in anger and accusing. But God’s servants are to be representatives of Him. He desires them to deal only in the currency of heaven, the truth that bears His own image and superscription. The power by which they are to overcome evil is the power of Christ. The glory of Christ is their strength. They are to fix their eyes upon His loveliness. Then they can present the gospel with divine tact and gentleness. And the spirit that is kept gentle under provocation will speak more effectively in favor of the truth than will any argument, however forcible.
Those who are brought in controversy with the enemies of truth have to meet, not only men, but Satan and his agents. Let them remember the Savior’s words, “Behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.” Luke 10:3. Let them rest in the love of God, and the spirit will be kept calm, even under personal abuse. The Lord will clothe them with a divine panoply. His Holy Spirit will influence the mind and heart, so that their voices shall not catch the notes of the baying of the wolves.
Thus it is, that whenever we are faced with the spirit of accusation, or whenever we find ourselves in a volatile situation, in order for us to understand when is the time to speak, and the time to refrain from speaking, we will need to study the example of Christ, as He was being investigated by those who only sought to malign His perfect character. When brought before Pilate, Christ graciously responded to His direct questioner, for it was then “The time to speak” since Pilate had not crossed the boundary of God’s grace as yet. However, to the Jewish leaders who were bickering and making wild accusations, all the while speaking vehemently over each other, as is often the case on certain news channels, Christ answered not a word, but rather kept completely silent, as the rumors and empty charges flew back and forth. Let’s read:
Matthew 27:11 And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.
12 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
13 Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?
14 And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.
However, when Jesus was brought before Herod, and questioned with many words, it was then the time to “Refrain from speaking”, for this was the same Herod who had previously beheaded John the Baptist, and since his probation was already closed, Christ had not a single word for him. Furthermore, Herod’s quest for a miracle to validate the rumors he had been hearing of Christ would have served absolutely no purpose, for miracles do stand alone, if they fail of converting the sinful heart, and thus, no type of response in such a situation would ever be warranted of any Christian. As a matter of fact, this is the reason why we have concluded on several occasions, that whenever a mass-shooter demands of us whether we are Christian or not, the scriptural thing to do is to remain silent, just as Christ did, for this will in no way be a denial of our faith in Him. Let’s read:
Luke 23:8 And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.
9 Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.
10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.
11 And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.
[Desire Of Ages pp. 729] A large company of the priests and elders had accompanied Christ to Herod. And when the Saviour was brought in, these dignitaries, all speaking excitedly, urged their accusations against Him. Herod questioned Christ in many words, but throughout the Saviour maintained a profound silence. At the command of the king, the decrepit and maimed were then called in, and Christ was ordered to prove His claims by working a miracle. Men say that Thou canst heal the sick, said Herod. I am anxious to see that Thy widespread fame has not been belied. Jesus did not respond, and Herod still continued to urge: If Thou canst work miracles for others, work them now for Thine own good, and it will serve Thee a good purpose. Again he commanded, Show us a sign that Thou hast the power with which rumor hath accredited Thee. But Christ was as one who heard and saw not. The Son of God had taken upon Himself man’s nature. He must do as man must do in like circumstances.
There are two valuable lessons we can deduce from the experiences of Christ as it pertains to the time to speak, and the time to refrain from speaking. These vital lessons must now be practiced by each and every one of us, on an ongoing basis, if we are to correctly represent Christ in our lives in the midst of a perverse generation, among whom we are to shine as lights in the world.
[1] However volatile the situation may be, we need to keep our cool, and determine by the grace of God, not to utter any “Corrupt” communication for any reason.
Ephesians 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
27 Neither give place to the devil.
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.
[2] This leads us to our next important lesson, for if for any reason we find ourselves in an atmosphere of heated argument, we should never speak over the other person, by raising our voices over theirs in a shouting match, for this will only pour gasoline on an already inflamed situation. As a matter of fact, according to the Bible, if we do not have something good to say about others, it would better be left un-said, and even though it is most difficult to bridle our mouths in instances like these, yet it is a sacred Christian duty and must at all times be observed. For us to speak whilst another person is speaking, for any reason, is not a manifestation of Christian courtesy, for this is how arguments usually become very heated and out of control. Let’s read:
James 2:3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is
the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
We therefore end with two passages of scripture which clearly delineate the guiding principles to be adopted, in all of our conversations and interactions with others, and wherever we have fallen short, or may be struggling with these issues, let us always remember, that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Let’s read:
1st Peter 3:9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile.
Proverbs 25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word.
God bless!