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.
This passage of scripture tells us that our words will have a very great impact in the final decisions taken in the heavenly courts, regarding our eternal destiny. Although many people are not aware of it, but the words that we speak, and the tone that we use can be a savor of life unto life, or a savor of death unto death. Nations have gone to war over mere words, and wives and husbands have been estranged because of words, and many church members and children and coworkers, have become sworn enemies as a result of a few inappropriate words, spoken at the wrong time.
It was this habit and tendency to use words as a force for evil, why many false witnesses were brought forth to accuse Jesus. As Christ listened to their conflicting reports and lies, He remained calm and composed, not adding any fuel to the already raging fire, by defending himself, or exposing the errors of those who were trying to accuse Him. Let's read:
Matthew 26:59 Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; 60 But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, 61 And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. 62 And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
By demanding an answer of Jesus in response to the false accusations, satan was tempting Christ to do what we often fail to resist doing, that of reacting in like manner to those who are driven and motivated by the "accuser" of the brethren. Jesus could have pulled their private sins out of the closet, sins that would have brought major embarrassment and shame to those who sought His condemnation, He could have exposed the fact that Judas was hired to betray Him by the very priests who were now seeking to kill Him, yet Jesus chose to go a different route, by maintaining a profound silence. This characteristic of non-retaliation manifested by Christ is one of the many admirable traits in our Savior, and it is the will of God that it be implanted and duplicated in the hearts of all those who are called Christians.
In our day we are bombarded every day with a barrage of evil words that tend to stir up the worst passions in persons. Hatred and revenge, resentment and racism are fostered by the speaking of evil words that draw millions of people into the abyss of verbal abuse and inflammatory speech, which is then churned and stirred by the prince of darkness through the news media, to produce more alienation and anger. The current uproar in the NBA was started by a few evil words, and Monica Lewinsky has again ignited a media firestorm, and reopened old wounds by her words.
As Christians, we should avoid the temptation to indulge in gossip and slander, either by evil speaking, or by evil listening, for many people have become accessories to these evils by dwelling on the various tit bits of bad news that are released from time to time. God has called us to purity and Holiness, and so it is our Christian duty to bridle our tongues and ears so that we do not partake or support in any way, the vitriol that has become a part of our culture.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which reminds us of our duty to follow in the footsteps of Jesus by denying the urge to indulge in any evil speaking. Let's read:
1st Peter 3:10 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: 11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
May we so live and do, for we will be judged by our words. "Good night" and God bless!