GET TOGETHER- Graceful Words

GET TOGETHER- Graceful Words

Eph 4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. (NKJV)

I don’t know if you have ever done this or not, but yesterday I said something that I knew grieved the Holy Spirit. That is the last thing that I ever want to do because my whole life every part of it flows out of my relationship with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. I certainly would not have said what I said if Jesus had been sitting right there with me. Well on the other hand He was. He was there by the Holy Spirit. 1Co 3:16 ¶ Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? NKJV)

I didn’t think that it was any coincidence when I turned on the radio this morning and two different sermons, by two different preachers were dealing with when we say something about other people. Right now, in our country we have a big-time war of words going on. I am not trying to give the impression that we should not in a Godly way speak the truth and stand up for what we believe. But on the other hand, as Christians we need to be sure that the way that we are saying what we say brings glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We also need to be sure that we never forget that the staunchest opponents to our faith are potential followers of Jesus Christ. Here are just a few examples. You can read about the Apostle Paul in Acts Chapter 8 and Chapter 9. How about John Newton a former slave trader who wrote that wonderful hymn Amazing Grace? That hymn has been sung through the last several centuries in many different tongues and nations. Or how about Preston Headrick who one time when I was drunk yelled insults at two street preachers in Fort Walton Beach, Florida when they were on the streets preaching the Gospel? Or how about you before you came to Christ? We are told that all of us were once enemies to God. Col 1:21 “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled.”

The Greek term in this passage for corrupt is sapros, sap-ros’. It means being harmful in view of being unwholesome, and corrupting. Are the words that we use going to corrupt what someone thinks about a person. Are they words that would somehow hinder us in establishing a relationship with them that might help them to become a Christian? Are they words that if they are a Christian and they may have gotten into error would hinder us from helping them to get out of error and back on the right path? Are they words that would be more like the words of the world than like the words of a follower of Jesus Christ? In verse 30 we are told that these kinds of words grieve the Holy Spirit. Eph 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (NKJV)

In verse 31 we are also told of two other forms of speech that would grieve the Holy Spirit clamor and evil speaking. The Greek term for clamor means to cry out against someone or shout at them in a disrespectful manner. The Greek term for evil speaking is blasphemia, blas-fay-me’-ah. It means to speak against someone in a way that will bring harm, or injure his or her reputation.

I know that I am saved by grace and will live with Jesus forever. On the other hand, I take very seriously a Bible verse that a Holiness Professor that I had one time who also believed in being saved by grace would often quote. Mt 12:36 “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.” (NKJV

When the Holy Spirit brought conviction to me about the idle words that I spoke yesterday I quickly repented and renounced that type of speech. I am so thankful for His forgiveness. But I am also thankful that I know that through the power of the Holy Spirit that He will help me not to speak corruptly, or disrespectful about another person. I know that He will help me to not speak evil of another person. I know that He will help me and all of us who will let Him to heed the words that are spoken by James Jas 4:11 ¶ “Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.”

But more than that He will give us words of grace. He will impart through us words of life. We want to be more like Jesus and speak the kind of words that Jesus said that He spoke. The Holy Spirit will give them to us. Joh 6:63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

Let Us Pray

Lord Jesus we thank you that the Holy Spirit helps us to not get off the path. We thank you that You give us mercy when we ask for mercy. We thank You that You have sent Your word and the Holy Spirit to help us to know when we do something that grieves the Holy Spirit. We also thank You that in the sane way that you will transform us in such a way that we do not continually sin in this way. We thank You that through Your power that we will go from glory to glory and become more like you. Help us to speak words of life. Help us to impart grace to the hearer.

In Jesus Name

Amen.

May God bless all of you in a very special way. Keep us in your prayers.

Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston