Words Unsaid

Acts 20:27 ~ "...for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God."

Do not leave good words unsaid.

There are plenty of times when it is wise to remain silent. Often those malicious rants and vicious tirades would be better off when they remain unspoken. Proverbs 17:28 confirms this, "Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent." How much foolishness is exposed merely because the words refuse to remain inside? 

The tongue is a restless world of potential evil. James speaks on this in James 1:26, "If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless." Again, James states in James 3:6, "And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell." Words cannot be retrieved once spoken. And harsh, bitter, inflammatory words are like the spark that sets a forest ablaze.

​Jesus gives us a stern warning about the importance of our words in Matthew 12:36-37, "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Why? What is it about our words that will either justify or condemn us? Simple--words are the verbal commentary of the heart. This is found in Luke 6:45, "The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."

With all that, perhaps it's better to remain silent, to refuse to speak out on anything and keep our mouths shut in the face of such risk.

For the believer, however, this becomes a problem, for we have the most important message available for all people. Consider what is revealed in Jeremiah 20:9, "If I say, 'I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,' there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot." 

It is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks, and, my friends, if your heart is abundantly filled with the Lord Jesus Christ then you must not let your good words go unsaid. We are to "speak the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15). We must heed the instruction of 1 Peter 3:15, "But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect." The very first quality example Paul instructed Timothy to display was in speech (see 1 Timothy 4:12).

As we see in our text, Paul did not shrink back from the whole counsel of God, but he declared it faithfully and fully.

There are times when it seems that our words will fall upon deaf ears, so we ask what's the use? That's the wrong question. It is not about the response of those to whom you speak, it is about your willing faithfulness to speak God's word when the opportunity arises. 

Does your heart burn with the need to tell others of Jesus? Do you seek to be someone who speak God's word in your daily conversations with others? Will you refrain from the moment when God has invited you to share?

My friends, do not leave good words unsaid.

In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

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