The Secret of a Controlled Tongue
To have a controlled tongue, we must cultivate a godly heart by following the instructions in Romans 6 and surrendering ourselves completely to Christ.
Theodore Epp emphasizes the dual nature of the tongue, which can both praise God and slander others, often within the same context, such as the church. He points out that such inconsistencies arise from the heart, and only a godly heart can produce godly words. To cultivate a godly heart, believers must understand their position in Christ, reckon it as true, and yield themselves completely to Him. Epp encourages controlling our words by first controlling our thoughts, aligning them with Christ's obedience. He concludes with a prayer for divine help in guarding our speech.
Text
James 3:7-12
Is it not strange that the tongue can be praising God one moment and be slandering some person the next moment often right in the church where the tongue had been used to praise God? We may even hear the preacher talk about not slandering others, but before we leave we will say things concerning others that amount to slander. Such inconsistencies are not found in nature, but out of the human being can come both bitter and sweet words.
Remember that the tongue speaks only what is in the heart. Godly words can come only from a godly heart. To have a godly heart we must follow the instructions found in Romans 6. We must know what our position is in Christ; we must reckon, or count, upon it as being true because it is true; and we must yield ourselves completely to Christ (see vv. 6,7,11-13). This involves our intellect, emotions and will.
Words come from our thoughts, and thoughts come from the mind; therefore, it is possible to control our words by controlling our minds. We who know Jesus Christ as Saviour can have our minds controlled by "bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5). He alone is worthy and is able to give us victory.
"Set a watch, 0 Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips" (Ps. 141:3).
Sermon Outline
- I. The Problem of the Tongue
- A. The tongue can be used for praise or slander
- B. Inconsistencies in speech are not found in nature
- II. The Source of Godly Words
- A. Godly words come from a godly heart
- B. A godly heart is achieved by following Romans 6
- III. Controlling the Tongue
- A. Words come from thoughts, and thoughts come from the mind
- B. Controlling the mind leads to controlling the words
Key Quotes
“Words come from our thoughts, and thoughts come from the mind; therefore, it is possible to control our words by controlling our minds.” — Theodore Epp
“Set a watch, 0 Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips” — Theodore Epp
“To have a godly heart we must follow the instructions found in Romans 6.” — Theodore Epp
Application Points
- To control your words, you must first control your mind by bringing your thoughts into captivity to Christ.
- A godly heart is essential for producing godly words, and it can be achieved by following the instructions in Romans 6.
- Surrendering yourself completely to Christ is necessary for living a life that reflects your faith.