Are Our Mouths a Means of Grace or Gossip?

"Are our Mouths a Means of Grace or Gossip?"

 

 

Ephesians 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."

 

  In this verse Paul is talking to Christians, those that have by the mercy of God been forgiven for their sins and saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. He tells them two things, one of which they should not do any more now that they are new creatures in Christ, and one in which they should be doing. 1. Let no corruption proceed out of their mouths. 2. When they speak it needs to be what is good for the necessary edification of others that it may impart grace to everyone who hears it.

 

  Paul tells us in----Ephesians 4:[22-24]--"That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."----that we are to put off our old former conduct which includes our selfish, self-seeking, uncaring, slandering, lying, anger, bitterness, wrath, clamor and evil speaking. We are also exhorted by Paul to put on the new man, which includes putting on kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness.

 

  I see this in Ephesians 4:[25-28]--"Therefore putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with His neighbor for we are members of one another.”Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down upon your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let Him who stole steal no longer, but rather let Him labor, working with His hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need." and then in Ephesians 4:[30-32]--"and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."

 

"Corrupt"--"in the Greek is sap-ros’; which means rotten, that is worthless (literally or morally):-bad, corrupt."--e-Sword

 

I believe Paul is talking about foul rotten speech that comes out of our mouths. These may include foul language, mean spirited remarks, gossip and anything else that does not edify the person being talked about.

Proverbs 18:21—“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

“Gossip”—“in its noun form means; a report (often malicious) about the behavior of other people.” In its verb form means; to wag one’s tongue; speak about others and reveal secrets or intimacies.”—Word Web

Familiesministries.com puts it this way, “Gossip is to speak in a way which raises questions or doubts about another or their character. Gossip is conversation behind someone’s back, which puts them in bad light.”

We need to be oh so careful of what we say to others and about others for we represent Christ. When corrupt--rotten--things are coming out of our mouths we are shedding bad light on Christ’s character and the character of his people.  

When I think of the words foul and rotten, I think of rotten or spoiled fruit. There are several things that can be said of rotten fruit. 1. It doesn’t nourish. 2. It will make you sick if you eat it. 3. It smells bad and makes the whole atmosphere around it unpleasant.

As I think about these characteristics of bad fruit I believe these have application to our lives as Christians. If we are gossiping about others we are not bringing them nourishment. If we have un-confessed sin in our lives (hearts) we cannot minister to those who need it because the fruit we give them will only be rotten. When we use foul language, say mean spirited remarks to others, or gossip about them, we only make others sick. If our words do not bring nourishment they will only make others sick. When we say rotten things to people or about them it makes us smell bad. It also makes people want to distance themselves from us because we are making the atmosphere around us unpleasant to the point of stench.  

The word corrupt in the Greek, sap-ros' is used in another place in the New Testament by Jesus in Luke 6:[43-45]—“For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth good, and an evil man out of the evil treasures of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

In verse 45 Christ clearly states that our mouth is not the root of the problem it is our hearts. In other words our mouths have to be cleaned up from the inside out. If the fruit of our mouths are rotten then we need to be evaluating the tree. If the tree (heart) is rotten then the fruit it produces will not be pure, it will be rotten as well. We face a battle of purity in what comes out of our mouths that must be fought in our hearts.

All these things that Paul is pointing out to us as Christians are so important that we must not think lightly about them. And as Christians we should live and speak with grace but Paul is saying all this in chapter four to drive home the real issue at hand which is found in Ephesians 5:1. The key word that gives this away is in the very first word of this verse, “Therefore.”

Ephesians 5:1--“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also loved us and given Himself for us, an offering, and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”

The issue is: “Is our intention love?”

We need to be imitators of God by walking in love. Our words need to be pure, edifying, wholesome and righteous so that they reflect Christ’s love and holy character. When our intention is to love one another as Christ has loved us our mouths will be a means of grace and not gossip.

Questions for meditation:

1.      When I speak am I speaking to edify others?

2.      Is my mouth a means of grace or gossip?

3.      Am I meeting a need with the words that are coming out of my mouth?

4.      Am I building up the faith of others and imparting grace to those who hear me speaking?

5.      Am I glorifying God by walking in love?

6.      When I speak is my intention love?