AVOID IDLE CONVERSATION

Proclamation:

“But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every empty word they have spoken.  For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”  Matthew 12:36 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were spoken by Jesus, The Christ, as recorded under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Matthew.  Jesus spoke these words to the Pharisees and to the crowd which had followed Him after He healed the demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. (Matthew 12:22)  They accused Him of being the prince of demons. (Matthew 12:24)  After defending Himself, Jesus told them that the things which come out of a person’s mouth is that which is stored up within him. (Matthew 12:33-35)  Then He told them that they would have to give an account for the words that they speak.

Application:

Most of us think that our thoughts, words, and actions are either good, bad, or neutral.  The problem is that either they give glorify God, or they don’t and they are sinful.  The Bible says that all unrighteousness is sin. (1 John 5:17)  We should keep our conversations free from perverse and corrupt language. (Proverbs 4:24)  We would all also do well to heed the Apostle Paul's warning to Timothy to avoid all idle godless conversation. (2 Timothy 2:16)  Jesus, The Christ said that we would be judged on every idle word that we speak. (Matthew 12:36)  Christ also said that by our words we would be justified, and by our words we would be condemned. (Matthew 12:37)  Much of what we say could be left unspoken, because it is not helpful, and it does not praise God or give Him glory.  As servants of The Lord we are not to quarrel with others or engage them in pointless conversation.  We are to kindly tell them what The Lord says. (2 Timothy 2:23-26)  It is the job and sanctifying work of The Holy Spirit to convict, convince, and convert them as He deems necessary. (2 Thessalonians 2:13 and 1 Peter 1:2)  If they will not hear us, or listen to us, it is better for us to just walk away than to argue with them. (Mark 6:11)  We should always be mindful of the fact that our behavior may be the only "Bible" that some people will ever read.

Judged For What We Say And Think

"The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.  But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.  For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."  Matthew 12:35-37 (NIV)

The Apostle Matthew recorded these words of Jesus as He spoke to the Pharisees in the large crowd which had followed Him.  After Jesus had cast the demon out of a possessed man who was brought to Him, they had said that He could cast demons out of people because He was also a demon.  Jesus gave them several examples to show them the error of their thoughts. (Matthew 12:25-34)  Then He told them that they were evil and that was why they spoke evil things, a good man would speak of good things.  He also told them that on judgment day, every man would have to give an account for every careless, evil, and sinful word they have spoken.

Today, we talk a lot, we speak too often, and we say things that we should not say.  We think that our normal idle conversation is innocent and neutral, and because it is not bad, evil, or negative, that it won't be held against us.  What we fail to realize is that all unrighteousness is sin. (1 John 5:17)  If what we say does not give God glory, then it is a sin.  The same is true for the for the unrighteous sinful thoughts that we have, and God knows them. (Genesis 6:5, Psalms 94:11, Proverbs 15:26, Proverbs 23:7, Matthew 5:28, Matthew 9:4, Matthew 15:19, 1 Corinthians 3:20, and Hebrews 4:12)  That which is within us, is what will come out of us.  When we pray, we should ask to be forgiven for our sinful spoken words, and our sinful thoughts, as well as our sinful acts.  We need God's help in all that we do, say, and think, in order for us to be more Christ-like.