Having spoken of our WALK and WORKS, we now consider what the Lord has to say about our WORDS.

1. Furthermore, the holy walk and the holy work will also be marked by holy talk. “He . . . speaketh the truth in his heart.” Please note that it refers to the heart and not the mouth. When we speak we use our mouths but it is what is in our hearts, from where our words come, that is important.

The Saviour said: “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things,” Matthew 12:35.

The state of our hearts determines the character of our words. The unconverted heart is a fountain of sin. “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man,” Matthew 15:19-20. That evil heart has been renewed in the one who shall “abide in” God’s  tabernacle “who shall dwell in” His “holy hill.”

2. Our talk is important so the Lord enlarges upon that matter. “He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour,” Verse 3.

The Lord Jesus teaches us that the Second Great Commandment is: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,” Matthew 22:39. It is to be noted that what the Lord Jesus taught us in this verse has ever been the teaching of His Word. It is not new!

3. We can do ‘evil’ against our neighbour with our tongue. How hurtful our tongue may be! The person who desires to ‘abide’ and ‘dwell’ in the presence of God must take heed to how he acts toward his neighbour.

The word ‘evil’ (v 3) carries the meaning of ‘mischief’, ‘affliction’. “His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity,” Psalm 10:7. The tongue can be as a whip.

4. We must ‘harness’ our tongues. See James 3:1-13. “I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle,” Psalm 39:1. We must keep a rein on our tongues and hold them in check. “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain,” James 1:26.