Sins of the Tongue

by Russell M. Kline

 

It is very likely that this mongraph may "step on the toes" of nearly everyone who reads it, because it is a sad fact that the vast majority of people have either committed or been victimized by one or more of the sins of the tongue. As a matter of fact, it was James who argued in the New Testament that control of one's own tongue requires a very high degree of spiritual maturity (Jam. 3:2). Also, he pointed out that the things we say can have an impact upon ultimate course of our lives (Jam. 3:3-5a). The things we say could potentially lead us into Hell for eternity (Jam. 3:5b,6)! This has been a challenge for humanity since the beginning, and it is not likely to cease to be anytime soon (Jam. 3:7,8). That is why it is important for us to learn about the sins we may commit with our tongues, and how we may avoid them.

 

 

According to the Proverbs, the Lord has an intense hatred for this sin (Pro. 6:16,17). God is the source of truth (Tit. 1:2; Heb. 6:18; John 17:17). Just as God is the Father of all truth, the Devil is the father of all lies (John 8:44). Therefore, our Heavenly Father finds it to be particularly offensive, when His children act like children of the Devil.

 

The most common misconception about lies is that they come in varieties of size and color. A "little white lie" shall condemn your soul to the same Hell as a "big" one (Rev. 21:8). Some claim that, if a lie accomplishes some good purpose, then it must be justified. But, Matthew 7:21-23 says that many people who do good works in Jesus' name will be lost, because the ends do not justify the means! When Abram and Sarai lied to Pharaoh, in Genesis 12, they were trying to preserve Abram's life, but that fact did not prevent them from being deported from Egypt, when their lie was found out. When we tell a lie, we sin against God, the one to whom we have lied, and ourselves. "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another" (Eph. 4:25).

 

 

There is some part of almost every human being's nature, which loves to hear of some new thing (Acts 17:21). I think that this trait is a key factor in the success of the news, weather, and sports networks that flood the airwaves. However, there is a fine line between a "news junkie" and a "gossip." Anything you hear about someone else, which is not confirmed as fact, or is of questionable origins, must never be assumed to be true. If a piece of information cannot be proven true, then it must be considered gossip. Gossip is rumor and innuendo, which is not factual, but which can do serious harm to a person's reputation (Pro. 22:1). Christians who seek out gossip and pass it on to others are guilty of a greivous sin, and shall have to answer for it on the Day of Judgment!

 

In the New Testament, gossips are known as "busybodies." In II Thessalonians 3:11, the term is used to refer to those who have nothing better to do than to gossip about others. In I Timothy 5:13, it is used to describe young widows, who have become idle and who spend their time gossipping about others. In that same verse is found the word, "tattlers," which is translated from a Greek word, which literally means "to bubble." It appears only once in the New Testament, and it is a word that was used by the Greeks to refer to one who engaged in conversation about vain subjects, which served no us


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