July 4, 2017
Romans 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
If “I” (the personality man; old man; natural man) am “dead,” it cannot speak. If the Christ (my true identity) is living me, then when I speak the word “I” it is the Christ speaking and what it says can refer only to that Christ, not to the “old man” that is dead. If I say “I am sick,” I am saying that the Christ is sick because a dead man cannot be sick.
Because I bear God’s image and have been given dominion, I share God’s ability (for the Christ that is living me is God) to bring into manifestation that which I speak.
Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
Genesis 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
That’s why Jesus could say to us:
Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Those of us who were a part of the “faith movement” attempted to use our ability to have what we say to improve our human experience in “this world.” We made ourselves “confession” sheets with all the promises of God that we wanted to see come to pass in our lives. Our hunger to know God and enjoy the abundant life that Jesus said He came to give us motivated us to try anything that we thought might possibly accomplish that end.
And we did indeed experience God to a degree that we hadn’t previously, but we also suffered some keen disappointments because what we “say” has to come from our heart beliefs in order to be manifested:
Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
2 Corinthians 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
We are warned throughout Scripture to be aware of the power inherent in the words of our mouth and to be cognizant of what we are saying and what our words are producing (the fruit of our words). We see the good that comes from “words fitly spoken” (Proverbs 25:11), that they are “sweet to the soul, and health to the bones” (16:24) and that a “wholesome tongue” is “tree of life” (15:4). But the reverse is also true; both “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (18:21). James reminds us that “out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing” (James 3:10), that the tongue “is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” which no man can “tame” (v 8). With our tongue we bless God but curse men who are made in His image (v 9)—which “things ought not so to be” (v 10).
Paul tells us that we are to
Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
David prayed:
Psalms 141:3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
—because he knew that
Proverbs 21:23 Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.
As Solomon says,
Proverbs 17:28 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.
In other words, it is much better to say nothing than to utter that which produces death.
Jesus Himself reminded us:
Matthew 15:11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
And James puts it very bluntly
James 1:26 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.
Jesus summed it all up with these words:
Matthew 12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Now we can see why. We are literally employing the power of God to create (bring into manifestation in the “appearance” realm of “matter”) that which we say from the heart—whether “good” or “evil.” It is not God rewarding us for saying what is “right” or punishing us for saying what is “wrong.” It is just a spiritual law in operation—we who have been given dominion are bringing into manifestation that which we believe and therefore say (that which is in our consciousness, both individually and collectively—see Consciousness Manifested). If we really believed this, we would indeed pray as David did, that a “watch” would be set over our mouths because we would know the power of our words to bring about in our lives that which we don’t want.
We can observe this all day every day if we have eyes to see and ears to hear—in our own lives and in the lives of those around us, both individually and collectively. No area of our lives is unaffected. Just listen to yourself and those around you; listen to the words and observe what follows. You don’t hear generous, prosperous people talking about how difficult it is to make ends meet, to pay the bills on time, etc. We have thought it was because they had no financial difficulties. No, their financial freedom is a direct result of their attitude toward money and possessions. People who believe themselves to be “poor” will never rise above their poverty until they move into a consciousness of abundance which will be reflected in everything they say on the subject.
I grew up amongst people who saw themselves as victims of every sort of physical ailment, and that was the subject of a large percentage of their conversation. I took this into my consciousness and saw myself the same way. And what I talked about and expected to happen did indeed come to pass in my physical body. It hasn’t been until recent years that I have come to believe in my heart that God has made provision for me to “prosper and be in health,” that Jesus did bear in His own body all diseases that we might not have to. More importantly, I have come to view myself as Spirit being that has no capacity to be sick. The more I enter into that consciousness, the more it is reflected in this “mortal” body, which is really only a concept of body.
I am beginning to understand why Scripture places so much emphasis on the Word that God has spoken, the Word that was “in the beginning,” the Word that “was with God” and “was God” (John 1:1), the “Word” that “was made flesh and dwelt among us” (v 14).
James tells us that we who are made in the “image” and “likeness” of God (Genesis 1:26) are begotten of that Word (James 1:18).
We alone of all of creation are able to speak the words that carry within them such power. We who have been given dominion over all the rest of creation (Genesis 1:26) are the only beings that can say “I,” the only ones able to experience “the fruit of our lips” (Hebrews 13:15).
I now understand why James spent so much of his epistle admonishing us to take a good look at this “fruit” that we are producing in our lives. He says that “If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body” (James 3:2). He proceeds to show us that when our tongue is “untamed,” we speak those things which produce “envying and strife,” “confusion and every evil work” (v 16). We think we are speaking “wisdom,” but James assures us that “this wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish” (v 15).
V 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
Yes, we can look at the “fruit” we are producing in our lives (whether strife or peace) and know that it is largely due to “the fruit of our lips.”
I am in no way suggesting that we make another law about the words of our mouths; for we have already done that and found that, as always, the “letter killeth” and only the Spirit “giveth life” (2Corinthians 3:6). But we can listen to the Spirit within guiding us in this matter; and if we are obedient to what we are hearing, very soon we will experience the power of our tongue to bring Life—both to ourselves and to those around us.