Our Speech Betrays Us
Introduction. As Peter stood warming himself by the fire, he was asked “You are not also one of His disciples, are you? He denied it and said, I am not!” (Jn. 18:25). Later, he was forced to strengthen his denial when “another girl saw him and said to those who were there, This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth. But again he denied with an oath, I do not know the Man!” (Mt. 26:71-72). He was doing everything he could to deny Jesus, but as he talked his words gave him away. “And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.” At this point, Peter threw everything he had into his strongest denial: “Then he began to curse and swear, saying, I do not know the Man!” (Mt. 26:73-74). Yet the very words he used to deceive still convicted him. Although he used vain oaths, claimed to bring down curses on himself and maybe used the name of God in a false oath, people saw past the words and told him “your speech betrays you.” They knew from his voice he was a Galilean and being from Galilee placed him in the group of disciples no matter what else he said.
This was the same problem the Ephraimites faced after the battle with Jephthah. When those who “escaped said, Let me cross over, the men of Gilead would say to him, Are you an Ephraimite? If he said, No, then they would say to him, Then say, Shibboleth! And he would say, Sibboleth, for he could not pronounce it right. Then they would take him and kill him” (Judg. 12:5-6). Once again, they sought to portray themselves otherwise, but their speech betrayed them.
We all face a much greater problem than just accent. No matter how hard we try to deceive others with the right words, they will see right through us. People don’t see us as we seek to portray ourselves, they see us as we really are: “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and the evil (man) out of the evil (treasure) brings forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Lk. 6:45). Although we seek to choose words with care, they always come from the heart. Since the mouth can only speak out of the abundance of what is in the heart, what we truly are will always come out in our words. As with Peter our “words betray us.”
All our talk of serving God and being a devout Christian is destroyed in just a few moments by an angry outburst or a few choice profanities. An off color joke, a discussion of what we watch on TV, or bragging about an evil deed we have done and “our speech betrays us.”
We must never forget that once we begin speaking, we cannot hide who we are for long. “A fool’s voice is known by his many words.” “Even when a fool walks along the way, he lacks wisdom, and he shows everyone that he is a fool.” (Eccl. 5:2; 10:3). Since our speech betrays us, what we do not say is often more important than what we do. “A fool is counted wise when he holds his peace” (Pr. 17:27). Often the best way to keep our words from betraying us is to hold our peace. “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless” (Jas. 1:26).
Since even a fool can appear wise if he holds his peace and wicked thoughts remain hidden if we do not express them, we must learn to bridle our tongue. There are many things we think that we should never say. In a moment of anger we must bridle the tongue lest “angry words ... from the tongue unbridled slip.” Truly “a moments reckless folly” can “desolate and mar” and “brightest links of life are broken by a single angry word.” All we seek to accomplish with our religion and devotion to God is useless if our speech betrays us.
Do we reveal a faithful spirit to those who confide in us? He that goeth about as a tale-bearer revealeth secrets; But he that is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter. Pr. 11:13
When love guides our hearts it also guides our tongues (1Cor. 13:4-8). A tale-bearer betrays a jealous or malicious heart. No matter what we say to their face, we will betray ourselves if we reveal secrets (1Pet. 2:1).
God hates a lying tongue (Prov. 6:16-17). It is impossible for God to lie (Heb 618), but the devil is the father of lies (Jn. 8:44). We reveal our true father by how we handle the truth both in our heart and in our words. All liars will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 21:8; 22:15). There are no white lies!
Don’t have anything nice to say- Don’t say it! (Eph. 4:31). We are to malign no one (Titus 3:2). Revilers will not inherit the kingdom of heaven (I Cor. 6:9). As a matter of fact, all murmuring is evil (I Cor. 10:10). Truly the best thing we can often say is to say nothing.
Foolish talking & coarse jesting are not befitting (Eph 5:4). What we laugh at betrays us. What we joke about also betrays us. If we think sin is funny and we repeat a joke we have heard, not only is it not befitting, it betrays us. All corrupt speech must be restrained (Eph. 4:29).
Conclusion. Since “the good treasure” of a heart “brings forth what is good” and the “evil treasure brings forth what is evil”, our tongue will always reveal it. We can only speak what we know. If we know evil, we will speak evil. As we grow and learn what is good, we first must destroy evil in the heart to destroy it in our words. Always, “out of the abundance of the heart a mouth speaks” (Lk. 6:45).
This was the same problem the Ephraimites faced after the battle with Jephthah. When those who “escaped said, Let me cross over, the men of Gilead would say to him, Are you an Ephraimite? If he said, No, then they would say to him, Then say, Shibboleth! And he would say, Sibboleth, for he could not pronounce it right. Then they would take him and kill him” (Judg. 12:5-6). Once again, they sought to portray themselves otherwise, but their speech betrayed them.
We all face a much greater problem than just accent. No matter how hard we try to deceive others with the right words, they will see right through us. People don’t see us as we seek to portray ourselves, they see us as we really are: “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and the evil (man) out of the evil (treasure) brings forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Lk. 6:45). Although we seek to choose words with care, they always come from the heart. Since the mouth can only speak out of the abundance of what is in the heart, what we truly are will always come out in our words. As with Peter our “words betray us.”
All our talk of serving God and being a devout Christian is destroyed in just a few moments by an angry outburst or a few choice profanities. An off color joke, a discussion of what we watch on TV, or bragging about an evil deed we have done and “our speech betrays us.”
We must never forget that once we begin speaking, we cannot hide who we are for long. “A fool’s voice is known by his many words.” “Even when a fool walks along the way, he lacks wisdom, and he shows everyone that he is a fool.” (Eccl. 5:2; 10:3). Since our speech betrays us, what we do not say is often more important than what we do. “A fool is counted wise when he holds his peace” (Pr. 17:27). Often the best way to keep our words from betraying us is to hold our peace. “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless” (Jas. 1:26).
Since even a fool can appear wise if he holds his peace and wicked thoughts remain hidden if we do not express them, we must learn to bridle our tongue. There are many things we think that we should never say. In a moment of anger we must bridle the tongue lest “angry words ... from the tongue unbridled slip.” Truly “a moments reckless folly” can “desolate and mar” and “brightest links of life are broken by a single angry word.” All we seek to accomplish with our religion and devotion to God is useless if our speech betrays us.
Do we reveal a faithful spirit to those who confide in us? He that goeth about as a tale-bearer revealeth secrets; But he that is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter. Pr. 11:13
When love guides our hearts it also guides our tongues (1Cor. 13:4-8). A tale-bearer betrays a jealous or malicious heart. No matter what we say to their face, we will betray ourselves if we reveal secrets (1Pet. 2:1).
God hates a lying tongue (Prov. 6:16-17). It is impossible for God to lie (Heb 618), but the devil is the father of lies (Jn. 8:44). We reveal our true father by how we handle the truth both in our heart and in our words. All liars will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 21:8; 22:15). There are no white lies!
Don’t have anything nice to say- Don’t say it! (Eph. 4:31). We are to malign no one (Titus 3:2). Revilers will not inherit the kingdom of heaven (I Cor. 6:9). As a matter of fact, all murmuring is evil (I Cor. 10:10). Truly the best thing we can often say is to say nothing.
Foolish talking & coarse jesting are not befitting (Eph 5:4). What we laugh at betrays us. What we joke about also betrays us. If we think sin is funny and we repeat a joke we have heard, not only is it not befitting, it betrays us. All corrupt speech must be restrained (Eph. 4:29).
Conclusion. Since “the good treasure” of a heart “brings forth what is good” and the “evil treasure brings forth what is evil”, our tongue will always reveal it. We can only speak what we know. If we know evil, we will speak evil. As we grow and learn what is good, we first must destroy evil in the heart to destroy it in our words. Always, “out of the abundance of the heart a mouth speaks” (Lk. 6:45).