Communication and the Christian

My sermon is not completed. Now, before you jump to any conclusions, I have been preparing this sermon for 10 weeks. Amid the other sermons and Bible studies that I've been giving, this sermon has been very, very important. And so it's not completed, and it's not for a lack of preparation. I've mentioned to one or two of you over the weeks that I've been working on this particular topic, and I expect to give it next Sabbath. And next Sabbath comes, and it's just not finished. It's just not ready. And so another week, another month goes by as I continue to work on this message. I've even given this sermon to a nearby congregation recently, and afterwards I realized it's not finished yet. It's not completed. It's not ready. As I came down towards today, I thought, maybe this will be the week. Surely this will be the week, only to find as I worked on it more and more this morning I came to the realization it's not finished. The message is not completed. Only did I realize after thinking about it and meditating about it, it never will be. And I believe today it's time to bring you into the message, into this living sermon, as it were, that will change and grow over time, that different scriptures will be put into it and others will be removed by each one of us, as this message applies to us in different ways and different times over the course of our life. So come with me today and let's look into God's Word together and let me bring you on board in this living topic and help you participate along with me in the ongoing development of a sermon today entitled Communication and the Christian. A famous person once said, I am convinced that words have enormous power. They are either bombs or bombs. They level us or they can lift us. How big a deal are words? According to the National Education Association of America, 160,000 children skip school each day because of intimidation by words, by their peers. 160,000 children every day are so impacted by others' words that they can't go to school. Words can hurt. Words can help. I sat by a young lady on a flight back from Africa recently and as I approached my seat ticket in hand I noticed she was in it and this young lady was sitting there looking around enjoying life, all excited. Knowing Africans, some of them don't speak English. Few of them ever leave that country that they were born in and I just surmised that this young lady probably had never been on a plane before. Those around her weren't saying anything to her and I decided, you know, I could sit down and just be quiet or with words I could communicate to her. It's amazing when a person gets on an airplane that's never been around technology, they can't read the seat signs, they don't know that there's a television there, they don't know that there are earphones, they don't know how to run them, they don't know there's a seat belt because they've never seen a seat belt. And once I showed her how to put it on, she's holding it up like that. How did you get yours so tight?

Of course she didn't speak English, but it was sort of a lot of firsts. Words can help somebody who doesn't know. Words can also hurt people. We've been through elections, campaigns, we've seen various world leaders go at each other with words. Words can start wars. Words are powerful. Jesus Christ was called the Word. He was all about words and communication. Jesus Christ was the physical expression of the kingdom of God in Word and in deed. And He's called us to be the physical expression of the kingdom of God, the light that He was. We are to reflect that and in a sense to become the words of the family, the oncoming kingdom of God, to represent God in His way through Word and deed. So words can be very powerful. Words are very important, and our responsibility is a very great one. So today let's look into the Bible together. Let's look at this concept of communication and the Christian, you and me, and the rest of God's family, and see some things that God says concerning the words that we say. Now this is a fresh look. This is a brand new look. It's not drawing back on any old themes or regular scriptures. Let's just look and see these words and what's behind the words. What does God say? What should we be saying? Hebrews 6, verse 1. We can begin there and begin in a principle that's very important. Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection. Let us not lay down the foundation of repentance from dead works, faith towards God, the doctrine of baptism, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. This is knowledge. This is spiritual knowledge. What he's saying here, it's not knowledge that's important. We need to go on, not just carrying the knowledge. We need to build. We need to have become something through this knowledge that we have. The thoughts, the inner, the electronic flashes and impulses in our brains. These are imperceptible to others, except through one medium, speech. Let's go on and see what's inside. What have we become? What are we becoming? Who are you? The thermometer of your spiritual state and my spiritual state can only be measured by words because no one can know what's going on in your mind unless you express words except God who can read your mind. And so the words are the thermometer, the barometer of our spiritual state of who we are and what we're becoming. Who are you?

Listen and you'll find out. Others are listening and they have a pretty good idea.

We judge each other by words and we are judged by what we say, the things that we say. It's very typical of human beings to elevate themselves, to talk about themselves, to say the I and me a lot, to brag about themselves in various ways. It's also common for us to abase others in our own inferiority complex. We like to just drop a little bomb or two here or there to sort of level the playing field so we stand up a little taller. That outflow of words and what we say can be a barometer of the amount of agape, outgoing love that God has placed inside us, that's flowing through us, the good works, the response that we have, the character development. How much of the I and the me and the selfish is coming out? How much hurt for others is coming out? Or how much blessing, praise of others is coming out?

It's common for men to condemn others' deeds, and the negative words can have very devastating effects. In Psalm 52, verse 2, David talks about the typical tongue, the typical words that come out of a human's mouth. Your tongue devises evil. Now, who is he talking about? All the bad people in the world? He may as well be talking about himself. He may as well be talking about me and you, because our tongues devise evil like a sharp razor working deceitfully. Psalm 52, verse 3, you love evil more than good and lying more than to speak righteousness. You love all devouring words, O deceitful tongue. Why? Because the person wants to bring down others so the self can be elevated. We need God's help. Back in Psalm 19, verse 14, David said, Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. This is really what it's all about. God is our strength and our Redeemer. We need a clean and a right heart, and from that heart needs to flow out proper words, proper communication. We can't do that on our own, can we? It's not common for human nature to do these things. We need God's help. Jesus Christ, the Word, the Word of God, did not come to condemn people. He didn't come and slash and chop down and, you know, obliterate others' character. In fact, the Bible says in John 3, 17, For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world. He didn't come to verbally condemn people. He sure could have. He was the only righteous one here. But so that the world might be saved through him, he came to embellish, to enhance the lives of others, ultimately, eternally. So what's the motive of our communication when we speak? That really, brethren, is the heart and soul of this topic, of this message, this living, ongoing message. We can ask ourselves every day in every different situation, what is the motive of what I'm about to say? I'm about to say something really nice about me. What is the motive? I'm about to say something really nice about you. What is the motive for that?

And so the concept of Christian communication has an ongoing life to it, always changing, always being applied to different applications that we bump into in life. Matthew 12 and 35 tells us that, or Jesus there tells us, that this whole concept of words is really connected to the source of a thought, the source of our Christianity, the source of that we might consider to be spiritual or righteous. Matthew 12, verse 35, a good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, brings forth good. Now this word good in the Greek means useful. It's a feminine noun that means words that are useful, words that are good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy, excellent, upright, honorable. This is the kind of things that the heart will bring forth, things that are helpful, embellishing. So to read this, a good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and the good things will be blessings and beneficial to all.

So his thoughts spring from the heart, don't they? That's what he said, out of the good treasure of his heart. That's the source of these things, and if they are good words, then they come from a good heart.

The result is good topics, good deeds, good words. But going on, he says, an evil man, out of the evil treasure of his heart, brings forth evil things. In other words, his thoughts become evil. Evil topics, evil thoughts, evil deeds, evil motives, evil words. Verse 36, But I say to you that for every idle word, for every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. Otheus Lexicon says of the word idle, the idle word. It comes from the word Argos, meaning to shun the labor which one ought to perform. An idle word is a word that shuns the labor that it ought to perform. Instead of working to be a blessing and an encouragement, it shuns that labor. It doesn't want to do work. It wants to be lazy, wants to be self-serving. And so Jesus says, for every word that shuns the labor that it should perform, that person will give account in the day of judgment. What labor should our thoughts and words have? Love. Love for God and love for man, concern for others, wanting to help, wanting to serve. Verse 37, for by your words you will be justified. The words, the word words there, is the Greek word logos, and it means words, thoughts, topics, and motives. By those things in your heart and what comes out of the topics in your mind, the motives, the thoughts, and the words, by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. So you see, the words that come out that we're justified or condemned over, it isn't just an idle word. It's not just a word. It's really telling us what's in the heart. It's an expression of who we have become at this point, who we have become. God is going to judge us by what we are, and the words do express what's inside us. We go back to James chapter 3 and verse 7. This passage is stressing self-control, as I mentioned to you in a recent sermon. James chapter 3 will begin in verse 7.

For every kind of beast and bird of reptile and creature of the sea is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. So an untamed tongue, or one that is not brought into self-control, one that the heart is not controlling and the heart is not repenting and growing, it's going to be full of poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men. On the one hand we bless God, and we praise God, and the other hand we're making cutting remarks about other people and criticisms who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing, my brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear all as in grapefruit, bear figs, or grapevine, bear fruits? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh. So we have a paradox. If out of our mouth are coming two different things, there's a problem in the heart, in the mind. There's a problem with our character, and we can see this by speaking in forked tongue, as it were.

So self-control, godly self-control, is a fruit of God's Holy Spirit, and we need God's Holy Spirit. We need the help of God in our life. Let's now go to Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 29, and see what we should be saying. See what should be coming out of this heart, this treasure that is a well of our thoughts, of our motives, of the character which God has been creating in us. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 29 says, let no corrupt word. Now, what is a corrupt word? It's easy to read that in the modern English and say, well, don't let a corrupt word come out. What is that word, corrupt, talking about? I had an idea and looked it up in Thayer's lexicon. It means putrified. Corrupt is often used in the New Testament for the putrification of a carcass, and that is pretty nasty. Let no putrified word or rotten word. Another definition is something not fit for use, something worn out of poor quality, bad, or worthless. In other words, things that you would want to put in the trash. Don't let those things come out of your mouth. But what is good for necessary edification? We would only say those things that would edify and build up, just as Christ's church is being edified and built by what the loving components of the body produce and stitch that body together. Ephesians 4, verse 16.

Now going on, it says, but what is good for necessary edification? Does that mean the speech will always just be flowery and glowing? What about Jesus Christ, the word, when he called certain people hypocrites, white washed tombs, or unwashed sepulchers? You know what an unwashed sepulcher is? It's one of those places where putrification is taking place and no one's cleaned it out. Those were very strong terms, but at the same time they were for necessary edification. Sometimes the words may be strong, they may be shocking, but the intent is for edification, it's for growth. And so the Bible does use terms like that. And sometimes to get our attention, an individual, a parent, a teacher may have to say things in a certain way in order to get the point across, but it's not done out of maliciousness, it's done out of love that the person eventually can grow from it. As it says here, that it may impart grace. These words should be for necessary edification that it may impart grace. The Greek definition of that word is mercy, goodwill or kindness. Mercy, goodwill or kindness. It's useful then towards mercy, goodwill and kindness to the hearers. So every word then should have a noble purpose, it's what it's being spoken of. Doesn't have to just be fowery and lovey, lovey and all the time. It needs to be honest and accurate, but it should have a noble purpose. Otherwise that word is not taking on the labor with which each word should perform. Going on in verse 30, he said, don't grieve the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, of course, contains, or the byproducts of it in us, should contain love, outgoing concern, joy and peace to all, faith, long suffering, gentleness, self-control, those things. Verse 31, let all bitterness and wrath and anger and tumult and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice. We need to see a growth of what's coming out of this now. So that reflects the true growth, spiritual growth, that Jesus Christ is working in those who are being called. And be you kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven you. So this would then be the mindset of a mature Christian. That's the goal right there in a nutshell. That is the goal with God's help. How do we speak of these things to people who are in a unique situation in your life? How do we convey all that the Bible has to say about words and speaking and the tongue?

That's why this is a living topic. The Bible is full of scriptures and applications of various types about the communication that comes out of a Christian's mouth. It's something that we each individually need to identify with and take this topic on as our own and continually research and study and apply and move through the scriptures and make the applications fit the circumstances that we are in at any given time. Today we'll only tap a few of the scriptures, such as Proverbs 15 and verse 28. Proverbs 15 verse 28 is an important principle to those of us who are trying to communicate in the manner that Jesus Christ communicated the perfect word, the perfect word of God whom we are called to emulate. Proverbs 15 verse 28 says, the heart of the righteous. Are you righteous? Yes, you are if God's Holy Spirit is performing the works of righteousness through you. It is not your righteousness, but it is attributed to you as righteousness. It is actually the righteousness of God, but the heart of the righteous one, it says, studies to answer. What does that mean? Well, it means about what it said. The Hebrew word there for studies is hagah, means to ponder, to imagine, to meditate, to study. In other words, here comes the words, but the righteous person has a five-second delay, kind of like the radio or the sports shows or whatever. There's a little delay. The righteous is going to consider before he speaks, before the words just come rushing out, he's going to study, he's going to ponder, he's going to meditate, he's going to imagine how he will answer, and that is an act of love. That is an act of self-control. That is something that God can help you and me with. But the others, as we go right along, notice what it says about the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. Just pours out. Verse 29, Jehovah is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. Now, that passage to me is just a little bit convoluted, and I found that by moving one of the sentences, it becomes very, very clear from my simple mind. If you move the last phrase of verse 29 forward, here's how the passage would read. You can just listen to it if you want. The heart of the righteous studies to answer, he hears the prayer of the righteous. But the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. Jehovah is far from the wicked. Suddenly, it clarifies that God and the righteous individual are working together, and studying to answer and concern for others is in place. But we find in contrast, the mouth of the wicked does not have a relationship with God. He is not part of that.

But you say, I'm not wicked, and I say, but I'm not wicked. I just stumble once in a while. Evil just comes out of my mouth sometimes. It pops out before I know, and there it is. We know Jesus commented on that very thing in Matthew 12 and verse 33. We can't just let ourselves off the hook and say, well, I just slip up, and evil comes popping out, but that's not really me. Matthew 12 verse 33, Jesus says, either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad. So what's it going to be? He doesn't want this duplicity. He doesn't want us holding two opinions at the same time, straddling a fence so we can be in both fields. Come on, he says, be one or the other. Brood of vipers. He's talking here to the Pharisees, who had just said that he was of the devil. How can you, being evil, speak good things, for out of the abundance of the heart or the mind, the mouth speaks? It's very clear. If something's coming out, there's a problem in the mind. And how we fix that is to get on our knees and apologize to God, and apologize to the person, repent, and try again, be forgiven, and try again, and change that heart. David worked on this for a long time until he finally said, God, test my heart, try my reins. Let me know what's in there. It created me a clean heart.

It's not a matter of us either having a clean heart or not having a clean heart. It's not a matter of us either having good communication or not having good communication. It's a matter that each day we get up, we pray for repentance and forgiveness, we are forgiven, and we get to try again. And David wanted to have a cleaner heart every day, and you and I need to want a cleaner heart, better character every day. And so this concept of communication in the Christian is a living concept, and it goes on.

In 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 13, it talks about, we won't turn there, but it talks about busybodies going from house to house, kind of being busy, tacklers, speaking things they ought not. Why does this happen? Well, because people don't take control of their own life. They don't take control of their own character, and so they live in someone else's life, someone else's character, and so they become critics.

They can't deal with or can't appreciate their own, perhaps aging, perhaps their own place in life that they are, and so they like to criticize others who are maybe where they wish they were, or in a position they could see themselves. And so they become busybodies, or busy in the lives of other people, kind of focused on someone else's life.

Well, we are not called to that. We are not called to be critical or living in some other life. We have our own life to take charge of, our own nature to overcome, and we need to be mature about that. And whenever someone else, whatever they say, whatever they do, that's their situation. That's their life. Good, bad, indifferent. It's not up to us to judge another man's servant. Instead, over in 1 Corinthians 13 and verse 4, it says, Love suffers long and is kind.

What do you mean someone hurt you? Well, love, agape, love suffers long. We all have to suffer, don't we? We have to suffer with each other. We're all a little bit clumsy with our words, with our deeds.

We're all a little bit carnal, and sometimes we have to suffer with one another, and that's okay. You know, it really is okay, because each day we also pray, Father, forgive me of my sins, just as I forgive others of theirs. At some point, we have to move beyond. We have to carry the load of suffering and still be kind, the passage says. Love doesn't envy. It's not looking at someone else's life and wanting to be them or wishing it could be them, or we have to criticize them because somehow I'm comparing myself with them.

It doesn't parade itself. It's not puffed up. It doesn't behave rudely. It thinks no evil, but it rejoices, verse 6, in the truth or with the truth, as the New English Bible says. It rejoices with the truth. We can rejoice with the truth of God and in the truth of God. That's what's exciting. That's what really brings joy into our life, is living God's way. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. Now, that's perfect love. That's God's perfect love. That's not the kind of love that I have yet. Not often enough. I still went and I still hurt and I can really get down. But then, I have to stop and remember my Savior being spat upon, being fed some horrible vinegar, some probably wine that went off when he asked for water, being stripped naked and shredded, and all the insults that were hurled at him.

And I say, now, what was my problem? What was that matter? And I'm going to bear my burden like he did, if I'm going to be part of his kingdom. It takes a while. But he did not come to condemn. We must not condemn. And we must try to walk in his footsteps. He left some pretty big shoes to fill. But he wants us to try to fill them. It's funny how little kids are.

I don't know if God made them this way, but all little children like to get into adult shoes and walk. Have you noticed that? As the grandkids come along, everyone, as my own kids came along, everyone, get in the shoes. You've got to walk around. They're real proud of these big old shoes. In that sense, we probably look just as stupid in Jesus Christ's shoes as trying to be the word of God, the words of God's way, the lights of his way in that sense. But we're trying, aren't we? And that little boy or that little girl feels pretty proud in dad or mom's shoes, prancing around the house.

In Psalm 15, verse 1, it asks the question, who will be in the kingdom of God? Who will dwell in New Jerusalem? I want to be in New Jerusalem. I'm not fit to be in New Jerusalem, but with God's help and some forward progress, I hope to be there with you one day. Who will be there? Well, there's no real secret to it, because we're told in Psalm 15.

1, Jehovah, who will dwell in your tabernacle? Who will dwell in your holy hill? We want to be in that temple in New Jerusalem. We want to be one of the pillars. We don't want to leave God and Jesus Christ from that administrative capital in the future. And who will dwell there? Verse 2, he who walks uprightly and works righteousness and speaks the truth in his heart. He does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor.

This individual has been converted to a godly agape mentality of loving and enhancing the lives of others. And he's gotten beyond criticizing and chopping and cutting other people and their character. Notice he's moved beyond that two or three times here. Doesn't backbite, doesn't take up a reproach against his neighbor, speaks truth in his heart.

This really shows a mature Christian, and this is the direction you and I want to be going throughout our lifetime. Remember, it's not about, are you this or are you that? It's, are you making the progress? Are you on the path? Are you growing? Are you interested? Are you alive? Are you loving God in your life, overcoming your nature? Are you becoming more like Daddy, or Abba Father in heaven? More like your older brother, Jesus Christ? You know, if you have that passion, this is our goal. This is where we're headed, and not by our own power, but by God's love and inspiration and help within us. You know, Jesus Christ is our Helper. He's our mentor. He is our model. I want to read Isaiah chapter 50 in verse 4. If I don't get anything else across today, it is the concept that He is the model. He is the first fruit of the first fruits, and it is through Him that we have life. We are to rise each day and eat Him. He is our daily bread. This Word of God, this way of life, is to fill us and nourish us each day. Isaiah chapter 50 in verse 4 says, The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned. It didn't come from within. It came from the Lord God that I should know how to speak. A word in season to Him who is weary. He awakens me morning by morning. He awakens my ear to hear as the learned. Now, He goes on and talks about how He used to be rebellious and He used to be self-centered, but now He is listening to God, and His speech is changing because of it.

We are encouraged throughout the Bible to walk in the steps of Jesus Christ. In 2 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 18, Paul steps right out and hits us in the face with a challenging statement. But we all, with unveiled face, we are not blinded with the veil that is currently over society around us. So we have no excuse, as it were. Here we are with unveiled face, not blinded, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord. We see perfection. We see Jesus Christ and God the Father's righteousness. We not only see it, but with the Holy Spirit, we sample it. We taste it. We begin to use it as in a mirror the glory of the Lord. And we are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. That's the destination and that's the source. We are being transformed. If we are being transformed, if we really truly are applying it and we really are concerned about our character, then we are being transformed. And that's a very good thing. And God commends us for that and He praises us for that and He calls us righteous and holy, peculiar, special people, His own children. It's a wonderful thing. We don't need to feel small. We don't need to feel useless. We don't need to feel like we're failures. Instead, we need to feel successful because God lives in us and He will perform that work, which He has set out to do. We can have faith in that. But again, we have to be willing. We have to be humble. We have to be repentant. We have to be that clay that's moldable. Do you have an issue against somebody? Do you have a complaint against somebody? Well, the Bible gives us a way to go about handling those things. We can't just say, well, we're just going to not have any issues in life. We just won't be offended. No? Even God is offended by people's words, and God is also affected and enhanced by people's praise. So let's see how we would handle an issue or a complaint. Rather than say something that we shouldn't, that would be detrimental, God would want us to go be a builder of relationships, an enhancer of relationships. It's really what being an ambassador of God's way is. If you go back and look at that statement that Paul said, we are an ambassador of His way. We are lights to this world, and God's way of love and peace and unity brings people together. That's why Jesus Christ was shred by the Romans so that we could be healed spiritually and physically. Turn with me to Matthew 18 and verse 15, and we'll see how Jesus Christ tells us to go about resolving issues that hurt us. Moreover, if your brother sins against you, guess what? Your brother is going to sin against you. How many of you sinned today? Can I see your hands? I've got mine up. Not the only way you can sin is to sin against your brother, unless it's against God, but it's possible to do both at the same time. So chances are your brother is going to sin against you. So don't think it's any wild thing when it happens, and great surprise. Go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.

You know, it's a wonderful thing when somebody will come to you privately and handle a matter, and really want to handle the matter. Really explain or help. It might even be something that you don't want to hear, but it's a wonderful thing when two people discuss as brethren, as people who love and concern each other. And if he hears you, you have gained your brother. You've stitched this relationship, which was fractured by sin.

And if he will not hear, take with you one or two more. One or two more what? That by the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established. You take one or two witnesses, not one or two of your pals, that you've also shared this with. If it's a real thing, you take a couple of witnesses with you. The Bible tells us in the Old Testament as well that let everything be established by the mouth of two or three or four witnesses. You know, have some real witnesses here. It gets beyond just lander and gossip.

So in Matthew, verse 17, if he refused to hear them, tell it to the church. If he refuses to hear the church, let him to be like you a heathen and a tax collector. So here's a process of bringing a matter to a resolution, and it's the right way. How do we normally do it? Normally, we go tell the church first. I think I'll just drop the bomb on the pastor.

Or maybe the second step first. I'll just tell the witnesses. Well, they will be when I tell them, and I've got a lot. I'm going to have a lot of witnesses here in a minute. That's human nature. It's kind of the feel-good, I want to support myself kind of a thing. The hard thing is actually go to the person and discuss it yourself. Now, if that person doesn't want to discuss it, you can't go much further. You just can't, because you can only make peace with someone as much as it depends on you and face it. All of us have been to the point where the other person is not going to play ball. They're just not going to go there, and there's nothing you can do about it. Well, as much as it depends on you, as much as it depends on me, we need to be at peace and have relationships with others. And when that is not possible, sometimes ways get separated, and sometimes relationships get fractured. But it should not be at your or my hand. We should not be the responsible parties for that. Looking in 2 Timothy 2 and verse 22, we see the apostle Paul here telling the pastor Timothy to have a pure heart in pursuing these relationships, not of a selfish mind or a selfish heart. He says in 2 Timothy 2 verse 22, flee also youthful lusts, but pursue righteousness. Here's the point. Pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Now, there's a key. You can't pursue peace and love with someone who doesn't pursue God out of a pure heart. They may be pursuing God or religion out of a selfish heart, and that heart may be a stony heart. We may not be able to reach that heart, but we are to pursue righteousness, acts of love, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. In that context, we should always have success. Verse 23, there will be another group, there will be another type of person that won't want anything to do with reconciliation. They won't want anything to do with swallowing half of the blame or any part of the blame. And to those, he says, avoid foolish and ignorant disputes. Don't go down that road if there's not the righteous call out for God of a pure heart, and knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but be gentle to all. Why would a servant of God, you're a servant of God, I'm a servant of God, why would we be quarreling and doing things that are not becoming, not edifying, not building up, but gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility, correcting those who are in opposition. Sometimes that's the type of word that has to come out as well, but it should still build relationships, not fracture them, should be done in humility. Hey, brother, you know, there's nothing special about me, but I just love you and I want to bring this to your attention, you know. It's a way of, you know, supplicating a fellow brother or sister in the family of God, and bringing about a reconciliation.

And then in Romans 12, 18, if it's possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. And there's an importance to that. If possible, when possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Peaceably is a light that is enriched with joy, with happiness, with rewarding fulfillment for all involved. And as much as possible, that's what we, by our actions and our words, should be doing for other people.

In conclusion, becoming a child of a family of God, the divine family of God, the royal family, means changing our character, changing our nature, and growing a pure heart. And out of that heart, good, pure words will flow more and more as the heart changes, because speech shows what is in our heart. I want to close with Jesus's words to you and me, as we read earlier. Matthew 12, 35, says this, a good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things. Let's think about that for a minute. Let's apply that to your life and mind. A good man, a good lady, brings forth good treasure, good things, embellishing peaceful, wonderful things from a good heart. Verse 37, for by your words you will be justified. Brethren, you will be justified. I have no doubt about that. And the way you will be justified is by your words.

This topic is not finished, because we are not finished. And we have many different circumstances yet to go into in this lifetime. And yet in all those circumstances, we will need a good heart and treasure in that good heart. Let's each carry on studying this topic individually. Fill our minds with it by reading the Bible. Let's apply it in our daily life and whatever circumstances we find ourselves in. In a nutshell, let's be busy about our Father's business of developing holy, righteous character in His children. And His children, are you and me.

Let's have communication befitting a Christian, a child of God.