LIBERALS AND IDLE WORDS: HAVE YOU NOT READ MATTHEW 12:33-37 ?

Bible and Matthew Henry's Commentary ^ | Aug 7, 23019

[Yosemitest]

Liberals, listen to yourselves !

Don't any of you believe your Maker ?

In case you don't know, or haven't read it recently, here it is again:

Either make the tree good, and his fruit good;
or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt:
for the tree is known by his fruit.
O generation of vipers,
how can ye, being evil, speak good things ?
for out of the abundance of the heart
the mouth speaketh.
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.
But I say unto you,
That every idle word that men shall speak,
they shall give account thereof
in the day of judgment.
For by thy words
thou shalt be justified,
and by thy words
thou shalt be condemned.

Now let's look at the Matthew Henry's Commentary on this:

Christ speaks here
concerning other wicked words,
the products of corruption reigning in the heart,
and breaking out thence, Matt. 12:33-35.
It was said (Matt. 12:25) that Jesus knew their thoughts, and here he spoke with an eye to them,
showing that it was not strange that they should speak so ill,
when their hearts were so full of enmity and malice;
which yet they often endeavoured to cloak and cover,
by feigning themselves just men.
Our Lord Jesus therefore points to the springs and heals them;
let the heart be sanctified and it will appear in our words.

(1.) The heart is the root, the language is the fruit (Matt. 12:33);
if the nature of the tree be good, it will bring forth fruit accordingly.
Where grace is the reigning principle in the heart,
the language will be the language of Canaan;
and, on the contrary, whatever lust reigns in the heart it will break out;
diseased lungs make an offensive breath:
men’s language discovers what country they are of,
so likewise what manner of spirit they are of:
“Either make the tree good, and then the fruit will be good;
get pure hearts and then you will have pure lips and pure lives;
or else the tree will be corrupt, and the fruit accordingly.
You may make a crab-stock to become a good tree, by grafting into it a shoot from a good tree,
and then the fruit will be good;
but if the tree be still the same,
plant it where you will, and water it how you will, the fruit will be still corrupt.”
Note, Unless the heart be transformed, the life will never be thoroughly reformed.
These Pharisees were shy of speaking out their wicked thoughts of Jesus Christ;
but Christ here intimates, how vain it was for them to seek to hide that root of bitterness in them,
that bore this gall and wormwood, when they never sought to mortify it.
Note, It should be more our care to be good really, than to seem good outwardly.

(2.) The heart is the fountain, the words are the streams (Matt. 12:34);
Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, as the streams are the overflowings of the spring.
A wicked heart is said to send forth wickedness, as a fountain casts forth her waters, Jer. 6:7.
A troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring, such as Solomon speaks of (Prov. 25:26),
must needs send forth muddy and unpleasant streams.
Evil words are the natural, genuine product of an evil heart.
Nothing but the salt of grace, cast into the spring, will
heal the waters,
season the speech,
and purify the corrupt communications.
This they wanted, they were evil;
and how can ye, being evil, speak good things ?
They were a generation of vipers; John Baptist had called them so (Matt. 3:7),
and they were still the same;
for can the Ethiopian change his skin ?
The people looked upon the Pharisees as a generation of saints,
but Christ calls them a generation of vipers, the seed of the serpent, that had an enmity to Christ and his gospel.
Now what could be expected from a generation of vipers, but that which is poisonous and malignant ?
Can the viper be otherwise than venomous ?
Note, Bad things may be expected from bad people, as said the proverb of the ancients,
Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked, 1 Sam. 24:13.
The vile person will speak villany, Isa. 32:6.
Those who are themselves evil, have neither skill nor will to speak good things, as they should be spoken.
Christ would have his disciples know what sort of men they were to live among,
that they might know what to look for.
They are as Ezekiel among scorpions (Ezek. 2:6),
and must not think it strange if they be stung and bitten.

(3.) The heart is the treasury, the words are the things brought out of that treasury (Matt. 12:35);
and from hence men’s characters may be drawn, and may be judged of.
[1.] It is the character of a good man, that he has a good treasure in his heart,
and from thence brings forth good things, as there is occasion.
Graces, comforts, experiences, good knowledge, good affections, good resolutions,
these are a good treasure in the heart;
the word of God hidden there,
the law of God written there,
divine truths dwelling and ruling thee, are a treasure there,
valuable and suitable, kept safe and kept secret, as the stores of the good householder,
but ready for use upon all occasions.
A good man, thus furnished,
will bring forth, as Joseph out of his stores;
will be speaking and doing that which is good, for God’s glory, and the edification of others.
See Prov. 10:11, 13, 14, 20, 21, 31, 32.
This is bringing forth good things.
Some pretend to good expenses that have not a good treasure —
such will soon be bankrupts:
some pretend to have a good treasure within, but give no proof of it:
they hope they have it in them,
and thank God, whatever their words and actions are, they have good hearts; but faith without works is dead:
and some have a good treasure of wisdom and knowledge,
but they are not communicative, they do not bring forth out of it:
they have a talent, but know not how to trade with it.
The complete Christian in this bears the image of God,
that he both is good, and does good.

[2.] It is the character of an evil man, that he has an evil treasure in his heart, and out of it bringeth forth evil things.
Lusts and corruptions dwelling and reigning in the heart are an evil treasure,
out of which the sinner brings forth bad words and actions, to the dishonour of God, and the hurt of others.
See Gen. 6:5, 12; Matt. 15:18-20; Jas. 1:15.
But treasures of wickedness (Prov. 10:2) will be treasures of wrath.

3. Christ speaks here concerning idle words, and shows what evil there is in them (Matt. 12:36, 37);
much more is there in such wicked words as the Pharisees spoke.
It concerns us to think much of the day of judgment,
that that may be a check upon our tongues; and let us consider,
(1.) How particular the account will be of tongue-sins in that day:
even for every idle words, or discourse, that men speak,
they shall give account.
This intimates,
[1.] That God takes notice of every word we say, even that which we ourselves do not notice.
See Ps. 139:4.Not a word in my tongue but thou knowest it:
though spoken without regard or design, God takes cognizance of it.
[2.] That vain, idle, impertinent talk is displeasing to God, which tends not to any good purpose,
is not good to any use of edifying;
it is the product of a vain and trifling heart.
These idle words are the same with that foolish talking and jesting which is forbidden, Eph. 5:4.
This is that sin which is seldom wanting in the multitude of words, unprofitable talk, Job 15:3.
[3.] We must shortly account for these idle words;
they will be produced in evidence against us,
to prove us unprofitable servants, that have not improved the faculties of reason and speech,
which are part of the talents we are entrusted with.
If we repent not of our idle words,
and our account for them be not balanced by the blood of Christ,
we are undone.

(2.) How strict the judgment will be upon that account (Matt. 12:37);
By thy words thou shall be justified or condemned;
a common rule in men’s judgments, and here applied to God’s.
Note, The constant tenour of our discourse, according as it is gracious or not gracious, will be an evidence for us, or against us, at the great day.
Those who seemed to be religious, but bridled not their tongue, will then be found to have put a cheat upon themselves with a vain religion, Jas. 1:26.
Some think that Christ here refers to that of Eliphaz (Job 15:6),
Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I;
or, rather, to that of Solomon (Prov. 18:21),
Death and life are in the power of the tongue.

[Yosemitest]

On second thought, ALL OF US should ponder this wisdom from above.

[sauropod]

I am keenly aware of this.

It also goes for what we post online.

[sauropod]

The complete Christian in this bears the image of God, that he both is good, and does good.

Ping!

[HarleyD]

You're talking to the party that booed God and had Him removed from their platform. Do you honestly think they care?

One should also look closely at what our Lord stated:

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things ? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

In Holiness, He rightfully called people out for what they were.

[sauropod]

Yes, He did.

[knarf]

And it is JUST this missing in America.

We, as a nation, used to have an inner interpretation of scriptural teachings.

It came from the familiarity of Godly thought patterns we gleaned simply by going to church and being around people that had a holy relationship with God.

How many people, even today, will say say, "Shh ... it's the pastor" when they see him approaching on the street or something ? .... still quite a few but not as many.

THAT is the inner interpretation at work in our lives.

Our actions are controlled by the (sometimes subliminal) thought processes that The Holy Spirit is responsable for.

That is why it is so important to go to church on Sunday and not play golf.

We need the verbal input of words and ideas, at least once a week for an hour, so that seeds of righteousness can be planted.

Of course, if you attend a GD church that teaches chickens that come home to roost ..... guess what kind of man, woman, parent, pres(id)ent you'll become .... AND REMAIN.

[Elsie]

Even Paul had his limits!

Galatians 5:12

[Pilgrim's Progress]

Our conservative brethren need to also consider their words. Not a day goes by here where one of them are criticizing God’s man in the White House. Lands, I believe some of them would have preferred for Hillary to have won.

This also applies to all those that post their cute little humor on a thread warning of God’s coming judgment. Jesus one day, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Well, that was a one-time prayer for a specific crowd. These modern-day yahoos are entirely on their own. And yet, Jesus Christ still tells them, “Come unto me, and I shall give thee rest!”

Praise God for those that are covered by the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and are daily cleansed of their sins through grace.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:9 (KJV)