That Vile Tongue
Everybody loves to quote Saint Paul's letter to the Romans chapter 12 verse 2.
Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Do we really believe those? I am especially asking those of you who quote this verse, wear it on your t-shirts and hats. I am especially asking those who say they believe in the words of the Bible and only the Bible. Do you believe this? I shall couple these troubling yet delightful words with words found in the 18th chapter of Proverbs verse 21.
Death and life are in the hand of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Do we believe these words? For now, I will not even speak to you about the wicked ways that we curse at each other on a daily basis. Set that aside. For now, I will ask how are we different from the world, and how are we respecting the power that is in the tongue if we have the very same diction as the nonbelievers, militant atheists and pagans?
Fortune and luck are two demonic concepts that perch themselves on the lips of Christians without ceasing. On any given day, you might refer to the random, capricious and whimsical powers of fortune and luck more than you refer to the good will of God. The third time is a charm. Bullshit. Abomination. Anathema. Those are three words that we should use to refer to charms, not call upon these pagan devices of demons to assist us when we have failed twice. Instead why don't we say "Lord help me." We pretend that idol worship is only in a time far, far away. We pretend that if we were with Moses we would not have worshipped the golden calf. I don't believe that. These words are our golden calves. They are so precious to us that you would laugh at me if I proposed that you never use them again. I have heard people say "don't be extreme, this is not that important et cetera." These are all excuses to avoid the word of God that was, is and is to come. The heavens and the earth shall pass, but God's words shall not.
Death and life are in the hand of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Do we believe this?
Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Do we believe this?
If we do, then we have a burden on our back that weighs us down more than we can handle. But, there is hope. There is a name that we have been given to call upon. There is a God-man who told us that He will carry our burdens. His name is Jesus Christ of Nazareth. All tongues should bow down and worship Him.
Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on us sinners, renew our minds and transform our tongues that they only release life and not death, help us to thirst for your righteousness unto the ages of ages, amayn.
Furthermore, we must love each other.