God's Intolerance of sin.

     For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; no evil dwells with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity. You destroy those who speak falsehood; the Lord abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.
                                       Psalm 5:4-5 nasb

     Many individuals have this idea that their sin does not really matter to God. They seem to have this false sense of security that He overlooks their arrogance, their dishonesty, their deviant sexual lifestyles, their hatred and bitterness, and so forth. We live in an age of religious tolerance that has allowed individuals to "embrace" Christianity without being radically transformed by the new birth.
     The truth is God hates sin. It is an abomination to Him regardless of what man may say about it. He cannot fellowship with darkness no matter what we think about it (1 John 1:5-6). Look carefully at the above verses. God has told us in His inspired word that He hates, abhors, the workers of iniquity (Psalm 5:5).
     How do we reconcile this with John 3:16? It says here that He loved the world enough to send Jesus Christ to die for us. This is true! God does not desire the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:31-32). In His great love for sinful man, He has done all that He possibly could, to make it possible for us to be reconciled to Him.
     Yet God must punish sin, He must punish those who persist in their rebellion against Him, for this is what really lies at the heart of the matter; rebellion against the sovereign, holy God (Romans 8:7).
     There are those who teach that the God of the Old Testament was angry and full of vengeance. They believe that now in the age of grace He has "softened" a bit. He now loves everyone just as they are and tolerates all manners of sin because of the grace obtained through Christ Jesus.
     Look at passages such as Romans 1:18, or Romans 2:5-16. These passages show us that God still hates sin, and those who practice sin will still face His righteous judgment. Look at passages such as Galatians 5:19-21, or Ephesians 5:5-6. God's wrath will come upon those who disobey Him. He has not changed, sin will be judged. In His holiness, He hates sin, and will not tolerate it. In Revelation 19:15, we see that God indeed has a fierce wrath. He is consistent in this.
     Someday the books will be opened, and sin will be judged, the sinner eternally punished (Rev 20:11-15).
     Do not be lulled to sleep by a message of religious tolerance. Your only Hope is to repent of your rebellion against God, and to be born again through faith in Jesus Christ. He will wash your sins away, and change your life from the inside out. If any man is in Christ Jesus, he is a new creation. The old sinful man is gone, done away with, and the new has come. That new man is being created in righteousness and truth, being made to be just like Christ (2 Cor 5:17; Eph 4:24; Titus 3:4-7).

The Coming Day.

     "For behold the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze," says the Lord of hosts, "so that it will leave them neither root or branch."
                                  Malachi 4:1 NASB

     The bible tells us that people will be mockers, saying, "Where is the promise of His coming?" They view life as somehow always going on as it always has (2 Peter 3:4).
     Peter goes on to tell us that these individuals forget that God has judged sin in the past, and He will judge it once again, for all time (2 Peter 3:5-7).
     Right now God is patient, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
     Rest assured, there is coming a day when it will be too late. God will judge everyman according to His deeds. Right now God is patient, and in His kindness, He leads men to repentance. However, God will not repent for you. That is meant for you to do.
     Don't be stubborn and unrepentant, and store up the wrath of God (Romans 2:4-11). Surrender your life to Him today!
 

    

A Spurned Invitation.

     But they paid no attention and went on their way, one to his own farm, another to his business.
                                Matthew 22:5 NASB

     Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son in Matthew 22:1-14.
     This was an important event; so important, that to have an excuse was inexcusable. However the slaves that the king sent out with the invitation were turned down by everyone they encountered.
     One class of people who refused the invitation were not hostile, perhaps they even liked the king, but they were just too busy. Their jobs, their farms, are representations of self interest. They were too wrapped up in their own lives and pursuits to be "bothered" by this event, no matter how important it was.
     This was a slight. It was very offensive to the king and his son. It is also very offensive to God, who has invited us to become citizens of His heavenly kingdom, when we decline because we are too busy.
     Many people are like this. They would say they "love" God. They believe in His existence and goodness, they believe in the biblical facts about Jesus, but when pressed to enter into His kingdom through the new birth, they are too busy with the cares and worries of this life (Matt 13:22; Luke 14:18-20). Many of these people want enough of Jesus to get them through the hard times, to give them a "bright spot" in their busy lives, even to get them to heaven some day, but they will not follow Him all the way. Their busy lives will not allow it.
     Jesus tells us plainly that we must forsake all to follow Him. He is speaking of a total denial of ourselves, and a renunciation of all we are, and have (Luke 14:26-33). The kingdom of God is all about Him. It is about living for the will of God, doing His business, serving Him. there is no room for our own agenda's, our own wills, our own plans and ideas. This is hard for people to grasp, and many walk away, like the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18-25).
     Jesus assures us that those who seek Him first will be care for in their material needs (Matt 6:33). The cost is high, but the reward is priceless, Jesus Christ Himself.
    

Knowing God.

     "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."
                                         John 17:3NASB

     Many individuals have an inadequate view of God. They view Him as someone who exists to meet their needs, to bless them at times, to help them out of problems, even to cancel the guilt of their sin.
     It is true that God cares for us. The scriptures do tell us to cast our cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7). Jesus tells us to ask for our daily provision (Matt 6:11), and also the forgiveness of our sins (Matt 6:12). Jesus teaches us to ask, seek, and knock. In other words, we are to seek God in prayer for our needs. God desires us to depend upon Him in faith for all good things (Matt 7:7-11).
     We fall short in that we view knowing God as a means to an end. In other words our asking, seeking, and knocking merely consists in our seeking something other than God. We seek Him for something He can do for us, but we don't seek Him.
     Look carefully at what it says about faith and seeking in the book of Hebrews.

     And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
                                     Hebrews 11:6 NASB

     True faith believes in the existence of God, and seeks to know Him. This is not the same as seeking what He can do for us, it is seeking Him. We cannot be pleasing to God without this kind of faith.
     We can relate to this in our own everyday lives. We understand that it is shallow to be exited to see a favorite family member at Christmas time because of the expensive gifts that they always give. Likewise we can see through the insincere apologies often given just to get out of the "doghouse".
     God wants us to seek Him. He is the highest good that we can possess. To know Him intimately is the true longing of every soul. He desires the relationship, the communion, the love, of a soul that is completely infatuated with Him, not for what He can do, but for Him alone.
     See, this is the point of the new birth. this is why Jesus died for us. It is to make the way for us to come back to God. It is so that we can be reconciled to Him, enjoy the intimate fellowship with Him that we have been created for. Through the new birth, we are forgiven, and delivered from the stain and power of sin, which is what cuts us of from God.
     It is in this union with God, through Jesus Christ that we have the fellowship and blessings of His presence. Knowing God is what it is all about (John 14:23, 17:20-21; 2 Peter 1:2-4; Philippians 3:7-14).
    
    

Be Reconciled To God.

     Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
                            2 Corinthians 5:20 NASB

     God desires to restore the repentant sinner. He does not desire the spiritual death of any (Ezekiel 18:32; 2 Peter 3:9). He has done all that He can to make reconciliation possible. Out of His great love, He has sent us Jesus Christ, to die for our sins to make it possible to restore us to fellowship with Him (John 3:16; Romans 8:32).
     What is lacking, is on our part. To be reconciled involves much more than a petition for forgiveness. Many individuals desire grace only to avoid judgment. Reconciliation involves much more than that. We are the ones who have offended God, and it is because of our rebellion against Him, as evidenced by our sinful, disobedient lives, that we are estranged from Him.
     What is required is that we lay down our selfish hearts, in surrender to Him. A broken and contrite heart is what God desires (Psalm 51:17). A relationship is between individuals. In a relationship with God, we receive from Him, and also give of ourselves in love and adoration. All this has been destroyed by selfishness. God seeks the restoration of this relationship.
     To be reconciled is to return to God, the one we have offended in sincerity and truth. It should grieve our hearts, that we are the ones who have grieved God's heart. A true reconciliation is only possible when we return in repentance, and by faith, submit ourselves to God through Jesus Christ. He will forgive our past, and restore us to Himself (1 John 1:9; Psalm 32:1-2).
     We are given the promise that if we are in Christ Jesus, we are a new creation . The past is gone, and we have a wonderful new life in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17).

God Will Judge You.

     It has become a common thing for people to hide behind the saying "Only God can judge me." When confronted with their sin, individuals are often offended, and think that being told about sin and its consequences is being judgmental.
     The bad news is the fact that yes, God will judge you someday (Rev 20:11-15). That should strike terror into the hearts of those who so carelessly reject the faithful witness of the truth of God's word, by claiming "Only God can judge me."
     God will judge you with true justice. He will be righteous in His determination of your guilt or innocence, and the sentence will be just.
     He who searches the hearts knows every thought and intent of your heart. He can see through the lip service that so many give Him while their hearts reject Him. He knows your deeds, and by your deeds, He will judge you.
     It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God, when you have lived for your selfish pleasures in this lifetime (Hebrews 10:30-31). We might think that somehow we are good in His sight, or that we are a Christian by the worlds definition of that word, but our sinful deeds proclaim otherwise. 
     Jesus tells us that without the new birth, we will not enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:3, 5-6). We need to be transformed by Jesus Christ. We need the forgiveness only He can provide, and the freedom from sin that only comes through a living faith in Him.
    

Two Kinds of Sorrow.

     For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.
                             2 Corinthians 7:10 NASB

     There are two kinds of sorrow mentioned here. On the on hand there is the sorrow that the world boasts of. This is the sorrow over being caught in our sin. This kind of sorrow is concerned with self. It seeks to get out of punishment. Any promises made to God in this case are merely self serving bargains. Sins given up in our own self interests are considered legalism.
     There is also that sorrow for sin. This is the sorrow that understands that God has been offended by our sin. This type of sorrow leads us to confess and forsake our sin for God's sake. This individual does not want to grieve the Savior. He seeks mercy and reconciliation, grieving over the sin that sent Christ to the cross. His repentance flows out of a desire to now please his Savior.
     One leads to death, one to salvation

    

Enslaved to God.

     That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
     for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
                               Romans 10:9-10 NASB

     The problem with sinful man is that he will not submit to the authority of God. He has chosen to live for his own selfish desires, no matter how offensive to God or man they may be. This is what is meant by the mind set on the flesh being hostile toward God. Such an individual wants to be in control of his desires and actions, and will not submit to the law of God, in fact cannot because he has sold himself into bondage to his own selfish desires (Romans 7:5, 8:7).
     This is the work of God, to break the stubborn will of sinful man, and bring Him into subjection to Himself, through the convicting power of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8; Romans 2:4; 1 Thess 1:5; 2 Thess 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2).
     Notice in 1 Peter 1:2 that God, has chosen true believers to obey Jesus Christ, and to be sprinkled with His blood. This is brought about by the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
     No one can truly say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:3). When a man is led to the cross of Christ by the Spirit of God, he will be led to renounce himself, and submit to the reign of Christ in his life. An individual who desires salvation from the penalty of sin without being delivered from the bondage of sin itself, has had a defective experience. For one to desire mercy while still remaining in selfish control of their lives is an anomaly. It cannot be that way, because a stubborn unrepentant heart is still a stubborn unrepentant heart. It is hostile to God, and will not submit to his law, and cannot. One in this situation is still an enemy of Christ(Philippians 3:18-19). They set their minds on earthly things, living for themselves, while calling themselves Christians. Notice that Paul says their end is destruction.
     Jesus points out that it is useless to call Him Lord while we disobey Him (Matt 7:21-23; Luke 6:46). The whole concept of salvation goes beyond forgiveness only; it encompasses an entire change of allegiance, and way of life. This is why Paul says to work out our salvation. He is not saying we earn it by works, he is saying that we are to live out what God is working in us (Philippians 2:12-13).
     Paul makes the point that we are no longer the ones in charge of our lives, once we have come to a saving knowledge of Christ. He tells us this,

     But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.
     For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
                               Romans 6:22-23 NASB

     Many people look at verse 23 without looking at verse 22. It tells us that we receive the benefits of salvation as slaves of God. In salvation, we are free from sin, no longer to remain in it. We are to be enslaved to God through Jesus Christ as Lord, living a holy and pure life, as He works in in us. We are no longer in control of our lives. He is!
     This is what salvation consist of. The grace and mercy of God through Christ forgives, cancels the debt, and delivers us from sin, but we must yield to Him, giving Him the lordship of our lives. We are no longer our own, as He has purchased us with His shed blood (1 Cor 6:19-20)
    
    

The Risen Christ.

     And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.
                          1 Corinthians 15:14 NASB

     The resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to the Christian faith. This was at the very heart of the preaching of the Apostles (Acts 2:30-32, 3:15, 26, 4:10, 33, 5:30-31, 10:40, 13:30-33, 17:2-3, 31, 25:19, 26:23).
      The good news of the gospel is this. Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and raised from the dead (1 Cor 15:3-4). As the sinless Son of God, Jesus was the only unblemished sacrifice that could be offered for the sin of mankind.
     Now if He was not raised from the dead, this meant that He was a mere man just like the rest of us. He was unable to atone for sins, and we are still in our sins, facing the just wrath of God (1 Cor 15:17).
     The good news is this; Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with power, by the resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:4). His life, His ministry, His claims, were all vindicated by His resurrection. He was no mere man, not just a good teacher, an example to follow, but the Son of God.
     Through Him we have forgiveness of sins, and reconciliation with God the Father (Romans 5:9-10). As the resurrected Christ, He lives evermore to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). He is able to save us to the uttermost.
     If the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives within us, He will give life to our mortal bodies, ensuring our resurrection from the dead as well (Romans 8:11; 1 Cor 15:20-26). We do not need to fear death as it has no more hold over those of us who have been redeemed (Hebrews 2:14-15).
     We are also raised with Christ into a new life while we live out our days upon this earth. We now have victory over sin, and have been set free to serve Christ in righteousness (Romans 6:6-12, 18; Col 3:1-4).
     Christ is risen, and our faith in Him is not in vain.
    
     That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
                                  Romans 10:9 NASB

     We must believe in the risen Christ with an active living faith, allowing Him full reign over our lives.
    

Slaves of Sin.

     We see the world today clamoring for rights, and freedom to do as they please. It seems that more and more restraint is being cast off, as society becomes "liberated" to be who they really are. That is, who they think they are, the "real me".
     People think that they are free, liberated, not to be bound by rules of  right and wrong. What were considered social stigmas in days gone by, are considered restrictive and irrelevant to the culture of today. God's word, and what it declares has been eroded, and for the most part tossed out, in the name of freedom.
     However, let's take a look at what God's word says about freedom, and what true bondage really consists of.

     So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
     They answered Him, "We are Abrahams descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, 'You will become free'?"
     Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin."
                                    John 8:31-34 NASB

     Stop here for a moment. Jesus is telling these people that the truths found in His word, when studied and applied to ones life bring freedom. Looking at this from the natural viewpoint, they replied that they had never been enslaved to anyone. Now if you look at the Old testament history of the Jewish people, you will see that often they had been in bondage to various nations such as the Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks, and Persians, and were now under the Roman government, True they were not slaves now as in the sense of their slavery in Egypt, but they were not their own nation either, a thing which most viewed with much contempt.
     The natural man does not receive the spiritual things of God (1 Cor 2:14). Just as Nicodemus did not grasp the idea of the new birth (John 3:4), these individuals did not understand that Jesus was speaking of sin, and the enslavement of one to it.
     This crowd was in slavery to sin. This is what Jesus came to free them from (John 8:35-36). He was not pointing them to national liberation, but to a spiritual freedom to walk in newness of life.
     Take a look at what Peter writes about enslavement to sin, as he warns of false teachers who promise "freedom".

     Promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.
                                2 Peter 2:19 NASB

     Sounds a lot like the preaching today! There are many so called preachers today who declare that we are free to live as we please because we are under grace. Peter declares the opposite however. Individuals who are living in sin are in fact overcome by sin. They are bound by it. And it is interesting to note that so many of these false teachers of the day are caught in corruption, and scandalous affairs, being exposed as who they really are (1 Timothy 5:24-25).
     Let's take a look at the bondage described by the Apostle Paul in the seventh chapter of Romans. You can read it here, (Romans 7:1-25). I will quote a few verses out of this chapter for this discussion.

     For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.
                                          Romans 7:5 NASB

     Paul is speaking of the passion and desires that we all have deep within us. In the unregenerate person, these run out of control, resulting in all manners of sinful behavior. The moral law tends to aggravate these passions. Not that there is any problem with the law, the problem is with us (Romans 8:3). We can all relate to the fact that when we know something to be wrong, all of a sudden we want to do that thing. The law is good, but our passions are aroused, nonetheless (Romans 7:7-8).

     So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
     Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.
                              Romans 7:12-13 NASB

     Our passions and desires become aroused, and grow our of control.  Read what Paul writes to the Ephesians,

     And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
                             Ephesians 2:1-3 NASB

     Peter also writes this,

     For by these He has granted to us  His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
                                    2 Peter 1:3 NASB

     You can see that we are the problem. Corruption enters the world through our selfish desires. Sin is achieved when desire gives birth to it, resulting in spiritual death (James 1:14-15).
     It is our selfish uncontrolled passions that are our downfall. Many say "The devil made me do it." This is not true. He may tempt us, the world may throw attractive things our way, but it is ultimately on us, as we yield to those temptations, to the things that excite our passions.
     This is what Paul is saying about the battle that rages in an individual who knows right and wrong, but cannot live right.

     But we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.
     But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the law, confessing that the law is good.
     So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.
     But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells within me.
                                 Romans 7:14-20 NASB

     This is the enslavement to sin that occurs when we give in to the sinful desires that lie within us. They are aroused, and no matter how hard we try to suppress them and do what is right, we fail. It is bondage. Paul is not saying that we are no longer responsible for our actions, but that we are now enslaved to our own selfish passions. We have been mastered.

     All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.
                             1 Corinthians 6:12 NASB

     How many individuals do you suppose have smoked a cigarette, thinking there was no harm in it, and now have been hooked to a habit for years? They want to quit, but they have been mastered by it.
     How many individuals can go into a buffet, without walking out overstuffed? After three or four trips, most still go back for dessert. Their passion for food has led them to gluttony (Philippians 3:19).
     It is the same for one who bought a scratch ticket, thinking "What is the harm?" Many have come to financial ruin because they could not stop gambling. It has led them to the loss of home and family, but they still cannot quit!

     I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.
     Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death.
                                  Romans 7:21-24 NASB

     You see, sin will control you, it will utterly consume your life. You will be enslaved to it. You will find yourself in deeper and deeper, doing things you never thought you could ever be capable of doing. And yet you will be held responsible, because it is your own lustful passions being strengthened as you give in to them.
     Paul's cry for freedom comes from a man who has come to the end of himself. There is only one way to freedom, and that is through Jesus Christ (Romans 7:25). As Jesus said to the crowd,

     "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed."
                                           John 8:36 NASB

     Jesus Christ has broken the bondage that sin holds. We must come to Him in repentance and faith to receive the new birth. It is through the power and leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives, through the word of truth, that we can walk in freedom (John 8:31-32. 17:17; Romans 8:2-4; Gal 5:16-25; 1 Peter 1:2; James 1:18).
    
    

    
    

    

    
    

   

Are You Aware of the Symptoms?

     Many individuals are surprised by bad news at the doctors office. To their surprise, they are often diagnosed with serious illnesses, that they had no idea they had.
     They may have had this illness for some time without realizing it. Often they come in for what they believe to be a minor thing, and find out that it is the symptom of something far worse.
     It is like that with sin, and being in a lost condition. Millions go through life not considering their true spiritual condition. They have no clue that they are indeed dead in trespasses and sin, facing the just wrath of God. They think they are basically good people, and God would never punish them for their sin. Most have no clue what sin really is, and that they are indeed guilty. They just go through life unaware of their condition, and its symptoms.
     The bible tells us that the mind set on the flesh is opposed to God (Romans 8:7). It refuses to submit to God's law. This is the essence of rebellion. This is the person who is dead in trespasses and sin. They will not submit to the authority of God. They want to be in charge of their lives, instead of letting God rule (Ephesians 2:1-3).
     Out of the heart proceed evil actions as Jesus shows us (Matt 12:35; Mark 7:21-23). An evil heart produces evil deeds, and cannot live in the presence of God. Who can ascend the hill of the Lord, and stand in His holy place? The answer is one who has clean hands and a pure heart (Psalm 24:3-4).
     From this we can see what the symptoms are of an impure heart, a heart that is dead in sin. Look again at what Jesus said in Mark 7:21-23. He mentions evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, deeds of coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.
     Here are more lists containing "symptoms" of a spiritually dead individual.

     Romans 1:25-32

     1 Corinthians 6:9-10

     Galatians 5:19-21

     Ephesians 5:5

     2 Timothy 3:2-5

     1 John 3:15-17

     Revelation 21:8

     Revelation 22:15

     These passages of scripture give us an accurate description of one who is living in rebellion to God. People whose lives line up with these verses, are spiritually dead, and in need of a Savior. These are not my ideas, this is the word of God.
     While God is just in condemning these actions, and pouring out His wrath on those living against His purposes, He is also merciful in showing us our true selves.
     It is just like going to the doctor for a cough that will not go away. We might not want to hear the bad news of lung cancer, and the doctor may not enjoy telling us, but once we know the gravity of the situation, we can get to work fighting the disease.
     It is by the law of God that we see our sinfulness, and come to the end of ourselves (Romans 3:19-20). For those who are now aware of the symptoms, that there is something seriously wrong on the inside, there is hope.
     You see, Christ died for us, while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8). If confess our sin, that is to confess it to God, and forsake it, we will find grace and forgiveness (1 John 1:9; Acts 3:19; Romans 10:9-10).
     He will make you a new creation, with a new heart, now alive in Christ (2 Cor 5:17; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 8:10).

We are Held Accountable For Our Speech.

     Jesus Christ tells us that we will one day give an account for every careless word that proceeds from our mouths (Matt 12:36).
     This is a sobering thought, as most, if not all of us, at one time or another, have said things that we would not want to answer to God for.
     Jesus tells us that our words will either justify us, or condemn us, for what we say, comes out of our hearts (Matt 12:33-37).
     How many times have have you used God's name in a careless, blasphemous manner? His name has been used by thousands as a curse word. He will not hold one guiltless who uses His name in an irreverent manner (Exodus 20:7).
     What about falsehood? Look what the word of God says about those who tell lies (Rev 21:8, 22:15). There will be no place for them in God's kingdom. They will spend eternity in the lake of fire. This is God's judgment against liars.
     Course jesting and dirty stories are also condemned by the scriptures (Ephesians 5:3-6). Do not be deceived, immoral people will not inherit the kingdom of God.
     Gossip, backbiting, and the like, are also signs that one's heart is not right with God. Telling juicy stories about another violates the law of love for our neighbor (Leviticus 19:16, 18; Romans 1:28-32; 2 Timothy 3:3). Understand what Paul is saying in Romans chapter 1. The sins he lists are the result of God giving up an individual to a depraved mind. This is a very serious condition to be in (Romans 1:18-32. Notice that gossip is mentioned, along with slander, and deceit.
     Jesus warns us that words said in anger place us on very dangerous ground, for if we are angry with our brother without just cause, we have violated the spirit of the law prohibiting murder (Matthew 5:21-22). When we hurl insults at another in anger, we are killing that person, in God's eyes.
     James tells us that if we think we are religious, but we don't control our tongues, our religion is worthless (James 1:26). Many individuals think that they are in good standing with God, but they talk like they are in better standing with the devil. They tell dirty jokes, gossip, use profanity and vulgar language, tell lies, and shout hurtful words in anger. 
     We will all stand before the judgment of God almighty some day and account for all that we have said and done. Even our inner thought life will be exposed on that day. He will execute judgment on the ungodly, for all their ungodly deeds, and the ungodly things they have said (Jude 1:14-15).
     Are you ready to face Him? James tells us that no man can tame the tongue (James 3:8). It is a restless evil. We need a Savior to deliver us from ourselves. Our only hope is to cast ourselves on the mercy of God in repentance and humbly submit to Jesus Christ. He will forgive us for His sake, and deliver us from the power of evil that holds our lives in bondage. We can live lives that please God, through Jesus Christ. Our speech can be seasoned with grace, helping others instead of tearing them down (Eph 4:29; Col 4:6). 
     Turn to Christ today!