Idle Talk
“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:36-37 NKJV
When we get saved we receive a new heart, so basically the tree is made good for the fruit to be good (Matt. 12:33). Man in his degenerate form cannot produce good fruit, which is why Jesus said that an evil man cannot produce good fruit (Matt. 7:17-18, 12:34). By evil here He doesn't mean man becoming evil by what he does, but by nature as all men are born in sin and with a sinful nature. Only in Christ do we become good, positionally. As good trees, whom the Bible also calls trees of righteousness and the planting of the Lord (Is. 61:3), we are made good to bear good fruit and in bearing good fruit we glorify God (Jn. 15:8).
With this in mind we should not be holding on to bad fruit or even idle (useless) fruit. Naturally no one has use for useless fruit, fruit that just fills the space and doesn't help in anyway. In context, the Pharisees had earlier on said that Jesus cast out demons by Beelzebub, which triggered a chain of comments by Jesus including this warning against idle talk (Matt. 12:24). The Pharisees knew this wasn't true and just said it to discredit Jesus. This also happens to us when we seek to have an opinion on every matter, even matters that don't involve us. Such talk doesn't benefit or edify the hearers or even us ourselves and so is idle and Jesus said that we will give an account for all this idle talk on the day of judgment. Not many of us believers believe this and so go round trying to explain away what Jesus meant by idle talk, but we don't have to believe it for it to be truth, in the same way that someone doesn't have to believe in the law of gravity for it to be true and work. One can say over and over and convince themselves that the law of gravity doesn't work and so jump off a cliff, but their belief/disbelief and ignorance won't render the law of gravity ineffective.
We were called to hear good fruit, not idle or bad fruit. So we won't be held accountable for just bearing bad fruit in our talk (harmful and hurting talk), but also bearing useless fruit (idle and unedifying fruit). The Bible says that we should not let corrupt communication proceed from our mouths but that which is good for necessary edification that it may impart grace to the hearers, and also to let our speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt (godliness) (Eph. 4:29, Col. 4:6). Someone who's focused on bearing good fruit won't worry about wanting to get away with bad or even idle fruit, knowing they weren't created for mediocrity and non-fruitfulness, but bearing good fruit. Time and energy spent in non-fruitfulness is time and energy taken away from bearing good fruit.
Reflection:
Where's your focus, on bearing good fruit or getting away with idle talk? Do you believe that you’ll be held accountable for every idle talk you talk or that you’ve ever talked?
Grace and peace to you!
When we get saved we receive a new heart, so basically the tree is made good for the fruit to be good (Matt. 12:33). Man in his degenerate form cannot produce good fruit, which is why Jesus said that an evil man cannot produce good fruit (Matt. 7:17-18, 12:34). By evil here He doesn't mean man becoming evil by what he does, but by nature as all men are born in sin and with a sinful nature. Only in Christ do we become good, positionally. As good trees, whom the Bible also calls trees of righteousness and the planting of the Lord (Is. 61:3), we are made good to bear good fruit and in bearing good fruit we glorify God (Jn. 15:8).
With this in mind we should not be holding on to bad fruit or even idle (useless) fruit. Naturally no one has use for useless fruit, fruit that just fills the space and doesn't help in anyway. In context, the Pharisees had earlier on said that Jesus cast out demons by Beelzebub, which triggered a chain of comments by Jesus including this warning against idle talk (Matt. 12:24). The Pharisees knew this wasn't true and just said it to discredit Jesus. This also happens to us when we seek to have an opinion on every matter, even matters that don't involve us. Such talk doesn't benefit or edify the hearers or even us ourselves and so is idle and Jesus said that we will give an account for all this idle talk on the day of judgment. Not many of us believers believe this and so go round trying to explain away what Jesus meant by idle talk, but we don't have to believe it for it to be truth, in the same way that someone doesn't have to believe in the law of gravity for it to be true and work. One can say over and over and convince themselves that the law of gravity doesn't work and so jump off a cliff, but their belief/disbelief and ignorance won't render the law of gravity ineffective.
We were called to hear good fruit, not idle or bad fruit. So we won't be held accountable for just bearing bad fruit in our talk (harmful and hurting talk), but also bearing useless fruit (idle and unedifying fruit). The Bible says that we should not let corrupt communication proceed from our mouths but that which is good for necessary edification that it may impart grace to the hearers, and also to let our speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt (godliness) (Eph. 4:29, Col. 4:6). Someone who's focused on bearing good fruit won't worry about wanting to get away with bad or even idle fruit, knowing they weren't created for mediocrity and non-fruitfulness, but bearing good fruit. Time and energy spent in non-fruitfulness is time and energy taken away from bearing good fruit.
Reflection:
Where's your focus, on bearing good fruit or getting away with idle talk? Do you believe that you’ll be held accountable for every idle talk you talk or that you’ve ever talked?
Grace and peace to you!
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