C In What Manner Should You Speak To Others
Our speech reveals our heart. While the way we communicate is mixed with good or bad, at times, the choice of language and vocabulary can reveal either a biblical viewpoint or a sinful one .
1. Speak graciously be frank but diplomatic, but not insulting, demeaning or inconsiderate or harsh
Col 4:6 – Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one .
a. Your speech should serve grace to others and be helpful for the moment .
b. Your speech should be gracious, so that it can be readily received and preserved .
c. Even when you are required to speak firmly, be tactful when correcting opponents .
2. Use wholesome language
This means that your speech lacks evil .
3. Speak boldly.
Speak appropriately and with straight-forwardness . Truth can be offensive, but that should never keep you from speaking it. You are to speak the truth, and not be so concerned with how the recipient will respond. Often s/he will respond by taking offense, but that is not your concern. Speak boldly the truth and leave the consequences to God.
4. Speak carefully
5. In sum, speak the truth with love gently but firmly, with the intention of helping and building up .
Sinful or abusive talk
Spiritual Guidance Comes From God Alone
The Bible teaches that spiritual guidance should be sought from God alone through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. He has provided everything we need for this life in his Holy Word:
As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness!
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.
Jesus is the only mediator we need between this world and the world to come:
For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus.
That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him.
Our God is a living God. Believers have no reason to seek the dead:
When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? Consult Gods instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.
The Problems With Sauls Alleged Conversation With Samuel
There are numerous things to consider about this account. First, is that the vision was only visible to a woman with demons . The gods that she saw were not of God, they were of Satan. We know this because there is only one true God and no others . Also, worship of any other god is worshiping of devils .
Second, the voice that Saul heard was a delusion. We see in Isaiah 66:4 that God can send people a delusion if they disobey and do evil before Him. In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, we find that God will send strong delusion to those who reject salvation through Christ so they will believe the Wicked One and be damned. Likewise, Saul had prior demonic encounters so he was susceptible to being demonically influenced .
Satan has the power to create miracles . Jesus spoke of this in Matthew 7:23-23 when He said that people will come to Him claiming they prophesied, cast out devils, and did wonderful works in His name, but He would tell them He never knew them these people are deluded.
Third, Saul used Gods name to assure the woman that she would not be harmed , which was a lie. God had stopped speaking to Saul through dreams, by Urim , and by prophets so using a necromancer to get advice from Samuel the prophet was not of God. We are told in John 8:44 that there is no truth in the devil because he is a liar and the father of lies so God would not use a demon to raise up Samuel to give Godly advice.
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Be Passionate With Your Praise
We need to be personal and public, but we must also be passionate. Thats the carbonation that puts the fizz in the cola. There is, I love you, and then there is, I love you! The italics and the exclamation mark may be invisible in conversation, but we recognize the difference in how the words are said. One spouse says it with real meaning, the other bats the words back where they came from with no discernible emotion. Sometimes its worse to say I love you the wrong way, than not to say it at all.
In our biblical passage, Solomon has been speaking words of love to Shulamith. But now the speaker changes again Shulamith begins to address praises to Solomon. The effect is something like a contest in which the two try to outdo one another in showing honor . Its a nice idea, isnt it? Solomon has spoken his love, and Shulamith tries to top him.
Lets discover how Shulamith shows her passion.
Great Scriptures To Live By:
A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself, but the heart of fools blurts out folly.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Pleasant words are a honey comb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.
The tongue of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment.
Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse.
The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.
He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.
The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them.
The lips of the wise spread knowledge not so the hearts of fools.
He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.
The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.
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Talking To The Dead In The Bible
- The Old Testament teaches that believers are defiled by their attempts at communicating with the dead, a practice that is detestable to God.
- The New Testament instructs believers to seek guidance from God and his Spirit only.
- The Bible reveals that psychic experiences are real but demonic, and that deceiving sprits are counterfeits for the true Spirit of God.
The Most Disobeyed Commandment
Closely tied in with the skill of listening is the ability to express oneself in a nonabrasive and affirming manner. After all, Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing . We may teach our children to say, Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me, but its just not true. Words can hurt. Words can cut. In fact, at the root of our word sarcasm is the notion of cutting flesh. Anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of sarcastic speech knows the accuracy of that idea.
Once again, this is simply evidence of how much unbiblical pop psychology we have imbibed. The world would have us believe that since its unhealthy to keep our emotions bottled up, we should allow ourselves to vent. Unfortunately, this means we often use our words to vent anger, irritation, disappointment, impatience, stress, insecurity, guilt or whatever negative emotion we may be feeling at the time. Usually, those who are standing closest to us at the time are the ones who are wounded in the blast. Dietrich Bonhoeffer spoke of the need to practice the ministry of holding ones tongue: Often we combat our evil thoughts most effectively if we absolutely refuse to allow them to be expressed in words. It must be a decisive rule of every Christian fellowship that each individual is prohibited from saying much that occurs to him.3
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Communication Scriptures For Your Marriage
Good communication is said to be a lifeline to the health of a good marriage. It is pretty obvious to all who are wise, that there are good ways and harmful ways to communicate with each other. To help you to better discern the good from the harmful, you will find below, Bible verses dealing with how we are to talk to each other and how God wants us to listen to each other. The following communication scriptures come from the New International Version of the Bible unless noted otherwise:
A Godly Communication Requires That We Turn From Evil Words
Peter mentions two aspects of turning from evil words:
Turning from evil words means not retaliating when we are verbally abused. Keep his tongue from evil supports verse 9, that we are not to return insult for insult, but rather to give a blessing instead. This principle runs counter to the world which says, If someone abuses you verbally, you dont have to take it! Stand up for your rights! Assert yourself! Let them know that you have more self-respect than that! But God says, If someone insults you, bless them. Say something kind in return. Jesus said , Bless those who curse you pray for those who mistreat you. Its not easy, but thats what God commands.
Were not talking here about clarifying misunderstandings or offering correction through proper communication. There are proper times to state your point-of-view and speak the truth in a calm, loving manner. Whats in view here is when a person is being deliberately abusive toward you. Hes trying to pick a fight or bait you. Peter says, Dont answer such abuse with more abuse. Dont top his put down of you with a better put down of him. Dont counter his name-calling by calling him names. Dont rebut his sarcasm with more sarcasm. Dont react to his attack by attacking him. Instead, respond with kind words. Paul practiced this. He said , When we are reviled, we bless. Its the principle of Proverbs 15:1: A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
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What About Saul Samuel And The Witch Of Endor
First Samuel 28:125 contains a somewhat confusing account that seems to be the exception to the rule about talking to the dead. After the death of the prophet Samuel, King Saul was terrified of the threatening Philistine army and desperate to know the Lord’s will. In his helpless desperation, he resorted to consulting with a medium, the witch of Endor.
Using demonic powers of sorcery, she called up Samuel. But when he appeared, even she was startled, for she had expected a satanic apparition and not Samuel himself. Shocked that God had intervened for Saul, the witch of Endor knew this “spirit coming up out of the ground” was not the result of her demonic conjuring.
So, Samuel’s appearance here can only be explained as the unprecedented intervention of the Lord in response to Saul’s hopeless desperation, permitting him one firm and final encounter with the prophet. The event in no way indicates God’s endorsement of talking to the dead or consulting with mediums. In fact, Saul was condemned to death for these actions in 1 Chronicles 10:13-14.
God has repeatedly made it clear in his Word that guidance is never to be obtained from mediums, physics, or sorcerers, but rather, from the Lord himself.
The Power Of Companionship
Genesis 2:18-25 tells us that,
Then the Lord said, It is not good that the man should be alone I will make him a helper fit for him.
These bible verses about communication teach us that God intended for humans to have companionship and someone to lean on when they needed it. Companionship is such a vital and beautiful part of marriage. A strong marriage means you will never be truly alone, or lonely. You know your partner is always there for you. Stay open and loving, and youll be able to communicate clearly and gracefully no matter what life throws your way.
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Godly Communication Requires That We Turn From Evil And Do Good In Our Walk
1 Peter 3:11, He must turn away from evil and do good he must seek peace and pursue it supports verse 8: To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit. It shows the behavior that supports healthy relationships: We must turn from evil, do good, seek peace and pursue it.
Bible Verses About Communication With God
Prayer is our way of communicating with God. Prayer is not simply asking God for things He is not a genie. Our goal of prayer is not to attempt manipulate the Sovereign Creator. We are to pray as Christ prayed, according to the will of God.
Prayer, therefore, is our asking God to bring us closer to Him. Prayer is a time to bring our trouble to Him, to confess our sins to Him, to praise Him, to pray for other people, and to commune with Him. God communicates to us through His word.
We should take time during prayer to be still, and dwell in the truth of His Word. God does not communicate to us verbally or with faint emotions that we must attempt to translate we dont have to worry about reading tea leaves. God is a God of order. He is very clear in His words to us.
1) 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus.
2) Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
3) 1 Timothy 2:1-4 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
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B Godly Communication Requires That We Do Good By Blessing Others With Words That Build Up
Its not enough to hold your tongue when someone says something offensive to you. You are to give a blessing instead, because you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. God called you to salvation when you were His enemy . He rightly could have condemned you, but He saved you. Now, when someone verbally mistreats you, extend to him the same blessing God graciously extended to you. This means that giving your mate the silent treatment to make him pay for the insensitive way he spoke to you is not godly communication. Its a form of retaliation. Its not blessing him . Blasting your mate because youre just being honest about the way you feel, may be truthful, but it doesnt bless him or build up.
Rather, you are to speak words which build up, not which tear down : Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear. Does your speech build up the other person? Is it gracious? Or, is it like throwing a rotten tomato at him ? If we would apply this in our homesnot trading insults, not deceiving, not clamming up, not blasting, but speaking words that build up the other personwe would put counselors out of business.
What Does The Bible Say About Communicating With The Dead
In an age where people claim to be more in touch with the spirit world, many people believe we can communicate with the dead and the dead can communicate with us. This belief has resulted in a flood of books, shows, and spiritual advisors who draw people in by claiming they can communicate with their dead loved ones. Their demonstrations are often impressive, but it is important to know if they are real. To know for sure we should find out what does the Bible say about communicating with the dead.
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Be Mindful Of Your Words
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14
Be mindful of your words to your spouse. This is especially challenging when the conversation is tense. As you engage your spouse in conversation, ask yourself whether the Lord is pleased with the tone of your words and with the words you choose to use with each other. Pray together that your conversations would be acceptable to God.