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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Well, I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Matthew, Matthew and chapter In Matthew chapter 12, a very interesting portion of Scripture that kind of deals with the things that we say. We’ve been studying in the book of James, and it tells us some things that we have as far as conflicts in which God is going to reward us when we get to heaven if we had victory over the lust of the flesh. That’s internal pressures.

The desires that you control. And then he says, I’ll reward you when you get to heaven if you have victory over external pressures. You know, you’re going to have trials and tribulation and people problems and financial problems and all those social problems. But if he says, if you have victory over those things, he says, I’m going to reward you when you get to heaven. And then he tells us some things about what we need to do as our good works that we do.

Now, it has nothing to do with what people do to us, but what we do for them in James chapter two. So it’s a very important book on the Christian life. And God said, I’m going to reward you when you get to heaven if you have good works in your life. Now remember, good works doesn’t get you to heaven. You go to heaven because of what Christ did, not what you do. But now that you’re God’s child, you have eternal life, well, you’re not there yet.

So God left us here. Now it’s not just a matter of getting victory and doing good works, is it possible for you to do good deeds for people while you’re blessing them out with the tongue? Do wonderful things, but then you use that little tongue of yours and you cut somebody real sharp and become bitter and it brings out all that poison inside of you and you infect other people. Is that possible? Yes, it is. So God tells us something that we need to keep in mind.

I read this in Sunday school but let me just mention it to you real quickly again. Sometimes we say things we wish we hadn’t said. We do things we wish we hadn’t done but sometimes we might encourage somebody to do something we wish we hadn’t have encouraged them to do. Well sometimes you do things that you wish you hadn’t done and then sometimes you let people talk you into doing something that you wish you hadn’t done. This little tongue right here that we have can be a a world of good or a world of iniquity.

And this is what the Lord says in verse 33. So look there in Matthew chapter 12 verse 33, Jesus speaking, he says, either make the tree good and his fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt and the fruit corrupt, for the tree is known by its fruit. A generation old generation of vipers, how can ye be an evil speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh, a good man out of the good traces of the hearts, bring it forth good things and the evil man out of the evil treasures bring it forth evil things but I send you that every idle word that men shall speak they shall give a counter up in the day of judgment.

This isn’t talking about what you said on purpose this is just idle word just idle chatter. Ever get to bed again with something just idle chatter just talk about anything and a lot of times have you ever noticed that you I know you won’t ever accuse yourself that idle chatter can be idle gossip you just you know you’re not gossip and you know real bad it’s just that it’s for prayer. I mean you wouldn’t say anything against anybody unless it was good and boy is this good.

And you have things that you want to share. You know, you know dirt. You got on somebody. Always remember when you throw dirt you lose ground. Have you ever found out that when you want to give somebody a piece of your mind, you’re in most desperate need of it? For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. So in the book of James we’re not talking about going to heaven, being justified to go to heaven.

We’re talking about being justified, cleared by God, that what you said was right, or what you did that was right. God is the one who is the just one. And he’s the justifier. of those who need to be justified. So when we were ungodly and unloveable, he saved us by making a payment for our sins. And we are justified. Just as if I’ve never sinned, I have been declared righteous by God. I’m his child. I’m going to heaven when I die.

But he didn’t take me to heaven yet. He left me here. Since he left me here, he wants me to do certain things for him. So there’s things that I’m to do, things I’m to say, way I’m supposed to live and so God says for the rewards in heaven and to be blessed here and for position of service and the kingdom he says it depends upon what you do for me. Now God ain’t gonna make you do anything for him.

You can trust Christ to save your heavy eternal life go to heaven when you die and not do a thing for the Lord. But if you want more than the natural man, if you want more than just the things of this world, well then you’re gonna have to serve the Lord. Now nobody can make you do it. But if you decide to do it, God says, I’m going to reward you. And I’ll make it worth your while. So you have a battle within you.

It’s called the two natures. And I want you to take your Bible, turn that to the book of James in chapter three now. The book of James, chapter three, right after the book of Hebrews. And I want you to look there in James chapter three. And you’ll notice there’s a teaching here. I’ll show you this in just a second. But first of all, I want you to look up here after you find James chapter 3. I want you to look at me.

Over here, now this is when we are born into the world. This is our flesh birth. Our flesh birth has a sinful nature. We sin naturally. This flesh birth is not the child of God. It’s not the child of God. It doesn’t do anything right. This is an evil tree. This evil tree has bad fruit. And so this tree can only bring forth bad fruit. So therefore you can tell the tree by its fruit. So since every individual in the world does something wrong, then we all know that it’s a bad tree because it has a sinful nature and the fruit is the proof that it’s a bad tree.

So God says these trees here, God said, I don’t want these trees in heaven because they got bad fruit. Why? Because in heaven is a perfect place. If God lets us go to heaven the way we are, then we’ll have bad fruit in heaven. That means we’ll lie, steal, cheat, murder, and rob and rape and all that. We’ll do all that in heaven. Why? Because that’s what we do down here. Bad trees here will be a bad tree there.

So God says this bad tree, this bad tree, with this bad fruit can’t go to heaven. That’s why you needed a savior. God says that he’s gonna give you a new birth. Oh, when you trust Christ as your savior, you became a tender plant, a little bitty newborn Christian. This one over here is a new birth. This one here has a divine nature. This one can’t sin because it’s born of God. And if it can’t sin, it can’t die.

So if it can’t sin, it can’t die. This little newborn child here, this belongs to God. God is its father. That’s why now God becomes your father, you become God’s child. This one has a divine nature, can’t do anything wrong. Well, then you got this over here. This is a bad tree and the bad tree got bad fruit. This is a good tree born of God. And it can only bring forth good fruit. It can’t bring forth the bad fruit.

Why? Because it has no sinful nature. So your new birth, born of God, can only do good. This old sinful nature can only do bad. And guess where both of them live inside of this one body? Inside of my body, I have both of these living inside of me. And they’re fighting for the controls of my body. So the Bible says out of the evil treasures, the mouth speaks, out of good treasure the mouth speaks. What God says now, you only got one mouth.

Some people I think have two or three. You got one mouth. Out of this one mouth, you’re supposed to speak one or the other. Now, since you’re a child of God, which one do you think God wants? You to control. He wants you to let the new birth with the divine nature bring forth out of its treasures wisdom. Over here, this is the old man, the old nature. And so this one wants to reveal its wisdom. So from the same mouth reveals one of two things, the wisdom of man or the wisdom of God.

So this one is born of God has the divine nature, only that which is right. Over here we have a sinful nature. This is the child of the flesh, not born of God. And this wisdom is fighting to express itself. So now you have a battle of the wills that are to reveal the wisdom and where it comes from. So look what he says here in verse 13. Verse 13, who is a wise man among you? Who is a wise man and in dude with knowledge among you?

Let him show out of a good behavior conversation, his works with meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitterness, a bitter envene, and strife in your hearts, glory not, don’t brag about that. Lie not against the truth. This wisdom descended not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envene and strife is, there’s confusion in every evil work. Now look over there. There is the wisdom of the world. This man of the world can only learn the wisdom of the world.

Now this one over here is born of God. This one is to learn the wisdom of God. So that’s why in order for this one to gain wisdom it has to come from the Word of God. So when you read the Bible and you study it, you’re taking God’s wisdom, putting it into this mind, a new mind, so that this child can make the right decisions and it’ll be revealed in the tongue and in your life. This one, if it controls your life, is going to reveal the wisdom of the world.

So as you live day by day, you’ll have problems of all kind. Some will be financial problems, health problems, people problems, you name it, you’re going to have them. You got those whenever you were born in this world. You got troubles. Everybody’s got troubles. But now your wisdom is revealed and how do you handle your problems? How do you handle troubles? So you’re going to have the will of man versus the wisdom of God. So the wisdom of man has a way in which he solves problems and the wisdom of God has a way in which God wants you to solve problems.

And these two are not the same. If it’s different, it’s not the same. This is different. They’re not the same. They battle back and forth all the time. of the time. So God says, my brethren, he says, there is a wisdom of the world that’s earthly, it’s sensual, it’s devilish, it’s deceptive. In other words, you might think you’re being wise when you’re just being nothing but a smart aleck, not very wise. You see, you’re not wise because you know what to do.

You’re wise if you will do it. You’re not wise because you know you should serve the Lord, you know why if you serve the Lord? Not because you know. I’ve had people who know the Bible. I’ve been through the Bible a hundred times. I know the Bible. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. They think that makes them smart. They’re wise. No. If you don’t obey God, you’re a fool. You’re a fool. Anybody’s a fool who does not serve God. You’re a fool.

Because why if you’re so smart would you waste your life? Now look what else he says in verse 17. But the wisdom that is from above is first peace, a pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy being treated full of mercy, good fruit without partiality, without hypocrisy, and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. Now look at here. There’s the wisdom which is of the earth. That’s what this one feeds upon. The wisdom of man, how smart he is and what he learns from people in the world.

Then there’s the wisdom of God, where a man learns God’s wisdom and this will make the man smarter. Now remember this, the dumbest child of God is wiser than the smartest man. Now you have to figure that out for a while, but understand it. So now God said, I want you to bring forth the wisdom of God and it’s going to be revealed by the tongue. tongue is going to reveal how smart you really are how wise you are.

Now look what he says here in verse 9 verse 9, therewith bless we God even the Father and therewith curse we men with what the tongue with this same tongue look up here I bless God, praise the Lord, and I do right. And I say, right things, good thing. And then with the same tongue, I curse man. He says, my brethren, this ought not so to be. In other words, he says, how can the same tongue bring forth sweet and bitter at the same time?

He says it’s not supposed to be. Because you see, whenever you have this new birth, God, put this one in charge of the body. You’re not supposed to let this guy run your life, revealing wisdom of the world. You’re supposed to reveal the wisdom of God because you take in the wisdom from God and then you use that body of yours with the tongue that you got and everything else you have to reveal that to individuals. So now look what he says.

He says in verse 11, death a fountain sin forth at the same place, sweet water and bitter, was the answer. No. In other words, not those come out of the same spigot. So he turned on to get both of the same time. No. And you don’t even with the tongue. It’s one or the other. One nature is always under control at any given time. Just like somebody said, I don’t know how to figure that out. You can’t think two thoughts at the same time.

My wife could think ten thoughts at the same time. Why she’s reading my mind on top of that. Look what he says in verse 10, out of the same mouth, proceed with blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. So we talk until Christian, my brethren is to those who believe. So their believers who are using the same tongue, which which they praise God and bring blessings to God. And at same time, that cursing man that God made.

And he says, now this ought not be. In other words, it is not the will of God for you to walk in the spirit and the flesh. Which one do you think God wants you to walk in? The spirit, not the flesh. You’re not supposed to let the flesh control your life, but is it possible? Yes. This ought not to be, but it is because you’re having in your life the envening and the jealousy, the strife, the bickering, all of those, he says, that comes from the wisdom of the world.

That comes from this man. You see, the wisdom of God produces peace within you, peace within you. And that’s what he says in the last part of verse 17 and also in verse 18. Look there in verse 12, can the fig tree, my brethren, bear all of berries? No. Either a vine figs, no. And so can no fountain, both yield salt water and fresh, time because it’s two different sources. But here you are with one body, two sources. Now, one has to control what’s going to come out of your mouth.

Is it going to be the wisdom of God or the wisdom of man? And there’s a battle. Isn’t it true that you know some things to do that’s right? And you know what’s wrong? And you’ll still do wrong instead of doing right even though you know to do right. And if you do that, is that wrong? Well, slap my mouth. That’s what the Bible said. Look there in James chapter 4. Look in verse 14. Verse 14. Whereas you know not what shall be on tomorrow.

Do you know what’s going to happen tomorrow? Not really. You do not know what another day is going to bring forth. I mean if John had known he was going to be eaten up with a hornet, he wouldn’t have probably won’t know what those hornets were. If he knew he was going to step on that nail, he probably wouldn’t step on that nail. I mean, that’s just, you know, if you know that, because you don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow.

You don’t know what that car is going to break down. If you know it’s going to break down, you wouldn’t got in and start down the road. If you’re new, for sure, positively, you’re going to shove it out. You wouldn’t have done it. He says, for even your life, it is even a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes the way. In other words, you’re here, you’re gone. Believe it or not, see some of these kids right here?

They will never grow up. They don’t even know the world is going on. They say your dreams are more likely to be fulfilled if you don’t oversleep. But he makes the statement here in verse 14, it appeared for a little time and then vanishes it the way for that you ought to say, if the Lord will we shall live and if the Lord will we shall do this or that. In other words, do you realize how much is in the will of God?

And God can determine certain things. Look what He says in verse 16. But now you rejoice in your boasting to all sorts of rejoices and the evil. Have you ever seen somebody? I mean, especially here’s three guys on the P-box. Three guys on the T-box. And one guy says, you guys better brought your A game today. You guys better bring your A game today. And what that means is that that guy has brought his A game and you’re going to have to be on top nor to beat him, right?

Does a guy really know how he’s going to play the game before he plays the game? No. No, you never… you don’t know what’s going to happen. There were people who had already said he done got this thing won, but he didn’t. He didn’t. You see, that’s why you still… Why don’t we have to play any of these ball games? Let’s just say who won and let it go with that. Well, we know they got this thing won. How many times I’ve seen them do that and an underdog come up there and just stop them.

They do it all the time because you don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. You don’t really know. And so he says here in verse 17, therefore to him that know it to do good and do it that not to him. It is what? The him and his sin. Do you know to do right? Yes, you do. Do you know what you’re supposed to do concerning tongue? Yeah, yeah, you do. And you’ll still curse somebody and be bitter and envious and jealous.

But you know it’s wrong, right? Yeah, but you do it anyway. Right. Don’t you get mad at people and you want to choke them? Even a few people you’d like to kill? Christian love? Cause you’d love to do it. But you have within you an old sinful nature that still, you know it’s wrong and yet you won’t always keep it on control. But then how are you supposed to get this victory stuff? Well, that’s what’s interesting. That’s why you need church and that’s why you need each other.

That’s why you need to pray. That’s why you have to do all the things that are right. So he says here that you got a battle. Now I want you to look in verse 1 of chapter 3. Verse 1 of chapter 3. He says, my brethren, talking to believers, not lost people, be not many masters. That means teachers because what does a teacher do? Speaks with the what? With the tongue. And if you say something that’s wrong, you got a lot of people that might do wrong because they heard you say it.

So the tongue can also teach a lot of people a lot of truth. But if there’s people who are listening to what you say and may make decisions based upon what you say, do you think you need to be careful what you say? Is it possible for you to kill the love of someone? No, you may not take a gun and you’ll blow them away, but you’ll say mean hateful, cutting things that will kill somebody’s love for you or for somebody else.

You’ll take somebody else and pull them down into the mud and walk all over them and make somebody else think bad about the people, that thing like that. That is a very hard thing to control, ain’t it? You can drive a car down a road and you can fly an airplane and they… How many things are gonna do? Big old ships! But that little thing right there, you can’t control it. You cannot tame the tongue. The Bible says you can’t tame the tongue.

The tongue will speak the things that’s in your heart. In other words, if you who live inside of this body have these two natures and the wisdom of God and the wisdom of the world, there you are. Now what are you going to speak? Where your heart’s desire is. If your heart’s desire is in the things of the flesh and this is where your treasure is in the things of the world, your tongue is going to reveal that. But if you’ll live in the things of God and the wisdom of God out of the treasures of your heart, the mouth what speaks.

When you speak, your mind is on parade. People can see inside of your mind by discerning the words by which you speak. And therefore, some people never, never talk about the Lord. Wouldn’t it be a shame for you to go to work tomorrow and you can live all day, talk to everybody in the sun, and you never talk about the Lord. Never talk about what He did for you or how they can have eternal life. You never talk about any of the wisdom of God and what God can do for somebody.

But you could talk to them about football, you can talk to them about God, you can talk to them about the weather, you can talk to them about everything, but you can’t talk to them about the Lord. Because you see, your treasure isn’t the spiritual things. Your treasure is in the material things. You’re more concerned about what people think of you, then what you think of them. See, when you learn to think about people and what their needs are, then you know that they need spiritual truths.

Not the wisdom of the world. So it determines where you are. And out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. And God said, every man is going to be judged by the words. It means that you’re going to either be blessed here, rewarded there, based upon what you say, because what you say reveals where your heart is. For where a man’s treasure is, there is his heart also. And so therefore God says you’re going to be justified for the rewards, based upon the words of God.

if you’re justified by your words so that every man will reap what he sows. You reap what you sow. And some people are using the wisdom of the world and you’re sowing envy and you’re sowing bitterness. You’re sowing jealousy. You’re sowing hatred. You’re so that because it permeates your life. And when it permeates your life you’re going to defile many others. And then because of that You’re not sewing piece. You’ll have no piece. You sew wrap. You’ll reap wrath.

That’s why so many of God’s people never learn how to have victory in the Christian life because they don’t understand what’s going on. He says here in verse two, for in many things we all offend. In other words, it’d be great if everybody was perfect. We didn’t do anything wrong. And we had total victory over the soul fell over here and he never got it. Never got any. No, as you live your life, you’ll always find out. Okay, how victorious you want to live.

He’s always there and he’s always fighting and he’s always slipping things out through your mouth. That’s slipped, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. You didn’t mean to do it, that shows you how how really is. And next thing you know you’re saying and then there’s some things you know I shouldn’t have said that and then you say they’re on purpose. And then sometimes you might slip and say something you wish you hadn’t said. It means you didn’t have total control.

You don’t always control all the lusts of the flesh. Wouldn’t it be great if you did? But in many things we offend all, but if any man offended not in word the same as a mature man, and able also to bridle the whole body, here look up here now. The whole book of James has to deal with one main thing. You controlling the body. Have you ever seen a little Chihuahua and a great big old German police dog and the little Chihuahua?

That dog doesn’t understand the situation. All mouth. Totally is all about. I totally, when I asked this man, did you realize that that little chihuahua can kill that rot-wiler or a German police dog? She said, really? I said, yes, ma’am. If it ever gets caught in his throat, you’ll find out that some people are nothing but that’s all, they’re all mouth. They have no wisdom whatsoever, but they talk all the time and they have no wisdom. Talk but never say anything about you.

You want to realize this tongue that you have, though it’s so small, it can ruin the whole body. Have you ever seen somebody who has a wonderful testimony in all areas except for their mouth? If they could just control that tongue, they’d be fine. But they ruin so much and they’re always, they don’t know when to shut up. It’s okay to talk, but they don’t know when to quit. And you say, yeah, do you know what time it is, preacher?

But they don’t know when to shut up. You’re going to have to hear and it talks about how that you can take and put a bit in a horse’s mouth and you can lead that whole horse. That great big horse around. God is talking about how to control the body. You have a body. This is why the Apostle Paul says, I keep my body and I bring my body into subjection. Are you a new listener to Bibleline? Do you enjoy the teachings of Dr.

Arnold? Well, if you’ve never contacted us before, we want to give you Dr. Arnold’s book, The Gospel Driven Man. Every day we receive many emails from folks who have questions about repentance and salvation, about faith in works, and about how to share the Gospel with friends and loved ones. This book, The Gospel Driven Man, covers all those topics, and we want all new listeners of Bibleline to receive a free copy. There’s no obligation, no donation necessary, simply call us at 1-800-576-3771 or write to us and request your free copy of the Gospel-Driven Manual.

The mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Again, don’t forget to include your mailing address, and God bless you and thank you for listening to Bibleline. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And now, a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound, and we will be changed.

Taught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Leaving that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep looking up.