Romans 5:12-21 Sin vs Righteousness

Read Romans 12-21.

Paul repeats several times in this passage in various ways this one phrase:

"For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!" Romans 5:15

Through one man, Adam, sin and the consequence of death came to reign in man. We live with that reality daily. We see sin constantly on the news, in our workplace, in our homes, and in our own heart. You can't escape sin because all people are born with a sin nature.

HOWEVER, through one man, Jesus Christ, we have the gift of righteousness. All people have this gift. But as with any gift, you must choose to receive it -- incorporate it into your life. Righteousness is not a natural occurrence in mankind now since sin entered the world through Adam. It is lived out only through Jesus Christ. And it is a daily decision.

Are we living in the righteousness we have received or toying with the old sinful nature. Look to Jesus. I was reading Oswald Chambers last night, and he was talking about we don't need to seek salvation or sanctification. We need to seek Jesus. He is all we need.

Share Jesus with someone today. He has a gift for someone you know. His love, power, and righteousness will conquer all. We only need to receive Him.

Father, thank you for the gift of Jesus Christ and the righteousness He brings to overcome sin and death. Give me opportunities today to share that gift of Jesus with others who need Him so desperately. So be it.

Further Thoughts:

1. Who do you live with or work with or see every day who still needs to know about Jesus?
2. To whom are you paying homage with your life - Adam in sin or Jesus in righteousness? 
3. How do we remain focused on the gift of Christ?

Romans 1:18-32. Consequences

Read Romans 1:18-32.

God is made known to all people and men are without excuse.

This passage is a tough one to read. It reveals the consequences of mankind's poor choices. When faced with good - glorifying and thanking God, or evil - succumbing to the temptations of darkness, most have chosen evil. After all, it's the easy way, the known way - popular, pleasurable, an escape into self-indulgence. It's no wonder that so many people choose this path.

But this way only leads to destruction.

The temporal satisfaction of our human desires will result in facing the wrath of God. It is promised. So it begs the question, "Is sin worth it?"

The rational mind, when faced with time and space to truly consider the consequences of sin, will say that sin is not worth it. The path of destruction that sin leaves paving the way to an eternal destination of separation from God is unfathomable.

But time is space is not a child of the chaos we live in. It is a haven of heaven that we must demand to have in the midst of a dark world. We must be intentional about our focus - capturing our thoughts and actions to remain in line with the Father's ways. And we must do so daily, if not multiple times a day.

The task can seem daunting, but it is doable. If we can only hang on to the truth that "greater is He that is within me than he that is in the world," we can overcome the temptations and distractions that want to rob us of the surety in which we can live and thrive.

Father, I see You. Help me, sweet Spirit, to not let the world dim my sight. May my life continually praise and glorify You and You alone. Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from the evil one. So be it.

Further Thoughts:

1. What is distracting you right now? How will you diminish or even eliminate those distractions?
2. How do we remain focused on the Father while navigating through the chaos?
3. What habits do you need to stop and what ones do you need to begin?
4. Who in your life is adding to your distractions? Who do you need to surround yourself with who will help you stay focused on what is true?

Judges 2:15-3:6 "He Means It, Part 2"

"Because this nation has violated the covenant that I laid down for their forefathers and has not listened to me, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their forefathers did." ~Judges 2:20b-22

Every disobedience has a consequence. As children, when we would disobey our parents, we were disciplined. As an adult in the workplace and in life in general we still face consequences and may be reprimanded or even fired for not following instructions. You break the law; you face the courts. You abuse your body, you suffer health problems. The list goes on and on. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. (Isaac Newton) We can't expect to live any way we want without facing the results of our actions. Yet that is precisely what the Israelites chose to do.

Here God had given into their hands a beautiful home to call their own. All they had to do was take it and destroy the pagan worship that existed there. Along the way, He even provided a new kind of leadership to help them move forward. After Joshua died, the leadership were the elders of each of the tribes. So God provided judges to preside over all the people and give guidance. Yet they ignored them and "prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them." (2:17b) So what was their consequence for breaking covenant with God? He did not give them victory over their enemies. They had to live among those with the foreign gods and they had to battle their enemies. God was not going to pave the way for them. It's kind of like a parent practicing tough love. As a parent, we can make the way easy for our children. But if they choose to not obey our instructions and/or the rules of our home, then we can let them fend for themselves so to speak. It's taking the easy road or the difficult one. It's their choice.

It seems that God has two levels of obedience. (Hear me out. This isn't heresy.) One is foundational and mandated. The ten commandments for one. Very clear "rules" that we are to follow. Some may call them rigid and restricting, but they are for our own good. I would equate it to God telling the Israelites to get rid of all foreign gods and worship Him alone. That is a basic precept -- to have no other God's before Him. He also gave them judges to rule and instructed that those He places in authority over you should be respected and obeyed. Another basic precept. Yet the Israelites chose to ignore the judges and suffered the anger of God. Disobedience of God's instructions can have dire consequences in our lives and should not be taken lightly.

The second level of disobedience is the daily guidance by the Holy Spirit. It's those times that we know the Spirit is prompting us to do something....like visit a sick friend. Or do something kind for a stranger. Maybe it's confronting a friend on sin in their life. Or removing something from your own life that in and of itself is innocuous but that has hindered you having healthy relationships - with God and others. These are not necessarily sins against God's edicts, but they are hindering you and others from His full blessings. Jesus told us He would send a Counselor to guide us. When we choose to ignore that guidance, we are missing out on a much fuller life than we have now. And continually disobeying those promptings could eventually lead us down a path of greater disobedience, compromise, and sin.

Whether we can see the big picture or not, when God says something, He means it. We must make the decision whether we are going to trust Him and accept His full counsel or not. The results of our choices are consequences or blessings. He has given you the right to choose.

Further Thoughts:

1. Are there foundational laws that God has established that you are willfully disobeying? Confess those sins now and make a 180 degree turn from them. He will forgive you.
2. Are there blessings that you are missing out on because you choose not to follow God's promptings? Why are you ignoring Him?
3. Can you trust God? Why or why not?
4. Are you experiencing consequences of your sin? If so, recognize that God can use them for good. (Read 3:1-4 and stand up to the challenge.)

Father, I want everything you have for me in my life. I want to be a blessing to You and to others. Forgive me for the laws I have broken. I sinned against You. And forgive me for the times I ignored your Spirit's promptings. I made others and myself miss out on Your blessings. Lord, I want to do better as Your servant. I accept the consequences to my choices and trust You completely. You are my God and You alone. Amen.

Romans 8:11 "He Frees Us From the Tyranny of Sin"

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. ~Romans 8:11

When we receive Christ and the Holy Spirit comes to live within us, we are no longer bound to the sinful nature we were born with. Its oppressive power over us can be defeated by the power of the Spirit. Sin’s tyranny will have lost its reign. The bondage we have lived in no longer exists.

The Holy Spirit is the One we allow to put to death the misdeeds of the body. [Romans 8:3]

Thomas a Kempis, a 15^th century Augustinian monk, said that changing our habits toward sin will be at first difficult. “The flesh will cry out, but it will be restrained by the Spirit.” We have the power of the Holy Spirit not only guiding us away from our sinful nature, but helping us to resist the temptations that plague our lives.

Further Thoughts:

1. If the Holy Spirit lives in us, why are we still tempted by sin?
2. What is the relationship between temptation to sin and our decision to sin?
3. How does the Holy Spirit help us when we are tempted?
4. Write about a time the Holy Spirit clearly guided you away from the temptation to sin.

Holy Spirit, continue to help me when I am tempted to resist that which is death to me. You are my Protector. Amen.

Romans 10:9-11 "Our Choice for Christ"

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame. ~Romans 10:9-11

The right to receive Christ as your Lord and Savior is completely a choice. He has already paid the price for the forgiveness of our sins, but we must choose to accept that grace-filled gift. It’s like receiving a beautifully wrapped present. We can accept the gift, but if we never unwrap and open the gift, we have not truly received it. Acceptance happens by believing in your heart through faith that Jesus is who He says He is and did what He said He did. Ask Him to forgive your sins and receive His amazing gift.

The choice to receive Christ also comes with a commitment. We are stating that we are now followers of Christ. To follow anyone is to do as they lead. Christ wants to not only be your Savior, He desires to be Lord of your life. Surrendering to the Lordship of Christ will be the most liberating choice you will ever make.

Further Thoughts:

1. Define “grace.”
2. Why did Jesus sacrifice for us?
3. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Savior, you can do that right now. Confess that you are a sinner and ask for His forgiveness. His grace, mercy and love are waiting for you. Write out your prayer of confession.
4. If you have already received Christ as Savior and Lord, write out your story. When did you receive him and how have you grown in your relationship with Christ?

Thank You, Lord, for Your amazing grace and precious gift of salvation. Help me to never take Your sacrifice for granted as I strive to follow You. Amen.

Romans 6:23 "Consequences of Sin"

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~Romans 6:23

One thing mankind in general has trouble coming to grips with is that there is a hell. The last things we want to think about as we pursue our own agenda are the consequences. We already deal with temporary consequences for sin here in our lifetime, we don’t want to consider something terrible that lasts for eternity. Yet God has definitely established a permanent consequence for sin and it is hell – an eternal separation from God.

Many people want to argue that if God is a God of love, He would never send anyone to hell. But remember the points we’ve already covered. 1) God is perfect love and perfectly just and 2) God and sin cannot live together. Someone has to pay for our sins and since He is a loving God, He already provided the sacrifice. We just have to provide the repentant heart. God doesn’t send people to hell, we make choices. If we follow the Father, we follow what His heart’s desire is – that no one should enter eternal separation from Him.

Further Thoughts:

1. What temporary consequences of sin do we suffer now?
2. What Scripture supports the fact that there is a hell?
3. In your own words, describe what you believe hell would be like.
4. In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus says that not all people who call themselves Christians will enter heaven. Who does He say will enter? Explain why.

Father, forgive me my sins and I choose to stay on a path toward righteousness. My desire it for eternity with You. Amen.

Genesis 3:6-8 "Adam and Eve"

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ~Genesis 3:6-8

The first human beings under the gift of free will chose to sin against God’s laws. And at the time, He only had one law to follow – ‘Do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.’ They were given freedom on every other account. They could have lived amazing lives among all the animals while dining in the most beautiful garden ever to exist. But human selfishness took over. The oldest of desire of having more began with Adam and Eve. They were capable of resisting the enemy’s temptations, but they choose to yield to their base desire – to be like God. And thus, they chose to become their own god. They placed themselves above the Almighty and were banished from the garden. They wanted power, but all their sin brought them was knowing evil and cursing every generation to follow.

Further Thoughts:

1. What were the gifts that God had given Adam and Eve?
2. Why was the one thing out of their reach so enticing?
3. How does the enemy use this same tactic on us today? List specific examples.
4. What are we to do to resist sinful temptations? Support with Scripture.

Father, Adam and Eve chose to disobey. Forgive me for making the same choices. Cleanse me of my sin and Holy Spirit, help me to resist the enemy’s temptations. Amen.

1 John 3:10 "Perfection Cannot Coexist With Sin"

This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. ~1 John 3:10

God in all His perfection cannot abide sin. The very fact that He is pure love and purely just means that He will not tolerate sin to be in His presence. The two opposites are incapable of existing on the same plane.

Since we are sinful people, how then can we be in relationship with God? How can He accept us into His presence with a pall of sin hanging over us? In the Old Testament, we see that God instituted the method of animal sacrifice for man’s sins. Someone had to pay the price for atonement, so the animal gave their life for our sins so we would be made clean again. In the New Testament, we are given the final sacrifice that ever needs to be made in the person of Jesus Christ. God sacrificed Himself so we could be in perfect relationship once again with Him. We simply must accept His amazing gift and once again be welcomed into the throne room.

Further Thoughts:

1. What Old Testament examples do we have of God’s holiness separated from man’s sinfulness? (Hints: Former Hebrew slaves and The Promised Land…. The tabernacle….. The Priesthood.)
2. What is repentance?
3. Are there any unrepentant sins that are hindering your relationship with God? If yes, what are they?
4. If you have sins to confess, take the time right now to confess and repent.

Father, I praise You for Your holiness and thank You for making it possible for me to have a relationship with You even though I am a fallible being. Show me where I fall and cleanse me from all sin. Amen.

Hebrews 3:1-6 "The Faithful One"

Read Hebrews 3:1-6.

"But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house." NIV

Here Jesus is called an "apostle." The word apostle means "one who is sent." God, the Father, sent Jesus, the Son, to earth to redeem His people. Then the author compares Jesus to Moses in this respect. Just as Moses was sent out to lead the Hebrew people out of slavery in Egypt, so Jesus is sent to lead the people out of slavery to sin.

Jesus stands firm, faithfully still leading God's creation out of an eternity of damnation to an eternity with God. Even when we stray, He is "faithful" over God's house, the believers. So often we act as the Hebrew people did and wander away from Christ, but He never leaves us. He faithfully waits patiently for our return. What sorrow and grief He must suffer in the waiting. As if the suffering He already did for us on the cross was not enough, we become selfish and seek our own paths. But He waits ..... with arms open wide for His bride to return. Such patience with such fallible beings. Why? Why doesn't He just wipe us all off the face of the earth and say, "Enough of this foolishness!"

Because He is love. And His amazing love outweighs and out-waits any sin we can commit. All we need to do is "hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast." The Son is watching.

Further Thoughts:

1. Do you have trouble believing that Jesus still loves you even in all of your messed-up-ness? Why?
2. What is the difference between being "messed up" and walking away from God or rebellion?
3. What does Scripture mean by "the narrow path?" How is the width of the path determined? (support with Scripture)
4. Read the book of Hosea. It's short, and it gives a great illustration of the way Jesus waits for us.
5. Spends some time today analyzing if you are on the narrow path or not. What are your intentions as a Christ-follower? Fire insurance or total surrender? God knows your heart, so you can't hide your intentions from Him. But sometimes, I think we hide our intentions from ourselves. It's time to be honest.
   

1 John 2:28-3:10 "A True Heart Set On Love"

Read 1 John 2:28-3:10.

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" NIV

This passage is a "Therefore" section of the book up to this point. We have been taught by the Word and walk in His light. If we do not walk as Christ walked, we are not of Him and need to confess. How did Jesus walk? - in love toward all men. He did not love the world, nor the things in it, but loved people. He lived out the Truth and now that Truth lives in us and we should never listen to anyone who says otherwise.

Therefore, the Father has lavished His love on us to make us His children, and we now are to live lives of purity for Him. Do we do that through totally sinless lives? No. We will all sin, but what separates the Truth-follower from those who play church is whether you occasionally succumb to temptation or you continually seek out sin. If you are seeking it, Christ cannot be in you because He does not dwell in the hearts of those who do not desire what He desires. Living in complete 180 degree contrast to the character of Christ just displays a self-gratifying, self-loving value and does not fall in line with the "right" of Christ.

"How great is the love the Father has lavished upon us...." And I want to lavish my love on Him with my life.

Further Thoughts:

1. What is a biblical definition of love?
   
2. Do you desire sin and actively pursue it? Why? Do you truly want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ?
   
3. Look up passages where Jesus addresses sin and it's desires.
   
4. Listen to this amazing song about God's lavishing love.

1 John 1:5-10 "The Light of Forgiveness"

1 John 1:5-10.

"This is the message...." NIV

I love this passage. It's so full and rich. First, if we are to have fellowship with God, we are to be walking in the light because He cannot abide in darkness. Can you visualize what we so often try to do? We are walking down a road side-by-side and God is bathed in beautiful light while we are trudging through inky blackness. It just doesn't work. To be in relationship with God, we must be walking in that same light. That means we need to shun the evil of the world that is darkness. We are to not be part of it in any way, but remain in the light as He is in the light. Calling ourselves believers and still walking in darkness just proves we are liars. It isn't possible.

Now I can immediately hear the retort I've so often heard from people claiming to be Christians yet clearly not desiring to live as one. They will say, "No one can walk in the light because no one is perfect. We all sin." Well, the second statement is absolutely true. We do all sin, and that's why the second half of this passage is so wonderful. You see, even if we are surrendered to Christ -- daily taking up our cross to following Him -- we are also human and daily fighting against the temptations the enemy throws at us. We are not successful in dodging those fiery darts 100% of the time. We do sin. BUT, when we confess those sins, He has promised to forgive us. Why is that? Because He is faithful and just.

He is faithful in forgiving us because that is what He promised He would do and He is never a liar. He knew we couldn't live an absolutely perfect life. That's why He has made a provision for us to ask forgiveness through the blood sacrifice of our Lord. If our confession is true and we want to repent of our sin, He will forgive us for our sin.

Because He is just, He will honor His promise of using His Son as the final sacrifice. Justice, in God's eyes, says that someone must pay for the sin. If we haven't confessed with a repentant heart nor truly desire to follow the Lord, then the Savior's sacrifice is useless in our lives. If we are not going to claim the power and sacrifice of Jesus Christ by yielding to Him, then we must accept the responsibility of being the ones to endure the sacrifice. Someone has to pay. The Judge has spoken. The choice of who will pay lies with us.

We all have the opportunity to walk in the amazing light of our Lord and Savior. He already paid the price. Don't make Him watch his sacrifice go unused. Surrender.

Further Thoughts:

1. Are you trying to straddle light and darkness? 
   
2. What changes do you need to make in your life to be walking in the light?
   
3. Is there sin that you need to confess blocking your way? He is patiently waiting.
   
4. Why can't we separate what we do with our bodies from our spiritual being? How are they tied together? (support with Scripture)
   

1 Peter 4:1-6 "Suffering For Sin"

Read 1 Peter 4:1-6.

"Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin." NIV

Have you ever read a passage and it grabs you? You're not even sure completely what it's meaning, but you are drawn. That happens often to me as I study, and this is one of those verses -- especially the last half. I've know many people who have suffered greatly because of their sin and were glad to leave it behind. But I've known even more who even though they've suffered, don't know how to get out of the sin, have their identity in it and don't want to leave, or in some strange way enjoy the suffering.

Masking the suffering of sin is a huge job for the enemy. He wants everyone to think sinning is much more fun than not sinning. He wants to discredit a straight path as being right- wing fundamentalism - said almost as a dirty word. He wants to make life without sin look boring and useless. But he is the great Deceiver, and we as believers must expose his lie. Oh, those sins may bring a temporary pleasure, but their consequences, both here on earth and in the judgement to come, far outweigh the momentary satisfaction.

How do we expose the Deceiver? By living our lives above reproach, by loving those who are stuck in the deception, by showing them the joy and freedom we have outside of a life of sin, by guiding them out of the lie. It's sort of like being in a dark tunnel, and you are the one in the front of the line with the only flashlight. You could just face the light forward so your path is clear. But it would be so much better if you'd stop and face the light behind you so others could see how to get where you are. You may not feel like you are capable of leading anyone else because you have not gone much farther than they have from their sin, but every little bit away helps. Just seeing a glimpse of a life free from the bondage of sin may be enough to encourage someone to take steps.

Further Thoughts:

1. What are some ways you have suffered because of sin?
2. Look up different examples of Jesus shining the flashlight for people to move away from their sin? How did He illuminate the pain of the sin? In what form did He present the hope?
   
3. Is there someone around you that you need to love out of sin and light the right path? What are some ways you can show them love? How are they going to see the right path?
4. Who do you need to thank for lighting the path for you?
5. How is the Old Testament a light for us?

Matthew 27:57-28:15 "The Greatest Event; The Greatest Coverup"

Read Matthew 27:57-28:15.

"He is not here, for he has risen, as he said." NIV

Jesus' sacrifice would not be complete without His resurrection. His sacrifice in taking our sins upon Himself would have no value without overcoming the death those sins caused. Christ, as Deity, overcame sin and death for us to have freedom from both for all time.

In contrast, the elders and chief priests tried to cover up the missing body by paying off the guards. Their hypocrisy and deceptive spirits have no limits. They will do anything to have their way.

The priests did all to protect themselves, but Christ did all to protect us. We can still choose to follow the path of the priests, but why would we want to? I choose to serve the one who loves me enough to sacrifice Himself for me yet is powerful enough to conquer death. Is that the God you choose to serve?

Thank You, Lord, for Your amazing sacrifice and power over death. You are the great I AM, and I am not. I will always choose to follow and serve You.

Further Thoughts:

1. Read these accounts in the other three gospels. How do they compare with Matthew's viewpoint?
2. Compare and contrast the choice between following the priests' example and following Christ.
3. Give thanks for the power that raised Christ from the dead. What New Testament Scripture tells us that we possess that same power?

Matthew 18:15-18 "Confrontation"

Read Matthew 18:15-18.

"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you." NIV

How often are we looking for a 3-5 step process in the Bible that will show us how to get out of a problem situation? But the Bible deals more with relationship than a process. Here we are actually given steps to take when sin occurs between brothers/sisters in Christ. Unfortunately, we are so much better at gossip than we are at confrontation. It just seems to come naturally to our desire for self-preservation. If we confront, we may have to deal with hostility or just someone not liking us anymore, and no one wants that. Maybe that's why God wrote down the steps so clearly.

So how are we to handle confrontation? Directly, humbly and in love. Remember, this is talking about a Christian brother or sister that you are confronting that has wronged you. We're family(which can actually make the sin more hurtful), but we must preserve that relationship at all cost, as well as, help each other out of sinful choices.

"Directly" comes from this passage. Go and show him his fault. Putting it off can only make things worse. Of course, depending on your personality, you may need a little buffer time to prepare your heart and attitude so you are acting not out of selfishness, but love.

"Humbly" is how we should approach anyone who has sinned. We must always filter our hurt through the fact that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Except for the grace of our Lord, I would be drowning in sin. I am not perfect but on a process of perfection just like my brother/sister. So with the same grace that I was afforded by our Lord, I should give to those who sin against me.

"In love" is my heart position. Love is patient, kind, ...keeps no record of wrong. Love preserves a relationship because we are united in Christ. Therefore, we should always try to mend the broken pieces of a relationship.

The reality is that the person may not be sorry for sinning against you or even believe it was a sin. (That's when you head to steps two and three.) But even though it takes the sad turn of unrepentance, you will have done what you could to preserve the relationship and their soul. This is the hardest part of all -- leaving someone to the sin they have chosen. But if we have taken the steps with a right heart and attitude, we will have done all we could do. The rest in the Lord's hands.

Further Thoughts:

1. How did David handle Saul's sins against him? Read 1 Samuel 24 and 26.
2. How did Jesus handle Judas' sin against him?
3. Is there someone you need to confront? Don't wait. Pray and then go. The Lord will give you the right words to say.

Matthew 12:30-37 "Heart words"

Read Matthew 12:30-37.

"For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." NIV

Words are so difficult to control -- at least for me. I've gotten better as I have gotten older, but words can escape my mouth way beyond their bidding. And a hastily spoken word cannot be retrieved. It's out there like a black cloud floating between the conversers and will hover until a better word dispels the darkness. But what really concerns me is this "words coming from the heart" thing. If poorly spoken words come out of my mouth, I know that there is something in my heart that is not right, and I need to get with my Father on it.

In science we learn that something cannot be made from nothing. You must have a beginning substance. For good to come out of my mouth, I must have good within my heart, that fuels my thoughts, that formulates my words. If good is not coming out in my words, then there is sin in my heart that is being revealed through my mouth. That's when I must seek my Father to reveal my sin to me, face that sin as being real, ask for His forgiveness, and turn over that part of my heart to Him. It's sort of like spiritual surgery -- cut out the bad part and replace it with new. Then the body can function as it is designed to do.

Lord, guard my words. If there is anything in my heart that needs excising, please reveal it to me so I can confess and repent. I want my heart sold out to You and You alone. Let my words reflect that commitment.

Further Thoughts:

1. How does God's Word protect my heart and mouth? Read Psalm 119: 9, 11, 105.
2. If Christ is the Living Word (John 1:1, 14) and He lives in me, then what words should my mouth produce? If they don't, then there is an area of my heart I have not surrendered to Christ. Ask the Lord if there is an area you need to surrender. He will reveal it to you if you will listen with a humble heart.
3. This passage used the analogy of the good fruit coming from a good tree. Read John 15:1-17 and Galatians 5:22-26 for more on the fruit.
4. Psalm 19:14 is a great way to begin every day and every conversation.