A Pure Heart And A Controlled Tongue — Zac Poonen

The Better Covenant and the Superiority of Christ

The new covenant is called a better covenant. In Hebrews 8, in verse six, Jesus is called the mediator of a better covenant. Better covenant, verse six. In Hebrews 8, verse six, he's the mediator. So, the old covenant was also made by God.

God could not accomplish his full purpose. We need to understand this very clearly. That the Old Testament men and women are not examples for us. Very important to understand that. There are certain good qualities that Moses, David, all of them had.

So, those good qualities we can imitate. But if you look at their total life, they are not our example. Because there are many people who look at these Old Testament examples and make them Old Testament people and make them their example.

For example, people fall into adultery and say, well, David also fell into adultery and he remained as king. But that is not our example. Jesus is the mediator of a better covenant for us. See Hebrews 3, he's comparing Jesus with Moses.

And he says, verse one, we are partakers of a heavenly calling. And Jesus is our leader, apostle and high priest. Now, Moses was in a different level. Moses, verse five, was also faithful in his house as a servant.

But Christ is not a servant, he's a son, verse six. Moses was not a son. He was a good servant. There's a lot of difference between a servant and a son. If you have a servant in your house and a son in your house, there's a lot of difference between the two.

We must see that as the difference between old covenant and new covenant. So imagine if you had a very good servant in your house, no matter how good he is, he's not your son.

No matter how good he is, he's not your son.

When you write your will about all your inheritance, you don't give it to your servant. You don't give it to your servant. You don't share your wealth with your servant. Very important to understand this.

We must never find an excuse for our sin from some Old Testament example. That is what we read in Hebrews 11 and 12. For example, there are some wonderful men mentioned in Hebrews 11. Noah, verse Hebrews 11, seven.

He was a wonderful man. But after all that God did for him, he just gets drunk and lies down naked in his house. Can you imagine Paul doing that? No, forget about Jesus. Can you imagine Paul doing that?

Or Abraham, and we read, Abraham is another great man, verse eight. Hebrews 11, eight. He went to Egypt. And he was afraid that Pharaoh will take his wife, marry off his, take his wife because she's very good looking.

So he told, he said he would, he thought he would kill Abraham to take his wife. So he told Sarah, he said you're my sister. And Pharaoh still took her. And what is Abraham doing? He allows his wife to be taken.

For Pharaoh to have as his 20th wife or something. And Abraham didn't do anything about it. God only saved him. And he did it a second time with another king. You can't imagine Peter doing something like that with his wife.

So these Old Testament people were like that. Or you take 20, Isaac, verse 20. He was a good man, he did some good things. Like when he dug his father's well and the Philistines said, this is ours. He said, okay, take it.

Second time he dug, they said, this is ours. He said, take it. Those are all good. But God had told him and Rebecca, your younger son Jacob is going to be blessed more than your older son Esau. So those days the father would give the blessing when he was about to die.

He knows clearly what God said. But he loved this deer meat so much that he told Esau, you go and get some of that when it's done and I will give you the blessing.

I mean, nevermind what God said, we'll forget that, I'll give you the blessing.

See, we know that Jacob cheated by pretending to be Esau. But God was going to give that blessing to Jacob in any case. So imagine a man like Isaac, he loved food so much that he was willing to disobey God to give the blessing to the older son because it was his favorite.

So many of these men listed here. I'm surprised at the names of some of these people. Verse 32, Gideon, he won a wonderful victory with God's help. But after that, what did he do? He called all the people and just like these pastors say, please give me your money.

Say, give me all your gold ornaments.

And he made an idol. Gideon, after God had blessed him, but his name is here, Barak. What type of man was he?

He won a battle. But you read in Judges chapter five, in chapters six, chapter four or five, that the judge was not Barak at that time. Judge was a woman. Why does God choose a woman when the Bible says the man is the head of the house?

But if God doesn't find a man, then he'll choose a woman because God has to lead his people. So many missionaries have gone out into the world who've done a fantastic, women missionaries who've done great work for God.

So, but when Deborah says, okay, we have to go and fight against the enemy. And he told Barak, Barak, you're going to be the leader, God will be with you. You know what Barak said? To Deborah. Sister, you please come with me, then only I can go to this battle.

I'm a bit scared. Imagine being like that. If a thief comes knocking at the door of your house, who goes there, the wife or the husband? I use this example once. You know to say that when the devil comes, you send Jesus because he's the head of the house.

Let's go, let him go. So I said, just like if a thief comes, the husband goes, not the wife. So when I said this in Mongolia, they told me afterwards, in Mongolia it's not like that. The man is lazy sleeping, the wife only goes to the kitchen.

It's very interesting, it's very true. The women are the capable people there. So Deborah, Deborah was like that. So all these people, you know, it's amazing that God, they did wonderful things, but it's all external things.

And Jesus spoke about those who did miracles and so many other things, wonderful things. The Lord says, go away, I'm not interested in you. So we're not impressed with all these external things. God, verse 40, has provided something better for us.

Which none of these people could have. You take a man like David. He was a wonderful man up to the age of 30. After that he did so many wrong things. Most people know only one wrong thing that David did.

What is that? He not only committed adultery with somebody's wife, but he killed the husband and married her. Can you imagine a man like that? And he didn't have one wife, he had about eight wives. And one of the worst things he did, read in One Kings.

Many people don't know this, that's why I want to point it out to you. He was appointing Solomon as the next king. Before we go there, I want to show you something else. When David was going to die, One Kings, chapter one, verse one.

There was one of his sons, he had so many wives, and one of his sons called Adonijah, verse five. He said, I'm going to be the king. Verse five. And David did not appoint him, he just decided, I'm going to be the king, my father is an old man.

He got the horses and men to fight for him. Why did he become like this? How does a son grow up like that? Why do some children grow up like that today? You want to know the answer? Read verse six. His father never caused him any pain.

That's what it says here. He did not cause him any pain.

Never punished him. When he did something wrong, Adonijah, when he was a small boy,.

David never asked him, why are you doing that? He would just pat him on the back. It's all right, son. You're a good boy. Why? It says here, because he was a very good looking. You know, some parents have got their favorite son or daughter because they're so good looking and nice.

They don't have any fear of God. They don't want to bring them up in the fear of God. They're just nice to them. And they grow up to rebel against the parents and rebelling against God also. So David was a pretty useless father.

And then Solomon, the Lord said, make Solomon the king. So he called Solomon, chapter two, and said, now I'm going to die. Now be a, show yourself to be a man, be strong. Verse two. Keep the charge of the Lord, verse three.

Keep the charge of the Lord, walk in his ways, keep his statutes, his commandments. Verse three. Maybe verse four there, I don't know. Sometimes Tamil comes after that because the language is put like that, you know.

And if he had stopped there, if he had said that much, okay Solomon, the Lord be with you. It would have been a wonderful way to die. If he had stopped at verse four, but he didn't stop. He says, I want you to do two more things.

Two or three things. One is this Joab, verse five. He killed some people. It was a time of peace and he went and killed people. So don't let him have a peaceful death. Kill him. And the way he puts it, see how he puts it.

If he just said kill him, that's one thing. But he says in verse six, don't let his gray hair go down to hell in peace. What a way to say. In five minutes you're about to die and this is what you're thinking about.

And then there's one more Joab. You know that Shimei, verse eight. He cursed me once. But he also asked forgiveness. But David forgot about all that. He says afterwards, I told him, okay, I've forgiven you, I will not kill you.

Verse eight. He told Shimei. As you asked forgiveness for your cursing me, I promise you I will not kill you. But like these lawyers argue in the court, no? I promised I will not kill you. But Solomon, you never made that promise, remember?

You can kill him. That's what he says here. Don't let his gray hair go down to hell without blood. Verse nine. Next sentence. And David died. Dear brothers and sisters, don't let any of you die like this.

That your last words are some act of revenge against somebody you hate, that you kept in your mind for so many years. This is old covenant. These are some of the best people in the old covenant. I'll give you another example.

Old Covenant Failures and the Need for Repentance

One Samuel. Chapter eight. These are some of the great men of the old covenant. Chapter eight, verse one. When Samuel was old, he appointed his own sons as judges in Israel. This is like some of today's politicians.

They put their own son to get elected and make him a minister or something like that. Samuel, man, Samuel, this great prophet behaves like that. Okay, if his two sons are really God fearing, good. His sons were evil.

Verse three, they did not walk in his ways and they turned aside and took bribes and perverted justice against the poor people. Samuel, when he was a young boy, he had seen how Eli the high priest had brought up his sons in a bad way.

And he found fault with him. He found fault with Eli. God told him. But now his own sons have come there. He's bringing them up in the same way. Till the other elders came to him. And said, we are fed up with your sons.

Verse five, Samuel, you've grown old and your sons are not walking in your ways. We don't want any of your sons. All the other nations have a king, make a king for us. And Samuel was one of the greatest prophets in the Old Testament.

Do you know that according to the New Testament standard, a man cannot be an elder if his sons are not walking in the Lord's ways. So, if Samuel was living today, I'd say, brother Samuel, you can't be an elder in CFC.

You're not fit. I'd say, listen, your sons are so wayward. How can we make you an elder? Now you understand what Old Covenant was. They did so many wonderful things. But the heart remained the same. That is what Jesus is saying in Matthew chapter seven.

That in the last day, many will come to him. These are New Testament believers. They say in verse 22, in the name of Jesus, we prophesied. In the name of Jesus, verse 22, we cast out demons. Matthew 7, 22.

In the name of Jesus, we did not one miracle, many miracles. And what does Jesus say? He says, no, no, no, you never did it. You're all just telling lies. He says, I know you did it. But, you are committing sin in your life.

You did all this ministry. Ministry is an Old Covenant thing. To preach powerfully.

Moses, Samuel all did that. Do miracles. Elijah, Elisha all did that.

It's Old Covenant. What about the sin in the heart? That you never got rid of. So go away from me, go to hell. You'll never hear, people telling you that some of these great preachers who do miracles will go to hell.

Repentance Before Faith and the Full Gospel

You know, many years ago, when the Lord called me to start preaching His word, there are two things. One, the Lord said, I want you to study clearly what I have taught in the New Testament. Read it, read it, read it, understand it thoroughly and see what I've taught.

First learn what the New Testament is.

And then, listen to all these other preachers whom you can read about or hear about in the world today. And see, what is the thing in the Bible which they are not preaching. That means, what is in the Bible, but they are not preaching it.

They are preaching some things, but leaving out certain other things. And those other things which they are not preaching, you must preach that. You don't have to preach what they are preaching because they are already doing that.

So, for example, that salvation is by faith. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you'll be saved. There are lots of people preaching that. I preach it, but I don't need to preach it so much because so many people are preaching it.

But the apostles preached, first repent and then believe. So, that is left out. So, I preach repentance. You know, repentance means turning around from sin and self. God is here and I'm facing the world and sin and self.

And repentance means I turn around. In geometry, that is 180 degrees. So, if I turn 90 degrees, that's not repentance. Many people have not repented 180 degrees. Possibly some of you are sitting here also, your repentance is only half way.

That means there are certain things in your life you have not given up 100%. You don't want to give it up also. If I face the world and myself and I don't turn from both completely, I have not repented.

That's why they don't make much progress towards God in their life. I live 100 for the world and myself in my unconverted days. And now I want to accept Christ. Oh, I want to be saved. I want my sins to be forgiven.

And I turn 90 degrees. God is here. And I keep going.

Where am I going to get near God? Even if I turn 120 degrees. I am still not going to get near God.

Why is it some people make very quick progress in one year? Close to God, I have seen young people like this. Others even after 20 years, they don't get closer to the Lord. It is simple geometry. You turn 180 degrees, you will reach your destination quickly.

If you turn half way or 120 degrees, you are never going to get there. This is the reason why some people make very quick progress in their spiritual life. And some don't make such progress. The reason is they believe but they have not repented.

The reason is they believe but they have not repented.

That's why we preach repentance. There is a well-known song.

Glory to God. God has done wonderful things.

There is a very famous song in English. The moment he believes, that moment he will receive pardon. He will get forgiveness. I said we can't sing that. Because it is not believing. The moment he repents and believes, he gets forgiveness.

The moment he repents and believes, he gets forgiveness. There is no repentance in that song. Try to listen to the English and Tamil songs that you are singing. If there are verses in the songs that you are singing about repentance,.

Let me know. They don't write about repentance even in our songs.

Faith, faith, faith, faith.

I have not seen Jesus Christ's face.

Some artists have said that. Not like that.

Not like paintings. It's far better than that. But to explain to children in children's Bible story books, we put some face of Jesus. So it reminds us of Jesus. So let's say, the New Testament is a picture of the painting of Jesus.

The whole message of the New Testament. The whole message means the full face of Jesus is there. But if somebody only paints the hair. Long hair. And the ear. And the chin. Most of the face is left out.

Is that Jesus or who is it? That is how the gospel is being preached. Few parts. So if I want to make that a full gospel. I have to put all the rest of it and say, this is what Jesus is like. So that is what I do.

I say, this is what Jesus is like. So if you want to really come into this new covenant life. You must see the face of Jesus clearly in the gospels. What does he really look like? I don't mean the face, I mean the character.

I am using the face only as a picture of the character. Here is one of the things. He is not interested in your miracles and your preaching if you are not free from sin. That's the real Jesus. You can do 100 miracles and preach 100 sermons.

If you don't give up sin, you will go to hell. Let's now imagine the opposite of that. Somebody stands in the final day. And say, Lord by your grace, I hated sin. No, no, no, I hated sin. And I tried my best to avoid all sin.

I forgave everybody. I tried to love my enemies. But I never did any miracles Lord. I did not have any gift of preaching. But I hated sin. And I tried to please you. What will the Lord say to him? Will he say, you who did no miracles, go to hell.

No. The opposite of this, the Lord will say, come to heaven.

The opposite of this, the Lord will say, go to heaven.

The people who did so many miracles and preached went to hell. What about the thief on the cross? How did he go to heaven? He repented. Lord. I'm guilty. There was only one difference between this thief and the other thief on the other side.

That man said, bring me down from the cross. I've done wrong things, but not so bad to be killed. Maybe two, three years in jail. That's all I've done. But this thief said, I'm so bad that I deserve this cross only.

Not 10 years in jail. I deserve to be killed. I'm guilty. Lord, please remember me, have mercy on me. The Lord said, you really, you feel you're so guilty.

Come to heaven today.

He said, Lord, when you come in your kingdom, remember me. The Lord said, no, you don't have to wait 2000 years. You can come today itself. That is, you learn something from there about what Jesus values.

You compare that person with these people who did miracles and preached so many sermons. Jesus came to call people to repentance. He said, I've not come to call the righteous. But I came to call sinners to repentance.

And there was one sinner on the cross, repenting. He said, come to paradise immediately. How many good works do you have to do to go to paradise? How many good work could that thief do on the cross? He could not even go and ask forgiveness from the widows whose husbands he murdered.

He could not even go and ask forgiveness from the widows whose husbands he murdered.

He could not ask forgiveness from all the people he stole money from. But he really repented. And he went to paradise. We have to understand that. Compare that with these people who did so many miracles and went to hell.

So, what we learn from that is, God is looking at the heart, not at all your activities. I went to church every Sunday. You can still go to hell. But that's an activity. What about your heart? What is your heart's attitude towards sin?

That is the most important thing. For example, do you know the Bible says about one particular type of sin which is a world of evil? See, James chapter 3. In James chapter 3, it speaks about the tongue.

You know how it is described? James 3 verse 6. I don't know how it is in Tamil, but it says it is a world of sin. Which is that? James 3 verse 6, the tongue. Is it said like that in Tamil? Which is this world of sin?

Which is this world of sin? If you say what is the world of sin, you say adultery, murder and so many things. No, the Holy Spirit says your tongue. The world of sin is in your tongue. It is set on fire with the fire of hell, verse 6.

We are reading verse 6.

It is set on fire with the fire of hell, which burns oil and sugar.

How many Christians believe this?

How many Christians believe that there is a world of sin and adultery in my tongue?

And if I don't control it, this sin will keep on coming out every single day. This fire of hell will keep on coming out of my mouth. Against your wife, against your husband. Against your children, against your neighbors.

And backbiting against other people in the church. It's a world of sin. That's what the tongue is. Is that important? Or turn to Romans chapter 3. Romans chapter 3. Romans 3 is talking about how, verse 10, there is nobody righteous, no not one.

Nobody understands, nobody is seeking after God, verse 11. All have gone astray. They have become useless. Verse 12. There is no one who does good. There is not even one. So, what is the proof of that?

Does he say they are all murderers and adulterers and thieves? First of all, he is only talking about the tongue. The throat is an open grave. All the dead stuff, you know, stinking dead stuff in a grave, that's what comes out of that.

The tongues are deceiving. Under their lips is the poison of asthma. Mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. What is he talking about? He is not talking about murderers and adulterers and thieves. He is talking about the mouth.

And even with their mouth, verse 15, they shed blood, that means they hurt people. And destruction and misery, it comes from their tongue. And there is no peace in the way they speak. The whole thing is about the tongue.

That is how the Holy Spirit says in verse 10, there is no righteous person, there is nobody who understands, no one who seeks after God. The Holy Spirit says, there is no righteous person, no one who understands, no one who seeks after God.

How do you say there is nobody righteous? The Holy Spirit says, just see how they speak. Look at how these Christians speak. Then you will know none of them are righteous. They sit like holy people in the church.

But just go home and listen to how they speak at home. Go and see how they speak in the office. They don't seek after God. In verse 18, there is no fear of God in their eyes. What is the proof? See how they use their tongue.

Jesus’ Humility and the Control of Speech

That was the problem in the Old Testament. This was the problem in the Old Testament. Even Moses, the great man of God. In his time, the Bible says he was the humblest man on earth. But a really humble man will say, Lord, you tell me what to do, I will do it.

I will not do what I want to do. The humility of Jesus was seen in this that he would not do his own will. He would not speak what he wants to speak. We speak whatever we like. But Jesus would not. He says, whatever the Father tells me, I speak.

I will not speak what I want to speak. Whatever the Father tells me, I speak. See John 14 verse 10. This is the humility of Jesus. If you want to learn humility, here it is. Middle of verse 10. The words that I say to you, I don't speak on my own.

That means I don't just speak whatever comes to my mind.

I don't speak whatever comes to my mind. We read in Proverbs. A fool speaks whatever comes to his mind.

Should I speak this? Has God given me an order? Does this come to my mind? Even believers. They don't even speak. You know we say our family is our loved ones. But we speak to our loved ones in such a rude way.

I heard a story once. One wife told her husband. See if a stranger comes to the door. Some strange woman comes to the door. Especially if she is a young pretty woman. How nicely you speak. Whom do you want?

How nicely you speak to that stranger.

You just speak to me like that. That's enough if you speak to me like that. They are not loved ones. They are strangers. We say our family is our loved ones. But we don't speak like that.

Christians don't control their tongues. The Bible says tongues are a world full of injustice. We really need to take it seriously. We talk about pressing on to perfection. We don't reach perfection in one day.

So I am not trying to make anybody feel guilty. I am only asking you. If you were in first standard last year. Have you gone to second standard at least this year? Are you going year by year a little back?

Little better, little better, little better. No one is perfect.

But if you are not pressing on to perfection. Then our repentance is not 180 degrees. It is 90 degrees. What is the better thing God has provided for us? Listen. The power to control our tongue. James chapter 3.

James chapter 1. Have you read this verse? Verse 26. If a man thinks he is religious. And he cannot control his tongue. Let's go slowly. If a man thinks he is religious. And he cannot control his tongue.

Once again. I want to emphasize that. A man thinks he is a very spiritual Christian. But he cannot control his tongue. He is deceiving himself. What is he deceiving? He thinks he is such a spiritual man.

He is not a spiritual man. And his entire Christianity is worth zero. But I go to church he says. I am leading the singing. I even share the word. But you cannot control your tongue at home. Even if you go to the church meeting three times a week.

And you sing like an angel.

And you preach like Paul.

Your whole Christianity is worth zero. What I want to ask is.

How many people believe that? Even though it's written there most Christians don't believe it. No, no, no. My Christianity is not worth zero.

I know I cannot control my tongue. But it's not worth zero. Even if I cannot control my tongue. There must be some mark for my Christianity. No, it's zero.

Worthless means zero. See you will not pay any money for what is in the garbage bin. What is in the garbage bin you won't pay any money for that. It has no value. When it says it's worthless. It means like what you throw in the garbage bin.

Worthless. My entire Christianity is worth zero. If I cannot control my tongue. And Moses was like that. His great desire was to enter the land of Canaan. And for 40 years he led the people. Few more days and he would have gone into Canaan.

And all the people were thirsty. And the Lord said to him.

There is a rock there. Just speak to the rock. Don't hit it like you hit the rock 40 years ago.

God did not explain the reason for it. But the meaning is. The rock is a picture of Christ. And he has to be crucified only once. That is the meaning of hitting the rock only once. After that you only have to speak to it.

The water will come. So the Lord told Moses just speak to the rock. But you know it says in Numbers chapter 21. Moses was so angry he hit the rock twice. Read that if you don't know that story. Numbers.

And you read there in. Chapter 20. And verse 10. Verse 8. The Lord said to Moses. Take your rod and get the people and speak to the rock. And it will yield its water. The water will come out. But Moses took the rod.

Verse 10. And he goes angry with the people. And he tells them. Listen you rebels you want water from this rock.

Look at the way he is speaking to them. You rebels. You want water right? Ok here I will give it to you. And he hit it twice. Now the question is.

Did the water come out? Did the water come out or not? Yes or no? It says there water came out. Why? Because God loved those 20 lakhs of people who were there. The 2 million people. Why should they all be punished because one man disobeyed?

You know this is the answer to the question people ask. Can a woman preach and teach the word of God? 1 Timothy 2 verse 12 is very clear. A woman should not teach. They can share the testimony or something they got from scripture.

But they can't be teachers. They can't preach as preachers. They can share their testimonies. We see many women preaching on television. Many people are being blessed.

God is acknowledging it. Do you want the answer? Here it is.

Because he loved the people. So here is a woman disobeying God's word. Thousands are blessed. But afterwards God punished Moses. No, afterwards God punished Moses. After the people drank the water.

God punished Moses. God punished Moses.

After these people are blessed, God will punish those women also. Don't worry. Many people think, Many people think, God won't use a man for sinning. Here a man sinned and God blessed 20 lakhs of people.

And then the Lord told Moses, Now you will not enter the land of Canaan. He tells him later on in the same chapter. Aaron will die and you will die. You cannot enter into the land of Canaan. And later on when Moses tells the Israelites, Moses will tell the Israelites, There is no time to show it to you in Deuteronomy.

You are the one who created the problem. I cannot use you to enter the land of Canaan. It is a sin to blame others by doing wrong things. Why did he miss the land of Canaan? Because he spoke, he was not careful with his tongue.

He disobeyed God's word. So the tongue is very important. Even Moses could not control it. But God has provided something better for us. He gives us the ability to control our tongue. You know many people want to speak in other tongues.

The Holy Spirit and the Healing of the Tongue

Filled with the Holy Spirit. I tell people, When I sought God for the fullness of the Holy Spirit,.

When I sought God for the fullness of the Holy Spirit, I did not seek for other tongues.

Lord, control me to speak in my own language. Lord, let me control my tongue to speak in my own language. To overcome anger. To get angry with people. Many people are making money in the name of religion, like Jesus was angry there.

He chased them out. That is a holy anger. But if they slapped him on the face or spat on his face, he did not get angry. So what I learned from that is, We got to be angry when God's name is dishonored in his church.

If you are not angry, you are a sinner. You are not fit to preach if you are not angry against sin in the church. But if people spit on your face and call you the devil, you must not be angry. I must not get angry when people hurt me.

Or spit on me or call me the devil. But if they touch the glory of God, there I must be angry. That is the righteous anger. So the control of the tongue is what Jesus has taught us in the new covenant.

This is one of the better things God has given us. My question is, Have you got this better thing? Do you find a real progression in the control of your tongue? The best person to ask is your wife or your husband.

Don't ask people in the church. They will all say, yes brother, you are really very self-controlled and all that. And the sisters, they will not want to offend you. You are a very good sister. You speak so nicely.

You speak so nicely. You speak so nicely. Sister, please go and ask your husband. Brother, please go and ask your wife. Because that's where we are really ourselves. In the church, we are little acting.