Personal Holiness - Part 3 — William MacDonald

Watching those books the bargains are going fast, and I think you really have been taking advantage of the of the good prices in the bookstore. The shame of any of mr. Phillips books were left after the conference until a few days.

You've been getting the ministry in part you can get greater segments of it if you buy those exploring books I I still have a few brochures left of the leadership training course out on the west coast if any of you men Interested, please ask for one.

I'll be glad to see that you get one. In our time together we've been thinking about the subject of personal holiness. And we've been taking up various areas of the Christian life where holiness is So very important and tonight.

The Tongue as a Measure of Spiritual Health

I'd like to take up the subject of the Christian Speech you turn in your Bibles to James chapter 3 the third Chapter of James letter, and I'd like to read the first verses first part of the chapter. James chapter 3 verse 1 my brethren Be not many masters or teachers really Knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

For in many things we offend all. Or in many things we all stumble. Many men offend not in word the same is a perfect man. Enable also to bridle the whole body. Behold we put bits in the horses mouths that they may obey us and we turn about their whole body.

Behold also the ships which though they be so great and are driven of fierce winds. Yet are they turned about with a very small helm with it. So wherever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasteth great things.

They hold out great a matter a little fire kindless and The tongue is a fire a world of iniquity. So is the tongue among our members that it defile us the whole body and set us on fire the course of nature and it's set on fire of hell for every kind of beast and of birds and of serpents and Of things in the sea is tamed and Hath been tamed of mankind, but the tongue Can no man tame.

It is an unruly evil full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God even the Father and Therewith curse we men which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceeded blessing and cursing my brethren these things ought not so to be.

That the fountain send forth the same place sweet water and bitter. Can the fig tree my brethren bear olive berries either of vines figs? So can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. Years ago when you went to the doctor and one of the first thing he'd say would be stick out your tongue and You think of yourself?

Well, it isn't my tongue doctor. It's my stomach that's giving me the trouble. But they had that way of asking you to stick out your tongue and they look at your tongue and maybe they could tell something About your general health.

That's what James is saying here. James is saying stick out your tongue and let me see how your spiritual health is. And I don't know about you, but I feel a little reckless when I come to these passages of Scripture.

Because I realize that the discipline of the tongue is one of the real difficult disciplines of the Christian life. Now you can all stop listening and I'll preach to myself in the first verse where it says don't be many teachers.

Knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. That means that we shouldn't be unduly. Aspiring to teach because the teacher is more responsible than others. One thing to get up and talk about the tongue.

It's another thing to practice it, isn't it? To practice the control of the tongue and if we get up and talk about it We're not practicing it. God knows about that and we will receive the heavier judgment.

Now James admits that in every area of life we all offend we all stumble. But he makes the most astounding Statement here. He says if any man Stumbles not in word the same is a perfect man and able to bridle the whole body.

And that's an interesting thing that says that if I can discipline my tongue that discipline is Transferable to any other area of the Christian life and that really surprises me, but I know it's true say Let's think about that if you can discipline your tongue.

If you can guard what you say and keep your tongue from evil. There's no other aspect of life that you can't bring under control. Amazing. And then James takes Illustrations from nature. To show us the importance and the power of the tongue.

The first illustration takes is the the horse's bridle and I think he's a he's thinking especially of the bit. I Think he's thinking of that short piece of steel that goes into the horse's mouth. And of course the reins are Connected to it that horse's body is huge and that little piece of steel is very very small by Comparison and yet he says that that little piece of steel In the reins you can control the whole movement of the horse.

And of course the parallel is the bit stands for the tongue control the tongue Control every aspect of Life and then he gives the illustration of the rudder of a ship. Rudder of a ship is really very very small comparison with the weight of the whole ship probably two-tenths of one percent of the total weight of an ocean liner is in the rudder.

And yet the man that controls the rudder Controls the ship he controls the motion of the ship. He controls the direction of the ship. And James is telling us that the tongue is like that rudder. Control the tongue and you can control the whole body.

Does even so the tongue though it's a little member and it is we don't often even think about it do we As it prattled along. But he says it boasts great things and that means I don't think it means necessarily that engage it in a lot of boasting.

Although it does that too, but it says it means that it has some enormous achievements both good and bad. You know how true that is the tongue. God can give a man a tongue and he can use it to proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ.

What a wonderful Achievement of the human tongue. On the other hand he makes a man in his image and after his likeness and that tongue is dedicated to sin and defilement and Degradation of every kind.

Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts a great thing. Then he moves on to the illustration of a fire. Take a match and light in the throw it out the window of your car. Pretty soon the brush along the side of the highway is burning pretty soon It goes into the interior and a whole forest is a blade.

Small fire great result. Story persists that the great Chicago fire was started by a cow kicking over a lantern. It wouldn't think that would be very great small fire. But it burned for days. 250 people lost their lives and there were millions and millions of dollars I think a hundred million dollars of damage as a result of an overturned Lantern.

Think of the heartache. Think of a sadness. Think of the strife in the world tonight. Because of the wrong use of The tongue the tongue is a fire a world of iniquity. So is the tongue among our members that defile us the whole body set us in on fire the wheel of nature and is set on fire of hell and Then he goes on and takes us to the circus where we see various kinds of animal life bird life perhaps fleas and all the rest train.

And he says it's a remarkable thing that man has been able to train just about any kind of creature and that's true too. Maybe you can think of some creature that you don't know has been trained. But I think what James is saying that given the time and the proper conditions man could really train any kind of creature.

But he says the tongue can no man pain. Now I'm a very simple believer and I take the Bible just for what it says and I believe that I believe that no man Can control the tongue can only be done by the power of the Spirit of God.

It takes Supernatural power to control the tongue and yet as we said at the beginning our Cooperation is involved in all of the Christian life. There's a curious mingling of the divine and the human. God will give the power that we have to it's into the power.

Don't we we have to avail ourselves of that power. And then he speaks of a Strange situation in connection with the tongue that you don't find in all of nature. You'll never find a well in nature that gives forth both fresh and brackish water.

No such a thing. I've often mentioned that one year I was down on one of the islands in the Bahamas Spanish wells and There's just one road on Spanish wells that goes down the middle. If you dig a well on this side of the road you get Fresh water.

If you dig a well on this side of the road you get salt water. There's no place in the island where you can dig a well and get both. And that's what James says here. You can't have a well that gives both kinds of water, but he says you can have a tongue that can do that.

You can have a tongue that blesses God one minute and cut a fellow believer down. The next minute you can have a tongue that sings the praises of the Lord one minute and the next minute engages in gossip and Backbiting.

That's an interesting thing isn't it? Really an interesting thing he says that's a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter. Can a fig tree my brethren bear olive berries either a vine figs?

So can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. We've had a lot of discussion in recent years about the the tongues movement the charismatic movement and the tongues movement. And you know I think a lot of us if we were to be honest would have to admit That there's something worse than the so-called unknown tongues that that's the English tongue you agree.

But it's an amazing thing that We can take such an obstinate stand we can take such a strong stand Against the charismatic gift of puns if it still exists. I don't know and yet a person can be a first-class citizen in the assembly and have a tongue that cut and cut and cut.

In other words you can be a Citizen in good standing in the Christian fellowship. For the tongue out of control. James would say my brethren these things are not to be. So let's think about our tongues tonight, and let's think about what the Word of God teaches with regard to the Christian speech.

Truthfulness and the Rejection of Lying

The first thing I find is that Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 25. Ephesians 4 25 says wherefore putting away lying. Speak every man truth with his neighbor. For we are members one of another wherefore putting away lying.

It's so easy to lie and somebody asks you something you don't want them to know the answer and Right off the tip of your tongue it comes out an explanation that isn't true. We speak of white lies we speak of that black lies.

We speak of sibs and all the rest and we rationalize and excuse ourselves, but I'd like to ask you a question tonight. Is it ever right? For a Christian to lie. I'll put on your thinking cap and tell me can you think of a situation where it would ever be justifiable for a Christian to lie.

Well, that's quite a question. You could talk about that at the breakfast table. My answer is this God cannot lie and he can't grant the privilege to anybody else either. God cannot lie. God is truth and under no circumstances can he lie.

One of his attributes is truth. And he can't grant that privilege to anybody else so no matter what we do we can't justify it and I think that we have to think to about the whole subject of exaggeration because an exaggeration is a form of untruth and It's inexcusable as far as the Christian is Concerned.

He said well the Lord Jesus used exaggeration. Yes. He did he used a figure of speech Known as hyperbole in which he stated a thing in an exaggerated way to stress a point in an unforgettable manner. For instance he spoke about the camel going through the eye of a needle.

That's known as hyperbole, but it's not deceitful exaggeration. When he used hyperbole it was so obvious on the face of it that anybody knew. He said you strain out a gnat and you swallow a camel. Nobody was deceived when Jesus said you swallow a camel.

You know how bizarre to think of a camel going down past your Adam's apple. Nobody was was fooled by that at all the Lord Jesus was simply stating things In an exaggerated way in order that the people who listened to him would never forget and they never did and those things that become part Of our common language today even among people who are not Christians.

So that's the first thing I've got to watch out for this. If I have a proneness to shade the truth. Mind you there are plenty of opportunities every week to do it aren't there. Certainly in business. I sold a car recently.

It was quite a trial of faith. Actually the car was a lemon though. It was painted gray. One of the greatest reliefs in life was when I got rid of it. I was hemorrhaging financially with that car. And it was really awfully difficult when people came To buy it.

What do you do in a case like that? And you tell the truth and shame the devil even if the car doesn't sell. The second thing is that our speech should be worthwhile. Ephesians 4 29 says. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth.

Worthwhile and Edifying Speech

But rather that which is good To the use of it fine as the need may be. That it may minister grace to the hearers. Now I just want to stop with the first part of the verse let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth.

Ephesians 4 29. When we read that in the King James version it almost sounds like dirty talk. But the word corrupt there has to do more with don't let any worthless Communication proceed out of your mouth.

In other words our our speech should be worthwhile. When we say something it should be something worth saying. You say oh that that's awfully hard. I know it everything I'm saying tonight is awfully hard, and I don't think it comes to us naturally.

I think it's something we have to discipline ourselves to do. But I often think of the empty Conversations of the world ever sit on a bus or sit on the plane or Sit with the people of the world and hear what they're talking about.

You're traveling through Europe. And they're going and they they tell you all that they ate in Geneva and all that they plan to eat when they get to Florence you know. They just live in a world of trivia.

In fact I brought along a little tape tonight that I'd like to play to you. The news about the latest wedding that has taken place. And I'm sure you'll be enthralled by these Details that will be of eternal consequence, please listen.

Harry did you have a good vacation? It was such a shame that you weren't here for Sally's wedding. Did you hear about it? It was really something who would have loved the men's outfit. They wore that latest style for wedding purple tuxedos.

Isn't that fantastic. And you should have seen the shirts they wore. They were avocados greens with ochre colored ruffles down the front. Ochre. Well you and I might call it muddy orange, but you know Sally she always says things just right.

The ochre was to please the groom's mother because that was the color of her dress. Oh Mary have you ever seen avocado colored lizard skin shoes? They rented them for the occasion. You know Sally's mother told me that and I guess we better not say too much about it.

You know how critical people can be. The bridesmaids were outstanding in their orange dresses with lavender polka dotted ruffles. And the bride was pretty too. It's the first time I've ever seen a bride carrying hydrangeas.

But Sally certainly has a style all of her own. Oh, do you really have to leave Mary? I wanted to tell you about the recession. Green maybe you and I can pay Sally a visit someday. I'm just dying to see her apartment because with tastes like hers I can imagine what it will be like.

Well bye Mary.

You know that's rather typical isn't it of some of the conversations of the world just a lot of trivia. It doesn't make very much sense. I Hope you don't want. I hope you don't think I'm picking on the ladies.

Because I could have done the same thing with man's conversation, too. Some of you fellows that ham it up here. Maybe you could help me put together a tape. Oh you can't hear I'm sorry. Some of you fellows here that ham it up might be able to put together a tape of men may be talking about The latest ballgame or something.

Sometimes I'm listening to the news and they come on they're interviewing one of the players. They'll say you didn't play so well tonight. He'll say no we didn't. How do you account for the fact that you lost the game?

Well, I guess we didn't play so well tonight. What plans do you have for the future? Well, I think we'll try to play better in the future. And I think is this all there is to life our speech should be worthwhile.

Idle Words and the Need to Listen Carefully

Lord Jesus tells us in Matthews gospel Matthew 12 36 that men will give an account for every idle word. That they'll still utter. Well praise God Christians won't have to give account for every idle word.

Will they it's all under the blood of Christ. It's all part of our redemption and our forgiveness and our pardon, but what an awful thing. For men and women unsaved men and women to give an account for every idle word they see.

I Remember when tape recorders first came in that you'd go into the house of some wagon. You'd be sitting down at the dining room table and unknown to you he would have planted a microphone in the flower arrangement in the middle of the table and the tape recorder was underneath and He was taping all of the chatter at the table and then for dessert he played it back to you.

But how's an embarrassing thing? Well, have you ever had that happen? When you're just taped in general conversation And you don't know you're being taped and then you hear it all played back again and you think.

Is that my conversation? Isn't it more worthwhile Than that. Well, I have the tape recorder here. There's a little there's another story on it.

But I like it I just like to play it for you.

The lesson here is be a good listener and wait till you get all the facts before you jump to conclusion. I have a tendency to do that. I a person comes to me sometimes with counseling and they start to talk and I think I know what they mean and I Jump to the conclusion and start to tell them and I've missed the boat completely.

That wasn't what they meant at all. Take a lot of some people a long time to come to the point. So be a good listener. And if you're wonderful how much you can learn if you listen conclusions before you hear all the facts.

The Dog Story and the Danger of Hasty Conclusions

A Lady invited several friends to a mushroom steak dinner. When her maid opened the can of mushrooms she discovered a slight scum on the top. Since the guests were expected at any moment the lady suggested Give the dog a little and if he eats it, it's probably all right.

The dog licked it and begged for more so the dinner was completed. After the main course that made the maid came in to serve the dessert. But her face was ashen white. She whispered in her employers ear ma 'am the dogs dead.

There was only one thing to do and the lady did it. She called the doctor to come with the stomach pump sometime later. The guests were reclining after the doctor had left. In various stages from the use of the stomach pump.

The lady called the maid and asked where's the dog now? Answer came up steps ma 'am where he fell after the car hit him. Surely they're all the facts. Before you form your conclusions our speech should be worthwhile.

Edifying Others Through Appropriate Speech

Number three our speech should be edifying says in that same verse Ephesians chapter 4 verse 29. But no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but rather that which is good to the use of edifying and.

That really means and once again, I think this takes a tremendous discipline. That means when I talk to people I should be trying to build them up. In their most holy faith the best illustration I ever knew of this was dr. Ironside himself.

When dr. Ironside was with you he would bring up various subjects. Sometimes he'd ask your opinion on them. He would take some difficult verse of Scripture. And if you didn't know what it meant, he would say well, do you think it might mean this?

And you know, that's what? Unforgettable time. What a wonderful thing to be always seeking to edify others and especially through the Word of God. I Mentioned the other night for those who were here for the first time.

I'll repeat the story of George Verwer. One time he was talking to me. And started to say something negative About another person and right in the middle of the sentence. He stopped himself and he said no he says that wouldn't be edifying.

Well, he was taking Ephesians chapter 4 verse 29. Seriously, that leads me to ask a question tonight. Edifying. What is gossip anyway, we hear a lot about gossip. Most of us are against it in a general sort of way.

If you were asked to give a definition of gossip, well, how would you ever define it? Maybe one of the reasons is we indulge. That we indulge in it so much is that we really don't know what it is. I think that bill gother it defines it some way like this.

It's conveying information to a person who is neither part of the problem nor part of the solution. But maybe we have to qualify that definition because. Usually gossip is of a destructive nature, isn't it?

It isn't just the conveying of factual information, but it's usually the conveying of information that will Cause that person to be seen in an unfavorable Light. And how much gossip goes on in the world today and how much gossip goes on in the church today?

It's really destructive destructive to the peace of the assembly into the spiritual welfare of God's people. For our speech should be appropriate. I'm still in the same verse in. And most of your modern versions that has an expression like this let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth.

But rather that which is good to the use of edifying as the need may be. I. But they are in most of the modern versions as the need may be to me that tells me that our speech should be appropriate. I want to tell you this is a gift of God to be able to speak the appropriate thing at the right time.

Illustration and It Harlow's first wife was dying of cancer back in New Jersey. She was in the hospital and one night Walter Monroe Wanted to visit her actually it was just about the end of the visiting hours, but he slipped into the hospital and He went into her room and she was very very low.

In fact, she couldn't speak like she was conscious. And he leaned over her bed and he quoted this verse from the song of Solomon Who is this that goeth up out of the wilderness? Leaning on her beloved.

And those were the last words that Margaret Harlow ever heard in this world. Had they were good ones weren't they in the morning? By the morning time she had gone up out of the wilderness leaning on her beloved.

I Doubt that there was a better verse than the entire Bible. He's going to quote it to her that night as the need may be. Wonderful thing to be able to quote the right scripture at the right time. I remember I was going through a rough patch in life at one time and Probably nursing my bruises.

I don't remember all the details and a Christian friend Quoted to me some. I mean Isaiah 49 verse 4. I'll never forget this verse as long as I live. Isaiah 49 verse 4 then I said I have labored in vain.

I have spent my strength for not and in vain yet surely my judgment is with the Lord and my Recompense my work of my recompense with my God and you know, that was just the right verse at that particular time.

I thought I had labored in vain. I thought it was all useless. But it says my justice is with the Lord and my recompense With my God and it took me out of the slew of despond. I Remember another time when When my mother died 1940 and we our household was plunged into grief and your mother dies, it's like the Collapse of the green castle and it's like the collapse of the main pillar in the home sometimes.

And friends crowded around and they tried to say appropriate things to us. But really none of it helped but dr. Ironside came along and he quoted psalm 30 verse 5. Weeping may endure for a night. But joy come up in the morning.

As you know that verse snapped our grief. It was the appropriate word the right word to speak at that particular time. What a wonderful gift. Let's develop it. Let's have the Word of God at our fingertips at our lips that we might be able to pass on that beautiful verse.

As a need may be that it may minister great unto the hearers and you know, that's the next one our speech should be gracious. Colossians chapter 4 verse 6 that says let your speech be all way with grace.

Gracious Speech Seasoned With Salt

Seasons with salt always with grace seasons with salt. The words that we speak should be gracious words. Once again, I think of of the gracious words of Christians and I think of the world with its sharp cutting pointed barbs.

I think of the Apostle Paul for instance over here in the book of Acts. Acts 26 a Masterpiece of grace. Acts chapter 26 and verses 28 and 29 Paul of course is on trial. He's up there with handcuffs on his hands and he's pleading his case.

Acts 26 28 and 29 Says then a gripper said to Paul Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian and Paul said I would to God. That not only thou but all that hear me this day. We're both almost and all together such as I am except these bonds, I Think that's beautiful.

He said I could wish That you people who are against me today or fighting against me. We're in exactly the same Spiritual condition and position I'm in today, but I wouldn't wish this on you. Except these bonds.

Their friends that isn't the way that people of the world talk. I often think of the that encounter between Lady Astor and Winston Churchill. He said sir Winston If I were your wife, I'd put poison in your coffee.

And he said Lady Astor if I were your husband, I'd drink it. I just finished reading a book about Henry Kissinger in a way. I wished I hadn't read it, but It was good to read it in this way. It made me do it made me Thank the Lord for having delivered me from the corruption that's in the world through life and the book is filled with infighting and sharp dirty crack at one another men striving for position putting down one another an Exalting self.

It's a book of egomaniac and all the works of a flesh Manifest in it not just in Henry Kissinger, but in those that were with him. Working with him and working against him the Christian speech should be Gracious, but then it says also seasoned with salt.

And I think we have some illustrations of this in the scriptures. The Lord Jesus said to the Samaritan woman Give me to drink. His speech was gracious. That was a tremendous thing. Culturally, that was a tremendous thing for the Lord Jesus the Jew to say to a despised Samaritan woman Give me to drink my that was lovely.

Her heart was touched by that. Don't you forget it? Then as a conversation developed he says go call my husband it was seasoned with salt. And she felt the salt too and it was beneficial salt and it led to her eventual Conversion.

Some years ago. There are a bunch of young people traveling from Chicago to the East Coast. It was one fellow in the car who? We've been listening to doubts and denials concerning the Word of God. And he was spewing them out to the Christian young people in the car.

And there was one fellow in the car is a very quiet fellow the fellow I never would have expected this. He listened till he couldn't take it anymore. And then he rebuked the student with Proverbs 1927 it says keep my son.

To hear the instruction of him that causes thee to err from the words of knowledge. I'll tell you that each that seasoned with salt. Seek my son to hear the words that causes thee to err from the words of knowledge.

Pure Speech and Clean Conversation

Our speech should be pure Ephesians chapter 5. Our speech should be clean it says in Ephesians chapter 5 verses 3 and 4. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness and let it not be once named among you as the common things neither Filthiness nor foolish talking or jesting which are not convenient, but rather Giving a thank and what the scripture is really teaching us here.

We want to be careful. Not to talk about vile things dirty things immoral things that even shady things to. The reason for that is the more freely that we can talk about those things the less Serious, they seem in our mind and in the minds of those with whom we talk.

Good to remember that isn't it? And I think it's very important to when Christians get together and one tells a joke and another tries to outdo them in a multitude of words that want if not sin and pretty soon somebody has flipped and Somebody has has told something.

That's really a little bit off-color. I Remember, how do you how do you react? Anyway when you're at work? And when you're with the world and they tell a dirty story or a shady joke. When Eisenhower was president some of the reporters were in one day.

And one of the reporters told an off-color joke and I and Eisenhower didn't laugh. That's the last time it ever happened. He didn't laugh. That's the way we should be. And sometimes the word seasoned with salt Will be helpful.

Honest Speech Without Oaths

Our words should be unconfirmed by oath. The scripture teaches that our speech should be so Transparently honest that we never you need to use an oath To affirm it, but of course that brings up the subject of nymphs.

Oh, so a Lot of us would never use the name of God or the Lord or Jesus in in oath and yet for many Christians, it's easy to mince those words and For God to say gosh or golly and if you look them up in the dictionary of they'll tell you that those words are euphemisms or our Flying words are minced oaths for God Jeez for Jesus darn for damn.

Will you say gosh darn you you're really consigning a person to hell really. They're really saying God damn you and that means I wish you were in hell because of God damned the soul. That's where you.

So and this is a struggle, isn't it? Especially when we've got into the habit of using some of these things heck a Minced oath For hell and a related subject the bane of many a Christian life today. And that's private profanity a person that would never use any of these words in public and yet in private.

And the privacy of the home they slip out. What a struggle what a conflict. To control that wretched tongue. How we have to be before God for strength about it. I don't think that command has anything to do with odes in courts of law.

The reason I say that is when the Lord Jesus was on trial the high priest put him under oath and Jesus testified under oath. The high priest said to him I adjure you by the Living God that you tell us whether these things were so and according to the law of Moses Jesus as a law-obeying Jew had to testify and he did.

But he said yes, you see me now in humiliation you see me now. As the lowly Nazarene he said in effect that one day you're going to see me coming in the clouds of glory. That's when the high priest rent his garment.

Reverent and Brief Speech

Our speech should be reverend. I think in this connection We should avoid tongues on the scripture. It's so easy to do in fact the more familiar are with the scripture the more easy it is to do that but Tongues on the scripture.

Lower the sacredness of the scripture and the mind of people. So I think well the Bible isn't really that important we can joke about it. And this takes a bit of discipline on our part to. Our speech should be reverend.

I think we have to avoid Excessive levity. I like humor. I really do. I think there's humor in the Bible. I think God has a good sense of humor, but I also believe that excessive humor leads to a leakage of spiritual power.

And I've known the Spirit of God to be moving in meeting, but I'm sure that souls would have been saved and yet Through humor at the end of the meeting the whole spirit of the meeting was there that the case was.

And then finally our speech should be brief. And I better take this to heart. Our speech should be brief. It said I quote it before in the multitude of words or lack of not sin in other words the more I talk I am to Say something I shouldn't have said.