A Spirit Controlled Tongue — Zac Poonen

The Tongue as the Test of True Spirituality

If anyone thinks he's religious, that means spiritual, and he cannot control his tongue, he is deceiving his own heart. His whole religion is worth zero. So it's not a new message, but I find it's very necessary, because a lot of people think they are spiritual, who do not control their tongues.

Even though the Bible says your religion, your whole Christianity is worth zero, no matter how much doctrine you have, no matter how many other things you are zealous about, the ultimate test is control of the tongue.

In the olden days, 100 -200 years ago, when physicians went around looking at patients, the first thing they would tell the patient was, show me your tongue, stick out your tongue, and I'll tell you whether you're sick or not.

There's a coating on the tongue when you're sick, which is not there when you're healthy. And I would say the same thing spiritually. You want to know whether you're spiritual or not? Show me your tongue.

How do you use it every day? How do you use it at home? Do you know that in all your body, the most important part the Holy Spirit wants to use is your tongue? And if you don't allow the Holy Spirit to control that, you'll never be the effective witness that God wants you to be.

The Destructive Nature of the Untamed Tongue

From Adam, we have all acquired an uncontrolled tongue that speaks whatever we like, whenever we like, however harsh it may be. And very often, however untrue the facts may be, we allow our tongue to let loose.

And we don't realize we're not destroying anybody else. We are destroying ourselves, ultimately to the point where you can even lose your salvation. I mean, just think of it. How can you go to heaven if your Christianity is worth zero on earth?

I mean, that godless nominal Christian, his Christianity is worth zero. Some of us think that our Christianity is worth much more. But God says, no. If you can't control your tongue, you've got zero. But Lord, I did so many other things.

Lord, I cast out demons in your name. I did miracles in your name. I prophesied in your name. He says, depart from me. I never knew you because I saw your tongue. I witnessed to so many people, Lord. I gave so much money for God's work.

I came to so many meetings. Depart from me. I don't know you. The Lord says, because you have a religion which you got from your own head, your own understanding of Christianity. It was not according to the teaching of my word, the Lord says, which says, if you cannot control your tongue, your Christianity is worth zero.

Many of you fellows get up and use your tongue to teach others this and teach others that about Christianity and about spirituality, about victory over sin, the new and living way, and 101 things. Good.

But I hope you're controlling your tongue. Otherwise, your judgment will be very, very strict. We all stumble in many ways. But if you can stop stumbling with your tongue, then you're a perfect man. You're able to control the whole body.

The Tongue as the Rudder of Life

In other words, every other part of the body, you'll be able to control if you can control your tongue. So, here he says another example. He says, look at these ships. I don't know whether you know that, all of you.

I think most of you would know it, that a huge, massive ship, hundreds of feet long, weighing many, many tons. The whole direction of that ship is altered by a small, little metal thing at the back of the ship called a rudder.

Because as the ship moves forward, you just put that rudder a little that side, the water hits the rudder and turns the whole ship. Or you put the rudder the other side, the water hits the rudder and turns the whole ship.

He says such a small piece of metal right at the back of the ship, near the propellers, is what controls the whole body of the ship. Now this is inspired by the Holy Spirit. He says the tongue is like the rudder of the ship.

The direction you are going to go in your life is determined not by all the big resolutions you make on how serious you are about controlling your tongue. You let loose your tongue in one direction, whether you like it or not, the ship is going to go in that direction.

You use your tongue in another direction, the ship is going to go in that direction. Your whole Christianity is worth zero if you cannot control your tongue. Tell me, how many Christians believe that word of God and how many Christians believe what the devil says, Oh, but your doctrine is so right and you are such a good person and you have overcome this and you have overcome that.

And surely you can't be an unbeliever. Your Christianity can't be worth zero. Maybe it's not a hundred, but at least fifty or sixty. And you say to the devil, I think you're right. Maybe God is wrong.

Okay. I'll tell you something. Heaven and earth will pass away and you will pass away before this word passes away. I have staked my life on this word for forty-five years and I've never been disappointed.

The Tongue Requires the Holy Spirit's Control

What it says is the truth. All types of animals, verse seven, have been tamed by the human race. But no one's ever been able to tame the tongue. Listen to this. No one can tame the tongue. It's a restless evil full of deadly poison.

No one can control it. Then you say, Lord, what's the answer? The Holy Spirit can. The Holy Spirit can make you speak in another tongue. And by that I don't mean just the gift of speaking in tongues, but I mean a gracious speech.

My brothers and sisters, we have been fooled long enough by preachers who have tickled your ears and made you feel everything is okay when you've got serious cancer of the tongue. Get treated. The good news is there is a complete cure possible.

If you're willing to let the Holy Spirit grip your life, yield your whole life to Jesus and say, Lord, I want to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The whole secret of the Christian life is the power of the Holy Spirit.

Life and Death in the Power of Words

Let me show you another verse in Proverbs in chapter eighteen. Proverbs chapter eighteen and verse twenty-one. Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Those who love it will eat its fruit. Or like the Message Bible says, words kill and words can give life.

Words are either poison or good fruit. The choice is yours. Death and life are in the power of this tongue. It's with the tongue that the devil does his work and it is the tongue that the Holy Spirit does his work.

I said the other day how Jesus said in John 8, 44, the devil is the father of lies. And all our lies come out of the tongue. So I have to say, I'm not going to receive the seed of the devil. These thoughts that he puts into my heart, negative thoughts about other people, angry thoughts, critical thoughts, proud thoughts, untruthful thoughts, exaggerations, which is just another decent word for lying, unbelieving thoughts, which come out of my word, mouth.

Hope for Transformation and a Gracious Tongue

Oh, what to do, brother? There's no hope. If you feel like that, at least keep your mouth shut. Don't spread that poison to other people. That fellow had a little hope till he heard you say, brother, no hope.

The worst criminal in the world, there's hope for him. The thief on the cross who was saved is the proof of that. That uncontrolled tongue can become a spiritual tongue. Don't give up hope. Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, help us that no one goes away from here discouraged. There's hope for everyone. Thank you, Lord. We praise you for the tremendous possibilities there are ever since the day of Pentecost.

In Jesus' name, Amen.