Does Your Speech Betray You?

After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you” — Matthew 26:73

While many Christians today may not possess a Galilean accent whereby someone would associate us with Christ's personal ministry. However, the conversations we hold, the jokes we tell and or laugh at, or choose to walk away from in our day-to-day life, do associate us with either light or darkness. Christ informs us in Matthew 5:13-14 that we are not only the salt of the Earth, but also the Light of the World; therefore, we are to set an example and Christ cautions Christians not to lose our saltiness.

Salt had two main purposes at that time, one as a preservative and the other to break down animal waste that would have been found along the roadways where people also traveled—if salt couldn’t perform its function, Jesus said it was then only fit to be thrown out. Similarly, our purpose is to live, glorify, and work according to God’s will, and if we are not fit for those purposes, we too will be cast away on Judgment Day.

The Holy Spirit sent clear and concise warnings about speech that comes from Christians:

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Ephesians 4:29

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. James 1:26

We were not only directed not to have defiling words come from our mouths but told that the one that does not control their tongue, that person’s religion is worthless. The Holy Spirit through Paul says,

5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Colossians 4:5-6

So, then the question is asked, does your speech and or actions betray you in a way that you are associated with heaven and Christ, or does your speech and or actions associate you with the world and Satan?

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

—Damon Long