Words are very important in people’s lives. There is a breakdown in trust between people because of the words they say; they can lose all trust in an instant. This is a common occurrence in the world.

We cannot live without speaking. When we talk to others, we need to be careful about what we say, being considerate of their feelings; we should think about how they will think, how it will affect their faith, and what result it will bring forth. The words spoken thoughtlessly or the words that have snowballed in the process of being transmitted from people to people can create discord and misunderstanding among people.

In this physical world, words are very important. In faith, the words related to salvation are much more important. God has written down many teachings about the importance of words in the Bible. Through the Bible, let us think about how important our words are in our life of faith, too.

Good and gracious words

God has taught us to speak words of grace and thanks, not words of complaint.

Eph 4:26–32 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold . . . Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen . . . Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

The aforementioned words are not a person’s ideas or philosophy, but God’s words written in the Bible by those who were moved by the Holy Spirit. If we have lived a life full of complaints instead of thanks, from now on we need to live a life of gratitude, speaking good words that benefit those who listen, according to God’s will.

Every word in the Bible is not just written to please the eyes and ears. To those who do not put the word into practice, the Bible has no meaning, and they will have nothing to do with salvation. There was a person who went to heaven by saying gracious words. When Jesus bore the sins of mankind and was crucified on the cross, there were two robbers on either side of Jesus. The robber on Jesus’ left side joined the crowd in abusing Him with insulting and mocking words, “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!” On the other hand, the robber on Jesus’ right side rebuked him, saying that they were punished justly, for they were getting what their deeds deserved, but that Jesus had done nothing wrong. Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” At his words, Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”The robber on Jesus’ right side was saved by his words—he can be considered as the best speaker throughout human history. There are countless people in the world and they say so many words in their daily lives. Some of them only think about immediate gains and say words like those uttered by the robber on Jesus’ left side, and others look forward to eternity and say words like those uttered by the robber on His right side. We can see those two kinds of people in the church as well.

Words that bring destruction, and words that bring victory

In the second year of the Exodus, Moses selected twelve spies to explore the land of Canaan. At the end of forty days, they returned from exploring the land. When they reported back to the Israelites, ten of them spread a bad report about the land of Canaan, saying, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them. We can’t attack those people.”

After hearing the report from the ten spies, all the people started grumbling against God and Moses and wept aloud all night. Joshua and Caleb, two of the twelve spies, cried out, “Do not be afraid of the people of the land. Since God has promised to give us the land, why don’t you believe it?” However, the Israelites had already lost their faith, and they did not listen to Joshua and Caleb.

Then the glory of God appeared to all the Israelites, and God said that the Israelites who had grumbled against Him would all be destroyed in the desert, and that none of the men twenty years old or more, except Joshua and Caleb, would be able to enter Canaan. The Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years until the people who had grumbled against God were all destroyed in the desert. After forty years, the second generation, led by Joshua and Caleb, entered the land of Canaan.

Speaking is important, but listening and discerning are more important. Although the Israelites heard the negative words, if they had thought of God’s mighty power revealed in Egypt, His parting of the Red Sea, and His miracle of feeding them manna from heaven every day in their desert journey, they would have believed in God. However, they only thought of what was right in front of them, and it made them grumble against God. The problem with the ten spies was that they led the six hundred thousand men to destruction by speaking negative words, and the problem with the Israelites was that they did not discern properly when they listened to what the ten spies said.

Satan uses all kinds of strategies to block our way, so that we will not be able to go to heaven. So, he puts many things before us that make us grumble instead of giving thanks. In the eyes of those who judge by outward appearance, everything seems like an excuse to grumble, even though it is not really so.

Whatever someone says to us, let us first think of God. No matter how big and strong a man is, he is also one of God’s creatures. We do not need to fear man at all.

Think about how David defeated Goliath. All the men of Israel trembled and were afraid of him, but he was helplessly killed by the young David. It was not by David’s strength that he defeated Goliath. Remember what David said at that time. He did not boast that he was brave and was skilled with a sling, but he said, “You come against me with sword and spear, but I come against you in the name of the L ORD Almighty.” How pleased God must have been when He looked down from heaven on him! Trusting only in God, he threw a stone with his sling at Goliath. It hit Goliath in the forehead. God saw the courage of David who fully relied on God, and directed the stone to hit Goliath.

David spoke so graciously. In the book of Psalms which David wrote, being moved by the Holy Spirit, there are so many beautiful words that show what kinds of words we should say to God and how we should praise and glorify God. We need to speak such faith-filled words.

We ought to speak words of thanks, life-giving words

When we encounter a situation, we may not understand at that moment why that situation occurs, but if we follow the will of God, we can understand it later on. That is why the Bible says, “To obey is better than sacrifice,” and, “Give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Sa 15:22; 1 Th 5:18).

Eph 5:3–4 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

God’s people ought to say words of thanks. When we encounter a difficult situation, we cannot be grateful if we think it is impossible to deal with the situation and give up, based on our own judgments and experiences. Whatever difficulties befall us, we should give thanks. Everything is possible with God, who created all things and governs them. So, when we face a difficult situation, we need to realize there is surely God’s specific will for that situation.

Eph 6:16–20 . . . Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

We also ought to speak words necessary for preaching God’s word and speaking His will. We should not say hurtful words to each other with our own thoughts or opinions, nor should we say boastful words, slandering words or discriminative words to each other. In Zion, we always need to speak gracious words, so we can build up one another in faith.

There were many kinds of people in the early Church as well: those who had good faith, those who were weak in faith and had no discernment, those who would instigate others, and those who were easily instigated. So, there were conflicts among themselves, and factions were created; some of them ended up losing faith and failing to enter heaven. Whenever that happened, the Apostle Paul awakened them spiritually by saying gracious words, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow” (1 Co 3:3–7).

The person who is never at fault in what he says is a perfect man

Let’s take a look at some more verses that show what effect our words have on our salvation.

Jas 3:2–6 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man . . . Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

We need to be careful about what we say, and we also need to discern whether what we hear is from God or not. Which of the people were allowed to enter the land of Canaan, the ten spies who grumbled or Joshua and Caleb who firmly believed in God and spoke words of thanks? Those who entered Canaan were the ones who relied on God and spoke words of thanksgiving. The land of Canaan represents the eternal kingdom of heaven. Through the history of Israel 3,500 years ago, God had already shown what results grumbling words would bring forth and what kind of people would be able to enter the kingdom of heaven.

We can see what result one’s ungracious words will bring forth, through the case of Michal the wife of David.

2 Sa 6:16–23 As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart . . . When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.” And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

David was very happy as the ark of God was entering the City of David, and he danced for joy before God. Michal, David’s wife and Saul’s daughter, saw David leaping and dancing like a child to please God, she despised him in her heart and said, “You were so undignified as king to dance in front of all the people.” Then David said, “I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes.” From that time on God’s grace and David’s favor departed from Michal, and she had no children to the day of her death.

According to our words, according to our faith

Let’s go back to the time of Jesus and see how the religious leaders of that time treated God who came to this earth as a man to save mankind and what they said to Him.

Mt 27:19–26 . . . “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!” “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!” Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

During World War II, the Holocaust took place, where over six million Jews were murdered; it was the worst tragedy in human history. Their sin of crying out, “Crucify him! Let his blood be on us and on our children!” did not disappear, but the time surely came for them to pay for their sin. This was also the result of the words they spoke.

Lk 19:1–9 . . . A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’ ” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.”

Zacchaeus was very happy to have Jesus in his house, and he said that he would give half of his possessions to the poor, and that if he had cheated anybody out of anything, he would pay back four times the amount. Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house.”

Through the words and deeds of the people in the Bible, we can fully understand what kinds of words can lead us to heaven and what kinds of words cannot lead us to salvation. The Bible is a book that teaches and trains the heavenly princes and princesses in righteousness. God has given us His precious word to teach us what kinds of words we should say and what kinds of words we should not say, as well as what kinds of thoughts we should have and what kinds of thoughts we should not have. Shouldn’t we follow this precious teaching of God?

Heb 3:7–19 . . . See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness . . . As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

Those who have no faith cannot give thanks to God for the salvation He has granted them, and they grumble about everything. God separates all those people, so that they cannot enter the eternal rest that He has prepared for His people.

Words are so important. In the court, what a person says is recorded and it becomes a testimony. Since everything the person says is recorded in this earthly court, how much more will our words be recorded in heaven? On the Day of Judgment, God will examine all the words we have used in our lives on earth—whether we have spoken words of thanks or words of complaint. So, Jesus said, “By your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” (Mt 12:36-37).

We respect God’s laws and decrees such as the Passover and the Sabbath and keep them. Likewise, God’s teaching about words is also a command of God, which we must keep. Let us not say anything foolish that can hurt the faith of God’s people, forgetting God, like the ten spies, but let us always say gracious words that help our brothers and sisters build up their faith.

The words we use to preach the gospel are the words we should say. Speak those words as many times as possible. Let us speak words of glory and thanks to God a lot. Like David who always gave thanks, glory and praise to God, humbling himself, let us speak gracious words, as those after God’s own heart, so that we can all attain salvation.