39 Question 4

Let’s begin by reading Matthew 12:34-37, “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”  Our words are so important.  Our words expose our hearts.  What is in our hearts will eventually make its way to our lips. There is an old saying, “What is in the well will be in the bucket.”  The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 15:11, “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.”  We can see that our words are not the main issue.  The main issue is what is in the heart.  An evil, or unsaved man, will speak evil things because that is what is in his heart.

I want to make it clear that true believers on the Lord Jesus Christ will never come into condemnation.  All our sins were paid for by the Lord Jesus Christ when He shed His precious blood on Calvary’s tree to pay our sin debt.  1 Peter 1:18-21 tells us, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”  So, having our sins completely paid for, and being completely redeemed, we read in Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.”  2 Corinthians 5:21 teaches us that, “He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”  Let’s stop for a moment and consider these wonderful truths.  We have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, we will never be condemned by God, and we have been made the righteousness of God in Him, our blessed Lord Jesus Christ.  I’m reminded of the words to the old hymn that says, “How good is the God we adore!”

Who is it, then, that will give account for every idle word?  In Matthew 12:34, we read that the Lord addressed His remarks to those that He called a “generation of vipers.”  He was speaking to unsaved people.  It’s in the Day of Judgment that those who have rejected the Lord Jesus as their savior will stand before God to answer for their rebellion.  Let’s read of that account in Revelation 20:11-15, “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

We who know the Lord Jesus Christ as our savior have had our sins paid for as we read in 1 John 1:7, “…the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”  Those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ will stand before God guilty and will receive judgment for all their works, including every idle word they have ever said.  Nothing will escape the eye of God.  These people are not judged because they have sinned.  We have all sinned.  No, they are judged because they have refused the Lord Jesus as their savior, and as such, are still in their sins.  Every sin ever committed has to be judged.  Either we can accept the free gift of salvation and allow the Lord Jesus to pay for our sins, or we will pay for them ourselves with an eternity in the Lake of Fire.  Is your name in the book of life?  Have you bowed your knee and put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation?  Romans 10:9-10 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”  When we believe, or put our faith in, the Lord Jesus Christ, we become the sons and daughters of God and will never face the judgment of God.  As John 5:24 tells us, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”    2 Corinthians 5:20 says, “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”