33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
29 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.
3 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. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.
7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
11 Command and teach these things. 12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.
6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
3 Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.
“Sometimes faithfulness sounds like silence. As Paul’s fellow apostle James writes, ‘Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger’ (James1:19). Men who speak well are consistently slow to speak, especially in situations where most people would rush to say something.” Marshall Segal
“To be like Jesus is to be sanctified — set apart for God’s holy use — in the truth of God’s word (John 17:17), which becomes our word (John 17:20). The most Christlike people have ‘the word of Christ’ dwelling in them richly (Colossians 3:16), and they speak what should be said, and refrain from speaking what should not be said (Ephesians 4:29). The most Christlike people seek God’s glory more than anything else, and this pursuit is what governs what they say. The glory we seek has a great deal to do with what we choose to say or not say. When our primary pursuit is our own glory, we will hardly ever say anything that might endanger it. What others think of us will dictate our words (John 5:44). We will speak like everyone else speaks for the reasons everyone else speaks. What frees our tongues for God is what freed Jesus’s tongue for God. He sought the Father’s glory and trusted the Father to glorify him. If our tongue is tied, it very well could be that we value our glory above God’s. One of the great freedoms for which ‘Christ has set us free’ (Galatians 5:1) is the freedom from the tyranny of pursuing our own glory. True freedom is pursuing God’s glory and trusting the Father, like Jesus did, to glorify us in the most satisfying ways at the proper time.” Jon Bloom
“Do not say I am too anything (young, poor, old, sick)… Because your life is rooted in the unshakable, sovereign purposes of God. You have been chosen and consecrated and formed and appointed for a great purpose. Because God’s authority, not your own, is behind your serving and your speaking. And because God Himself will be with you to deliver you in all your trials.” John Piper
“Watching believers suffer and die well changes a world that lives to avoid suffering. There’s nothing unusual about Christians who are happy in prosperity. That’s natural. Even expected. But joy in suffering is supernatural. The world takes notice. Like Moses and the burning bush, they step aside to see why we are not destroyed. It is in our darkest moments, hottest fires, and deepest pain that we have the greatest opportunity to share the gospel; people want to know the reason for our hope. If we don’t speak, how will people know that our strength and help come from the Lord? They may otherwise attribute our joyful attitude to our own fortitude, the power of positive thinking, or even an unwillingness to face reality. We need to tell them that it is Christ who has changed us, so they will know that this resilient joy can be theirs as well. Don’t waste your suffering. It is far too valuable. God is using it in a thousand ways you will never see or know, but one way is to advance the gospel. Tell people about the hope in you, how God has met you, why your faith has made a difference in your trials. It is the most powerful witness you have.” Vaneetha Risner
“Our weariness, our grumbling, and our complaining grows as we seek to be faithful to God’s ways in our own strength and not in the power of the Holy Spirit. Nothing eternal is ever done in the flesh – all done in the flesh will be found wanting – it is only through the Spirit that eternal works are accomplished. When working in our own power we simply wear ourselves out going nowhere fast.” BHY
“Speak to the suffering, and you will never lack an audience.” Joseph Parker
“Only speak words that make souls stronger.” Ann Voskamp
“To speak as Christians, we speak of sin and salvation. We speak of a destiny fulfilled only in Christ. And we remind ourselves of our calling to real, tangible, sacrificial acts of love and good works that bring glory to our Father.” David Mathis
“Your life is rooted in the unshakable, sovereign purposes of God. You have been chosen and consecrated and formed and appointed for a great purpose. God’s authority, not your own, is behind your serving and your speaking. God himself will be with you to deliver you in all your trials.” John Piper
“Men who speak well in the world are men who first listen well to God in his word.” Marshall Segal
“Our words and works are always an overflow of what is in our hearts and thoughts. If you desire right speech and actions, work on your heart and mind.” BHY