1. What did James say? (James 3:6–8) – “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”

There we have it. Only God can tame the terrible tongue. Do you say things without thinking about what you are saying? The world says, “Speak your mind”! But God says, “Guard your mouth”!

In fact, again James writes, “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” (James 1:26)

2. What did Solomon say? (Proverbs 18:21) – “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”

3. What did Paul say? (Ephesians 4:29) – “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.”

4. What did Jesus say? (Matthew 15:16–20) – “Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.”

Wow! Our Lord cut through the hypocrisy and got down to the nitty gritty!!