Pastoral Letter 15 Aug 2021

My dear readers,


Are Your Lips Righteous?

Proverbs 16:13: “Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right.”

Words can kill or build up others. There is no end of examples of men, women and children regretting the words that came out of their careless lips. It is impossible for sinful man to control his tongue.

James 3:2-12:

v2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

v3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

v4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.

v5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

v6 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.

v7 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:

v8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

v9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.

v10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

v11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

v12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

Yet God says that His children have been given the ability to speak right (Prov 16:13).

Because of pride-filled words, lives were ruined. Jobs were lost. Companies lost millions of dollars’ worth of contracts. Nations even went to war. Once words are spoken, they cannot be taken back. Man can regret saying them, but once they are heard the consequence remains. With today’s hand-phones, emails, and internet platforms where millions post their lives for the world to read and see, it is incumbent upon all believers to be extra careful that what they say or write or post does not dishonour the Lord Jesus Christ. One touch of the phone on group chats and all kinds of large media platforms can send off messages to a large number of people that can impact for good as well as evil. The Book of Proverbs is a timely reminder to all believers that they need to have righteous lips.

Literal translation of Proverbs 16:13: “The delight of kings are righteous lips and the one who speaks straight, they love.” To speak with righteous lips means speaking with a right motive of love for Christ and His holy Word. The believer speaks truth according to Scriptures. He speaks the truth in all things as well. He is a truthful person.

Righteous lips originate from God. Sinful man is not born with righteous lips. He is born with unrighteous lips. The reason is that he is born in sin; from the time of his conception, he is already a sinner. It is not possible to be conceived in sin and then be born righteous. Righteous lips stem from a righteous heart. What comes out of our lips or mouths reveals the kind of heart we have. 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.”

Righteous heart produces righteous lips. Since a righteous heart is given to believers by Christ at the point of salvation, therefore every believer is blessed with righteous lips. It is one of the clear evidences of salvation. He now speaks righteously, i.e. all things he speaks will be righteous and will help others who are listening to be righteous too. That is why Proverbs 16:13 says that these lips are a delight to kings. Kings rule countries. Millions of their subjects depend on them to make right decisions and judgments. When kings have righteous counsellors who speak righteously instead of being “yes men” to them, these kings will rule well. The people will be blessed. Evil men will be rightly punished. Righteous men will be protected. Corruption and wickedness will be dealt with judiciously. The princes and other leaders who assist the king will do rightly as well; or else they will be punished by the righteous king. The nation will be godly in Christ, and only Israel could be such a nation as she alone had the Word of God to do rightly.

These righteous deeds are measured according to God’s holy Word. The civil and religious laws were given to produce a righteous nation in Israel. Not all in Israel were believers but with righteous laws, they could also behave in a righteous manner, at least outwardly. For example, the punishment was the death penalty to whoever broke the Sabbath day law by doing business. Those who were believers would obey regardless of the law and were more than pleased when such a law was passed by the righteous king. However, unbelievers who desired to open their business could not do so by law from the king. They would obey outwardly which would also result in a godly witness to the Gentile nations.

This is also true of every believer and church today. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings, delights in His servants who have righteous lips. We speak the truth according to Scriptures to be a blessing to all around us because we reflect the presence of the righteous Saviour who is still able to save and help those who are weak. These will be loved by those who love righteousness. They will be hated by those who hate righteousness, but will be loved by the King of kings. Is that not all that matters in eternity? Let righteous lips characterise our lives so that we may be loved by our King Jesus Christ!



Yours faithfully in the Saviour’s Service,

Rev Dr Quek Suan Yew
Advisory Pastor


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