Pastoral Letter 11 Sep 2022

My dear readers,


Do You Have a Rich Tongue?

Proverbs 10:20: “The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.”

We are more familiar with the dangers of the tongue than the goodness that the tongue can bring. Proverbs 10:20 highlights this truth about the goodness of the tongue. It is a strong organ that can bring great riches to others when used rightly. God compared the “tongue of the just” with “choice silver”, i.e. silver that many would choose for themselves. Silver is a rare and shiny material that is very beautiful, desirable and precious. This is a very apt description of the tongue of the just. In fact, the literal translation points to an emphasis on “choice silver”. The literal translation is, “Choice silver is the tongue of the just: the heart of the wicked is little worth.”

Who is “the just” who possesses such a tongue? He is a rich man indeed by God's standard which is the only standard that matters!

All men are born sinners. There is none righteous, no not one! That is why every man will die in sin. Romans 5:12-14: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: . . . Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.” Thanks be to God! He loved us so much while we were yet sinners that He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to live, suffer and die on the cross for our sins. God accepted Christ’s sacrifice to wash away all our sins by raising Him from the dead on the third day after He died. All who truly believe in Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour will be saved.

Romans 10:9-11: “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. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” These have been made righteous, i.e. just in Christ! All their sins have been forgiven by God and washed away by the blood of Christ! Romans 5:18-19: “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”

Therefore, a “just” man is a born-again believer! He is the only one who has a just tongue! All unbelievers, as sinners, do not have a just tongue.

In what way is the tongue of the just as “choice silver”? With all the words or wisdom of man before us, why would the tongue of the just be the first choice like “choice silver”, or best of the best silver? The just has been blessed with the mind of Christ to understand the Word of God. This understanding is made possible not only through the mind of Christ but the Holy Spirit who dwells in him, helping him. He illuminates his mind. The Spirit also convicts his heart so that the Word of God is not only understood but obeyed willingly and cheerfully. Now that the Word of God has transformed the heart and mind of the child of God, the words that flow from his lips are the words of God. These words carry with them the very wisdom of God. The wisdom of God provides the believer the ability to see through the guile and deceptions of the god of this world. The believer has a discernment that is from heaven. He sees the world with the eyes of God. He evaluates the people he meets and circumstances of life as if God is living in his midst. All who see him and interact with him feel as if they are interacting with someone from another world! His ethics and morality have a heavenly flavour rooted in righteousness. Sinners who come into contact with him will find salvation grace, and experience in their lives the love of God in Christ. Other believers will be encouraged and strengthened in their faith as they see in him the power of God that they can also experience.

But the sinner is the opposite of him. The sinner is wicked. God did not say that his tongue is wicked but his heart is! The heart is the root or source of what the tongue speaks. The words that flow out of the mouth reveal the wicked heart that is within! The key to changing the words of sinners is not in just keeping the mouth shut. That creates its own problems. Not to speak up when one is supposed to is a sin of either cowardice or dereliction of duty. To speak foolishly is no better. It might even be considered as worse because many words can result in many errors. We have seen time and time again that when careless words were spoken or written and posted on the internet, lives have been ruined and reputations destroyed irreparably, no matter how the persons who said them might regret it and apologise. Once the damage is done it remains done! It is important that everyone guards the words that come out of his mouth! God’s Word says here that the heart is the problem.

When the heart is made good then the words will in turn be good. For example, when the heart is filled with greed, the words of the person will be self-seeking. He will use words to manipulate the people around him. He will flatter the right people who will benefit him personally. If he desires a promotion, he will flatter the CEO who can give it to him. Those who threaten his goal will be silenced or cast aside. His words become deadly and destructive to the ones who stand in his way. If his heart is filled with hatred for someone then he will say things to assassinate his character, or destroy his work or ministry when applied to the church. Slandering is a weapon often used in churches to ruin lives. Thus, the Lord calls it an abomination in His holy sight. Proverbs 6:15-19: “Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy. These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” The damage that sinful words can do is so deadly that God helps us focus on the source, which is the heart!

Conclusion – If we are truly born again in Christ then we have a new heart in Christ. This means that our words must be seasoned with salt, i.e. help to bring godly flavours into people’s lives and prevent decay, i.e. to build up the faith. This we can do only through the Word of God. Our mouth must bring forth words of life like the wells of living water that flow from within our hearts that have been washed by the blood of Christ. However, if we speak lies and words that hurt, kill and destroy, then we need to examine our hearts. What kind of heart do we have? For every believer has a holy heart because he has a rich tongue like “choice silver”!



Yours faithfully in the Saviour’s Service,
Rev Dr Quek Suan Yew
Advisory Pastor


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