Our Hearts Have Lips
Carrying Faith Forward
November 4, 2018
Rev. Gabe Sylvia
Using Matthew 12, the sermon warns Christians to carefully steward their speech because words reveal the heart, will be accounted for at the final judgment, and affect both salvation’s evidence and heavenly rewards.
Summary
In a time when words travel faster and more freely than ever, the sermon from Matthew 12 calls believers to steward their speech: our words expose whose we are, reflect the condition of our hearts, and will be judged. Good, God‑honoring words flow from a transformed heart and align with God’s character, while harmful words reveal evil and must be judged by Scripture. Salvation by grace through faith transforms bad fruit into good fruit, but our speech still matters now—both as evidence of our faith and as something that will increase or decrease our rewards in heaven. The church is the proving ground for faithful speech, and we are urged to speak words of grace and truth like our Lord.
Key Points
- We live in a precarious era for language where online disinhibition makes careless speech easy.
- Stewardship of words: our speech reveals whose we are and prepares us for judgment.
- Matthew 12 teaches that words reflect character: good words match God’s nature; bad words do not.
- Words come from the heart—godly hearts produce good speech; evil hearts produce bad speech.
- Believers bear fruit (both good and imperfect); perfect speech awaits glorified bodies.
- Scripture alone defines what is good speech; the Church is the testing ground for our language.
- Every careless word will be accounted for on the day of judgment, leading to justification or condemnation.
- Conversion by grace through faith transforms us from a 'bad tree' to a 'good tree'; the time to respond is now.
- Our words affect heavenly rewards—speech can increase or decrease what we receive in heaven.
- Prayerful aim: to speak as Jesus spoke, with words of grace and truth for God's glory.
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