The power in your words

Words – the Key to a Better Life

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit" (Proverbs 18:21)

Is there really power in your words?

According to the Scriptures, the tongue has a power. Notice it says here, "the power of the tongue". Its obvious that the power referred to here is not the physical power of the tongue as a muscle, but the power of the words it produces. I've never heard of the word "tongue" used in relation to God Himself. Its a word used of human speech. So we can see that the Word of God is saying that our speech is tremendously important, powerful and significant. So much so that our words are a matter of life and death. Perhaps this is why Jesus declared, "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment." (Matthew 12:36). "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:37). These declarations of Jesus Christ should cause us to sit up and take notice, and consider very carefully what kind of words are coming out of our mouths and why.

What is the nature of the power in our words?

Its obvious that words have great power even at what we might call the natural level. This is especially true of those who have been granted more natural authority in the various domains of life. If your boss instructs you with words to do a certain task, you had better do it, or you will not last long in your job. If the umpire makes a call in a game of sport, it is binding. When a judge speaks in court, it can have consequences that value in the millions of dollars. You see the tremendous power that even the natural words. And King Solomon remarked, "Where the word of a king is, there is power, and who can say to him, 'What are you doing?'" (Ecclesiastes 8:4).

The above are examples in the natural realm. Yet as human beings, we are spirits, and our words and actions resonate in the spiritual realm also. Many of the Bible principles apply equally well in the realm of spirit as they do in the natural and soulish realms – which are the ones with which most people are familiar.

Some conservative Bible teachers, who are afraid of excesses which deny the Sovereignty of God, want to downplay the actual power that our words have in the spiritual realm. In doing so, they unwittingly emasculate Christianity of much of its power. Things are usually not so clear cut as a traditional theological system would make them out to be. And I want to emphasize one point. If our theologies have not equipped us to do the works of God as Jesus did, they are to the same extent defective. Let us never forget that we are supposed to model our lives on Jesus. We are supposed to be "Christlike". Not only in character and attitude, but also in divine power, since, as Jesus said, "You shall receive power after the Holy Spirit comes upon you" and "He who believes in me, the works that I do shall he do also" (John 14:12). We would do well to throw off the shackles of theological systems which in effect deny these promises, since they are in fact coming against the plain declarations of the One we call "Teacher" and "Lord". If a theological system cannot produce people who actually believe in such a way as to get Jesus-kind of results, then it is the theological system which is at fault, as well as the fault of those who persist in teaching these theologies.

Jesus said, "For assuredly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, HE WILL HAVE WHATEVER HE SAYS." (Mark 11:23).

What are the conservative theologians of our day going to do with this Scripture? Do they believe it? What qualifications would they wish to add to the words of Jesus here? What excuses would they propose for their own powerlessness. According to Jesus, it is a matter of BELIEVING, SAYING and NOT DOUBTING. You may say in your heart, "I don't believe that." That's right, and that explains why it doesn't work for you either.

Now faith is a growing thing, and we can't just decide to believe whatever we want to. Believing is not simply a question of a decision of the will, and and action of the mind. Paul said, "With the heart man believes." (Romans 10:10). Now again, conservative theologians have attempted to muddy the waters on this point, by saying things like, "If you do a careful study of the Bible, you will see that there is really no difference between mind and heart. The Bible views man as a unity. Thus 'mind' and 'heart' are synonomous." But this is totally false. There are plenty of people who "believe" with their mind while their hearts are full of doubts, and they often don't get the things they are hoping and praying for. This universal fact is too plain to be contested. What then of the words of Jesus concerning the power of faith and words spoken in fa

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