What Are Words?

For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Matthew 12:37

“Word” - a unit of language, consisting of one or more spoken sounds or their written representation, which functions as a principal carrier of meaning - Dictionary.com

Words are tools used to communicate, educate, enlighten, direct, divulge, express, explain, share, reveal, persuade, etc.  Every word we speak is a container. It is filled with “something”.  Our words can be filled with love, joy, happiness and blessing or they can be filled with sarcasm, unbelief, all kinds of negativity, and even hate.

What Does God say about the words?

1.    Words can bring healing.

Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of
the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18

2.    Words can bring death or life.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue:
and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Proverbs 18:21

3.    Words can bring satisfaction.

A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth
and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. Proverbs 18:20

The Power of Words

Just a casual look at how words affect our world brings an awareness of how important they are.

·      Words created the physical world. God said ... and it was so. Genesis 1 - Creation was an act of speech. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. Hebrews 11:3

·      Words controlled the world. Man's ability to speak and reason gave superiority to his creation.  Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. Genesis 2:19

·      Words condemned the world. It all began with lies. Satan's lies, Eve's lie... But from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, "You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die." The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die!” Genesis 3:3-4  

Our lies condemn us. It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man. Matthew 15:11

·      Words can save the world. ...that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Romans 10:9-10
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 1 Corinthians 1:21

·      Words bring about God’s purpose and plan.  Isaiah 55:10-11 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

There are many warnings and illustrations in the Bible about the power of the tongue.  Even though it is small, it could be the most powerful part of your body.

Scripture to Claim:

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.  Proverbs 16:24