Q3. Sins of the Tongue

[Pastor Ralph]

Q3. (Colossians 3:8) Why are sins of the tongue so easy to slip into? In what ways do they damage us and others? How can we break free of sins of the tongue?

[pickledilly]

These "sins of the tongue" are part of our unregenerate human nature that generally seeks to elevate, excuse, and satisfy self. When unrestrained, they just naturally flow from our debased character. James 3:6 calls the tongue "a fire, a world of unrighteousness…set on fire by hell", and in vs.8b "a restless evil, full of deadly poison".

Speech of this kind reveals the inner heart's condition where these sins smolder, for the inner heart apart from Christ's renewal is wicked and destructive. When we open our mouths to release them through our words, they gain the fuel, the "oxygen" they need to burst into flame. That flame and its sparks begin to set everything around it afire. This causes damage to self and others like an uncontrolled blazing forest fire. The effects of that are felt even by people who don't get burned directly, like the billowing smoke that chokes the air and the blanket of ash that causes problems long after the actual fire is extinguished. These sins of the tongue tear people down, belittle and wound and discourage them, misrepresent the loving grace of God to them, cloud the glory of God, singe the Church Body and the work of the kingdom. Even when He rightfully chastises us, the Father never berates or tears us down. In the context of Ephesians 4:25-32, these sins grieve the Holy Spirit (vs.30). And as followers of Christ, they squelch our personal relationship to our Rabbi (Matthew 23:8,10) and invite His discipline.

It's interesting that Paul instructs that "now you must put them all away". We have a personal responsibility in the taming of the tongue. But like every other unrighteous human characteristic, this can only be done through the power of the Spirit within us. James 3:8a says "no human being can tame the tongue". Psalm 120:2 says we need the LORD's deliverance from lying lips and the deceitful tongue. Any success at breaking free from these sins begins with acknowledging our natural inclination for them to the Father, asking the Spirit for greater discernment of them, and immediately confessing when we commit them. The Holy Spirit is to be a river of living water flowing from our hearts (John 7:38-39). Coursing water and destructive fire can't exist in the same space! He will be our "Firefighter" as He uses the Word of God like a "fire extinguisher" to put out those wicked hidden embers/flames when we know and choose to apply it. The help is certain and available to us, but we have to seek and accept it.

[masika]

Q3. (Colossians 3:8) Why are sins of the tongue so easy to slip into? In what ways do they damage us and others? How can we break free of sins of the tongue?

Sins of the tongue are so easy to slip into because people see them as of less infamy and reproach before men, yet they are of greater guilt in the sight of God.

Sins of the tongue are to be guarded and watched against, as well as sins of the heart; they are most scandalous, they dishonour God, and discredit religion, and wrong our own souls. The sins of the tongue, are little considered, their great guilt not apprehended, but men must account for their open reproaches, secret backbitings, scoffings, derisions, whereby they endeavour to fix an ignominy upon their neighbour; and particularly, the sin of lying here cautioned against, Lie not one to another.

[Elwood C O'Dell]

Many times sins of the tongue are easy to slip into because of the pressure of a situation one might be facing. It also may be due to the fact that for some speech of this nature had become a way of life over the years. It is damaging to us for it defiles or harms our witness for Christ. It takes away from the Christ likeness of one

[iam4-1god]

Q3. (Colossians 3:8) Why are sins of the tongue so easy to slip into? In what ways do they damage us and others? How can we break free of sins of the tongue?

We just don't pay attention to what we are saying, or we don't think that what we are saying is bad. Other people are watching and listening, and they may be hurt by something we say about them or someone they know. We need to be aware of what and who we are talking about! Pay attention not only for those around us, but also so we don't hurt God! Pray and ask the Lord to help us get rid of the desire to gossip, and spread lies about people, or thing s that we have heard.

[Paul H]

Q3. (Colossians 3:8) Why are sins of the tongue so easy to slip into? Because it is all around us. It is considered normal, but that is a lie. It isn't normal, at least as God intended normal to be when He created man in His own image. It is insidious and ultimately destructive

In what ways do they damage us and others? Each individual sin can seem small and insignificant, but it can become like a cancer growing within us and ultimately destroying us and causing grief and misery to those around us. How many times have I said something as an instant reaction to something which has happened, or worse, fired off an e mail or text message to someone without thinking. That kind of thing is what Paul is talking about here. The more we do it without thinking about it, the more normal it seems and so it grows

How can we break free of sins of the tongue? By being guided by the Holy Spirit within us. Everytime we do it we must confess to God and apologize to those around us who have been affected by it. As Pastor Ralph says "after a dozen or several dozen repitions of this process, our vocabulary gets much cleaner". It requires effort on our part, but this is one of the things which God sent His Holy Spirit for to help us and inspire us, and it does work, I have seen it work!

[Debbisu]

Q3. (Colossians 3:8) Why are sins of the tongue so easy to slip into? In what ways do they damage us and others? How can we break free of sins of the tongue?

We slip into sins of the tongue easily because we have emotions we can hardly control. Our sins of the tongue can injure people and poison our relationship with them. We must rid ourselves from this habit, ask for forgiveness and substitute a more appropriate expression.

[Dwayne S]

Q3. (Colossians 3:8) Why are sins of the tongue so easy to slip into?

Sins of the tongue are the behavior of the world; they're around us everyday, we're exposed to them constantly. Like a sponge, we soak them up and exude them out because the unsaved world expect us to. Just as it is easy to alter your speech after being exposed to a dialect or language, exposure to 'sins of the tongue' causes us to slip into that behavior; almost without though. .

In what ways do they damage us and others?

Many of these sins tear people down and tear down relationships; making us (as followers of Christ) appear to be no different than anyone else. This damages our testimony and shows the world that we're not really different; we merely claim to be. Worse still, some of these sins destroy others by spreading things that should remain secret or worse--by telling things that simply are untrue.

How can we break free of sins of the tongue?

Each time we catch ourselves slipping, stop, pray for forgiveness from the Lord, and ask for forgiveness from those who have heard us. After repeating this behavior, we will be less inclined to speak without thinking.

[Marloes]

1.Because we're talking all the time.

2. Once we said something, we can't take it back.

Words can hurt a lot, they can humiliate people, ...

People sometimes say sorry but that doesn't take the negative emotion away.

Not ten compliments errase one calling names.

3. We have to be aware that we have to think about our language.

James 3:1-12 is also about this.

[PATCH]

Q3. (Colossians 3:8) Why are sins of the tongue so easy to slip into? In what ways do they damage us and others? How can we break free of sins of the tongue?

Why are sins of the tongue so easy to slip into? Unrestrained anger causes us to commit sins of the tongue. We sin so easily in this area because we do not exercise self-control. Instead we allow our emotions to control us. Also, we do not try hard enough to stop these bad habits. We think since we are not harming/killing someone physically it is a lesser sin but it is not.

In what ways do they damage us and others? They damage us because these sins fill us with more filth and draw us further away from God because He is holy. We are actually commiting murder when we slander and gossip. We hurt others because certain words we use can be damaging, hurtful and worse, we can't take all those words back even if we want to. Trust can be broken and relationships torn apart because of such sins.

How can we break free of sins of the tongue? We actually have to make an effort to stop sinning in these ways. We have to ask the Holy Spirit to help us. When we actually do slip and sin, we cannot just let it pass as if it does not matter. We have to stop and ask God to forgive us and help us not to do it again. God is faithful - He will help us.

[hanks]

Q3. (Colossians 3:8)

Why are sins of the tongue so easy to slip into?

In what ways do they damage us and others?

How can we break free of sins of the tongue?

It is so easy to say things which we later regret having said, but then it is too late, it cannot be taken back, the damage has already been done. James Chapter 3 has a lot to say about the damage our tongue can do. He characterizes the tongue as an unruly evil, able to spit out poisonous venom, a drop or two of which could be fatal. Poisoning minds and assassinating characters. It can not only dishonour our Lord, but also pollute our own life. We all know how easy it is to gossip about others. How often we have engaged in mudslinging in order to get even for supposed wrongs. How often for no reason at all we have belittled others, criticized them, downgraded them. We will never know the harm done, or even the misery it has brought, not only to others but also to ourselves. The price we have to pay for the undisciplined use of our tongue is enormous. It is inconsistent to use the tongue for both good and evil purposes. One minute we bless God with our tongue, the next we curse those who are made in the image of God. To break free from this evil we must pray daily that the Lord will help us control our tongues, to help us think before we speak. All that we say should be subject to the threefold test: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? Constantly we should ask the Lord to set a watch before our lips (Psalm 141:3), and pray that the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts might be acceptable in the sight of Him who is our strength and Redeemer (Psalm 19:14).

[beeting]

Why are sins of the tongue so easy to slip into?

As we know the tongue is like a spark of fire that can burn the forest. that what is written in James 3:5 So also, the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. and if we didn't control it will cause use sins.

In what ways do they damage us and others?

Tongue can damage a relationship, our own self, people we love and also will bring harm to body of Christ too.

How can we break free of sins of the tongue?

We need to depend God to break free. we need to use God word and also as what pastor Ralph says When we slip into our old vocabulary, we stop, ask forgiveness of God and any who may have heard us, and then substitute a more appropriate expression. After a dozen or several dozen repetitions of this process, our vocabulary gets much cleaner. Oh, we may slip occasionally, but it will no longer be our normal manner of expression. yup this is how we can break free.

[alexandria]

Q3. (Colossians 3:8) Why are sins of the tongue so easy to slip into? In what ways do they damage us and others? How can we break free of sins of the tongue?

sins of the tongue are so easy to slip into because our mouth is our way to communicate with others and how we communicate with others is sometimes what gets us into trouble with god. when we speak we should always think first of what we are going to say and how we will say it but most times we speak before we think and what we say can either build up or tear down a persons confidence etc. the tongue can be used as a vicious weapon or as a loving object. we tend to gossip and say things, sometimes unintentionally as we get caught up in it when we are with others who tend to gossip or say bad things. the gossip tends to spread and before we know it someone has been terribly hurt or damaged because of it. this can destroy friendships and relationships in families if it is not controlled.

to break free of the sins of the tongue we must try to change the subject when others tend to draw you into gossip or other wrong speaking, try to not make any comments if someone insists on doing so and most of all keep god foremost in your mind and thoughts so as not to be drawn into bad conversations and do not rush into saying something before thinking it out first.

[Lion of Grace]

Sins of the tongue are so easy to slip into because they really are revealing the condition of our hearts. We can ignore this and continue on....or we can see our true intentions and pray and seek change. Often times, instead of being honest with ourselves and confessing the sin in our hearts that is coming forward in what we are "saying" we try to justify our opinions and stay in the sin or the stinking thinking that is spewing forth in words.

They damage us and others by encouraging ourselves to stay in deceptions of our own personal perceptions and in our sins. We can always find another person to "just believe" anything they hear and to jump on a detrimental band wagon. We damage others by hurting them, breaking trust, or even by slandering another person and ruining their good reputation or even contributing to what can and has become the total exclusion of another by many because our words spread and become so damaging.

We can break free by prayer and asking for conviction in areas we are unsure of. We can ask that the condition of our hearts be revealed to us. I know many times, simply seeing, then bringing in sorrow to God what I've discovered about myself heals me of it. We can ask God for wisdom and understanding so we can live more fully like Him and we can set our minds on good things about another or situation instead of entering into the "bad" of it all. Like, when we hear of some kind of gossip, we can say, "Oh I know so and so! I can't believe that's what they were doing or saying. We should be careful that we are not adding to gossip!" And, I've found that when I feel offended, the best thing to do is ask the other person what they actually meant in their heart and have an honest conversation with them. That's much better than going and complaining to anyone else....because 9 times out of 10 I've found my OWN perceptions were involved in the offense and there was no need for any offense or spreading anything untrue to others.

[Vincent Paul DiMino]

Q3. (Colossians 3:8) Why are sins of the tongue so easy to slip into? In what ways do they damage us and others? How can we break free of sins of the tongue?

With the same tongue, we praise God,we curse man (mostly ourselves).It's the easy way out: misdirection.Can we really protect a person who is seeking to destroy their own being, with a lie (?): "I don't have any money." (when they want to gamble,drink,or ?),I can't give you a ride (to the place where they buy their dope,or meet with their fellow gang members,or,whatever it is that we believe would hurt the person more than us lying to them);BUT,a lie is a sin.Can we fight sin with sin ?...or worse,conceal sin with sin,prevent a person from the sin of judging another, by lying, concealing the Truth,to keep them from judging.Even when our "purpose" seems good to us,it's a lie.When found out,it nullifies any good we have spoken.Only constant vigilance,prayer,and even intercession by our friends,and determination to face evil head on, can save us from our tongues.I have not mastered this,yet,but with the Lord's help,it can be done.

[bower]

Q3. (Colossians 3:8) Why are sins of the tongue so easy to slip into? In what ways do they damage us and others? How can we break free of sins of the tongue?

My tongue lies every day. Even when someone says How are you? or I ask without sincerity. Only God can give us the power to bridle this - It is an awful sin as the margin of white lie to outright lie is so flexible. We can only pray and watch with vigilance.

[stephanie123]

We allow our emotions to speak for us and not our mind(the one that we should have in Christ). Words that are spoken out cannot be taken back you can really hurt someone with your words. People have been church hurt because of words. We can try to think before we speak. And if we say something hurtful or out of anger we should repent to that person and to God.

[DrD]

Sins of the tongue are easy to slip into when we allow those who talk in that manner to influence us - when we allow them to conyinually talk that way in our midst without anhy attempt to help them see that such is a sin. we are able to break free from these sins of the tongue when we ask God for forgiveness and purpose to do differently. . .

[Stan]

Q3. (Colossians 3:8) Why are sins of the tongue so easy to slip into? In what ways do they damage us and others? How can we break free of sins of the tongue?

They get into our heads and come out without our thinking about it. Hearing bad language all the time seems to grow whether we want it to or not. We find it easy to be lured into foul language but difficult to stop once we start using it. The worst times are when anger comes on us and we lose control the words seem to find their way out with out warning. If we try and stay away from as much as we can we may be able to keep it from affecting us, if we put enough of the word into our vocabulary then they can be there in our times of need. Psalms 119 says I have written your word on my heart so I will not sin against you, to me this means putting it into memory so that it comes out instead of the wrong words.

[RodR]

Q3. (Colossians 3:8) Why are sins of the tongue so easy to slip into? In what ways do they damage us and others? How can we break free of sins of the tongue?

James reminds us, anyone who considers himself religious should "keep a tight rein on his tongue." (Jam 1:26) He also says, "no man can tame the tongue." (Jam 3:8) I think it's easy to slip into sins of the tongue when we try to rein it in by our own power. Only Jesus can change our hearts and Jesus Himself told us that the mouth speaks "out of the overflow of the heart." Luke 6:45)

Sins of the tongue damage our witness for God and they often do permanent damage to others.

The only defense against sins of the tongue is a heart filled with Christ and submission to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

[Seeking His Face]

Q3. (Colossians 3:8) Why are sins of the tongue so easy to slip into? In what ways do they damage us and others? How can we break free of sins of the tongue?

It may be a remnant of our old life before Christ. Idle gossip and slander are worse than bad language if that's possible because we are killing others with our conversation. While it makes us not a very good representative of Christ, it is causing terrible damage to the recipient. Renew your mind by reading and meditating on the word of God. Repent and ask forgiveness when you fall short. Apologize to whomever you've offended and think before you speak . Over time we should get much better as we mature in Christ, since He is the one who reigns in us now. FYI you died when you accepted Him as Savior and Lord, so how you feel or what you think doesn't really matter anymore. Christ will take up your defense if necessary.

[charisbarak]

Sins of the tongue are easy to fall into. Much of what we say is not thought about first. Like children, we pick up on language that we hear all the time. They damage us because they stain us--it's a sin. It damages others by what we say or who we say it to. Words can, like a sword, stab others in their hearts and they are not easy to erase. It takes work to free us of the sins of the tongue--and the work of the Holy Spirit who we allow to work in our lives.

Just a thought: If we have right thinking--as in the previous question, then we are less likely to commit sins of the tongue. The tongue can be a reflection of our hearts.....

[haar]

We easily slip into the sin of the tongue very easy especially when we are angry. When this happens, we offend God and the one we are angry with.

We can tame our tongues by sbmitting to the control of the Holy Spirit and also making concious efforts to control our selves (tongue)

[Foofee's Nana]

Why are sins of the tongue so easy to slip into?

Our anger or hurt leads us to talk in ways that are not grounded in the spirit of Christ. We let our emotions take over rather than standing on the word.

In what ways do they damage us and others?

Our words can damage others of we gossip about them, if we tell things that are not quite the truth because we want to make ourselves look better. All of this breaks trust.

How can we break free of sins of the tongue?

We need to stay in prayer and ask God to cleanse our old habits, whether it be cursing, bad talk with sexual overtones, or just using our tongue and words to hurt others because we are selfish or unkind. We need to see Christ reflected in us.

[taray]

Q3. (Colossians 3:8) Why are sins of the tongue so easy to slip into? In what ways do they damage us and others? How can we break free of sins of the tongue?

Because they are "merely words", we may think that a bad language once in a while may not be much of a big deal. But remember what Jesus said, "What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.'" Words have weight. Afterall, "in the beginning was the Word." The Word was the source of creation. God said, "Let there be light." And there was light. Words are powerful. As we speak, so we become. So if we have the Spirit of Christ in us, we will not take our own words in vain. Let us all speak consciously, as we think, and never with false or bad words defile our heart or betray the Spirit. If we realize the weightiness of words, we will break free of sins of the tongue. Only when we recognize them for what they are - sins - then we can break free from them, with the help of the Holy Spirit.