We’ve started a new year of 2025. A new year brings the mindset and the opportunity of a fresh start, a new beginning, new visions, or progress in an ongoing vision, new goals and objectives, etc. In our limited human minds, our soulish realm, we see it as hope, another chance to do it right, the ability to wipe the slate clean and start over.
So, how do we, as Believers, use this new year to our advantage? We spoke a few weeks ago about having a vision, which we seek from God, for every area of our life. When God gives us the vision, or visions, we are to write it down according to Habakkuk 2. And we are to write verses, from The Scriptures, that support the vision or visions. Once we’ve written the vision and the verses, what are we to do next? We’ll talk more about this next step. But first, let’s look at what can hinder our ability to do this.
In the Jewish culture, there is a concept called, “the evil tongue” or “the evil speech” that is taught to a Jewish person from their youth and up. And you will be surprised at what is considered an “evil tongue” or “evil speech.” An “evil tongue” is when you say something about someone that is true. Hmmmm. This doesn’t sound very evil so far, does it? But let’s look at the second part of the definition. An evil tongue is when you say something about someone that is true, but it causes harm to the person. This is considered “forbidden speech” by Jewish law.
Ok, let’s look at an example. Someone gets a traffic ticket for a driving infraction which is breaking the law. We tell other people about the ticket and say they must be bad drivers. While this may be true, the speech or tongue does harm to the person, to their reputation, to their body (fear, worry, anger, etc. when they discover what is being said), to their family, to their business, etc. This is considered a significant sin in the Jewish culture.
As I studied this in The Scriptures, The Holy Spirit told me this Jewish law also applies to us today as Believers. The Holy Spirit said it is not Jewish, but it is a Kingdom of God Spiritual Law for Believers, and it is tied to the three foundational Kingdom laws of The Seed, Sowing and Reaping, and the Manifold Return. When we use “the evil speech” against others, we violate The Scriptures that speak to the one who breaks the hedge will be bitten by the serpent, the one that digs the pit will fall in, or the one that uses the sword will fall upon it. I don’t know about you, but I remember my mother telling me, “If you don’t have anything good to say about others, don’t say anything at all.” This is yet another secular expression with its roots in The Word of God.
Now, let’s look at ourselves. What is an “evil tongue” or “evil speech” concerning us? When we were saved, we were translated into The Kingdom of Jesus Christ, which He called The Kingdom of God. Upon translation, we became ambassadors sent from Heaven to represent King Jesus and Father God in this earth. An ambassador, in their duties, represents their nation or kingdom, in thought, word, and deed. Everything they do is to reflect the will of their king or president. This means their thoughts, their words, and their deeds must align with the thoughts, words, and deeds of their king or president.
We, as Believers, are to represent Jesus Christ and our Father God in our thoughts, words, and deeds. Where do we learn what of God’s thoughts, Words, and deeds we are to represent? Sure, from The Scriptures. The Scriptures are the will of God. There is nothing not covered in The Scriptures that God desires for us, as ambassadors, to think, say, or do in this earth. Now, how does the “evil tongue” impact our duties as an ambassador? Let’s look at I John 4:17.
I John 4:17
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He [Jesus] is, so are we in this world.
Before we investigate this verse, let’s take the “evil tongue” one step further. Is taking The Name of God, or of Jesus, in vain, a sin? Yes, and we see this in Exodus 20:7.
Exodus 20:7
Thou shalt not take The Name of The LORD thy God in vain; for The LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh His Name in vain.
Now, when growing up, and in church all my life, I was taught “taking The Name of God in vain” was to use profanity with God’s name. This is true. However, it is only one part of what constitutes taking The Name of God in vain.
Let’s look at what “vain” means. Vain = “Gaiety of mind; want of seriousness; disposition to trifle.”
In essence, when The Scriptures speak of “vain,” they are referring to the fact we don’t take God’s Word seriously, that we don’t apply reverence to God’s Word, that we don’t trust in God’s Word, that we are disposed to consider it trifle, or of less importance that the word of the world. Ouch!
Now knowing what is truly considered “vain,” let’s go back to I John 4:17. Notice in I John 4:17(b), The Scripture states, “because as He [Jesus] is, so are we in this world.” “As Jesus is, so are we IN THIS WORLD.” Let’s briefly investigate how Jesus “is” according to The Scriptures. What follows is not all inclusive. However, it is enough for us to grasp Who we are in Christ Jesus, today, in this earth:
- Sits at the right hand of the power of God
- All power given unto Him in Heaven and in the earth
- Upholds all things by The Word of His power
- Seated far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
- All things put under His feet
- Power over all flesh
- Received power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing
We, as Believers, raised in Christ Jesus, sitting in Christ Jesus, are just as Jesus is at this very moment. We are everything I just listed and more. This was just a brief list.
Knowing now “how Jesus is” and “how we are in this world,” let’s look back at the “evil tongue” and “taking The Name of the Lord God in vain.” Remember, the “evil tongue” or “evil speech” is forbidden speech in the Jewish culture.
If Jesus is in us, and we are in Jesus, we cannot say:
- I am sick
- I am depressed
- I am anxious
- I am struggling
- I am broke
- I am fearful
- I am doubtful
- I am hopeful
- I am not smart
- I am too old
- I am not able to memorize
- I am filled with unbelief
- I am not able to get ahead
- I am seen as inferior or less than
- I am scared
- I am not adequate
- I am weak
- I am not able
Anytime we say we are something other than how God The Father, and Jesus The Son, see us, we are taking the Lord’s Name in vain. Why? Because we are tying God’s Name, I AM, to a false condition, to something that is NOT TRUE.
God, The Father, is known to us as, “The Great I AM THAT I AM.” This translates, in Hebrew, to “I WILL BE WHAT I WLL BE.” God will be what we need Him to be for us. He is our El Shaddai. What does this mean? El Shaddai translates to, “God The Almighty Who is All Sufficient.” This means God is everything we need, and we don’t need anyone or anything else for our sufficiency in all areas of our life.
Therefore, when we say anything other than what God has said about us, we are taking His Name in vain by tying His Name, I AM, to a false condition in our life. When we say we are anything other than what God says we are, we are tying ourselves to fear and to the kingdom of darkness. We are saying the great “I AM” is not sufficient for us; that we, ourselves, must through our strength, our wisdom, our power, and/or our riches intercede to bring about the expected end.
I want to clear up a possible misunderstanding about our speech. Let’s say one has cancer. There is nothing wrong with admitting one has cancer. It is a physical fact. Where we run into problems with our speech is when we then go to the next step of speaking over ourselves what the world has to say about cancer. By doing this, we are glorifying and giving power to the curse in our lives. Doing this attracts more fear and a worsening of the cancer. Instead, after admitting we have cancer, we insert a big BUT! BUT, my God has said I am healed by the stripes of Jesus Christ, that He has sent The Word to heal me and deliver me from all the destruction satan tries to bring against me, that there is no weapon formed by the curse and the enemy that shall prosper against me, that every voice of the enemy that rises up against me in judgement, I shall condemn through The Holy Spirit, that The Word of God is health to my naval and marrow to my bones, that oppression, terror, and fear cannot come against me, and no evil can befall me, neither can any plague, virus, bacteria, cancer come upon me or live in me, that because I’ve set my love upon God, He will deliver me from everything of the curse. There is so much more we can declare of God’s Word which completely contradicts the cancer.
In closing, God’s Word has supreme authority over anything of the physical realm and of the curse. We’ve spoken of this so many times in previous messages. But sometimes we need to remind ourselves of God’s promises to us, which are “yes” and “amen” in Christ Jesus through Whom we can do ALL THINGS. We must watch our speech and place a guard before our lips, just as David asked of God in Psalms. Let’s no longer take God’s name in vain by tying a loving, caring, gracious, compassionate, and merciful Father to something He has nothing to do with in this world. Instead, let’s use the very weapon He has given us to overcome and put down anything in this world that is contrary to God’s will: The Word of The Almighty God!
In Christ Jesus,
Larry