Today, topics include breaking New Years resolutions, keeping ones promises, and Christian believers always speaking the truth. Ones words and speech may bear fruit (produce) such as comfort, encouragement, sacred knowledge, and wisdom; and ones misuse of words as gossip, hate, lies and slander can result in death, misery, self-destruction, and suffering. Many followers of Jesus Christ regard “New Years” resolutions to be a departure from sacred commitment, discipline, and practice. Swearing on oath, making promises, and making verbal contracts and vows always imply that specific goals for change and progress can be met relying on self-will and responses to conditions that are carnal, material, secular, and social. A fighter in the “Yahoo! Answers” forum who used the ID “levi” (Level 1 with 75 points, a member since March 17, 2016) posted the following:
Does god or Jesus get mad if we break our New Years resolution? If so how can I make him unmad?
THE GOLDEN ARROW: The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook. It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment. A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul. (Proverbs 18: 4-7, King James Version, KJV)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: Free Speech in Church? (12/18/2017); Actual Utterance From GOD? (08/11/2017); Divinity Must Be Proclaimed? (05/09/2017); Should Christians Cuss? (04/17/2015); A Slip of the Tongue (09/17/2014); Which Things We Speak (09/18/2014); Freedom of Foul Speech (09/10/2014); Dating and Worship? (09/11/2014); All Lying Forbidden? (03/04/2014); Wrong Not to Forgive? (03/05/2014)
“levi”, breath, utterance, and Word are spirit substance that makes known the active presence who is GOD. Therefore, the place of commitment, the giving of ones word (we say, promise), and the speaking of truth have special meaning and value among mature Christian believers. Believers are to be the “voice of GOD on the earth.” The respect we show the Creator should also appear as we deal with our brothers particularly when they are at fault and in error. As those who are “born again” continue to “grow up again”, accepting permanent changes in their own character, makeup, and sacred content, many aspects of divine process and revelation become increasingly clear. Consider the following points:
(1.) Utterance and word are divine tools to convey and impart spirit substance from the makeup of divinity. Included are awe, declarations of love, determinations in judgment, forgiveness, oneness without sameness, personhood, proclamation of law, prophecy, and unseen workings of sovereign will. Proverbs 18: 21, King James Version (KJV): 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
(2.) The wrath of GOD against sin is a fixed, immutable, and unchanging aspect of divine fullness. Divine wrath (burning rage; judgment) is more than merely an emotion or feeling that “comes and goes.” Psalms 7: 9-17, KJV: 9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins. 10 My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart. 11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. 12 If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. 13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors. 14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood. 15 He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. 16 His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate. 17 I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.
(3.) Correctly understood, whatever we say, how we say it as well as when and where we say it has power to establish and to destroy meaning, trust, and value that are intended to endure. Numbers 30: 1-2, KJV: 1 And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded. 2 If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.
Of course, there is far more that could be said. (For example, words and actions by Christians are to be examined for spirit content from GOD, and received both as “testimony” (words spoken under oath that have the authority and power in judgment because they are “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth”) and “evidence” (just like DNA, ballistics, eyewitness reports, and fingerprints in criminal trials). Ephesians 4: 29-32, KJV: 29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.
Washington, DC
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