When instructed by his wife to curse God and die, Job answered, Thou speakest as on of the foolish women speaketh. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? And then the Bible makes this amazing statement: In all this did not Job sin with his lips (Job 2:10). No doubt he was sorely tempted to do so. No doubt if anybody had an excuse, Job had an excuse. But he didn't sin with his lips.
What temptation or trial in our lives is greater than that which Job faced? What excuse do we have to say anything in violation of God's word?
Job further resolved (27:4), My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit. David purposed that his mouth would not transgress (Psalm 17:3). He said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me (Psalm 39:1).
Below I have listed several sins of the tongue the Bible speaks out against. I've copied down the definition and several references for each. Choose one or more of these for your own personal study sometime.
FLATTERY
- False praise; commendation bestowed for the purpose of gaining favor and influence, or to accomplish some purpose. Direct flattery consists in praising a person himself; indirect flattery consists in praising a person through his works or his connections.
- Psalm 5:9; Psalm 12:3; Psalm 78:36; Proverbs 28:23; Proverbs 20:19
VANITY
- Emptiness; want of substance; fruitless desire or endeavor; idle show; ostentation; arrogance; empty pride
- Psalm 10:7; Proverbs 17:4; Matthew 12:36
BOASTING
- Glorying; vaunting; ostentatious display of personal worth
- Psalm 12:3; Psalm 17:10; Proverbs 27:1-2; Romans 3:27;
STRIFE
- Exertion or contention for superiority; contest of emulation, either by intellectual or physical efforts; contention in anger or enmity; opposition; contrariety; contrast
- Psalm 31:20; Philippians 1:15; Philippians 2:3
DECEIT
- That which is done or spoken with the intent to ensnare, cheat, give a false impression, or cause to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid
- Psalm 50:19; Psalm 52:2; Psalm 52:4; Psalm 120:2; Proverbs 24:28; Isaiah 53:9; Jeremiah 9:8; Micah 6:12
LYING
- To utter a falsehood for the purpose of deception; an intentional violation of truth; exhibition of a false representation
- Psalm 78:36; Psalm 109:2; Psalm 120:3; Proverbs 6:17; Proverbs 12:19; Proverbs 12:22; Proverbs 21:6; Proverbs 26:28; Jeremiah 9:3
BACKBITING
- The act of slandering the absent; secret calumny [calumny: false accusation of a crime or offense, knowingly or maliciously made or reported, to the injury of another; false representation of facts reproachful to another, made by design, and with knowledge of its falsehood]
- Psalm 15:3; Proverbs 25:23; Romans 1:30; 2 Corinthians 12:20
PERVERSENESS/FROWARDNESS
- Disposition to cross or vex; untractableness; crossness of temper; a disposition uncomplying, unaccommodating or acting in opposition to what is proper or what is desired by others
- Perverseness; reluctance to yield or comply; disobedience; peevishness.
- Proverbs 2:12; Proverbs 4:24; Proverbs 6:12; Proverbs 8:8; Proverbs 10:31-32; Proverbs 15:4; Proverbs 16:28; Proverbs 17:20; Proverbs 19:1; Isaiah 59:3; Acts 20:30; 1 Timothy 6:5
BITTERNESS/CURSING
- an excessive degree or implacableness of passions and emotions; sharpness; severity of temper; keenness of reproach; piquancy; biting sarcasm
- Psalm 10:7; Romans 3:14; James 3:10
CORRUPTION/FILTH
- Depravity; wickedness; perversion or deterioration of moral principles; loss of purity or integrity; debasement; taint; or tendency to a worse state
- Ephesians 4:29; Colossians 3:8
GUILE
- Craft; cunning; artifice; duplicity; deceit; usually in a bad sense; to speak the truth in such a way to give a false impression favorable to oneself or another party
- Psalm 34:13; 1 Thessalonians 2:3; 1 Peter 2:1; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 Peter 3:10; Revelation 14:5
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