In making a diagnosis sometimes a doctor will ask a patient, "Let me see your tongue." Looking at how we use our tongue in speech can be very revealing concerning our spiritual health. The Lord faithfully warns us in Scripture about our words exposing our condition.

---

We Need To Control The Flow Of Our Words To Avoid Sinning

Proverbs 10:19 "In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise."

---

We Need To Avoid Rashness And Haste In Making Our Requests To God

Ecclesiastes 5:2 "Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few."

---

We Need To Be Careful How We Speak, For We Are Accountable For Every Word

Matthew 12:36,37 "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. ³⁷ "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

The speech that indicates spiritual health will evidence wise restraint, wise requests, wise reflection. James introduced this important subject of the tongue in James 1:19 and a warning about the tongue in James 1:26. Genuine faith will be seen in the exercise of control of the tongue. The insightful, practical teaching of James needs to be applied by us for the sake of our spiritual well being.

James 3:1 "My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment."

There is no discounting the privilege of teaching the Word of God, and those who do so skilfully are respected and honoured. This being the case, many are attracted to the possibility of being a teacher. James gives the solemn warning that with the privilege also goes greater responsibility. The accountability to the Lord will be stricter for teachers, James including himself in the stricter examination that is to come.

---

The Teachers That Have Accountability In Mind Will Teach Responsibly

	Care is demanded in teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, with which, like Paul, teachers have been entrusted (2 Timothy 1:11-14 ).
	Teachers are to share the Holy Scriptures so as to make those who hear, wise concerning God's salvation. Their earnest purpose must be to lead them to respond to the claims of Christ (2 Timothy 3:15 ).
	All teachers must be kept in line with the trustworthy Scriptures so that every Christian will be fully instructed in right living, and prepared for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ).
	Correct teaching will also enable every believer to "contend for the faith" (Jude 3 KJV), which may be defined as the gospel proclaimed by Christ and delivered to the apostles and saints (Philippians 1:27; 1 Timothy 1:18-19; 6:12 ).
	Every true teacher of the gospel will emphasise the commission of Christ (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15- 20 ), and a need of every believer to receive a personal, mighty Holy Spirit baptism that they may be empowered for witnessing and service (Acts 1:5,8; 2:1-4; 4:33 ), and teach the need to pray in the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:31; Jude 20-21 ).
	True teaching not only majors on the things concerning Christ (Luke 24:27 ), it inspires life in accordance with what is confessed at baptism (Romans 6:4 ).
	To live in loving expectancy of the appearing of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 4:8; Titus 2:13 ).

Such teaching will bring joy in the day of giving account (Philippians 2:16 ).

---

Wrong Teaching Can Destroy Souls

This would bring greater condemnation to such teachers. It is important that believers test teachers:

1 Thessalonians 5:21 "Test all things; hold fast what is good."

Prophecy needs to be weighed carefully by Scripture. How much more should the teaching of those who claim to have special doctrinal revelation which they equate with Scripture, be tested. To test a teaching ask some simple questions - you could use the following examples:-

	Is this teaching in agreement with Scripture? Acts 17:11 "... and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. "
	Can the teaching be said "to hold firmly to the trustworthy message" as taught by the New Testament apostles? Titus 1:9 "holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, ..."
	Do texts quoted really support the teaching when viewed in their context? 2 Corinthians 4:2 "... nor handling the word of God deceitfully; ..."
	Is there an obvious watering down of what the Scripture actually says, to make the teaching suit what the hearers would want to hear? 2 Timothy 4:3,4 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."
	Is the teaching unsound in doctrine, incapable of building up and encouraging the believer? Titus 1:9 "... that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort ..."
	Is there missing from the teaching, equipment for believers to make them able to answer those who speak against the truth? Titus 1:9 "... by sound doctrine ... convict those who contradict."
	Is the teaching promoting the self-interests of the teacher, and not the interests of Christ? 2 Corinthians 4:5 "For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; ..."
	Is the teaching strictly binding those who hear, to loyal commitment to the teacher to serve his need, contrary to the examples of the apostles? 2 Corinthians 4:5 "... and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. "
	Are those close to the teacher open to foundational gospel truth, or if challenged are they found to be in a spirit of deception? 1 John 4:6 "We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error."
	Will the teaching encourage development of the fruit of the Spirit, or permit the works of the flesh? (Galatians 5:16-25 ). Matthew 7:16 "... shall know them by their fruits ... "

A believer becomes first aware of there being something wrong with a teaching by a disturbance in the spirit. These questions could be used to help to pinpoint what is wrong. False teachers may remain undetected in spite of careful evaluation, because of the spirit of deception that helps them (1 Timothy 4:1 ). The answer to that is a Holy Spirit manifestation of the discerning of spirits (1 Corinthians 12:10 ). We can be sure God will finally expose them.

---

QUESTIONS FOR GROUP INTERACTION

1. It is a privilege to be a teacher of the Word, but with the privilege goes stricter accountability to the Lord. Could you name some benefits this knowledge brings to teachers and their teaching? (James 3:1 ).
2. Wrong teaching is very destructive. How would you test a teaching? (Acts 17:11 ).