Many of us are well aware that God forgives the person we once were when we decide to become His children. In 1 Corinthians 6 it lists the many things that won’t make it into the Kingdom of God, and knowing that we fit into some of these same categories. But in the name of Jesus Christ we have been washed, sanctified, and justified in His name and by the Spirit of God. What we forget is that we can’t become washed clean and still be the same.

In 2 Corinthians 5:17 it reads - Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

This means that for us to be IN Christ, we can’t be who we once were, especially if we truly know that the old person wouldn’t make it into the Kingdom of God. And for many of us, myself included, that process of removing and peeling off the old person is harder and longer than some others. (But that’s okay, because that just shows how much God loves us and desires for us to come to Him). But in this journey we CANNOT pick and keep some of our old habits and justify them as being “who we are.” 

In Ephesians 4 it talks about putting off the old man, being renewed in the spirit of your mind, and putting on the new man, created after God in righteousness and true holiness. The very next thing that it says is (vs25)

In the book of Colossians it also talks about putting away things of your old creature, so you can put on the new creature. In this chapter it says (vs8-9) - But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds.

We have to understand the power that is within our mouths: the tongue. What we say, and how we say it can help or hurt someone else. We even battle with our tongues in violent arguments, hurting someone as much or more than how they’ve tried to hurt us. Sometimes we just decide to hurt others who can’t defend themselves.

Growing up as a big kid, I was often picked on about my weight. And I was given two choices; to fight back with words(or physically), or to take it. And many times I took it, and it hurt. And as I got older I learned to hurt others with my own words, and it usually didn’t bother me, unless I saw the hurt in the person’s eyes. Sometimes I accidentally hurt someone by either what I said, what I gossipped about, or simply by lying and being found out. Other times it was what lies people were spreading about me that would make people’s emotion toward me change, whether the information was true or not. Either way, words have had a major impact on my life, and my relationships with different people throughout my life. It probably wasn’t until I got out of high school and started doing things more on my own that I realized how powerful this little thing in our mouths can be.

The book of James talks a lot about the tongue and its power. In the third chapter it reads (3:3-5)- When we bridle horses and put bits in their mouths to lead them wherever we want, we can control their whole bodies. Consider ships: they are so large that strong winds are needed to drive them. But pilots direct their ships wherever they want with a little rudder. In the same way, even though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts wildly. Think about this: a small flame can set a whole forest on fire

Another example is how we drive these massive cars and trucks with only a small steering wheel. Our tongue is a mighty part of us. And the book of James tells us that with everything we’ve learned to control and tame, the tongue is something no man can tame. This is why we NEED Jesus. Think for a second, do you really believe the mouth you have now can be in heaven? When we come to church, or when we’re listening to a sermon or music outside of church we can easily sing praises to God. We can glorify Him for everything He’s done for us. We can thank Him for what He’s gotten us through. We can lift the name of Jesus as loud as we can. But when we’re out of that element we can just as easily curse somebody, lie to somebody, gossip about somebody. The Bible tells us that blessings and cursing coming from the same mouth is something that we do, but something that should NOT be.

James tells us that (1:26) - If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue (can’t control his mouth), but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.