It’s no surprise when hearing an unbeliever curse and spew forth hatred, bitterness, jealousies, and other verbal abuses. It happens within every relationship imaginable: co-workers, friendships, families, dating, marriages, etc. Often, we look at those occasions as par for the course.

But why does the same kind of vitriol come from the lips of some professed Christians? Obviously, one of the reasons is spiritual immaturity. But I believe the main reason is the same reason that’s attributed to non-believers— the wickedness of the heart (Jeremiah 17: 9; Matthew 15: 19). The heart is the source that powers the tongue. Matthew 15: 18 clearly shows this to be the case. “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.”

Immature Christians may not want to say ugly things, and more than likely are regretful afterwards, but it can’t be helped. They are powerless. Their tongues can’t be controlled. This is true because God’s Word tells us, “No one can tame the tongue.” James 3: 8.

That statement applies to those who attempt to clean up their language by their own power. But human will power is severely limited when it comes to the matter of the heart, particularly because the heart is deceitful.

Listen; there is only one way for the tongue to truly be free from unrestrainable evil and poisonous speech. The heart must be filled with a new energy comprised of a totally clean nature. In other words, because only God can control the tongue, the Christian needs to totally turn over his or her life to the new power that is Jesus within the heart.