THE EDIFYING TONGUE

When a person receives the Holy Spirit, God takes control of the tongue first - "They were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues" (Acts 2:4). "He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself" (I Cor 14:4). This enlightens us to the fact that speaking in unknown tongues animates the speech centre to instruct all the nerves in the right disposition.

Our tongue has an influence on the heart - "Of the abundance of the HEART his mouth SPEAKETH" (Lk 6:45). "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his TONGUE, but deceiveth his own HEART this man's religion is in vain" (Jms 1:26). "Let the WORDS OF MY MOUTH and the meditation of my HEART be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord" (Psa 19:14).

The tongue and the ear are connected too - "The Lord God hath given me the TONGUE of the learned... the Lord God hath opened mine EAR." Also, in Isaiah 6:5-8 we see that as soon as the prophet's tongue was cleansed, he could hear the voice of God and his life was ready to obey the call of God. In other words, if you don't hear God's voice, it may mean that your tongue needs cleansing.

"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace into the learners" (Eph 4:9). "Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt [not with hot chilli], that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man" (Col 4:6).

- Late Pastor T.U.Thomas, in Morning Manna