The Gift of Speech

The phrase, “And God said…” is found nine times in the first chapter of the first book of the Bible. Six wonderful days in the history of the world began with, “And God said…” In this case, saying was creating. We see this also in Psalm 33:6, 9. “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth…For he spoke and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.”

When God spoke there was nothing with ears to hear. Yet light came into being when He spoke. Billions upon billions of stars were formed by the “breath of his mouth.”

Since human beings are created in God’s image, we have the gift of speech because God speaks. God’s Word, the Bible, has much to say about speech of all kinds and the use and misuse of the tongue.

The two greatest positive uses of the tongue are recorded in the tenth chapter of Romans. The first is confessing Jesus Christ and calling upon Him. It is our part in our salvation. “…If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess that you are saved” Romans 10:9, 10. The mouth expresses what we believe in our hearts.

The second positive use of the tongue is preaching Jesus Christ. “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” Romans 10:14

The two great uses of the tongue are confessing Jesus Christ and preaching Jesus Christ.

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