From the Mouth the Heart Speaks

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January 6, 2025

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Written by Philip Bryant

Philip serves as Executive Director of Grace Fellowship Canada. For over 20 years, he's been on a mission, planting churches from coast to coast in Canada.

Jesus teaches us where our words come from.

Matthew 12:34-35

For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.

It is interesting that in the gospel of Mark we see the religious leaders angry at Jesus for letting his disciples eat with unwashed hands, and Jesus goes on to tell them that it is not what you put in your body that corrupts you, but what is inside that comes out.

Mark 7:21-23

For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, / greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness. / All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man.”

If we want to do good and say good things to others, we must first deal with our hearts. In coaching young men to teach and preach, I tell them to focus on their own hearts. If they are changed by the text, if they are convinced it is true, if they see what it offers others, their words will bring the truth within the text.

Jesus is teaching us about ourselves as he challenges the religious leaders who literally hate Him and want Him dead. He was challenging them to change their hearts. To surrender their will to God and admit their wrong. He was calling out the evil intents and telling them their own words revealed what was inside.

He goes on to warn all of us:

Matthew 12:37

For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

For out of our hearts, our mouth speaks. Instead of mustering unimaginable self-control over our tongues, we must deal with the evil we have in our hearts. Jesus tells us one day, we will all have to give an account for every word spoken. I know I need to continue to confess my sin of my wrong words. I see from this text that these words come from my evil heart. As I continue to surrender my heart to God, my words more and more reflect what He would say.

I am reminded of the song written by Eddie Espinosa:

Change my heart, O God,
Make it ever true;
Change my heart, O God,
May I be like you.