and personal gain. Those who know nothing of God’s righteous law and do not try to follow it use bad language and speak continually of fleshly things; that is the influence we see abroad in the world today. But where one’s mind and heart have been influenced by God’s spirit and where the individual has transformed his mind, we find him speaking on spiritual things. He has gained self-control, which is a fruit of the spirit, and he thinks before he speaks. He does not fly into a rage and speak without thinking, but is long-suffering and kind and speaks with mildness. That does not mean he does not speak forcefully in denouncing wickedness, but he does it in the same dignified manner as Jesus Christ used to speak out against wickedness, misleading traditions and hypocrisy. The taming of the tongue and the submitting of oneself to the guidance of God’s spirit and his Word are closely related. Jehovah judges, not by outward appearances, but by what is in the heart. Therefore the desire of every God-fearing person should be to fill his heart with spiritual things, to have a good heart for the refreshment and benefit of others and to become as a cool spring that continually bubbles forth sweet water on a summer day. Right speech leads to salvation.—1 Sam. 16:7; Rev. 2:23; Matt. 23:1-17; Gal. 5:16-26.

Speech and Salvation

 1. What vital opportunity is before men now, as shown by Romans 10:8-10?

MAINTAINING life is the pursuit of all sane men because Jehovah placed in man a desire to live. Now through his Word Jehovah reveals to mankind that everlasting life is available to all who will reach out and take it on God’s conditions. An opportunity is presented to man to learn what is in God’s Word and fill his mind and heart with it and then speak it forth for his own salvation and the salvation of others. “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart; that is, the ‘word’ of faith which we are preaching. For if you publicly declare that ‘word in your mouth’, that Jesus is Lord, and exercise faith in your heart that God raised him up from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one exercises faith for righteousness, but with the mouth one makes public declaration for salvation.”—Rom. 10:8-10.

 2. What progressive steps must be made by those pursuing salvation?

² There is a close relationship shown between obtaining everlasting life and how we use our power of speech. Jehovah’s creation was for his pleasure and to result in praise to his name and the human creatures he made to be praisers of God. When they are busy at it he looks upon them with favor. Although the majority of men are found to be out of harmony with Jehovah, not praising him, yet in mercy he has allowed an opportunity to men to gain knowledge of his purposes and choose life. As one gains more accurate knowledge from God he better appreciates his relationship to the Creator. He learns that it is a privilege to make public declaration with his power of speech to the praise of Jehovah. He becomes a witness of Jehovah,