The Freedom of Truth—Part 2: Ten Commandments—The Ninth Commandment

The sermon begins by establishing that the ninth commandment is the only one that directly addresses the subject of speaking and words, although all other commandments can be violated through speech. The pastor uses James 3:1-12 to demonstrate that the tongue is a small part of the body yet possesses tremendous power, like a small rudder that steers a great ship. He explains that Scripture teaches every idle word will be judged, and words have eternal consequences. The foundation for this lies in the fact that human beings are created in God's image, and speech is an essential part of human nature.

The second section develops the idea that the power of the tongue rests on the basis that words have power over the speaker first. The pastor explains that when we express a thought or emotion in words, it takes on a new power. He compares this to how clothing covers thoughts and makes them visible and real. Confession is an important way of self-organization, and we can only address dark thoughts when we speak them aloud in a safe environment. He notes that good words also have power—simple marriage vows like "I do" can carry people through difficult times. If we can control the tongue, we can control the heart.

The third section explores how words are abused, emphasizing that both truthless love and loveless truth violate the ninth commandment. The pastor lists six ways that speech can be abused: harmless lies (which are not actually harmless), twisting or exaggerating truth, deceptive partial truths, prejudice, duplicity, and breaking promises. He stresses that lying makes people dependent and dehumanizes them. He concludes this section by warning against mechanical lying or living with complete lack of integrity.

The final section presents two ways to heal the tongue. First, we must be honest about our dishonesty, acknowledging that we lie because we want to be our own gods. Second, we need "a word from outside"—affirmation from God that we are loved and accepted. He concludes by explaining that until we hear God say, "You are my beloved child in whom I am well pleased," we will continue trying to create a self through duplicity. This healing will set our tongues on fire with a different kind of fire—fire from heaven, not from hell, the fire that came at Pentecost and immediately transformed the tongues and words of believers.