“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” (John 14:1 ESV)

A different kind of “believe” 

In the above passage, we read the words of Jesus saying, “Believe also in me.” This kind of “believe” is very different than what we usually understand the word to mean. It’s not like simply acknowledging the existence of something, such as recognizing that the president of the United States or God exists. The Bible states in James 2:19 that even devils acknowledge this and yet are not saved. The kind of “believe” Jesus is talking about includes faith from the heart in Jesus and confession of the mouth.

Believing and confessing

“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Rom. 10:9-10 ESV)

Whoever believes in Jesus will be saved

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God..” (John 3:16-18 ESV) 

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12 ESV) 

Therefore

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12 ESV)

“And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:15-16 ESV)

Quote:

“Believing and confessing go together; and you cannot be be saved without you take them both. "With the mouth confession is made unto salvation." If you ever see the kingdom of heaven you have to take this way.” - Dwight L. Moody

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Eph. 4:29 NIV)

Back in the 1950s, when I first started watching television on our small black-and-white TV, people on all the shows were very careful about what they said. No one used swear words. That was then; this is now! Have you noticed that people are no longer cautious about their language on TV? There are no longer any filters or limits on speech, and you can no longer escape hearing swear words without them being bleeped out.

I have a personal rule that I try to follow when listening to the radio, watching television, viewing movies, or even scrolling through posts on my devices: I turn it off when I hear the Lord’s name taken in vain or when swear words, such as the "f" word, are used. As a result, I find myself turning things off quite often these days! However, I have chosen to obey God’s Word, regardless of what the world seems to be doing and how it expresses itself across all mediums as the new normal.

The passage at top says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths.” It is a very clearly stated command for us to obey (not a suggestion). The last part of the verse, instructs us to say, “only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” This means we must never engage in “unwholesome talk.”

What is “unwholesome talk?”

According to the dictionary, unwholesome is defined as: “detrimental to physical or mental health; harmful to moral well being.” Synonyms for unwholesome are: wicked, bad, evil, corrupting, perverting, degrading, immoral, depraving, demoralizing, and maleficent.

The Bible has a lot to say on the subject.

Be careful what you say!

“After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, ‘Hear and understand. It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.’” (Matt. 15:20-11)

“Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The lovingkindness of God endures all day long. Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit. You love evil more than good, Falsehood more than speaking what is right. You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue.” (Is. 52:1-4)

Say only uplifting things

Say uplifting and encouraging things to others to build them up in faith. 

“A soothing tongue is a tree of life, But perversion in it crushes the spirit.” (Prov. 15:4)

Therefore

“A man has joy in an apt answer, And how delightful is a timely word!” (Prov. 15:23)

“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” (Prov. 16:24)

Quote:

“Kind words produce their own image in men's souls; and a beautiful image it is. They soothe and quiet and comfort the hearer. They shame him out of his sour, morose, unkind feelings. We have not yet begun to use kind words in such abundance as they ought to be used.” - Blaise Pascal

“Who told you that you were naked?” the LORD God asked.” (Gen. 3:11 NLT)

The devil lies and deceives people

Since the very beginning, people have listened to lies directed at them from the devil. He spoke to Eve in the garden (Gen. 3:1) and influenced her to question God’s Word and to do what God had commanded not to do; she ate the forbidden fruit and then gave some to her husband, Adam, to eat. This resulted in sin, separation from God, and fear by Adam and Eve and their descendants.

Something dramatically changed after sin interred the world 

 “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” (Gen. 3:2-11)

What to do

Ever since sin entered the world in the garden, the devil has continued to deceive people. The good news is that we don't have to remain ignorant or powerless to the devil's schemes; we can watch out for them and act with God's help. “ … For we are not unaware of his schemes.” (2 Cor. 2:11 NIV)

• Stay alert and watch out for the devil’s schemes

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:9)

• Resist the devil and submit to God

“Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” (1 Peter 5:9-10 NIV)

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7 NIV)

• Use God’s armor

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” (Eph. 6:13 ESV)

Therefore

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 15:57 ESV) 

Quote

“I'm not afraid of the devil. The devil can handle me - he's got judo I never heard of. But he can't handle the One to whom I'm joined; he can't handle the One to whom I'm united; he can't handle the One whose nature dwells in my nature.” - A. W. Tozer

“After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” (Gen. 15:1 ESV)

Shield: Something or someone which provides protection against a particular danger or risk.

The Lord is your shield and strength

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” (Psalm 28:7 ESV) 

“But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” (Psalm 3:3 ESV)

Therefore

“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11)

“Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.” (Prov. 30:5)

Quote

“The safest place in all the world is in the will of God, and the safest protection in all the world is the name of God.” -  Warren Wiersbe

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1 (NIV)

Remember “God is” promises

The above passages gives us four  “God is” promises to remember when in trouble. 

1.     God is our refuge. A refuge is defined as a shelter or protection from danger or distress. Psalm 91:2 says, “I will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!’” 

2.     God is our strength. Strength is the quality or state of being strong. Phil. 4:13 says, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me. “ 

3.     God is ever present. Josh. 1:9  says,  “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” 

4.     God is our help. Isa. 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Therefore

“Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Cor. 4:17-18 NIV)

Quote

 “You have need to pray to God, not only to help you in your troubles--but to help you in your blessings.” - Charles Spurgeon

“Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matt. 9:13 ESV)

Mercy: compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one’s power; lenient or compassionate treatment.

All of us need God’s mercy! 

According to the Bible, our own righteousness is like filthy rags when compared with God’s righteousness (Isa. 64:6). And no matter how hard we may try, because we’ve all been born with a sin nature, we will still fall way short of God’s glory (Rom. 3:23). That’s why we are all in need of God’s mercy without exception. And, the good news is that we have received great mercy from Him through Jesus Christ!

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (1 Peter 1:3 ESV)

God’s desire is for mercy

“Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matt. 9:13 ESV)

Be merciful to others and be blessed 

“Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.” (Luke 36:37 ESV) 

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (Matt. 5:7 ESV)

Therefore

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:16 ESV)

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 ESV) 

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6 ESV)

Quote

 “The wonderful news is that our Lord is a God of mercy, and He responds to repentance.” - Billy Graham

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” (Rom. 8:26 ESV)

The Spirit intercedes for you

Sometimes, when we are weak for one reason or another, we may not know how to pray or even what to pray for. But that’s okay, because God has you covered! There are three verses—Romans 8:26 (above) and Romans 8:27-28 (below)—that address this situation. The first verse tells us that the Spirit helps and intercedes for us during these times. The following verse (v. 27) explains that He searches our hearts in accordance with God’s will, and verse 28 assures us that He works everything out for our good according to His purpose.

The Spirit searches your heart in accordance to God’s will

“And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” (Rom. 8:27 NIV)

God works all things for your good

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Rom. 8:28 NIV)

Therefore

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Phil. 4:6 ESV)

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” (Col. 4:2 ESV)

“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.” (Psalm. 34:17 ESV) 

Quotes

“The more you pray, the less you'll panic. The more you worship, the less you worry. You'll feel more patient and less pressured.” - Rick Warren

“There are many things that are essential to arriving at true peace of mind, and one of the most important is faith, which cannot be acquired without prayer.” - John Wooden

“Though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.” (Psalm 37:24 ESV)

A few months ago, while cleaning out the basement, I decided it was time to part with an old kitchen table that had long outlived its glory days. Believing it might find a new home, I placed it on the curb with a “Free” sign. Almost immediately, someone stopped, loaded it into their vehicle, and drove away. Just then, my granddaughter arrived and witnessed the scene unfold. Tearfully, she shared that the table held cherished memories and had been promised to her by her mother. By the time I realized my mistake, the vehicle had vanished, leaving me feeling helpless. I regretted assuming no one would want the old table and inadvertently hurting my granddaughter. I wished I could turn back time, but unfortunately, I couldn’t rectify the situation.

Everyone Makes Mistakes 

Albert Einstein once said, “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” If you’re human, you will inevitably make mistakes because they are an intrinsic part of life. When you do make a mistake, you strive to fix it. Sometimes you can, and sometimes you can’t. In my case, there was no way to undo giving away my granddaughter’s cherished table. As I witnessed her pain, I cried alongside her and expressed my deep regret for my actions. Eventually, she reassured me that she understood it was an honest mistake and forgave me, and we embraced. Yet, every time I reflect on that moment, a sense of remorse washes over me.

When We Make a Mistake

When mistakes happen, do everything you can to make amends as quickly as possible, and strive to learn from the experience. Take a moment to reflect on what went wrong and how you can avoid similar mistakes in the future. By learning from our missteps, we grow stronger. Winston Churchill wisely noted, “All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes.” The Bible also reminds us, “For we all stumble in many ways, and if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body” (James 3:2 ESV). While Scripture teaches that the only perfect man was Jesus Christ—who never erred—the rest of us will make mistakes from time to time.

When you make a mistake humbly confess it

“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” (Prov. 28:13 ESV)

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV) 

Therefore

“For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.” (Prov. 24:16 ESV)

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 ESV)

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 8:1 ESV)

Quote

“When you make a mistake, there are only three things you should ever do about it: admit it, learn from it, and don’t repeat it.” - Paul Bear Bryant

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36 ESV)

People are trapped and held captive by many things they need to be set free from. Physical bonds can take many different forms. Addictions to drugs, alcohol, or tobacco can also be a factor. It can be a physical condition or a crippling disease. It can be mental illness, severe fears, and crippling anxiety attacks. It can be destructive social entrapments. Or it can be demonic attacks from the enemy. But, no matter what, God gives total freedom from it! The passage above says emphatically, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!” And that is precisely why Jesus came! By faith, you must claim it personally and hold to it completely!

Jesus proclaimed liberty to captives of all kinds

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” (Luke 4:18-19 ESV)

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Cor. 3:17 ESV) 

For the answer to your distress, call upon the Lord!

“Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.” (Psalm 118:5 ESV)

Once free, stay free!

“Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery.” (Gal. 2:4 ESV)

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Gal 5:1 ESV)

Therefore

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Rom. 8:1-4 ESV) 

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (Gal. 5:13 ESV)

“Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.” (1 Peter 2:16 ESV)

“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.” (Rom. 6:22 ESV)

Quote

“I am free. I am ransomed. I've never felt this way before, like a slave set free who was born a slave and never knew what freedom was like.” - Frank E. Peretti