A New Set of Teeth

UV 942/10,000 A New Set of Teeth Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving Colossians 2 v 7 As far as our faith and our rootedness in the Lord is concerned, we are to be like the teeth whose roots are covered by soft gums but are welded to the mandible. The health of the teeth are dependent on the condition of the root. If the root is healthy, the tooth is healthy and strong. Just as the root supplies the blood and nourishment required by the teeth, the root of our faith is nourished by the blood of the Lamb and watered by the Word of God. All our actions and reactions are to be grounded in our faith and the teaching we have received. When we are rooted in the foundation of salvation provided by Jesus, built up on this rock foundation with good works and good words, we become established and flourish with all manner of spiritual fruit. This will lead to thanksgiving being given both by us and others for the grace and mercy of the Lord shown in practical and demonstrable ways in our lives. We are called to abound in all manner of good works and good words. Like the 32 teeth that provide a natural protection and guard our ever malleable tongue, there are 32 verses in scripture that can guard our tongue and make it a wellspring of life and hope: Over the rest of December, if we can only meditate on these verses and get rooted and grounded in these verses, it will be a girdle of protection for our speech for the rest of our lives for the Lord declares that if a man can control his speech, he is perfect indeed. Let us use the Thirty Two Teeth below to guard and to tame the tongue. Some are canine teeth to tear and pull, some are molar and pre-molar to chew and some are incisive teeth to add to our judgement and analytical skills: 1.Proverbs 21:23 “Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. 2.Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 3.Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 4.Proverbs 12:18 There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. 5.James 3:2-10 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. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. ... 6.Psalm 34:13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. 7.James 1:26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 8.Proverbs 17:28 Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. 9.Psalm 141:3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! 10.1 Peter 3:10 For Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; 11.Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. 12.Proverbs 15:4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. 13.Matthew 12:33-37 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” 14.Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. 15.Proverbs 10:19 When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent. 16.Matthew 15:11 It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person. 17.James 3:1-18 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 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. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! ... 18.Psalm 52:2 Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit. 19.Proverbs 17:9 Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends. 20.Proverbs 26:20 For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. 21.Psalm 37:30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. 22.Titus 3:2 To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 23.Psalm 39:1 A Psalm of David. I said, “I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle, so long as the wicked are in my presence.” 24. James 1:19-20 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 25.James 3:10,11 s From the same mouth proceed both blessing and curse. Brothers, this should not be. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 1 Peter 2:1-25 26.So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ... 27.Proverbs 10:18 The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever utters slander is a fool. 28.Ecclesiastes 3:7 A time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 29. 1 Corinthians 2:1-16 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. ... 30.James 3:2 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. 31.Psalm 12:4 Those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us?” 32.James 3:1-12 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 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. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! ...” There is no better New Year Resolution than to have our speech patterns rooted and grounded in the love of Christ and in scripture. These 32 verses will act as a filter through which our speech is purified and perfected. It might be too much to try to remember , meditate and apply all 32 at one shot but just as the teeth grow in pairs, we can choose a pair to meditate on each day. In 16 days we would give ourselves and our loved ones the best Christmas present we can ever give- a new set of genuine spiritual teeth and a speech pattern that is refined and perfected, rooted and grounded in the love of Christ. Prateep V Philip