No Christian, God is Not Going to Judge You For Your Careless Words

But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. (Matthew 12:36)

There it is. Right there. Jesus said it. Remember all those careless words you’ve spoken. Don’t speak careless words! It says every careless word. God will judge you for them…

Sigh.

I guess at this point, it shouldn’t astonish me how quickly works creep in, how quickly men who’ve been delivered from a burden seek to pick it right back up. In fairness, as believers, we are all growing in the faith, growing closer to God and the truth. None of us has it all figured out.

In confession, I’ve taught this passage in this way before. Yes, you’ve been justified by faith, but in some way, you will have to give an account for your idle or careless words. Idle and careless words could mean many different things, easy to define per Scripture, but I could never really explain just how we might have to give an account.

Perhaps that is because, as believers…we won’t. Allow me to explain.

Of Course, Context Matters

Jesus has healed a demon-possessed man, and the crowds are astounded. The Pharisees are rightly concerned at the attention Jesus receives from this miracle, so seeking to undermine the veracity of His miracle, they make an accusation against Jesus, “This man does not cast out demons except by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.” (v. 29) The text about careless words is a part of Jesus’ response…to the Pharisees.

The Pharisees are Jesus’ audience in this context.

First, He corrects their accusation and then redirects them to the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. It is, in fact, the Pharisees who are in sin by attributing the works of God to the devil. The Pharisees are not regenerate. They are unsaved. Jesus provides further evidence for this, their words.

A good tree only produces good fruit, He says. (v. 33) Calling them a “brood of vipers,” he questions “how can you, being evil, speak what is good?” (v. 34) He is speaking to “you” the Pharisees. The principle is this. “For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.” (v. 34) The Pharisees are evil, and their evil words testify to this fact. You can imagine their response, their defense, “well, how are our words so evil? Surely not all our words are evil?” Jesus puts the nail in their coffin, so to speak, speaking about “every careless word.” Every single careless word is evidence against them, a very condemning thought. Think of the sheer volume of careless words you’ve spoken. The Pharisees are no different. Verse 37 helps us finalize Jesus’ intent, “by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned,” still speaking to the Pharisees.

Let us summarize, the Pharisees are self-righteous, believing that their righteous deeds could justify them. Jesus confronts them with their wickedness and specifically, with the wickedness of their careless words, which will indeed be their condemnation.

The Principle of the Matter

Don’t get me wrong. There is principle here for the believer. One of the greatest indicators of the condition of the heart is the words spoken. A heart still hardened by the deceitfulness of sin will certainly generate uncharitable speech, ungodly words. I still recall my daughters coming home from a friend’s house shocked by the nature and type of speech they overheard from their friend’s mother toward their father, all indicative of an unrepentant heart.

There ought to be a difference for sure. A believer ought to speak careful words. Scripture is abundantly clear on the matter. Solomon’s Proverbs offer numerous thoughts:

When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent. (Proverbs 10:19)

David weighs in:

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! (Psalm 141:3)

As does Paul:

But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness. (2 Timothy 2:16)

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths. (Ephesians 4:29)

Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. (Ephesians 5:4)

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. (Colossians 3:8)

The Lord’s brother cautions us,

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. (James 1:26)

Not only should our words be careful, but they ought to be useful as well, helpful. As Paul clarifies, the Christian ought to speak “a word as is good for building up what is needed, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” (v. 29b) Our words ought to yield fruit, the edification of the body of Christ, the building up of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

But what about when they don’t?

The Law and the Gospel

I don’t know about you, but I’ve spoken a million careless words.

I’ve spoken harshly to my sons, harshly to my wife. My natural tendency is toward criticism and sarcasm. I’ve spoken without thinking, carelessly, time and time again. I’ve inherited my father’s booming and even terrifying voice. It carries and I’ve seen all my children tremble before my words. I’ve gossiped. I’ve slandered. I’ve reviled. I’ve tolerated gossip and slander and reviling. I’ve used my words to deliberately hurt people that I love. I’ve lied. I’ve lied by commission, and I’ve lied by omission. Worst of all, I’ve done these things, spoken careless words, today even, certainly yesterday. My words have been a cesspool of iniquity. Jesus will need some extra time with me on that day, to ensure I get a full accounting.

What about you?

Writing to professing believers, John reminds us in his first Epistle, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8) Just two verses later, he affirms, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” (v. 10) Every believer still struggles with sin and will until the Lord calls them home, and it might be tempting to become discouraged when you still wrestle with uncharitable speech but thank God for the imputed righteousness of Christ!

  The Law of God requires perfect, perpetual obedience and Christ satisfied that. This is the active obedience of Christ. The good news of the Gospel is that He did this on behalf of every believer. We have become the very righteousness of Christ! (2 Corinthians 5:21) When God looks at me forevermore, He doesn’t see Brad the quick-tempered, sarcastic, and sometimes malevolent speaker of harsh words. No, He sees only the righteousness of Christ!

What freedom there is in this, the freedom to fail, to not be perfect.

Paul writes, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1) Say it again, out loud if you need to. There. Is. No. Condemnation. Period. Now, in sanctification, as God conforms us into the image of Christ, our sin ought to decrease over time. For sure, my words today ought to be better than my words yesterday and for me, they are. But it is certainly an up-and-down road, a battle, a fight, and when I fail, when I lose control of my words, it ought to grieve me as it grieves the Holy Spirit. Yet, I do not grieve in anticipation of future judgment, only in remorse at betraying my new nature in Christ and the great grace that has been lavished upon me.

It is to put oneself dangerously close to being in league with the accuser of the brethren to pick back up the burden of obedience, in this case, of careful words. How frequently might the enemy have discouraged this growing Christian but for a reminder of the imputed righteousness of Christ my King!

On That Day

There is a sense that my careless words might result in judgment, in that they yield temporal consequences. I have certainly experienced the consequences of careless speech and in some way, I still am feeling the consequences. However, that’s not what the Jesus is talking about here. Jesus is talking about that day, “the day of judgment”.

So, let’s get back to that day.

Do you really think you’ll show up in heaven and before proclaiming “well done,” He’s going to pull out your report card, your evaluation report, your grading rubric and, “Let’s see, on Tuesday, March 12th, you were short with your wife. On that same day you were sarcastic with your daughter. On Wednesday you…” You get the picture. How absurd that sounds when you say it out loud.

No. Trust in this. As Jesus loves His people with a perfect love, He is going to be much more joyous to see you than you will be to see Him. All judgment for the believer has been poured out on Christ at the cross. Nothing more needs to be done. Speak careful words, certainly. Yet, rest and trust in the completed work of Christ on the cross.

“It pertains to eternal rewards,” some might claim, not judgment in terms of salvation. Allow me to ask in response, if Christ is everything and in salvation, I have Christ, then what more could there possibly be? I’ve become increasingly uncomfortable with the idea of varying degrees of rewards in heaven and addressed it here.

Beloved, refuse to pick back up the burden of works, nor let anyone place it back upon you, be it a church, a pastor, or anyone else for that matter.

“It is finished!” O blessed words.