Communication and Trust

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

Roughsoul1991

Senior Member
Sep 17, 2016
8,784
4,451
113
#1
COMMUNICATION AND TRUST

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.

Verse 29 speaks an important truth when related to communication in the will of God. We are to resist any speech that corrupts, brings others down, sows division, or stirs up hate.

Oppositely we are to focus on such speech that builds people up, filled with grace and love.
How is this done? Ephesians 4 explains,

Ephesians 4
English Standard Version
Unity in the Body of Christ
4 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

( Notice in verse 2 we begin to learn manners in which we are called to walk. We are to walk in humility, gentleness, patience, bearing each other in love, unity of the Spirit, and the bond of peace. If any individual practiced these concepts, trust would easily follow. )

4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”[a] 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds[c] and teachers,[d] 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

( There are many deep theological truths in these verses, but to stay focused on the subject, I want to look at verse 8 speaks on gifts given to mankind then, in verse 12 we understand these gifts are given to equip the saints for the work of ministry that directly builds up the body of Christ (the body being the Church). So it is vital to walk out your faith, put off the old self, and be guided by the Holy Spirit (this takes discipleship and hunger to mature in the faith). The Holy Spirit is called the helper and will help you in Godly wisdom of communication and building trust.)


13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,[e] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.


( We must strive to be mature believers so that we are anchored in God’s Word and not tossed back and forth by every deceiving or false doctrine. This maturity gives the best foundation for communicating truth in love. As we speak in love, we build each other up in love. Christ as the cornerstone, love as the masonry mortar, and the bricks for building each other up or the Church as a whole.)


17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.


(This goes back to my point made last week about how if we alienate ourselves from God, we give ourselves over to the futility of the mind. So it is so vital we align ourselves with God. To love like God, we must know what love is. Scripture tells us plainly that God is love. To love like God, we must know Him intimately and relationally. )


20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self,[f] which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.


(Again we see the command to put off the old and be renewed in the spirit of our minds. We must renew the mind as explained in Romans 12:2 ESV Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. We must test what is good, acceptable, and perfect in the will of God. How? By knowing the Bible and being led by the Spirit. Both in unison will never contradict but only confirm each other. )


25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.


(Trust involves being honest and truthful. Anger can be either righteous (example Jesus flipping tables in the temple) or unrighteous (example Moses striking the rock in frustration to God). Righteous anger will cause us to fight for justice, peace, or security for the home or church. But unrighteous anger will destroy what God wants us to secure. This is why as one of Satan’s tactics, we must, as soon as possible, make amends for unrighteous anger. This could be towards a spouse, a child, a neighbor, a church member, etc. Doing honest work with love as the motivation will not only sow trust but show that the church or spouse can trust you without supervision. Integrity goes a long way when doing what is right, even if no credit will be given. )


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. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.


(In conclusion of chapter 4, to communicate in love and to sow an environment of trust, we must take the tongue so that nothing rotten, useless, corrupt, or depraved comes out. Like a bridle to a horse, we must take every thought captive because sin is first birthed within the mind before reaching the tongue. James 3:6 ESV 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,[a] and set on fire by hell.

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit; grieve as in deep grief, to experience deep, emotional pain (sadness), i.e. severe sorrow (grief). 3076 (lypéō) is very intense and hence even used of the pain of childbirth. - https://biblehub.com/greek/3076.htm

To grieve the Holy Spirit is when we disobey the will of God; when we sin as a believer, it affects God relationally, not our salvation. It is as if we are causing such severe emotional pain it physically gives the image of pain with a woman in labor.

Verse 31 tells us to guard ourselves against bitterness, wrath, anger, yelling, slander and malice. These are like poison to any relationship or the church. So, Paul concludes by saying if we practice being kind to one another, tender-hearted ( merciful and compassionate), and forgiving one another as Christ forgave us.

In chapter 4, we learn to communicate in love; it involves learning how to communicate physically, emotionally, and spiritually. In simplicity, we are told many traits of sin and many traits of righteousness, but all this could quickly feel like a long list of out-of-reach characteristics if we are currently wrestling with sin. Legalism will set you up for failure, so we must focus on, as verse 3 says, keeping the unity of the Spirit. It is just as important to a marriage as to a church to be equally yoked in their relationship with God.


Father
🔺
Son Spirit


God God 🔺 🔺
Man Woman You Church


Mind
🔺Spirit
Body Soul


In a triune relationship, we see that if any side is disconnected from God (also a triune being), you have automatically set yourself up for failure. You may try all the self-help books and the long list of Biblical commands, but you will only find yourself in a constant state of failure. Only when empowered and led by the Spirit, can we truly live out the will of God.

1 Corinthians 2:11
English Standard Version
11 For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ——16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Renewing our minds takes this type of relationship.
 

Roughsoul1991

Senior Member
Sep 17, 2016
8,784
4,451
113
#2
Growing in our relationship with God involves us studying His Word, and with the Spirit, we understand the mind of God, His wisdom, His guidance, and in doing so, we are empowered to live righteously.

If a church is united in this type of spirit, then it shall be like 2 Chronicles 30:12 when the hand of God was on the people, God gave them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the Lord.

Equally, when a marriage is united in the spirit, they shall also reap the peace of the Lord.


Key Notes:

1. Living in the Spirit brings unity
2. Seek Christian maturity
3. To communicate and building trust in a Biblical way involves both the Spirit and maturity of the believer.
4. To love like God, we must know Him intimately and relationally.
5. Let the Spirit of God work in us through the reading of the Bible and we will see the mind renewed in the unity of God’s will.
6. Know the difference between righteous and unrighteous anger. Practice a life of integrity.
7. It is just as important to a marriage as to a church to be equally yoked in their relationship with God.
 

2ndTimothyGroup

Well-known member
Feb 20, 2021
5,209
1,830
113
#4
COMMUNICATION AND TRUST

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.

Verse 29 speaks an important truth when related to communication in the will of God. We are to resist any speech that corrupts, brings others down, sows division, or stirs up hate.

Oppositely we are to focus on such speech that builds people up, filled with grace and love.
This has really hit home with me. In my Romans 12:2 Transformation, this is what is left. I can see how my words are causing issues in my daily life. It is amazing, that though others create chaos, and though I am speaking the Truth about my circumstances, the focus invariably falls back and upon myself. I have always been mystified by how this works in my life, yet it does.

It seems that for me to pick up my cross and to carry it to my hill means that I am to shut my mouth and stop complaining . . . even in the face of innocence.

What you've written above, I've printed it out and into a poster format. It is absolutely relevant in my life, and I am extremely grateful that you've written these words.

Thank you, @Roughsoul1991
 

Roughsoul1991

Senior Member
Sep 17, 2016
8,784
4,451
113
#5
This has really hit home with me. In my Romans 12:2 Transformation, this is what is left. I can see how my words are causing issues in my daily life. It is amazing, that though others create chaos, and though I am speaking the Truth about my circumstances, the focus invariably falls back and upon myself. I have always been mystified by how this works in my life, yet it does.

It seems that for me to pick up my cross and to carry it to my hill means that I am to shut my mouth and stop complaining . . . even in the face of innocence.

What you've written above, I've printed it out and into a poster format. It is absolutely relevant in my life, and I am extremely grateful that you've written these words.

Thank you, @Roughsoul1991
Thank you, I am thankful they were beneficial. Ephesians 4 has such great truth related to this area of communication and trust.