Communication, pt. 2

©2022 dan bulkley | ask@lifefchurchco.com

section 1

As believers we COMM-UNI-cate with each other because we are all UNIted in Christ ephesians 4:25  and thus have the All in All in COMMon acts 4:32  ephesians 1:23 . Communication in its Biblical form is to share…to make universal…to have in COMMON one mind, love, spirit and purpose philippians 2:1-2 . This is fellowship. This is communing…communion…communication. If we deceive, harm, refuse to listen, seek our own rather than to understand each other, etc. we are not communicating Biblically. We are acting as mere humans and dividing from Christ and each other as we do the opposite of communication- SE-PARate (to obtain apartness) through sin i corinthians 1:12-13  i corinthians 3:3 .

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ephesians 4:25 nlt

So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.

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acts 4:32 esv

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.

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ephesians 1:23 esv

...the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all.

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philippians 2:1-2 niv84

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

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i corinthians 1:12-13 esv

What I mean is that each one of you says, "I follow Paul," or "I follow Apollos," or "I follow Cephas," or "I follow Christ."

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

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i corinthians 3:3 csb

...you are still worldly. For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not worldly and behaving like mere humans?

section 2

Communication is for the purpose of becoming united and sharing each other’s heart and walk as we both strive towards our Lord ecclesiastes 4:9-12  ii timothy 2:22 . So, we should reason through the Scriptures together isaiah 1:18  james 3:17  in our communication so that even if we misstep malachi 3:13-16  needing to confess james 5:16 , renounce sin proverbs 28:13  ezekiel 18:30-31  and/or sharpen one another proverbs 27:17  romans 1:11-12 ; through it we will come to find strength in the Lord i samuel 23:16  and lift up holy hands TOGETHER to the Lord in thanksgiving through Biblical communication i timothy 2:8  i corinthians 14:15-20 .

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ecclesiastes 4:9-12 esv

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!

Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

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ii timothy 2:22 esv

So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

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isaiah 1:18 esv

"Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

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james 3:17 esv

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

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malachi 3:13-16 esv

"Your words have been hard against Me, says the LORD. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against You?’

You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping His charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’"

Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed His name.

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james 5:16 esv

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

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proverbs 28:13 csb

The one who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.

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ezekiel 18:30-31 csb

"Therefore, house of Israel, I will judge each one of you according to his ways." This is the declaration of the Lord God. "Repent and turn from all your rebellious acts, so they will not become a sinful stumbling block to you. Throw off all the transgressions you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, house of Israel?

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proverbs 27:17 esv

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

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romans 1:11-12 esv

For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.

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i samuel 23:16 esv

And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God.

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i timothy 2:8 esv

I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling...

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i corinthians 14:15-20 niv84

So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified.

I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.

section 3

Keep in mind that Biblical communication is not mere talk but is any way the inner-self is conveyed (shared) with others. Sure, speech and words hosea 14:2  are the most prominent and obvious, even though speech is the most often, purposely used method to misrepresent the heart isaiah 29:13  so as to deceive and separate rather than to know and be known in unity galatians 4:9 . Still, we should be mindful of all aspects of the expression of our inner-self. Be aware that we communicate to others, God and even an individual becomes aware of one’s inner-self through: speech i corinthians 14:7-10  matthew 12:34 , gestures proverbs 6:12-14 , facial cues isaiah 3:9 , facial expressions proverbs 16:29-30 , tone of voice genesis 42:7 , and actions proverbs 20:11-12  james 2:15-18 .

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hosea 14:2 esv

Take with you words and return to the LORD; say to Him, "Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips..."

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isaiah 29:13 esv

And the Lord said: "Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, while their hearts are far from Me, and their fear of Me is a commandment taught by men..."

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galatians 4:9 esv

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God...

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i corinthians 14:7-10 nlt

Even lifeless instruments like the flute or the harp must play the notes clearly, or no one will recognize the melody. And if the bugler doesn’t sound a clear call, how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle?

It’s the same for you. If you speak to people in words they don’t understand, how will they know what you are saying? You might as well be talking into empty space. There are many different languages in the world, and every language has meaning.

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matthew 12:34 esv

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

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proverbs 6:12-14 esv

A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord;

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isaiah 3:9 esv

For the look on their faces bears witness against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves.

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proverbs 16:29-30 esv

A man of violence entices his neighbor and leads him in a way that is not good. Whoever winks his eyes plans dishonest things; he who purses his lips brings evil to pass.

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genesis 42:7 nlt

Joseph recognized his brothers instantly, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. "Where are you from?" he demanded. "From the land of Canaan," they replied. "We have come to buy food."

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proverbs 20:11-12 csb

Even a young man is known by his actions— by whether his behavior is pure and upright. The hearing ear and the seeing eye— the Lord made them both.

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james 2:15-18 nas

But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."

section 4

We should examine our communication to see if we are walking in the Way of our faith ii corinthians 13:5 ; for the fruit of one’s life matthew 7:20  communicates the Gospel clearly ii corinthians 2:15-16, 3:2-3 , confusedly i corinthians 13:1  or outright denies God despite any deceptive protests titus 1:16 .

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ii corinthians 13:5 esv

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

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matthew 7:20 esv

Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

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ii corinthians 2:15-16, 3:2-3 nlt

Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?

The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This "letter" is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.

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i corinthians 13:1 esv

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

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titus 1:16 nlt

Such people claim they know God, but they deny Him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.

section 5

It is, therefore, very important how we communicate as the Good News of Jesus is literally displayed, given, and expressed in communication john 1:1-18 . Communication is the practical mechanism of all relationships, so it is important that we use this tool to draw close to the Lord and to each other by Truth and Love ii john 1-6 . Remember, deceptive, insincere, and selfish uses of communication do not bind us together, but rather separate us. So, we must be careful to seek a new heart ezekiel 18:31  AND communicate for the purpose ephesians 4:29  romans 14:19  and in the way God designed james 2:12 . For we cannot sustain Biblical Communication without a sincere heart, but we cannot build a sincere heart without Biblical communication. We either walk up a spiral staircase ephesians 4:15  or we slip down a spiral funnel james 3:6  of the COMMUNicating of our inner self.

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john 1:1-18 esv

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, Who is at the Father’s side, He has made Him known.

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ii john 1-6 esv

The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth, because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever: Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love.

I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.

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ezekiel 18:31 csb

Throw off all the transgressions you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, house of Israel?

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ephesians 4:29 nas

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

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romans 14:19 csb

So then, let us pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another.

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james 2:12 csb

Speak and act as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom.

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ephesians 4:15 esv

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him Who is the head, into Christ...

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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, and set on fire by hell.