Daily S.O.A.P. - Slip of the Tongue (Matthew 12:36-37

S - "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."" (Matthew 12:36-37 ESV)
O - This is a profound and perhaps grossly overlooked passage of Scripture. It tells us that, in the final judgement, we will be judged and either justified or condemned based on the words that we have spoken. It follows then that every single word we utter is being recorded. And it stands to reason that everything we post on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and SnapChat is being logged as well. In light of this truth we should probably pay more attention to the words that we speak and communicate through every other medium.
A - I need to take this very seriously. Just prior to these two verses Jesus explains that what we say is the overflow from what is in our hearts. Judging by some of the things that escape my lips, I have to conclude that there is a mixture of good and evil residing in my heart. According to Scripture, it's my responsibility to pursue the grace of God in rooting the evil from my heart. I'm told to 'pursue holiness', to 'put off the old man', and to 'put to death our members which are on the earth'. There's no way I can do this on my own. Stuff comes out of my mouth before I even think! But the strategy isn't to manage my words, but to uncover and submit to God's transforming grace the heart issues from which my words are formed.
p - Father God, I thank you that there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. But I know that your end game isn't merely to cancel my debt so that I qualify for entry into your Kingdom, but to totally transform me so that I will 'belong' in heaven and so that I will be a witness, through both words and deeds, in this life to the transforming power of the risen Savior. Please, by your Holy Spirit, help me to identify the root issues from which the evil words that sometimes come out of my mouth proceed. Give me the courage to confess my sin to my brothers and the grace to be transformed by your love through the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you that you will, in your faithfulness, accomplish this in me. Amen!