Admittedly this is a provocative title for all the protestants out there. But I would hope that it would also be recognized as the words of Jesus from Matthew 12. But how can this be? Is this in conflict with being justified by faith? Here’s what Jesus said to the pharisees:

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.

The only way this makes sense to me biblically is if the totality of a person’s words is a perfect mirror of their heart. Jesus seems to suggest as much not only here but also in the sermon on the mount. We find the same idea again in James when he writes that “neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.”

It would seem that if you want to know a person’s heart, you just have to listen to what they say, and especially to the careless words. Jesus says that the careless words count just as much as the measured ones. It seems to me that the careless words actually provide a clearer picture of the heart because they are the ones that aren’t quite so measured and prepared. They are the words that are off-the-cuff. The words that just flow so effortlessly flow off the tongue.

Listen to your heart. Not in the cheesy cultural way. But rather by reflecting on what you say when your guard is down.