by Dr. Larry Ollison, Ph.D. 

The scriptures tell us that what we say in the natural realm, what we say with our mouths, has great impact in the spiritual realm.

Once I heard a man say that it really didn’t matter what he said or did. He said that God knew his heart and that was all that mattered. He even quoted scripture to me to support his belief. He opened his Bible and read from 1 Samuel 16:7 where it says, “man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart.” Isn’t it amazing how some people will twist the Word of God in order to justify the sin in their life. The man reminded me of a scripture also. He reminded me of Romans 1:22 where it says, “Professing to be wise, they became fools.”

Yes, it is true that man looks at the outward appearance and God looks at the heart, but what that verse means is this. God doesn’t judge us because we are tall or short, because we have red hair or blond. He doesn’t judge us on the color of our skin or by the language we speak. That’s what man does.

God looks deeper into a man and looks upon his heart. And that’s what 1 Samuel 16:7 is talking about. God may not judge us by our outward appearance, but He cares very much what we do and what we say. He places great value on doing His word and speaking His word.

In order to speak the promises of God, we must believe the promises of God. Second Corinthians 4:14 says, “I believed therefore I spoke, we also believe and therefore speak.” What we believe in our hearts will eventually come out of our mouths.

If it is true that we will generally speak what we believe, and according to the verse we just read, it is true, then how can we make sure we believe the right things so we will speak the right things?

Well, here’s the answer. Believing the Word of God in your heart and speaking the Word of God with your mouth is a powerful combination. In reference to salvation, the Bible says in Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.”

Here we are told that we must not only have a right heart, but we must have a mouth that speaks what our heart believes.

Before we speak, we must believe. And how do we believe? Well, it starts by hearing the Word of God.

In that same chapter of Romans in verse 14 it says, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”

Then in verse 17 we are told how belief and faith are born. It says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” That’s right. As simple as it sounds, we get faith by hearing the Word of God.