THE NATIONAL IMPACT OF GODLY SPEECH-ACT
The moral integrity of speech-act comes from the purity of the person’s character.
By “purity,” we mean the new heart that is given by the Holy Spirit to the believer by virtue of regeneration.
The sound-speech of animals comes from their instincts, but human speech-acts come from an intelligent soul.
Solomon tells us that “death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits” (Prov. 18:21). There is power in the tongue – in the speech-act of man. As bearers of divine image, we have inherited the principle of divine speech in its power to create and destroy. The sound-speech of animals comes from their instincts, but human speech-acts come from an intelligent soul. When you say something, you are not merely pronouncing syllables and words; you are expressing the thoughts of your being – your character. But much more, the power of the tongue can rule the world. Thus, if we want the power of the tongue to rule with blessings, its speech-act must come from a righteous character.
A society that is built on and ruled by righteous characters is filled with trust. That kind of society prospers because the distribution of wealth and value of talents are not monopolized by selfish principles.
In all aspects of social conversation, trust is established when there is integrity. A society that is built on and ruled by righteous characters is filled with trust. That kind of society prospers because the distribution of wealth and value of talents are not monopolized by selfish principles. But when lies and deceit dictate social-political transactions, the spirit of true democracy is devoured by the oligarchical principle of survival of the fittest. Hence, it is not an ideological exaggeration when Solomon said,
Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death…No one is established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will never be moved…Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.
(Proverbs 10:2; 12:3; 14:34)
The leaders of our country and of the world, from the top to the bottom, certainly give all their socio-political wits to preserve and flourish the peace, order, and prosperity that they desire for their nation. They will try all the necessary means at this disposal to ensure the success of their goals. But at the end of the day, when all is said and done about socio-political peace and prosperity, one thing remains at the bottom of these things – “righteousness exalts a nation.”
Righteous character is the life and blessings of the nation. Without righteousness, society disintegrates and terrorizes other countries.
In other words, a righteous character is the life and blessings of the nation. Without righteousness, society disintegrates and terrorizes other countries. Thus, following this principle, if those who are in power will give a major concentration on the spiritual-moral development of the people, it is expected that economic and socio-political success will follow. Of course, such principle is not a form of religious propaganda to achieve socio-political powers. It is a God-given principle for human government. Moral character must reign on the throne, not personal agendas.
This principle reminds us of the election of David as the God-anointed king of Israel. Saul was still the king of Israel when God commanded the prophet, Samuel, to go to the house of Jesse to anoint the young David. Saul did not perform well as a righteous king of Israel. He let personal agendas to dictate his moral decision and leadership. Instead of listening to God and waiting for His providential move, he succumbed to his impatience and belittled the spiritual leadership of Samuel (1 Sa. 13-15).
Certainly, as the story shows, a man like Saul didn’t have the spiritual strength of character to lead the people of God in the way of righteousness. Truly he had a taste of mystical prophetical experience when he was still surrounded by humble people and was living in a simple environment (1 Sa. 9). At first, Saul’s speech-act was religiously inclined. But sadly, when the taste of royal power started to corrupt his soul, the true character of his heart was revealed.
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