I’m working through the book of Proverbs and Proverbs 10:11 says…

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

In Luke 6:45 Jesus said, “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” The reason that the mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life is because righteousness is about the heart. Jesus didn’t come to usher in a movement of behavior modification. He came to start a movement of heart transformation.

Being a Christian is not about adhering to a list of rules and mentally ascending to an empty set of beliefs. That would be easy because that’s consistent with human nature. Find a formula and leave the heart completely unchanged. The New Testament however, makes it clear that Jesus had much more in mind regarding his purpose on this earth.

A Christian is someone who has been changed by God from the inside out. It’s someone who has believed that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, came to live a sinless life and died on the cross for their sins. They believe that Jesus then rose from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of God. A Christian is someone who has asked Jesus to take over in their life and the Holy Spirit now lives in their heart by grace and through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). This person has the living Savior dwelling in their heart. They can’t help but be different. This is what a Christian is and it is the only thing that a Christian is. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 the apostle Paul said, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”  A new creation.

This is why the mouth of the righteous is a “fountain of life.” Their heart has been changed by God and when the heart is changed, the mouth will follow suit. I’m not really referring to cussing or not cussing. I’m not even particularly referring to sharing foul jokes or not. Someone whose heart has been changed by God is filled with love because God is love (1 John 4:8). They speak words of life, love and truth because their hearts are different. You can’t fake this kind of change. That’s why this proverb says that the “mouth of the wicked conceals violence.” They may sound righteous but their heart is still lost.

There is no sense in trying to fake Christianity. You are either changed by God on the inside or you are not. Your mouth and ultimately your heart will betray you if you are faking it. The good news is that Jesus died for the whole world and his gift is therefore available to you. All you have to do is say yes. It’s as simple as getting on your knees and humbly surrendering your life to Christ. I hope you’ll accept his offer.