3:101 Peter 3:10

To love life and see good days a person must hold the tongue back from evil and keep the lips from deceit, joining a good life to truthful and restrained speech.6T 120.2–3+2 This belongs with turning away from evil, doing good, and seeking peace and pursuing it, as the life that grows when good seed is received in the heart.ST Jan 28, 1913+2 When opposed, tried, or annoyed, this means not repaying abuse, evil, or insult with harm or railing, but answering with courtesy and compassion and returning blessing as one called to inherit a blessing.6T 120.2–3+2 To this conduct is joined the assurance that the eyes of the Lord watch over the righteous and His ears are open to their prayers, while His face is against those who do evil.Lt 46, 1891, par. 16–17+2 Obedience in this way brings true happiness, virtue, health, and peace, with a clear conscience, trust in God's care, and strength of soul against doubt and grief that weaken the body.1T 566.1–2+3

To love life and to see good days requires refraining the tongue from evil and keeping the lips from speaking guile, so that a good life is inseparably joined to truthful and restrained speech.6T 120.2–3+4 This restraint is part of doing good and seeking peace, of turning away from evil, doing good, and seeking peace and pursuing it, and of living out truth through love for God and for those Christ died for.6T 120.2–3+4 It is to be brought into family experience and practiced daily, taking foolishness out of life that hinders growth in grace and prevents peace and joy in the Lord, with ambition not to meet the world's criterion or seek the world's applause but to do the heavenly Father's will, gain a higher and holier experience, and be a blessing to contacts.Lt 52, 1901, par. 2–6 It is duty to bring oneself into line with this instruction, which is of the greatest consequence to the children of God.Lt 52, 1901, par. 2–6

The verse belongs with eschewing evil, doing good, and seeking peace and pursuing it, since careful speech connects with doing good and seeking peace.ST Jan 28, 1913+4 This is the life produced when the good seed is received in the heart, alongside doing good and pursuing peace, with guarding speech meaning turning away from evil words and deceit.Ms 30, 1898, par. 25–26 It is conduct expected of people preparing for Christ's coming.Lt 30, 1868, par. 12 Careless or harmful words can stir strife and bring serious consequences.Lt 64, 1888, par. 16–18

In its setting of opposition and false accusations, trials and annoyances, the condition means not answering abuse with harm or railing, not returning evil for evil or insult for insult or railing, but speaking truthfully and living in a way that seeks peace and does good.6T 120.2–3+4 It means speaking with courtesy and not returning insult for insult, choosing blessing instead and returning blessing rather than evil or insult, in compassion and peace.6T 120.2–3+4 This restraint belongs with doing good, seeking peace, and blessing rather than repaying evil or insults, as part of the conduct of those called to inherit a blessing.LS 398.4–5 The condition is especially tested in trials and annoyances, when the heart may rebel and the tongue utter harmful words, and few meet it; following the Saviour's meekness and humility means accepting the discipline needed to guard speech, and these words must shape everyday life, not remain merely known as truth.Ms 12, 1888, par. 3+2

This conduct is joined to the promise that the eyes of the Lord watch over the righteous and His ears are open to their prayers, while His face is against those who do evil.Lt 46, 1891, par. 16–17+4 Loving life and hoping for good days, with turning from evil speech and deceit, doing good, and seeking and pursuing peace, belongs to the righteous over whom the eyes of the Lord watch and whose prayers His ears hear.Ms 11a, 1895, par. 1–2+4 The assurance that God watches over the righteous and hears their prayers supports obedience leading to virtue, health, and happiness, with God's plan providing a way to prolong earthly life while securing heaven's favor and future life.LSEGW 270.3–4

Those who know this teaching in experience are truly happy, valuing God's approval above earthly amusement, with Christ as their hope of glory bringing health to the body and strength to the soul.1T 566.1–2+2 Godliness and righteousness promote well-being rather than harming health, giving a clear conscience from doing right, peace in God, and trust in His care that support health of body and soul.1T 501.2–502.2+1 Obedience in this way leads to virtue, health, and happiness, for God's approval strengthens the soul against doubt, perplexity, and grief that weaken the body and bring illness.1T 501.2–502.2+1 God's plan provides a way to prolong earthly life while securing heaven's favor and future life, with the assurance that His eyes watch over the righteous and His ears are open to their prayers.LSEGW 270.3–4

The verse gives the recipe for loving life in this life by serving God and for being happy in the future life, even to receiving the crown of life that fadeth not away.Lt 124, 1906, par. 14+2 It is a practical lesson to be learned and followed until believers are perfected in righteousness and true holiness, by striving earnestly to be good and to do good.Lt 124, 1906, par. 14+1 Loving life in this way means putting on the new man created after God in righteousness and true holiness.Lt 31a, 1894, par. 33–34

The heart is purified and refined and made fit for the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit fashions the Christlike character in the new person.Lt 2, 1895, par. 15–18+2 The person is used by the Spirit rather than using the Spirit, working out salvation with fear and trembling because God works within to will and to do of His good pleasure, without a pompous, overbearing, dictatorial spirit.Lt 31a, 1894, par. 33–34

Guarding the tongue for those who would love life and see good days means refusing falsehood, corrupt words, and guile in order to protect purity in thought and action.Lt 64, 1888, par. 16–18+2 Careless or harmful words can stir strife and bring serious consequences.Lt 64, 1888, par. 16–18 A false tongue can mislead the unwary, especially those not firmly grounded, so words must not promote self or mislead people from the safe path but should speak of Christ and His work, with envy and evil speaking not cherished.11MR 84.1–2+1 Guarding the lips in this way belongs to doing good and seeking peace and to complete self-surrender and living by right principles in dealings with others.Lt 64, 1888, par. 16–18+1

Loving life and seeing good days requires holding the tongue back from evil and the lips from deceit, joined with turning from evil, doing good, and seeking and pursuing peace, under the watchcare of the Lord whose eyes are over the righteous and whose ears are open to their prayers while His face is against those who do evil.Ms 11a, 1895, par. 1–2+2 The caution warns against sinning with the tongue through vain and idle words, reckless speech, jesting and joking and cheap conversation, dishonoring merriment, and foolish talk about outward adorning of dress and appearance.Ms 11a, 1895, par. 1–2+3 What is required instead is circumspect, sober, profitable speech, while Christian cheerfulness is not condemned.Ms 110, 1894, par. 11–13+1 Such loose speech puts a person where Satan can gain advantage as he plays for their souls, so guarding speech belongs to a constant battle for life against Satan and his host in which safety comes only by being instant in prayer, watching every moment, remaining spiritually watchful, resisting the devil, and not laying aside the armor for a moment, especially in the solemn last days.Ms 11a, 1895, par. 1–2+3

The tongue sacrificed to the glory of God speaks only sound, truthful, pure words shaped by Christ and God's work.Ms 15, 1886, par. 7–8+1 Such speech builds up rather than tears down and supports peace and harmony among believers.Ms 40, 1896, par. 16–17 Words are precious talents that index the state of the heart and react upon character and thoughts, so those earnestly striving for the world to come live by Christian principles at all times and in all places.Lt 2, 1895, par. 15–18 This means not merely knowing truth or reading the Bible but practicing it and letting it shape everyday life, refusing to answer evil with evil or railing.Ms 12, 1888, par. 3+1

In God's work this guarded speech means fair, compassionate, truthful dealing with fellow workers, without a pompous, overbearing, dictatorial spirit, vain glory, provoking, envying, or evil surmising.Lt 31a, 1894, par. 33–34 It bears the fruit of the Spirit in love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.Lt 31a, 1894, par. 33–34 It belongs to the character of work expected of those who labor with God to use their abilities to help those around them grow wiser and better, lift and strengthen the weak, guide them along a steady path so they are not led astray, and watch over one another for good.Lt 47, 1893, par. 14+1 Refraining the tongue from evil goes with faithful work that unites gentleness with power and justice with love, which causes rejoicing among heavenly intelligences and glorifies God.18MR 9.3

The same keeping of tongue and lips belongs to instruction about home life of the greatest consequence, to be brought into family experience and practiced daily.Lt 52, 1901, par. 2–6 So practiced, with its surrounding instruction, it takes foolishness out of life that hinders growth in grace and prevents peace and joy in the Lord.Lt 52, 1901, par. 2–6 Ambition there is not to meet the world's criterion or seek the world's applause but to do the heavenly Father's will, gain a higher and holier experience, and be a blessing to contacts.Lt 52, 1901, par. 2–6

For church members loving life and seeing good days means ceasing accusing, finding fault, reporting evil from place to place, and speaking evil against workers, and unifying in loving as brethren without hypocrisy, with gentleness, courtesy, kindness, and pity.Lt 260, 1906, par. 7+1 Speaking evil against workers weakens their hands and offends God, for they are laborers together with God and must be respected.Lt 260, 1906, par. 7 This calls for repentance and conversion so God may heal wounds made by evil talk, coming before Him in the great day of atonement in meekness and humility confessing only one's own sins, being cleansed from jealousy and evil surmising and sanctified through the truth, and receiving the quietude and simplicity of a little child in order to help and bless others and work together in trust and confidence.Ms 94, 1904, par. 9–10

Keeping speech from evil and deceit is part of a message of great importance for ministers, ministers' wives, and their families.Lt 164, 1910, par. 4 Every minister is to search deep and make clean work for eternity for his own soul and to labor with zeal for an unsanctified, unconverted companion, with the same zeal needed in the churches, because dangers will follow ministers and often enter through unsanctified wives, and unless the convicting, converting power of the gospel searches hearts an irreligious element will remain in homes.Lt 164, 1910, par. 4 Keeping the tongue from evil and the lips from guile belongs to a life devoted to God as a solemn commitment made with Heaven's help to speak without deceit and keep life sanctified so every word and act honors the Lord.RH Dec 13, 1906 It is a call to live out truth through love for God and for those Christ died for.Ms 185, 1898, par. 7–10