Purity of Speech

Preachers get asked a lot of questions. Some of them are very deep and demand study before a preacher can answer. Others, the preacher knows right off the top of his head. 

One interesting question I have been asked is, “Can a Christian curse?” I guess the best answer might be, “Why would a Christian want to curse?” However, I did a simple study on this, and in this article, I present the results of that study. 

Let’s get started by stating this: it is always wrong, no exceptions, to take God’s name in vain. God spoke to Moses in Exodus 20:7 and said, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain” (NASB throughout). According to Psalms 111:9, the name of God is holy and awesome. We are to revere God’s name. His name is above our name. God’s name is holy and should never be used by anyone to emphasize a statement they are making. 

I cringe and get angry when I see someone who is a Christian put on their Facebook post “OMG.” That is taking God’s name in vain. Sometimes the name of God comes out as response to some surprising statement. We need to understand this is sinful and wrong. Again, it is always wrong to use the name of God in any way that is not reverenced and holy. 

Let me add, taking God’s name in vain involves more than using it as a curse word. There are other ways we can use His name in vain. 

A question we should ask ourselves is why do godly people use profanity? For one thing, those who work in the world hear it every day. 

I was a “tentmaker” preacher for many years. That means I preached for a small congregation while working a forty-hour secular job. Working around other people who weren’t Christians, I heard profanity every day, including the worst word out there. Unfortunately, these words lodge in our brain. They are always there and, sometimes, when we are caught off guard, they slip out of our mouths. Many reading this article used such words before you came to Christ. They are still on your mind and sometimes you too, in a moment of weakness, use them again. 

What should we do? Well, we should pray to our Father in heaven for forgiveness and apologize to those we may have offended. You have not lost your home in heaven; your name is still in the Book of Life. However, if this becomes a regular habit, you need to put a watch on your mouth. 

Next, I would like to share what the Scripture says, and it says a lot more than we can cover in this article. 

Look at these two verses Paul wrote. In Ephesians 4:29, Paul wrote, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” Then in Ephesians 5:4: “There must be no filthiness or foolish talk, or vulgar joking, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.” 

In these two verses, Paul says that our speech should not be unwholesome. This would be any cursing, dirty jokes, putting someone down, lying, spreading gossip, and any other use of our language that does not edify people. Does the use of profanity lift the spirits of people? Does the use of curse words help people grow in Christ? Does the use of filthy language encourage them to be all God wants them to be? 

In Ephesians 5:4, the word filthiness is a general word. However, the connection with the words following, and the distinction from those going before, appears to show Paul is using this word for “filthy” talking. 

In my research, I found this definition of profanity: obscene or indecent conversation—literally, that which is shameful. There simply is no place for this type of language coming from a Christian. Our words should build up people; they should encourage people. The use of profanity only serves to soil your reputation. 

I am going to stop here and let you rest. I do, however, have one more thing I want to share with you about this question. I will do that, Lord willing, next month. 

Before I go, let me say just how much I appreciate you reading the Restoration Herald. I want to thank all of you who have taken time to email me or catch me at a meeting and tell me you read my articles. It encourages me and makes me want to write better. Thank you so much.