WHAT SHOULD A CHRISTIAN'S SPEECH SOUND LIKE?
It's About More Than “Bad Words”
Christians sometimes ask, “Is it a sin to use bad words?”
That's a fair question. But the Bible asks a bigger one:
What does the way I speak reveal about my heart?
THE MOUTH REVEALS THE HEART
Jesus said:
“For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.”
— Matthew 12:34
Jesus didn't give us a list of forbidden words. He went straight to the source.
The heart.
Anger speaks. Pride speaks. Hatred speaks.
So do kindness, patience and love.
Listen to the mouth and you will often discover what is happening in the heart.
“GOOD” WORDS CAN BE SINFUL TOO
“You're worthless.”
“Nobody cares what you think.”
“What kind of idiot would believe that?”
Not one “cuss word.”
Yet every sentence can wound, humiliate or belittle.
Paul gives us a better test:
“Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for building up...”
— Ephesians 4:29
The question isn't just:
“Did I use a bad word?”
Ask:
“What did my words do?”
CULTURE MATTERS
Words mean what people understand them to mean.
Bloody may hardly raise an eyebrow in America but has traditionally been much more offensive in Britain and Australia.
So Scripture doesn't give us a dictionary of forbidden English words.
Scripture gives the standard. Culture helps determine what our words communicate.
If I knowingly use language to shock, degrade or offend, saying “It's only a word” misses the point.
SOME SPEECH IS CLEARLY WRONG
The Bible isn't vague about everything.
Paul tells Christians to put away:
“anger, wrath, malice, slander, and shameful speaking...”
— Colossians 3:8
James warns about praising God and then using the same tongue to curse people made in God's likeness (James 3:9–10).
Profanity isn't the whole problem.
Slander is.
Gossip is.
Cruelty is.
Ridicule is.
Filthy talk is.
Using words to destroy people is.
A person can have a perfectly clean vocabulary and a terribly destructive tongue.
CHRIST SHOULD CHANGE OUR SPEECH
Christians stumble. James admits that controlling the tongue is difficult.
But following Christ should make a difference.
Am I becoming slower to insult?
Less likely to gossip?
Quicker to apologize?
More careful with another person's dignity?
More interested in building up than tearing down?
If Christ is changing the heart, eventually we ought to hear it in the mouth.
THE REAL QUESTION
Don't stop with:
“Can a Christian say this word?”
Ask:
Does it reflect Christ?
Does it glorify God?
Does it build up or tear down?
Why am I saying it?
What does it reveal about my heart?
Jesus put the issue where it belongs:
The mouth speaks from the heart.
TEXT B4 TRADITION
Read First. Conclude Later.
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