Judged by our words!

Jesus said, “For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shalt be condemned” (Matt. 12:37). Swearing and bad language have become extremely pervasive among all ages of people today. Young people in our public schools, of both genders, take the name of God in vain in their ordinary conversations. When their attention is called to it they do not even understand what they have done. They simply dismiss any attempted explanation and continue doing it. They are doing what they hear adults doing in their homes and almost everywhere else.

On Nov. 19^th, Dick Morris spoke in front of the Arkansas Capital building and had a good message. I can’t remember his exact words, but in his message he spoke about God in connection with the affairs of our government. Shortly, he used the words damn and hell in a way that certainly was not in harmony with their Biblical usage. It was not surprising, but I thought, why did he think he had to do that? Did that make it more forceful? Hardly! Invoking God’s name in something and then using those terms as he did is a serious and inexcusable contradiction. It will not escape God’s attention and judgment. No one can deny that in light of what the Bible says.

In spite of what you may think of Rush Limbaugh, he defends the existence of God and the Bible as his word, believes in the creation account, the deity of Jesus and his resurrection, strongly opposes abortion, etc., yet his speech is constantly peppered with the same kind of misuse of Bible terms. He pays no attention to the church. It is a terrible contradiction in behavior and a reproach to God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Sean Hannity makes repeated claims to being a dedicated Christian. He often speaks of the supposed influence it has on his life and on his efforts to train his children. He freely speaks of things the Bible says, with the idea that it ought to influence our thinking Yet, he too, occasionally displays a contradiction in his behavior. These are well known people, illustrating the point I’m making.

The opening verse of this essay is a startling, eye-catching statement! It is preceded by Jesus’ response to the Pharisees’ charge that he was casting out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons. “You brood of vipers. How can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man out of his good treasure brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth what is evil. And I say unto you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment.” In Eph. 4:29, we read, “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, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Paul said, in Col. 4:6, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person.” James has a lengthy warning about the use of the tongue. “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If any one does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they may obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder, wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold, how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father; and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Neither can salt water produce fresh.” This passage not only condemns swearing and foul language, but a whole lot of other wrong and hurtful language! It has been said, “Swearing is the sincere effort of a feeble mind to express itself forcefully! Swearing and all other objectionable language are the evidence of an evil mind and a vocabulary that is far too limited! Bad language of any kind does not display elevated character, education, self-respect or respect for others. It certainly does not show respect for God and the Lord Jesus Christ and to have any hope for their approval of it is futile.

– Lowell E. McCoy