There are several ways that people use to decide what kind
of individual another person is.
A. I am not saying that all of these are valid....indeed,
I do believe that a few of these measurements do
not......accurately....indicate a person’s worth.
1. Valid, or invalid......however.....the world
judges you and me......and everybody else.....
by this criteria.
a. How one is dressed.
1.) Neat or sloppy.
2.) Expensively or poorly.
3.) With or without tears, stains, or
holes.
4.) Clean or dirty.
b. A person’s personal hygiene.
1.) Hair combed.
2.) Breath smells badly or not.
3.) Visibly dirty or clean.
4.) Body odor.
c. How this person behaves.
1.) With dignity or with none.
a.) As a gentleman or a lady....or
a pig.
2.) Rudely or politely.
d. How one speaks.
1.) With nasty, dirty, foul language...or
with clean, wholesome words.
2.) With jokes and stories that would
shock or those that would edify, in
some way.
3.) With bad grammar or properly.
4.) Coarsely.....using words that are on
the edge of acceptability, or in
good, clear, clean, and wholesome
speech.
We can make the claim of being a child of God.....a born-
again believer......a saint.......a Christian................we can
make the claim, but how do we show the unsaved world
that this is real and true?
A. The world will not be able to judge you by your
clothing.
1. If they thought that they could......probably
they would come to the wrong conclusion.
B. Personal hygiene certainly can be a determining
factor when those people in the world (and even
in the Church) chose their friends.....but it
can never prove to someone whether a person is
or is not a Christian.
C. How a person behaves can......to some degree,
tell a lot about a person.
1. We must remember, however, that many
people are known to play games in this area.
a. We call them hypocrites.
1.) That person acting a bit silly....may
yet be a solid Christian.....in good
standing with God.
a.) While that person behaving in
pious and sanctimonious
way.......may be the biggest
hypocrite on the face of the
earth.
D. What about how one talks?
1. Scripture states, quite plainly.......that how
one speaks will, most certainly, reveal what
is in one’s heart.
a. Not on every occasion of utterance....but
when that person lets down his/her
guard.....then we get a view of that heart.
1.) Impure, coarse, rude, and ungodly
thoughts and intents start to take
the shape of words.
Matt. 5:8 - 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall
see God.
Now.....I link this verse to some others.....and I learn that
the heart is the repository of, not only our thoughts and
intents.......it is a repository of our very salvation.......
read with me:
James 2:12 - So speak and so do as those who will be
judged by the law of liberty.
Matt 12:35-37 - 35“A good man out of the good treasure
of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of
the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36“But I say to
you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give
account of it in the day of judgment. 37“For by your words
you will be justified, and by your words you will be
condemned.”
I have so often used this as a proof text against the use of
euphemistic cussing. It is that.....but it is more.
A. We are told that by our words we will be either
justified or condemned.
1. This includes “idle words”....but is not
exclusive to “idle words”.
In Eph. 5:3-7, we come across a word that is usually
misunderstood or only partially understood..............
Eph. 5:3-7 - 3But fornication and all uncleanness or
covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is
fitting for saints; 4neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor
coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of
thanks. 5For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean
person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6Let no one
deceive you with empty words, for because of these things
the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7Therefore do not be partakers with them.
A. This is the word ................. “coarse”
which can be best defined by the following
words:................“low”.....or........”ribald”.
1. Ribald is defined as: offensive or vulgar.
Words do not have to be blatantly offensive
to be sin....sin is often done in a gray and
undefined area.
a. Any word that is an offense to God would
fall into this category.
1.) Christians......knowingly or
unknowingly often can be an
offense to God with the
words that they use.
a.) Similar to euphemisms, the
person using these words may
not even be aware of why
these words are wrong.
Because we are going to be judged by our words, we need
to guard our lips and think before we speak.
A. We also must guard the words that we allow to
go into our hearts................unchallenged.
1. It is extremely difficult to erase words from
our minds and hearts.
I. All of our speech is derived from the vocabulary that is
in our brain and in our spiritual hearts.
Phil. 4:8-9 - 8Finally, brethren, whatever things are true,
whatever things are noble, whatever things are just,
whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely,
whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue
and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these
things. 9The things which you learned and received and
heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will
be with you.
A. We need to feed our minds with words that are
pure and undefiled.
1. If words come out of our mouth that are
border-line Christian......it may just be that
they shouldn’t be coming out of the mouth of
a Christian, at all.
B. According to this passage.....it isn’t just what we
hear....it is what we think about.
1. Meditation is not unique to Christianity and
good thoughts.
a. If we allow it.... we can be thinking about
some pretty vile things.
1.) The truth is.......if we think on vile
and “off-color” things, it won’t be
long before we are speaking these
very words in jest or in anger.
C. When we are speaking of “off-color”, we are not
focusing on the very wicked and evil.
1. No Christian would be able to justify using
that kind of language.
a. We are speaking of words on the border.
1.) Words that might bring snickers,
giggles or reprimands from some
little boy’s mother.
Tit. 2:6-8 - Likewise exhort the young men to be
sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern
of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence,
incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned,
that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having
nothing evil to say of you.
b. It seems that as we get older, we become
bolder.
1.) Our freedom from control by our
parents seems to translate to a
freedom to use these words again
with what we imagine as impunity.
** What we are dealing with, here, is the exact opposite of
euphemisms.
1. Euphemisms are words that are substituted
for other offensive words......to soften the blow
of the more offensive word.
a. Not all euphemisms are evil or bad (I.E.
“passed away-dead”, “under the weather-sick)
1.) However, when the word being replaced
is evil......the substitute word is also evil.
2. What we’re dealing with, HERE, HOWEVER,
are words that are used for a perverted shock value
or vile humor.
a. Instead of using more acceptable language,
one would use crude, vile, and disgusting
language.
1.) This could be to garner some attention.
2.) It might be considered by the user, to
be funny.
a.) I believe that God considers this as
some of the “coarse-jesting”,
referred to in Eph. 5:4.
3.) It may well be used to shock others.
** To some degree, I have to skirt the actual use of these
words........I would not be comfortable in using them,
even as an illustration, but I want you to use your
imagination, a bit.
1. These words often refer to body parts in an
ungodly manner.
a. Funny how Christians can use euphemisms
in other areas, but in these areas they feel
driven to use the common gutter names.
2. The offensive words that I am addressing also can,
and often do, refer to bodily functions.
3. Most often the words embarrass......either the
subject person or everyone within hearing range.
a. Some would say that the words used are not
specific enough for me to condemn them
from Biblical reference.
1.) No they aren’t......but can we
say that they fit the description
found in Phil. 4:8-9?
** True....noble...just....pure....lovely....of good report......
II. Christians should use proper words for everything.
A. If a word is ignoble, unjust, impure, ugly,
blatantly ungodly, or of bad report (especially as
understood by the world word).......Christians
should never use it.
1. Remember, it is not what you may think of
a word that counts......it is what God and
others are thinking.......... and are
offended by that really counts.
a. We may get the attitude.....expressed or
not expressed........that people just want
to get offended.
1.) This may be true, but can we take
the risk that this is that case?
a.) Could someone be turned off
to the study of God’s word
by the liberal use of ours?
2.) What if God really is offended by
this kind of speech?
B. One of our most reliable guides is to understand
how the world uses a certain word and what do
they mean by that word......what are they trying to
accomplish by using it.
Titus 1:15-16 - To the pure all things are pure, but to
those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure;
but even their mind and consciences are defiled. They
profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being
abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good
work.
1. This takes a bit of being in tune with what
the world is saying.
a. If the word being used doesn’t seem
to fit in the context.....it may be impure
or have impure implications.
b. Innuendo is a major part of the world’s
manner of speech.
1.) Do not use words that bring
snickers from the world.
C. Sometimes the best talk is no talk at all.
1. Why do we feel driven to make comments
when something happens.
a. Is it really necessary to comment on
body parts or functions?
** Listen.....I know that this very message is offensive to
some of you.......but I also know that a significant
number of those who name the name of Christ are
engaged in this sort of thing.
1. I cannot stand idly by and allow Christians to
foul up their surroundings with this stinking
language.
a. Not only do I intend to preach it, but be
ready for some comments from me, if you
are one who insists on continuing in this
ungodly speech.
Eph. 5:11-14 - “And have no fellowship with the
unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it
is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by
them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made
manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep. Arise from
the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
CONCLUSION:
God and men judge us.
A. God may not judge us by the clothing that we
wear....even if mankind does.
B. God will not judge us, based upon our hygiene...
but man will.
C. As long as our behavior is not evil it will not
come under the scrutiny of God......even though
men think that they know who is and isn’t a
Christian by their mannerisms.
1. Remember, man reads the outside, but God
reads the heart.
D. Both God and man have, are, and will judge us by
the words that we speak.
1. Man may judge us (rightly or wrongly)...... to
be hypocrites if we speak in two different
vocabularies.
2. God’s Word promises that we will be
judged by every word that comes out of
our mouths.
Are we using words that the world considers O.K., but
some of our brothers and sisters consider vile?
A. There are many things that Christians comment
on that would better be left alone.
1. Things that are personal, private,
embarrassing, and just plain crude.
As it is hard to rid our vocabulary of euphemisms.....it is
equally as hard to rid ourselves of the urge to address
things that don’t need addressing......to say things to
shock...... to try and get people to chuckle by saying crude
and often off-color things.
A. It takes work, but it can and must be done if we
are going to please God and have any influence
with men.
Prov. 23:15-16 - My son, if your heart is wise, My heart
will rejoice.....indeed, I myself; Yes, my inmost being will
rejoice when your lips speak right things.
Some good passages to read: Prov. 15:26; Zeph. 3:9;
Rom. 3:4; Prov. 8:7;
Col. 3:8
