WHY I DO NOT USE PROFANITY (AND SUCH)
November 11, 2007 AM
Sermon Outline
EPH 4:29 & 5:3,4
INTRO: I recall these words from Ps 19:14 - "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer." The question on my mind is this. Are the words of your mouth acceptable to the Lord? Profanity, vulgarity, obscenity, slang, the vain use of God's name and such abound from the mouths of people in our Country. Unfortunately, such things are too often heard from Christian mouths. Do we think such things are acceptable to God?I love words. I love the study of the English language. But based on a study of the scriptures I do not believe all words are acceptable to God. One of the evils of our time is the broad, accepted use of words and expressions which have no place in the vocabulary of Christian people.
- SOME PRELIMINARIES
- "Profane" defined
- a word "socially constructed as insulting, rude or vulgar"
- as accepted as they may be, I know society still holds to the belief that profanity is evil - just notice the furor of the press when our national leaders use such words!
- Originally...
- profanity related to blasphemy, sacrilege or the Lord's name in vain
- profanity specifically suggested secular indifference to religion - can spiritually minded people thus use profanity? does their use of profanity signal a spiritual problem?
- Another class of words? euphemisms
- such words are used in place of profanity, vulgarity - but directly related
- such words as golly, gee, darn, heck are just part of a list of them - it may be more polite, accepted to use them than profanity, vulgarity ... but since they are just substitutions, are they pleasing to God?
- "Profane" defined
- SOME BIBLICAL THOUGHTS CONCERNING OUR SPEECH
- Mt 12:34-37 - "...out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh"
- our words are a reflection of what is in our hearts
- profanity, vulgarity tell us what, then, about a person' heart?
- notice that Jesus make clear we will be judged righteous or unrighteous, justified or condemned by the words of our mouths (incl. lying, gossip, etc.)
- would you use questionable words, expressions in Jesus' presence?
- Eph 4:29 - "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth..."
- "corrupt" is "rotten, bad" - "communication" is of a "spoken word"
- corrupt words must not be spoken by Christian people
- profanity, vulgarity are corrupt and do not edify, build others
- this verse very clearly teaches that we have a responsibility to others in the matter of our speech - "that it may minister grace to the hearers"
- Eph 5:3,4 - "...neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting..."
- notice the words in the context: "fornication" - "uncleanness" - "filthiness"
- context helps us understand the nature of the words in v. 4
- these words are negative in nature ... have in them the idea of the vulgar
- words that are worthless, vulgar, suggestive are not the sort of words that characterize "children of light" (v. 8) - pure hearts do not bring forth words and expressions that are vain and vulgar!
- Mt 12:34-37 - "...out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh"
- Col 3:8 - "...filthy communication out of your mouth"
- refers to "obscenity, all that is contrary to purity" - base, sensual
- by any measure the words which often come from the mouths to people these days are "contrary to purity"
- we are steadily exposed to such language among peers, TV, etc.
- it is not surprising, then, to hear such words, expressions coming from our own mouths! but such language must be "put off" by Christian people
- Cor 4:6 - "...speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt..."
- the passage is obviously concerned with communication among people
- a Christian must be concerned about the worthwhileness of his speech
- is your speech always such that it is favorable, palatable to the hearing of others – providing that which is useful, helpful to them?
- such speech free from profanity, vulgarity, slang is possible ... and can communicate powerfully what is in your heart!
CLOSE: Are the words of your mouth always acceptable to our Lord and redeemer? If not, dear friends, we have a serious problem ... a heart problem.
Cecil A. Hutson
11 November 2007