What the Bleep?

Posted by on July 23, 2019 in Christian Worldview vs. Humanistic Worldview | Comments Off on What the Bleep?

WHAT THE BLEEP?

 

For years now I have been perplexed about the way some professing Christians talk.  Profanity coming from the mouths of people who profess Christ is perplexing because my assumption is that people who want to please God want to obey the Bible, and the Bible speaks very plainly about the way we speak.

 

However, I know we live in a very profane society.  I realize that everywhere you turn there is profanity.  Even sports shows and newscasters use profanity on the air these days, something that would have been unheard of just 10 years ago.  The more immoral a society becomes, the more profane people talk.

 

But this should not be true of those following Christ.  We are to be set apart, “peculiar” people who are decidedly different than the people around us BECAUSE we belong to Christ and represent Him in the world.

 

Before I sold out to the Lord Jesus Christ I, too, was a profane person.  I prided myself, in fact, in being able to turn the most innocent comment into something profane in order to get a reaction from the people around me.  Even in my circle of ungodly friends I was known to have the most vile sense of humor among them all.  But when I responded to the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, something happened to me.  All the sudden I wanted to honor God with every detail of my life, including my speech.  Suddenly and without effort my profane sense of humor vanished.  It didn’t take a lot of effort simply because I had a revelation and now saw vile speech as what it was: an affront to God’s holiness.  I was reading God’s Word and I was simply obeying what I saw there.

 

Here’s a few samples of what I was learning, and what I wish more professing Christians had knowledge of and convictions about:

 

Ephesians 4:29
Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.

Ecclesiastes 10:12
The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him.

Matthew 12:34
You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.

Romans 14:19
So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

Romans 15:2
Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

Ephesians 5:4
Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or crude joking, which are out of character, but rather thanksgiving.

Colossians 3:8
But now you must put aside all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth.

Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be gracious…

1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage and build one another up…

 

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Let’s analyze this a little further, as if the above Scripture references weren’t enough to go on.
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In Ephesians 4:29 where it mentions “unwholesome talk,” the Greek word for unwholesome is sapros, which fully translated means rotten, useless, corrupt, depraved.  God’s holy Word clearly instructs us to avoid such communication.
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But what is profanity, really?  Words are just words, right?  They are just made up expressions that have no moral implications, say some people.  But is that true?
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The dictionary definition of profanity is: blasphemous or obscene language; a swear word; obscenity; irreligious or irreverent behavior. 
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Yes, I realize that there are certain words that are considered profane in other Countries but not here, and vice versa.  So isn’t what is considered profane simply a cultural thing?  Well, folks, from a Christian perspective it should be our goal to always avoid even the appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22) or associations with the world (James 4:4) regardless of what culture we are in.  It should be our goal to build up in our speech instead of lowering our standards to that which is base or substandard.  It should also be our goal to avoid offending anyone who may regard certain words or humor as unsuitable.
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For example, the word “bloody” is considered a terrible profanity in Great Britain but is simply a word for something that has been stained with blood here in the West.  However, if I was keeping company with a Brit or was in the nation of Great Britain, I would avoid using that word out of regard for those around me, but also to avoid appearing to be an undignified twit.
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This is not difficult, folks.  I have always been mystified when people freely use words or phrases they forbid their children to use.  If it’s wrong for children, why is it okay for adults?  Consider this: If you would be shocked to hear a certain word or expression coming out of the mouth of your pastor on Sunday morning, why would you use those same words or expressions so freely?  Are there two different sets of standards here?  Are certain behaviors wrong for pastors and children but okay for the rest of the population?
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Beyond the explicit prohibitions in the Bible regarding profane speech and crude joking, let’s consider also what profanity does to one’s dignity.  What is dignified behavior?  Turning again to the dictionary, here is our understanding of being dignified:
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Having or showing a composed or serious manner that is worthy of respect.
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Synonyms of dignified are: stately, noble, majestic, kingly.  
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Profanity does not add to the qualities of being noble and dignified.  In fact, it subtracts.  Someone who is dignified is usually a person who is very composed and graceful.  Dignity goes beyond just one’s speech, of course, but the qualities of being dignified certainly include one’s speech.
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Sadly, we live in a society now where being dignified is no longer regarded as a worthy pursuit.  Those who pursue the qualities of dignity are in the minority.  It seems more socially acceptable to join others in the moral decay and assimilate into the slime of profanity.  For a follower of Christ, though, assimilating in with the world is unacceptable and indeed unthinkable.  James 4:4 states very plainly what seeking to be a friend of the world will mean to your spiritual condition:
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You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.
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Worldliness and godliness are incompatible.  Let’s settle that.  Assimilation into the world means you have left the faith and placed yourself at odds with the God Who made you.  You could be a regular churchgoer, but that won’t matter in the Judgment if your life was given over to worldliness and your church attendance was simply a way to appease your conscience.  Worldliness has no place in the life of the Christ-follower.
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“Hard,” you say?  “Rigid,” you claim?  Only a worldly person would claim such a thing when attempting to wiggle out of keeping a standard that is clearly Biblical.  For the true follower of Christ, this is not a difficult or standard at all.  We keep guards on our mouths happily and without resentment because we want to please Christ and represent Him well in this life.
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And if pleasing God is truly one’s goal, a lot of “grey” areas suddenly become very black and white.