CONTROVERSY XI: What about Words?

(This is a new article series that I am "trying out" with my readers. These are intended to be thought-provoking. Please see their Intro Article: Jan. 26, 2008)

Have you ever wondered about “swearing” or “cussing”? Recently, I had a conversation with a friend of mine, and she had heard different accounts regarding the use of our words. She had heard that slander, gossip, and lying are all wrong, and maybe sometimes swearing. But she had also been told that there are times when “curses are appropriate.” But is this accurate?

Well, we’ve heard both Christ's admonition and James's in regards to making promises/oaths:

"But I tell you, Do not swear at all...Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." (Matt. 5:33, 37)

"Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned." (Jms. 5:12)

What they were talking about here was that, when someone comes up to you and asks a question, you should come to a place in you integrity that you don’t have to “swear” by what you say—what you say is true. Christ further tells us that all such swearing is wrong because we really don’t have the position to do so:

“Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black…” (Matt. 5:34-36)

In other words, we have no place to swear on anything because a) we have no control over it and/or b) it’s not ours to begin with…

Now, that covers those passages, which we’ve already known about…but what about cursing/cussing? Say, for example, you discover that your longtime secretary or coworker, whom you’d almost consider a brother/sister, has embezzled millions of dollars from your firm? Or what if you found out your fiancé or spouse has been unfaithful: would you consider these situations “ok” for cussing?

This is the real kicker for me:

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (Eph. 4:29)

Does cussing out your “ex” or your “traitor” ‘build him/her up according to his/her needs"? I don't think so...Jesus says something else that is very tale-telling and troubling too:

"For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks...But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.'" (Matt. 12:34, 15,18)

And you do know who He was talking about in these verses...the "church folk." The Pharisees, who were supposed to have the Word of God written on the tablets of their hearts (ref. Prov. 7:2-4)...and yet, what was coming out of them was "dead men's bones," filth...anything deserving for the LORD to called them a "brood a vipers" (see Matt. 23:27, 33)

When we curse, it just reveals what's in our heart. Anytime we’re upset, we have to mindful of the words we speak. If we speak expletives, words of anger, bitterness, malice, unforgiveness, hatred, etc., that is only what has been placed in our hearts, what we’ve allowed the enemy to stick in there through our ear gate or through our woundedness.

Have you noticed, that the people who curse throughout the Scriptures are either the enemies of God's servants, or are those possessed by demons? And look what Mark 7 says:

"He who curses or reviles or speaks evil of or abuses or treats improperly his father or mother, let him surely die." (Mk. 7:10)

And that was written in the TORAH! That was the Law that God gave Moses!

Moreover, Christ warned us that we will give an account for every thoughtless word spoken!

"But I tell you, on the Day of Judgment men will have to give account for every idle (inoperative, nonworking) word they speak." (Matt. 12:36 AMP)

There is NEVER a "good time" to curse...EVER! God says "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay..."(Heb. 10:30)

We must learn to have the reverential fear of God in our lives and in this culture. He is the Word of God made flesh, the Word of Truth, and there is not darkness in Him (Jn. 1: 1-3; 1 Jn. 1:5-6). And we were created in Him image (ref. Gen.1:26)! If we are to be reflectors of His image, then we must reflect His light by the words that we speak!

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." (Ps. 19:14)