Q. what makes "curse words" so bad/wrong?
i understand that hell is bad because it is satan's domain and that damn is bad because you get damned to hell. but most of the other christians i know condemn people that use the other curse words saying that they are sinning by doing so. so is this a sin or are they really just words? and if its a sin what makes it so?
A. Let's take a moment to look at the Bible says and then I will try to answer your question.
"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. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." - Ephesians 4:29-32
"My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you." -James 1:19-21
"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." - James 1:26-27
"We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be." -James 3:2-10
"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." -Exodus 20:7
"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, 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. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." - Matthew 5:33-37
"Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." - Luke 6:44-45
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirableif anything is excellent or praiseworthythink about such things." -Philippians 4:8
There are several different types of swearing.
There is swearing as in making an oath, which Jesus told us to avoid doing. Simply say 'yes' or 'no' and don't make exaggerated promises. Yes or no is far easier to keep.
We are told not to misuse God's name in the Second Commandment. Many people use God's name as an expletive, perhaps not even realizing what they are saying. God realizes, however, and it grieves His heart. I'd like to point out here that misusing God's name isn't limited only to what we say, but it also includes what we do. People often judge others by their actions, so if you claim to have Christ in you, how will people view Him through your actions? History is filled with evil deeds done in the name of God. The misuse of God's name is not in word only.
Cursing and foul language are also mentioned as things we should avoid. If we go to church on Sunday and praise God, how can we swear or talk about dirty things during the rest of the week? Do we think God won't notice? As James 3 says, "This should not be!" God must be God of our lives every moment or not at all. We need to seek purity and righteousness in our lives even if it means abandoning friends, habits, or mindsets.
Instead of swearing, cursing, or coarse talk, we should instead speak words of encouragement to build each other up. The more that you study and meditate on the Word of God, the easier it will be to remain pure and to speak with kind and encouraging words to others. The movies you see, the books you read, the songs you listen to, and the friends you have all have an incredible influence on your heart. And whatever you have stored up in your heart is what will come out of your mouth.
The power of words is amazing. Have you ever experienced a moment in your life where someone cut you down, yelled at you, or belittled you in some way? Even if they didn't mean it or if you tried to ignore it, their words still had an impact, they still carried a message. Now contrast that to a time when someone encouraged you, said something nice about you, or built you up. Those words also have an impact. Which would you rather have said to you or about you? Which do you think you should use when talking to others?
The negatives far outweigh the positives when it comes to words. Wounds from hurtful things said can last a lifetime and can affect people in ways that we cant even imagine. I've even heard it said that it takes eight good comments to counter the hurt from one bad comment. Keep that in mind when you talk to others.
Concerning cursing and foul language, I would also ask you to consider this: What good does it do? What does it gain you? Saying crass things or using bad language doesnt impress anyone and they certainly dont make the speaker appear any more intelligent. In fact, cursing often gives people a negative impression. You are far better off learning to listen and taking the time to think before you speak. You will find that others respond better and when you have something important to say, they will listen.
No comments:
Post a Comment