Jerry C. Brewer
Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. …But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man… (Matt. 15:11, 18-20a).
One would be hard pressed these days to watch a television show, read a book, listen to shoppers in stores, read billboards, or opinions expressed on internet sites like Face Book without being exposed to the foulest of language. That was not the case a few years ago. Why? Because society in general frowned upon such language. Even foul reprobates in days gone by would not have thought of using such language in the presence of children or ladies. But today’s pagan-oriented society uses foul language as a matter of course without even considering what our Saviour said about it.
Even those who claim to be Christians have been caught up in pop culture ways of speaking and do not give a second thought to spewing verbal sewage from their defiled hearts. They are often excused on the basis that, “Oh, that’s just the way people talk today.” It is, indeed, the way people talk today, but it is not, never has been, and will never be acceptable to the Lord. It is an immature, junior high mindset that thinks such language is “cool” or “the in thing” to do.
Those of us who are Christians must stop condoning such language by our silence. We need to speak up when such language is used in our presence and let offenders know that righteousness does not peacefully co-exist with their wicked practices. We are a “peculiar people” (1 Pet. 2:9). Let’s start acting like it.
