The Sin of Cussing

Matthew 15:18-20; Ephesians 5:4

James tells us the tongue is a world of iniquity (James 3:6) = there are many ways we can sin with our tongues.

Lie

Slander

Brag

Gossip

Speak harshly

Flattery

Profanely/corruptly

Illust. A few weeks ago, I mentioned Robert Raikes, founder of Sunday School. One of the things that inspired him was the lewd language he heard from the children in the streets. What if he were alive today?

This morning I’m going to share with you six truths about profane language.

1. Profane language reveals a defiled heart.

This is why cussing matters. Jesus tells them that their ritualistic cleansings are worthless because their words reveal they are defiled.

“what comes out of the mouth” That’s words isn’t it?

“proceeds from the heart” is a reflection of who you are on the inside

“this defiles a person”

Evil thoughts, murder, slander, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, lying, slander

Not a comprehensive list. Just a sample.

You don’t even need eyes to evaluate a person spiritually. All you need is ears.

Our thoughts and desires come out in our speech.

Jesus said in Matt. 12:36:

On the Day of Judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned.

Our words reveal our heart.

If you use racist terms, I can only conclude you have a racist heart.

If you use sexually explicit language, I can only conclude you have a lustful heart.

Listen to Ephesians 5:4

Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving

There is a category of speech the Bible describes as filthy. They often describe either a private body part, an emission of the body, or an act of sexual intimacy.

There are certain words and phrases that immediately create an image in the mind. There are certain words that communicate a lack of reverence or respect. These words are filthy. They are profane. They are corrupt. We shouldn’t use them.

There is a wrong way to say stuff folks!

2. Profane language reveals a level of ignorance.

Back to Ephesians 5.

“foolish talk” You’re a fool if you talk this way. Being a fool has nothing to do with your level of intelligence. The Greek word is “morologia”. It means moronic speech.

The ignorance I’m talking about is an ignorance of morality.

He’s condemning filthy and foolish talk. The Pharisees were worried about eating with filthy hands, but they had a filthy mouth.

“crude joking” There is a contrast here with foolish talking. This phrase describes someone with a quick wit. Anything said, they can quickly turn into a crude joke. It’s like the hosts of the late night talk shows. Some of the most filthy things are said as a joke.

Watch comedians today.

Watch the sitcoms today.

Look at the memes

We justify it by saying we were joking. When it’s clever we don’t think its corrupt.

This is a major problem with men. I don’t want to hear your filthy jokes.

Illust. Working at Bent Can store. Boss telling me a dirty joke. Told him I didn’t think profane jokes were funny. Had to decide. Would I laugh at jokes like that?

The truth is many men have the moral and mental capacity of Beavis and Butthead.

Listen, a man can be funny without being filthy.

Some show their ignorance with what they think is wisdom- They say the Bible uses harsh language at times. It does. It always does it with theological significance.

The Whore of Babylon- symbolizes idolatry, unfaithfulness, and the sexual immorality of a culture.

Damned (Rom. 14:23)- eternal condemnation

Ass (KJV) is a donkey. Language evolves and our vocabulary should as well.

There is language that is “out of place” for a Christian. It doesn’t fit in the Christian’s life. It’s like a child trying to stuff the square block in the round hole. He’s banging on it trying to get it to fit. If you are a Christian who uses filthy language you look and sound foolish.

3. Profane language reveals a lack of the fear of God.

Third commandment- Do not take the name of the Lord in vain. Some couple God with a cuss word. May God have mercy on you. Most know this is a sin. Even many ungodly people refuse to do that.

Let me warn you all because I think this is one of the most common sins in the church. Many people ignorantly take the name of the Lord in vain.

They use God as an exclamation. OMG.

They say “I don’t mean anything by it.”

That’s the point. That is the very definition of the word vain. It means empty. It means useless.

Listen- We should only use the name of God when we are speaking to him or about Him in a reverent manner.

Let’s move on from that because I believe most of you understand it is wrong. Old habits die hard but they must die.

Profane language virtually disappears when we find ourselves in certain situations and around certain people.

A job interview

Around the pastor

In class

On a term paper

In court

In a meeting

In church

We clean up our language because we don’t want to be perceived in a particular way.

Isaiah when he found himself in the presence of God:

“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isa. 6:5)

There is not a single case of anyone using profane language in the presence of God. Their speech cleans up real fast!

Do you think they’ll be any cussing in heaven?

When you stand in the presence of God you will not use profane language. If you use profane language now it is because you do not fear God.

I ought not to say that:

At church

In front of women

While the preacher is around

No, you ought not say it at all because the eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good!

4. Profane language reveals pride.

Profanity shouts “Look at me!” They want attention. You are getting the same sort of attention people who don’t wear deodorant get. You have a moral stench, and it causes people to stare.

We see this among our young men. They cuss to appear macho.

It takes more discipline and strength to put a beer down than to pick it up.

It takes more discipline and strength to keep yourself pure than to engage in immorality.

It takes more strength to not cuss than it does to cuss.

If cussing makes a man, then a man ain’t much.

Cussing is connected to the ego. It shout’s “I don’t care what others think!”

Illust. Nothing to go into a restaurant now and hear filth shouted from the next table.

No matter what you think about cussing there are folks who don’t want to hear it. If the Golden Rule were followed, we would stamp out cussing.

Think about it:

No one comes home from a nice meal and says “It was good, would have been better if someone had dropped a few F bombs.”

Good movie- would have been better if God’s name had been taken in vain about ten more times.

It’s unnecessary. It’s only done because people want to do it and they don’t care that it offends people.

5. Profane language reveals a lack of self-control.

Many people don’t even realize they are cussing. It is so natural to them they do it without effort.

Cussing is addictive. The more you do it, the more you do it. Your language will not get better. It will get worse. Some folks can’t have a conversation without cussing.

The fruit of the Spirit is self-control. If you are saved you can stop cussing. If you can’t you need to take a hard look at your life.

Illust. Me as lost man. I can’t remember when I started cussing. I cussed every day. I used extremely profane language with no thought about it.

Other areas of my life were out of control too. When God saved me, I was convicted about the way I spoke. With God, my wife, and my children as my witness I have not said a cuss word since January 14, 1996. I am not bragging. I’m telling you about the power of God.

God convicts you of your sin.

God empowers you to overcome.

This is one of the greatest proofs of God in my life. I know God is real. One of the ways I know is because He has done for me what I could not do in my own power.

There are many who could testify to the same thing.

You cussed like a sailor.

God saved you and gave you a new vocabulary.

You say, “We’re all sinners.”

We’re all sinners but we don’t have to do all the sins!

Stop cussing! If you can’t ask yourself why.

Go to the cross.

Grow in grace.

6. Profane language does not accomplish the will of God.

There are some that believe that to reach the ungodly in our culture, we must cuss. Let me give you an illustration that shows how ridiculous this idea is. I was a chaplain at a prison where some of the most ungodly men you will ever meet were incarcerated. There were gang members, murderers, drug dealers, rapists, child molesters, and lots of other bad guys. Once in a chapel service a speaker used a cuss word. After the service and the days following it was chaos around the chapel. These sinful men were offended that a person would use a cuss word in the pulpit. Everything he said was lost in the chaos of that one bad decision. He offended the entire chapel. I would think that if cussing didn’t offend anyone, it would be in prison. It was an unnecessary offense. If we offend anyone let it be because we identified sin and pointed people to Jesus.

Listen to what Colossians 3:16-17 says “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom: teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father by Him”.

Colossians 3:6 says “Let your speech be always seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man”.

Psalm 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”. May that be our prayer, may that be our desire and may that be our witness.

Illust. Bethany Lloyd Jones was the wife of the great Welsh Pastor Martin Lloyd Jones. She wrote a book entitled “Memories of Sandfields”. In it she told the true story of a man that she knew that was extremely foul mouthed but had gotten saved. She said, “His speech was so blasphemous and filthy that even his toughest acquaintances were sickened by him, so that he was almost always left to drink by himself.” After coming to Christ, it was difficult for him to stop cussing. Before he even thought, vulgarity would come out of his mouth.

One day he was dressing for work & couldn’t find his socks. He yelled to his wife “I can’t find my ____ socks. Where are the _____ things?” His words echoed back to him. He fell back on his bed and cried out loud “O Lord cleanse my tongue. Lord I can’t ask for a pair of socks without swearing. Please have mercy on me and give me a clean tongue”. Mrs. Jones said from that day on no foul or blasphemous word ever came from his lips.

Christian, maybe your words have echoed back to you today. Rid yourself of filthy language. If you are lost come to Jesus. He can change your vocabulary.