Pure Speech Undefiled
“Do not let immorality or impurity or greed even be named among you,” the apostle Paul said (Eph. 5:3). Then he went on to say what things are displeasing to God.
Among the things God hates, Paul listed filthy talk, the telling of dirty stories or jokes, and coarse jesting (Eph. 5:4). All of these things are in bad taste. We know this, yet many of us continue to struggle to please God in this area. We all know what filthy talk is. God hates it, so let’s put it to death in our natures for good. Coarse jesting includes making crude remarks about sexual or private matters. Many of us kid with one another about our personal lives. This is coarse jesting and does not please God.
Coarse jesting and filthy talk are often preceded by silly talk. Silly talk is constantly twisting the meaning of words to make people laugh. This kind of speech leads toward Satan and not toward God. Do not confuse this with good, tasteful humor, which we all enjoy. I am talking about the kind of humor that leads to silly talk. Silly talk then leads to jokes, first clean ones, then off-color ones, and talk that results in coarse jesting and talking about things that should be private.
We are all human and all have problems controlling our speech to some extent. Many times we use impure speech because of a poor self-image, or as a means of attracting attention. The word of God says this is naughty speech. It is fleshy lust that wages war against our souls (1 Peter 2:11).
God is calling us to repentance (1 Cor. 1:26-28). We have received the same power in us, which created the universe. We have God’s awesome power at our disposal. Nothing shall be impossible to us. We, as Jesus Christ’s living examples, need to be careful what we say, and be sober. We need to make the words that come out of our mouths the same as if they were the utterances of God (1 Peter 4:11). Remember, God hates a perverted mouth (Psalm 59:12-13; Prov. 8:13.
Jesus Christ committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth. He is our example. We imitate Jesus Christ daily, and when we do, we are doing God’s Will (1 Peter 2:22). We are doing what is right, and by our actions and pure speech, we silence those who are ignorant, foolish and engaging in silly talk, coarse jesting and filthy, dirty or off-color jokes.
The Lord also wants us to stop watching violence. God hates the one who watches violence on television, in sports, wars, etc. (Psalm 11:5). And you can be sure that God will test you on this point.
God hates those who do not pay their bills when they are able. “The wicked borrows and does not pay back, but the righteous is gracious and gives” (Psalm 37:21).
God also hates the arrogant and those who are full of pride (Prov. 8:13). How can we know if we are arrogant and full of pride? The arrogant refuse to be told what to do, not even by God. They are so completely into self, they are out of touch with God. They do not put God first by studying the Bible on a regular basis. They are too busy to be bothered by what God wants. They pray to God when they’re in trouble or in need of things, but rarely pray for others. They are so busy with worldly pursuits they don’t have time for God. They never seem to realize that God butters their bread and takes care of all their needs when they live to please Him in all areas of their lives.
God’s self-improvement program requires daily obedience, diligence, perseverance and consistency in order to work. That is why we must put God first in all we do. By practicing the things that are right, for God’s glory, we seek the kingdom first in our lives (Matt. 6:33). How can we seek God everyday unless we read from His book, live it and pray? The person who pays attention to God’s word finds good (Prov. 16:20).
God hates people who continually boast about themselves (Prov. 30:32). This is pride of self. God is a God of knowledge who weighs actions, not just words (1 Sam. 2:3). How many times have you heard someone boast of his honesty saying, “I am a man of my word. When I say I will do something, I will do it.” Other times you hear people say, “I will be there, you can count on me.” In fact, many times, this does not end up to be the case. All such boasting is evil and we should always say God willing (2 Tim. 3:1-5; James 4:13-17).
God says He is going to punish today’s world for its evil. He will also punish the wicked who know the right thing to do but do not do it (Matt. 25:33-46; Is. 13:11). The wicked are an abomination to God, but those who practice righteousness at all times are His delight (Prov. 15:9; Psalm 106:3). Woe to those who rebel against the words of God, for everyone will be judged by His words (Psalm 107:11; John 12:48; Rev. 20:12).
To sum it up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted and humble in spirit. Do not return evil for evil or insult for insult. Give a blessing instead because we were called for the purpose of receiving a blessing. Do not speak evil of each other. Continually forgive others their transgressions. Love one another continually by constantly serving each other from the heart. Eat with one another often; get together often for fun times that glorify God. Go camping, have picnics, cookouts and get-togethers of all kinds for reasons of sharing love. If some of us are going to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters who are living to please God, then we had better get to know each other from the heart now! In all this, do not forget the poor, the needy, the widows, the elderly and the orphans (Luke 14:13).
When we know that any kind of sin, which remains in our lives, is withholding what is good from us and is displeasing to the Lord, shouldn’t we get rid of our sin (Jer. 5:25)? Why should we, of all people, continue to live in sin when we know how easy it is to come out of sin (Matt. 11:30)? Read this article again and again, and ask God to search your heart to see if there is any wickedness in you. Ask Him to cleanse you from secret faults. Practice righteousness and practice being humble. Perhaps you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger, which is coming soon (Zeph. 2:3).