Pure And Undefiled In Speech

There are several ways that people use to decide what kind

of individual another person is.

A. I am not saying that all of these are valid....indeed,

I do believe that a few of these measurements do

not......accurately....indicate a person’s worth.

1. Valid, or invalid......however.....the world

judges you and me......and everybody else.....

by this criteria.

a. How one is dressed.

1.) Neat or sloppy.

2.) Expensively or poorly.

3.) With or without tears, stains, or

holes.

4.) Clean or dirty.

b. A person’s personal hygiene.

1.) Hair combed.

2.) Breath smells badly or not.

3.) Visibly dirty or clean.

4.) Body odor.

c. How this person behaves.

1.) With dignity or with none.

a.) As a gentleman or a lady....or

a pig.

2.) Rudely or politely.

d. How one speaks.

1.) With nasty, dirty, foul language...or

with clean, wholesome words.

2.) With jokes and stories that would

shock or those that would edify, in

some way.

3.) With bad grammar or properly.

4.) Coarsely.....using words that are on

the edge of acceptability, or in

good, clear, clean, and wholesome

speech.

We can make the claim of being a child of God.....a born-

again believer......a saint.......a Christian................we can

make the claim, but how do we show the unsaved world

that this is real and true?

A. The world will not be able to judge you by your

clothing.

1. If they thought that they could......probably

they would come to the wrong conclusion.

B. Personal hygiene certainly can be a determining

factor when those people in the world (and even

in the Church) chose their friends.....but it

can never prove to someone whether a person is

or is not a Christian.

C. How a person behaves can......to some degree,

tell a lot about a person.

1. We must remember, however, that many

people are known to play games in this area.

a. We call them hypocrites.

1.) That person acting a bit silly....may

yet be a solid Christian.....in good

standing with God.

a.) While that person behaving in

pious and sanctimonious

way.......may be the biggest

hypocrite on the face of the

earth.

D. What about how one talks?

1. Scripture states, quite plainly.......that how

one speaks will, most certainly, reveal what

is in one’s heart.

a. Not on every occasion of utterance....but

when that person lets down his/her

guard.....then we get a view of that heart.

1.) Impure, coarse, rude, and ungodly

thoughts and intents start to take

the shape of words.

Matt. 5:8 - 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall

see God.

Now.....I link this verse to some others.....and I learn that

the heart is the repository of, not only our thoughts and

intents.......it is a repository of our very salvation.......

read with me:

James 2:12 - So speak and so do as those who will be

judged by the law of liberty.

Matt 12:35-37 - 35“A good man out of the good treasure

of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of

the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36“But I say to

you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give

account of it in the day of judgment. 37“For by your words

you will be justified, and by your words you will be

condemned.”

I have so often used this as a proof text against the use of

euphemistic cussing. It is that.....but it is more.

A. We are told that by our words we will be either

justified or condemned.

1. This includes “idle words”....but is not

exclusive to “idle words”.

In Eph. 5:3-7, we come across a word that is usually

misunderstood or only partially understood..............

Eph. 5:3-7 - 3But fornication and all uncleanness or

covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is

fitting for saints; 4neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor

coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of

thanks. 5For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean

person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any

inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6Let no one

deceive you with empty words, for because of these things

the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

7Therefore do not be partakers with them.

A. This is the word ................. “coarse”

which can be best defined by the following

words:................“low”.....or........”ribald”.

1. Ribald is defined as: offensive or vulgar.

Words do not have to be blatantly offensive

to be sin....sin is often done in a gray and

undefined area.

a. Any word that is an offense to God would

fall into this category.

1.) Christians......knowingly or

unknowingly often can be an

offense to God with the

words that they use.

a.) Similar to euphemisms, the

person using these words may

not even be aware of why

these words are wrong.