Are Christians ALLOWED to CURSE?

Cursing and using foul language is something that some Christians can struggle with. And on top of that, is cursing really that bad? I mean, we hear curse words all the time in our music, our shows, and in our conversations.

So could it be possible that cussing can be okay in some circumstances to help with the confusion? Here are seven points that every Christian should consider when it comes to the topic of cursing or cussing. Point number one Christians need to control the words that they speak.

James Chapter one, verse 26. If anyone among you thinks he is religious but does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. In this passage, the author of James tells Believers that if there's anyone that thinks they're religious or a holy person that follows God, but they don't control the words that come out of their mouth, then this person's belief in God is worthless and empty.

And James goes on to say that this person is deceiving themselves into thinking they're religious, but in reality they're not at all. And what I love about James is that he doesn't beat around the bush and he tells things for how they are. So if there's someone who goes to church or a Bible study and they pray, but they make no effort to be mindful of the words that come out of their mouth, James would look at that person and say, Your belief in God is worthless.

And while that sounds harsh, we need to see where James is coming from. Because in the book of James that he authored, he talks about how faith with that works is dead. And he encourages Christians to think about their faith.

And then he challenges them to consider if their belief in God is truly authentic. And he says that if a believer doesn't make attempts to follow God in the way that they live their life, then James would say that their faith is dead. Now, I'm not saying a Christian needs to be perfect in their speech, but what I am saying is that there needs to be some effort and mindfulness concerning the things that come out of their mouth.

Because if we're Christians, Jesus should be the Lord of our words. And that means we need to take great heed to what the Bible has to say about our speech. and should someone not care about what they say and they let their words flow uncontrolled, it's evident that God isn't the Lord of their life.

Rather, they are. And if they say they're Christians, they're only fooling themselves. So why does James make a big deal out of words?

I mean, there are only words right? Look at point number two. Our tongue is evil and has the immense power to destroy James, Chapter three, verses 4 to 6.

Look also at ships. Although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder. Wherever the pilot desires.

Even so, the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest, a little fire Kindles and the tongue is a fire. A world of iniquity.

The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body and sets on fire. The course of nature. And it is set on fire by hell.

In this passage, James uses ships and their rudder as an illustration for people and their tongue. And he says that in the same way that a huge ship is directed by a small rudder, a person's direction in life can be affected by their little tongue. And James continues and says that the tongue is like a fire and that it can act as a stimulus that can cause a forest fire.

And then James says that the tongue is a world of iniquity and unrighteousness and that it defiles our bodies and that it sets the course of nature on fire using the fire of hell itself. So what I want you to see here is that our tongue has the capability of setting things on fire, using the flames of hell itself. And to help you understand the power behind words.

Remember that words were responsible for corrupting Satan back when he was a holy angel of God. Isaiah Chapter 14 versus 12 to 14. how you were fallen from heaven.

A shining star Son of the morning you have been thrown down to the earth. You who destroyed the nations of the world for you said to yourself, I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God's stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods, far away in the north.

I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the most high. And not only that, words are also responsible for the fall of man. And it's the reason why there's sin and death in the world today.

Because it was the words of the serpent that deceived Eve. also. It was the words of the Pharisees and the religious leaders that were responsible for the death of Jesus.

And it was the mesmerizing words of Adolf Hitler that persuaded Germany to systematically murder millions of Jews. So as Christians, don't think of the words of your mouth as being a little thing, your words can either be of God and have the power to uplift people, or they can be tainted and marked by the destructive flames of hell itself. So remember, what you say is powerful.

And when it comes to our speech, there's something you should keep in mind regarding bad words. So point number three, there's a direct command to not use bad words. Ephesians, chapter four, verse 29.

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth. But what is good for necessary edification that it may impart grace to the hearers? in this passage, Paul tells the Church of Ephesus to not allow any corrupt word to come out of their mouth.

And the word corrupt here means rotten, bad, poor quality or worthless. So please understand that the Bible is pretty clear in its position regarding cussing and cursing, because it clearly states here not to let any corrupt or bad words come out of your mouth. And for people who think, Well, how do you know which word is bad?

Like some curse words have substitutes. For example, let's look at the word damn. For someone to be damned would mean that this person is condemned to hell.

But some people use this as a curse word and would say the word damn as an interjection. And for a substitute, some people would use darn it. Instead.

So what about those words? And how do you know which words are bad? And would you be allowed to use substitutes?

And the answer is found in point number four. Christians must determine if a word is wrong. First Thessalonians Chapter five versus 21 to 20.

To test all things hold fast. What is good? Abstain from every form of evil.

In this passage, Paul tells the Church of Thessalonica to test or examine everything and to hold on to what's good and to stay away from all forms of evil. So if you're questioning whether a word is bad or not, you need to talk to God about it. For me personally, the test I used to determine if a word is good or bad is to think of my currently non-existent and hypothetical three year old son and daughter that I know would follow my example.

And if I'm not okay with them saying that word, then I'd do my best to remove those words from my vocabulary. But that's me, though. I'm not here to tell you which words are okay and not okay.

Rather, my goal is to point you to God and to encourage you to seek wisdom and for you to determine yourself through prayer and God's Word. Which words should stay in your everyday language? and while there can be some gray area as to what words are allowed, there are very clear words that Christians should not use as curse words.

And we see that in point number five, don't use God or Jesus as curse words. Exodus. Chapter 24 seven.

You shall not take the name of the Lord Your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold Him guiltless. Who takes His name in vain? in this passage.

Moses received the Ten Commandments. And one of the commandments was not to take the Lord's name in vain. And what's interesting is that this commandment was number three.

And that's crazy, because this commandment is placed above murdering people, having sex with someone else, a spouse, and stealing. So the word vain here in this commandment means emptiness or worthlessness. So the way someone breaks this command is by using the name of God in their speech and taking out the weight of who God actually is, or in other words, using the name of God and making it empty and without meaning.

And one way that we can break this commandment is by saying, my God or saying Jesus Christ as a curse word. So why did God place this as the third commandment? Well, it's important to note that the first four of the Ten Commandments have to do with man's relationship with God, and that the last six Commandments have to deal with man's relationship with each other.

And what God desires for his people is to remember that God is a God to be feared, honored and respected. Look at Job 28, 28 and to man, he said, Behold the fear of the Lord. That is wisdom.

And to depart from evil is understanding. So yeah, God is our father, our friend and our Savior who died for us, who we can talk to freely And at the exact same time God, the Creator of the universe, who holds our souls in his hands and is the judge of the living and the dead, rightly deserves to be held in the highest esteem. So when someone uses God or Jesus as a curse word, what's happening at that moment?

Is this person losing sight of the person and character of God himself? and I'd say that someone who has no problem saying, my God or Jesus Christ has no idea that angels fall in worship before Almighty God every day, that souls are regularly judged before his presence, and that the very fate of their lives is dependent on what he wills and desires. So for us as Christians, remember that when we break this commandment, our view of God lessens.

And that moment and every sin that we commit is rooted in the lie that we're bigger than God and we can do and say what we want. So now that we talked about what Christians should not do with their speech, like say bad words or use God as a curse word, we should now look at what we should do. So point number six the words and actions of a Christian should be different.

Ephesians Chapter five, verses 3 to 4. But fornication and all unclean this or covetousness let it not even be named among you as is fitting for saints, neither filthy, earnest nor foolish talking nor coarse jesting which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. In this passage, Paul tells the efficient church not to have anything to do with unclean ness and get rid of filthy ness or shameful ness, and not to be a part of any foolish talking or bad or rude humor.

And he tells them that Christians instead should be giving thanks with their language. And later in Ephesians five, Paul says that Christians should not take part in the actions of people who don't follow God. And he encourages the church to remember that they used to be of sin and of darkness, but now they're children of light and that they should walk like it So as believers, we need to remember that we ought to be followers of Jesus.

And that means living like him. And one of the things that Jesus did while he was here was encourage people and lift people up with his words. When I think about low points in my life, I recall the words of my friends that carried me through my pain.

Their words honestly saved my life. And they gave me hope that uplifted my soul. And on top of that, it was the words of my mentors and teachers that helped pave my path to get closer to God.

So please understand that despite the fact that our words can be tainted with the flames of hell, they can also have the ability to be used by God himself and can uplift and encourage people who need more of God in their lives. and while many people around us can give in to gossip bullying and put people down and use the name of God as a curse word, we must remember that as God's children, we must be children of light. and we must do everything in our power to use our words in a way that corrects, teaches, helps and blesses the people around us.

And the way that we do this is through point number seven. Our words should have grace and should build people up Colossians chapter four, verse six. Let your speech always be with grace seasoned with salt that you may know how you ought to answer each other.

in this passage. Paul talks to the church in Colossi and tells them to make sure that their speeches always with grace and back in point number three, Ephesians 429 says to impart grace with the words that come out of your mouth. So when it comes to cursing and cussing.

Note that those words either tear down people or they tear down their view of God and His commandments. but God's desire for his people is to use their words as a vehicle to give grace to others. And grace is goodwill and loving kindness.

and the way that we're able to give grace is to understand the grace that God gives us to receive and then to give that grace that we received. So if we want to give grace, we need to remember that Jesus being perfect died. The death that we deserved, and that by faith in Him and his sacrifice, we can have everlasting life.

You see, God's heart is to give grace to people. And when we focus on all that we have in God, His mercy, his faithfulness, a future of hope that's all rooted in God's grace will begin to grow and have a heart like our God, a heart that also wants to give grace. So if you're a Christian like God, use your words to build people up and to remind them of God's grace.

Okay, so when it comes to cursing or cussing, please remember these seven points. Christians need to control the words that they speak. Our tongue is evil and has the immense power to destroy.

There's a direct command to not use bad words. Christians must determine if a word is wrong. Don't use God or Jesus has curse words.

The words and actions of a Christian should be different, and our words should have grace and should build people up. As a final note, please remember that while we can tell people to watch their language, we don't always need to. I remember having a friend who was an a Christian yet, but he knew that I was one and he regularly cursed and he always apologized to me when he did.

and every time that he did, I said, You don't have to apologize. It's okay. You can curse if you want to.

And as our friendship grew, I continued to witness to him and I told him about the love of God and what Jesus did for him. and praise God. My friend gave his life to Jesus and years later into our friendship.

I haven't heard him say one cuss word, and the reason why is because it was God that changed him, not me. Now I'm not telling you to not correct people if they cuss. But what I am saying is to not forget that your character is also a powerful witness.

And to remember that changing people is God's responsibility. similar words reflect God. And as you speak, I hope that these words echo into your heart.

Jesus loves you.