James 3:6 “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.”
Our world is filled with an enormous variety of different languages, but a Christian’s speech ought to be different from the lingo of the world no matter what language you speak. The world can tell if you’re a true Christian or not. If you recall the Apostle Peter, who was used by God to preach at Pentecost, was accused of being one of Jesus’s disciples by the way he spoke. As he was warming himself by the fire, one said that they could tell he was a disciple because of his speech. Peter then began to curse and use the world’s language to cover up the fact that he was a Christian. When the world hears your speech, is it that of vileness and corruption or is it that of grace and truth?
The topic of speaking right and wrong is very much important to God: for often, He gives instructions on how we are to speak or not to speak. For instance, James 3:6 says, “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity:…and it is set on fire of hell.” Later in James 3 it says that the tongue is an unruly evil and that it is full of deadly poison. God wants Christians to be careful in their speech. The Bible says how can they hear without a preacher, but I contend how shall they hear with a preacher that is using evil, crass, inappropriate, or even wicked speech. Controlling our tongue is an impossible feat for us humans, but God can help for only He can tame the evil tongue of ours. Though most Christians do not openly blaspheme or even say “terrible” words, we have substituted saying these wicked words with Christian cuss words. Using these words in place of the real words is just as bad as saying the words themselves, for everyone, especially the world, knows exactly what you are meaning to say when you substitute the words in. God wants our speech not to be that of the world, but to be a speech that defines us as a separated Christian who is not going to speak like the world.
Caleb Young | Assistant Pastor | Assistant YP | Activities Director at Circle C Baptist Ranch | Editor of YPLife
Clays Mill Baptist Church | Lexington, Ky
