Most of us wouldn’t blink an eye to hear a person use a curse word in conversation, a movie, or a speech. It’s culturally acceptable to hear people swear. Especially as a teacher, I hear high schoolers use profanity all day. But just because it’s commonplace doesn’t mean that it’s acceptable.
Lots of Christians debate whether or not swearing is a sin. Quite frankly, I feel like I’ve been on both sides of the issue several times and at one point thought that it was more of a gray issue rather than a black-and-white one. But the more time I’ve spent thinking about it and reading God’s Word, the more I’m convinced that it’s actually more black-and-white than it seems.
Some people say that there is nothing in the Bible to suggest that swear words are wrong. That is somewhat correct, since there are no mentions of any 21st century words in the Old or New Testament. Words change over time, and considering some parts of the Bible were written as long as 3,000 years ago, it couldn’t possibly address every modern issue in detail. That doesn’t mean, however, that it doesn’t address the issue at all. In fact, most modern issues have their root in an issue of the heart. Consider one of the most referenced scriptures on this topic:
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for helping build others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Ephesians 4:29)
According to scripture, we should have no unwholesome talk. The words we use should not degrade, hurt, or be inappropriate. It should build others up, so that those who listen to our words are encouraged. Without me naming them, think for a moment about the major cuss words. Do they give off an encouraging tone? Could they be considered wholesome and beneficial? I doubt it. They bring images of vulgarity, crudeness, and disrespect. It’s hard (and potentially impossible) to use vulgarity lovingly.
Others might make the suggestion that just like the apostle Paul, swearing provides a connection point with the outside world. As long as you are not being inappropriate in what you are suggesting with your language, swearing is normal and breaks down walls with unbelievers. It makes you more relatable. After all, Paul talks about becoming like other people in order to win them for Christ in the book of 1 Corinthians*. I would agree with that sentiment, but I think you can achieve the same purpose without sinning or having the appearance of immorality. You can witness to prostitutes without paying for their services or talk about God with a drunk without going out for a drink. There are lots of ways to connect with unbelievers without devolving into the same behavior they follow.
Lastly, I think that being intentional with our words matters. I love the way pastor Jonathan Pokluda talked about this in a podcast: “You’re not going to regret going to heaven and not saying any swear words. But you are going to regret every idle word you spoke.”
We should be careful with our words. We will mess up, but we should test our words and be honest if they are actually bringing us closer to God. Does using profanity, whether real or pseudo profanity (fricking, shoot, dang it, etc.) bring us to love God more? I would argue not. We only have so many days on this planet, let’s attempt to make the most of them by making our words count.
*Scripture Reference: 1 Corinthians 9:19-23