The Real Issue Of Oath
Swearing oaths was a common practice in Jesus’ day. He oath swearing took a step further inMatthew 5:33-37: “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord. But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne or by the earth, for it is his footstool or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your Yes be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’– anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
The sensitive and insidious issue behind swearing has to do with the sacredness of God, His name, and His power.
Commandments Are Created Equal
Christians have a tendency to classify certain commands its more important than others. Actually, it is our duty as Christians to obey all that is commanded . We also sometimes wrongly classify sins in terms of what we would never do and those that God understands we will sometimes do.
For many Christians, cursing is one of those understandable sins. They would be surprised to realize that God banned this practice in the context of prohibiting child sacrifices and just before forbidding homosexuality and bestiality . In the mind of God, these things were serious enough to cause him to cast out the pagan nations which at that time inhabited the Promised Land.
A Daily Little Lesson
Is it wrong for Christians to swear on the Bible? Were asking a question about swearing on the Bible because were reading a portion of the Scripture that is applicable to that very question, Jesuss prohibition, not against making oaths, but His prohibition against making oaths that are coupled with swearing on something, like the Bible, although He didnt use that example in the examples that He gave.
Before we answer that question, lets just go back to some basic, fundamental morals here. Everyone knows fundamental morality is tell the truth, dont deceive people to take advantage of them and to gain something from them. Thats selfishness. Thats wrong. You dont want to be treated that way. You dont want people to lie to you. So, treat others like you want to be treated. Love your neighbor as yourself. This is Morality 101, and its just so easy and so obvious to understand. Its contained in the 10 Commandments, do not bear false witness.
All right. Thank you so much for joining on todays Little Lesson. Hope to see you the next time. God bless.
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Biblical Swearing Is Often Connected To Oaths
Now, let’s go a little deeper.
Much of the swearing in the Bible is connected to the idea of swearing an oath. To swear means to make a solemn declaration, invoking a deity, or a sacred person or thing, to confirm the honesty, truth, and/or the intentionality of the one swearing the oaths to fulfill the declaration.
An example today of swearing an oath occurs in the courtroom when we swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God.”
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In a nutshell, music puts us in a better mood, which makes us better at studying but it also distracts us, which makes us worse at studying . So if you want to study effectively with music , you want to reduce how distracting music can be, and increase the level to which the music keeps you in a good mood.
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When Is It Sinful To Use Foul Language
Todays cultural and political climate seems to be a constant battlefield where the foulest and crassest speaker gets the most attention. With it seemingly becoming ordinary, when is it sinful to use foul language?
Instead of asking when its okay or sinful to use foul language, you should be asking yourself why you are speaking this way in the first place. Dont waste time trying to find the minimum standard to earn a passing score or what words are acceptable. The short answer sin is sin.
However, its important to consider why foul language runs opposite to the life weve been called to live. If you simply hear Christians do not cuss, then you may begin to follow the rule for the rules sake rather than having a true understanding of why your words matter. Additionally, you may fall into the trap of believing the assigned cuss words are the only types of language that are foul.
Be Careful Who You Hang Around With
If youre not careful you can pick up on unwholesome speech.
21. Proverbs 6:27 Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned?
Reminders
22. Jeremiah 10:2 This is what the LORD says: Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the heavens, though the nations are terrified by them.
23. Colossians 1:10 So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
24. Ephesians 4:24 Put on your new nature, created to be like Godtruly righteous and holy.
25. Proverbs 16:23 The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent, and their lips promote instruction.
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Identifying Triggers In Your Marriage
They were both convinced they had married the wrong person. From almost the very beginning of their marriage, Amber and Guy Lia experienced various tensions and personality clashes related to house cleaning, backseat driving, workaholism, and intimacy. In this two-day Focus on the Family broadcast, Amber and Guy discuss how they bravely faced the triggers head-on, and committed to working on their own relationships with Jesus. As you listen to the Lias story, youll feel hope that you, too, can see real marriage transformation!
What Constitutes As Cussing/swearing
Reason two for not cussing is answered here.
Cussing is defined as vulgar, sexually inappropriate, or harsh, and if you google it, you will find that it is described as an expression of anger which is why it is grouped as it is in Colossians 3.
The key thing to note is that cuss words and their meanings have nothing to do with Christ, in fact, they actually are the opposite of who God is. These words and their implications are in direct opposition to all that Christ stands for.
They are generally degrading, harsh, and used to insult in many circumstances. In short, they are in no way uplifting.
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How To Stop Cursing
Now, this take on cursing isnt to condemn you or push you to think even uttering one curse word could lead to eternal damnation we are all sinful people who need our Savior, who died for our sins and allowed us to be freed from that bondage.
What it does mean is that with this knowledge of what Jesus did for us, we need to be cognizant of how we present this knowledge to ourselves, our fellow Christians, and those who need to know about Jesus. A word may slip here and there, which is okay but you need to remember that although Jesus doesnt require your good works to save you, you do need to honor Him by watching and praying over the evilness of your tongue. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison .
Just like with quitting smoking or some bad habit, learn new ways to catch yourself before you unleash a curse word in your day-to-day life. Maybe you could position the infamous swear jar in the place you find you curse the most so you feel the pinch in your heart and your wallet when you swear. Or you could have a list of reasons in your wallet/purse of why it is better not to curse, complete with some of these Scripture references listed here, to remind yourself that cursing doesnt have a hold of you and that you would rather speak words of spiritual encouragement and praise to God instead of profanity.
Should Christians Consider Cursing A Sin
The Bible speaks of sin as failing to love God and love His people. We are called to speak out of a heart that builds up, encourages, and keeps our tongue under control despite our circumstances. Therefore, cursing, profanity, and foul language have no place in the life of a believer. As we move forward in examining what the Bible has to say about cursing, consider whether or not your speech is good for the people around you. Does it build them up? Honor God? Or make Christ look more magnificent? If not, the chances are high that our language has become sinful. As Christians, we are called to live above reproach. 1 Peter 1:15 states:
But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.
My conduct on the lake as a 13-year-old wasnt sanctified or holy. I had yet to see Jesus for who He truly is. As Christ began to redeem me a year later, my language began to change as my eyes were opened to the holiness of God. Through Gods grace, our hearts are changed and our conduct transformed. This same transformation can happen for our speech, as we seek to submit our words under the authority of Gods word.
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Praying For Help With Profanity
16. Psalm 141:1-3 O Lord, I cry out to you, Come quickly. Open your ears to me when I cry out to you. Let my prayer be accepted as sweet-smelling incense in your presence. Let the lifting up of my hands in prayer be accepted as an evening sacrifice. O Lord, set a guard at my mouth. Keep watch over the door of my lips.
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What Does The Bible Say
Profanities are hurtful, blasphemous, vulgar, wicked, and uncouth. They are the worst things that can come from our mouths, and the Bible warns to the effect of this truth:
Colossians 3:8 But now put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth.
Ephesians 4:29 Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying, as fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear.
James 3:10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be so.
Several verses from the New and Old Testaments warn of the destruction in crude, defiling language, or even poor choice of words.
Matthew 15:11 not what goes into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.
Ephesians 5:1-33 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.
Graceful Bible Verses About Cursing And Swearing
by Ryan Hart | Updated on December 20, 2018 | Post may contain affiliate links
In this post Im going to share with you the most impactful bible verses about cursing and using profanity that Ive read.
In fact:
These scriptures on cursing will make you think twice about the words that come out of your mouth from now on.
Ready to find out what the bible says about swearing?
Lets get started.
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Is It A Sin To Curse How To Avoid Cursing
- Post author:mirabela
Curses can be seen as a form of paganism, as can the associated spells. Because they depart from the idea of salvation through faith in God and have a rather ritualistic character. But they are not alien to Christianity. A lot of people are curious if is it a sin to curse? The Bible gives many examples of bad words and curses, especially in the Old Testament.
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Why Swearing Is Offensive
Most people, whether Christian or non-Christian, find swearing crude, rude, and offensive. I certainly do not want to hear references to stuff done in the bathroom and other body functions.
The F— word is especially repulsive because it is a vulgar reference to what should be a special demonstration of love between married people. The meaning of the word has degenerated into a physical act purely for pleasure instead of a way two people show love to each other. According to scripture, the marriage bed is an honorable thing and should be treated with respect .
The Word Of Grace And Words Of Grace
But how? How do we nurture a new heart, in others or in ourselves, so that life-giving words come out?
Were sinners. And he doesnt swear at us.
He hugs us with words of love. His Son was cursed so that God never curses at us.
Loved with this spoken word of welcome, I find my heart oddly calmed. Softened by grace, I discover a fresh desire to speak what will inject life into others. Graced with a word, I grace others with my words.
Which, it turns out, is what the individual speech-verses are after anyway: Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear .
Dane C. Ortlund serves as senior pastor of Naperville Presbyterian Church in Naperville, Illinois. He is the author of Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers and Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners. Dane and his wife, Stacey, have five children.
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Can Christians Cuss/swear What The Bible Says About Profanity
The question of whether Christians can cuss or not has come to my attention recently, as I have seen more and more Christians, both on the platform and in the congregation, freely speaking profanities and even boasting about it. Because of this, I have decided to write this blog post to answer this question and to help those who have merely been taught not to cuss but dont truly understand the reasoning behind it. So lets dive into what the Bible teaches us.
Can Christians cuss/swear? While the Bible does not lay out a list of explicit words to steer clear from, it is clear that Christians are to stay away from filthy language,unwholesome talk, and crude joking. Christians are instructed to keep from being polluted by the world and to reflect the image of God, therefore Christians should not cuss.
This is a rather vague answer and is in need of some unpacking so that we can come to a solid conclusion, so the rest of this blog will be dedicated to this.
Using Our Words Wisely
Now that weve looked at these questions, What does the Bible say about cussing? And is cursing a sin? I want to end with a challenge to use our words wisely.
We should use our words in a way that shows our love for God and honors those we are speaking about.
Some of the worst things Ive heard have come from Christians who intentionally dont swear but still, use their words to tear others apart. The point the Bible makes is that the words you use arent the problem. Words are neutral. The way you use words dictates if they become good or bad.
Should Christians cuss? Well that depends. What is right and wrong isnt always the same as what is wise and unwise. Or at least effective and ineffective. While it might be okay to do something, or say something, it might not always be wise.
Instead of asking is cursing a sin? Ask this instead: Would using help or distract?
What is the wisest thing for you to do? Whats the most loving way you can communicate what you need to say?
Life is not all black and white. The Bible doesnt portray it that way either theres a whole lot of gray. This question will help us sort out what the wisest thing for us to do is.
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