hypocritical lips

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
psalm 63:3

Recently, I've noticed more and more the differences in discussion material and style between the standard of the secular world and the standard Christians are held to. It's weird, but I think I've become more sensitive to crude jokes and topics and profanities now than ever. I remember how I used to line my sentences with profanities back in junior high too, but now, I just wonder what the point of it is. Some people use it to release anger, some to emphasize emphatically what they are feeling, and some seem to use it just because that's what everyone else is doing. But I can't really think of a necessity or meaningful reason to use profanities and it saddens me that our society has lost the ability to express our raw emotions with appropriate, civil, maybe even classy, articulation and resorted to using crude profanities that even 3-year olds can spew mindlessly.

Memorizing James last summer and listening to sermons on Ephesians this summer has allowed me to realize how seriously God takes the things we say, and how these words aren't just mere words. They affect our spiritual walk and life; they affect the very real spiritual warfare going on at this very present moment for our lives. In Ephesians 4:29-30, it says

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

When I read that this past year during my devotions, it really hit me hard. 'No unwholesome word.' That seems so difficult and it's something that I realized we do not take seriously enough in our generation. What was even more interesting is the second verse: "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God." In the past I used to think that saying bad words, talking about inappropriate things would affect God the way it would parents in general. They'd get upset because it's not classy and it's rude. But actually, it says it would grieve the Holy Spirit. The word grieve is often connected with the event of death or loss, so it really stood out to me when I read how the mere words I am saying could grieve the Holy Spirit.

Why would it grieve the Holy Spirit? I think for two reasons. One, this is a loss of a particular area of our lives to Satan. If God does not have control over the things we say then Satan does. As a Christian, God should be Lord over every part of our lives. On the other hand, the devil seeks to take away those parts for his own use. Second, the Holy Spirit grieves because "... men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (matthew 12: 36-37) wow. every careless word. that is serious. that includes every word i have ever spoken to my parents, friends, or brother in anger. every word i ever said about another person in judgment or condescension. the Holy Spirit grieves because he knows that one day we will be held accountable for those very words we're so carelessly and thoughtlessly speaking today.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. (romans 12:1)

Our mouths are included in 'bodies.' James 3:9-12 says:

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Our mouths are to be used as instruments of praise to bring glory to God. Yet, with these sacred lips, we curse, judge wrongfully, criticize with condemnation, gossip, argue, and complain. 'This should not be.'

Profanities and crude jokes aren't the only categories under 'unwholesome words,' complaining and arguing (philippians 2:14), gossiping (1 timothy 5:13), and even meaningless talk can be included under 'unwholesome words.' These verses have really alerted me to how seriously God takes every part of our lives and how we are "to be children of God without blemish in the midst of [this] crooked and perverse generation" (philippians 2:15). I aim now to let no unwholesome talk come out of my mouth, but only that which will build up and benefit others. The words we speak always start off as thoughts first, and so one major step in holding back the unwholesome words we say is to "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 corinthians 10:5) How awesome would that be?! to take captive every thought, &make it obedient to Christ. I'd love to live in a world where everyone took captive every lustful, angry, proud, self-righteous, etc thought and made it obedient to Christ. Let us aim, then, to be perfect, just as our heavenly Father is perfect (matthew 5:48), starting with ourselves.