10th May Pastor’s pen: "Getting rid of the gutter mouth"

When I was living in rebellion to God and living for myself in the world, I had a dreadful gutter mouth, out of which foul language seemed to flow like a stream…a polluted stream. When I was washed clean by the power of the Holy Spirit new birth there was a marked improvement. But obviously my use of language was still contextual and working alongside other gutter mouths I tended to still use some terminology that was not very healthy.

I have been dismayed as I have journeyed along through life that some Christians seem to have a mission to make foul language OK for the cleansed child of God. But how can this be? I know that the logic offered is that if I use the language of the people around me I can more easily identify with them and they won’t peg me for being “holier-than-thou”. However this attempt at contextualised Christian living is far from what God intends. For when we become so identifiable with vulgarity, how are we able to show them that there is a life of renewal where the broken sinner can be washed clean and healed? This is what Jesus was getting at when He told us to be “salt and light” and to not lose our saltiness (Matt. 5:13). Sure that teaching of Jesus is much wider ranging than language but it certainly includes it.

In Ephesians, Paul writes about living our lives as God’s children, different from those who are separated from Him. We mustn’t look down on unbelievers but we must be an example to them of what God is like (Eph 4:24). And in verse 29 Paul takes up the gutter mouth issue by saying “don’t use foul or abusive language” (NLT) The foul or abusive language which is translated “unwholesome” in the NIV is the word ‘Sapros’ which has the meaning of: rotten, putrefied, corrupted, of poor quality, bad, unfit for use.

So whether you’re struggling with a gutter mouth or you’re ignorantly proud of using foul words, be assured God has a desire to clean us all up. We do need to come to Him however and submit to that process, asking for the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts, our lives and even our mouths. We are to be witnesses and examples of God’s work of renewal so let’s get rid of the old ways and pursue the new way of Life Jesus has opened up for us.