Taking Off Corrupt Speech to Put On Good Speech (2)

Continuing our meditations on Ephesians 4:29—Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers—why is man’s speech corrupt? The answer is obvious—because the mouth only speaks what is in the heart.

An ancient fable tells of a slave who took poison a little at a time until she became so full of it that just her breath would wither the flowers. That’s how some people’s speech is today. Many years ago, while working in the building trades as an electrician, I was on a “cherry picker” one day running conduit in the steel ceiling frame of a warehouse. Just a few yards over from me was a sheet metal working (a “tin knocker” we called them) who was also on a cherry picker installing some heating duct. There was so much fifth coming out of his mouth that it seemed he had a little blue could floating above him. I just couldn’t resist, so I yelled over to him, “Hey, I was just wondering, is that the same mouth you eat with?” While his buddies on the ground laughed, he answered a little sheepishly, “Yea, I guess it is.”

Jesus Himself said, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh” (Matt. 12:34). Man speaks corruptly because he is corrupt. But Christ changes that.

Pastor, commentator, and conference speaker Warren Wiersbe points out this wonderful contrast: “It is interesting to trace the word mouth through the Book of Romans and see how Christ makes a difference in a man’s speech. The sinner’s mouth is ‘full of cursing and bitterness’ (Rom. 3:14); but when he trusts Christ, he gladly confesses with his mouth “Jesus Christ is Lord” (Rom. 10:9–10). As a condemned sinner, his mouth is stopped before the throne of God (Rom. 3:19); but as a believer, his mouth is opened to praise God (Rom. 15:6). Change the heart and you change the speech. Paul certainly knew the difference, for when he was an unsaved rabbi, he was ‘breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord’ (Acts 9:1). But when he trusted Christ, a change took place: ‘Behold, he prayeth’ (Acts 9:11). From ‘preying’ to ‘praying’ in one step of faith!”

What a truth! From profanity to praise, from threatening to thanksgiving, from vulgarity to virtue. The Christian’s speech must not be characterized by corrupt words. We must not allow it to can creep back into our lives. We are bombarded with this every day, and while outright vulgarity is usually not a temptation, off-color stories, crudeness, and other tendencies sometimes are.

Commentator William Hendrickson makes this point well: “Certain vile phrases or catch words, sometimes even profanity, all too common in the pre-conversion period of life, have the habit in unguarded moments to barge right in and to befoul the atmosphere. Think of Peter who, although a disciple of the Lord, ‘began to curse and to swear’ when he thought that his life was in danger (Matt. 26:74).”

Indeed, it’s those “unguarded moments” that trip us. Paul deals with other aspects of speech in Ephesians 5:4, which he calls “foolish talking” and “jesting.” He also gives a beautiful admonition in Colossians 4:6 that our speech should be “seasoned with salt.” What does that mean? As salt enhances the flavor of food, our speech is to enhance Christ and those around us. May we say, our words quite literally should “taste good.” May they never leave a “bad taste” in any one’s mouth. This leads to the positive emphasis, which we’ll examine next time.