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Words have Power
(excerpt from ARTICLES OF WAR: a revolutionary midrash)
“I do here and now declare that I will
abstain from the use of all low or profane language and from
all impurity, including unclean conversation, the reading of
any obscene book or paper at any time, in any company, or in
any place.”
1. To what extent is this merely a determination to impose
a discipline on your tongue?
It is not a matter of internally tightening the cranks and
bolting the lips to protect yourself from breaking this
promise. This is a natural fruit of integrity in your life. It
is a supernatural fruit of the Holy Spirit filling your life.
2. Doesn’t Scripture suggest that it is a severe
self-imposition of discipline?
No. Ephesians 4:29 instructs, "Don't let any unwholesome word
come out of your mouth but only what is profitable for
building up, as there is need, so that your words may give
grace to those who hear."
This instruction flows out of a long grocery list of social
instructions from Paul. You might infer that it IS, then, a
matter of taping your lips shut and toughening it up. But the
whole section in chapter 4 begins with 'Therefore'. And Paul
is building on his famous apostolic prayer for these people,
that,
"According to the riches of His glory, He may grant that you
may be strengthened in your inner being with power through His
Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through
faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray
that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the
saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so
that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to
Him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish
abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to Him be
glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations,
forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:16-20)
Once we get rooted and grounded in love and filled with the
fullness of God, then it is natural that we, "abstain from the
use of all low or profane language and from all impurity,
including unclean conversation, the reading of any obscene
book or paper at any time, in any company, or in any place."
3. Isn’t reading obscenity a hidden problem, even for
Christians?
Jesus was tempted as we are, in every way. If He had speedy
Internet He'd probably run across some of the devil's stupid
options for flirtatious and pornographic sites and pictures.
This is possibly the most insidious temptation for a lot of
Christian types, because it is private. So, don't be stupid
about your Internet use. I know guys who have totally screwed
up on this point. Don't put yourself in position to be messed
up if that is an issue for you.
The better response, though, emerges from that same apostolic
prayer: Get to know the breadth and length and height and
depth of the love of Christ so that the temptation is removed.
This is an important issue. We want to be a pure and spotless
bride decked out in Army boots that we use to stomp all over
the devil's jugular. That means we need total purity, in our
conversation, innuendo, and our language.
4. As difficult as you make these things out to be, why
promise it? Why not just aim for it?
Why promise it? We're stepping apart. We're putting ourselves
on the line. We're positioning ourselves so that God can trust
us with His power. We're not going to try. We're going to take
God at His word and, by His power, actually obey.
Reading Club Guide
What are some ways that we unintentionally curse people and
speak death?
How has self-imposition of discipline on this issue failed for
you in the past? How can holiness change the outcome this time
around?
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