The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum Swearing

I would like to talk about a subject that for the most part has almost been an non-issue until now as a Christian. I am not talking here about oaths; I am talking about profane language.

Before I was a Christian, although I knew that swearing was wrong; unless I was around adults, for the most part I really did not care if I swore or not.
When I became a Christian one of the first things that I was convicted about is my swearing. I knew it was not edifying, and definitely didn’t glorify my thrice holy God. On that basis, I sought and eventually stopped swearing and I thank the Lord that He helped me with this.
However, recently I have been noticing quite a few professing Christians use swear words as though it was normal language. Some of them even excuse it by trying to tell me that they are not swearing. Others say they know it is wrong, but don’t seem to care. I really do not have a huge problem if a Christian is struggling with a particular sin such as swearing. However, to excuse their sin as though it is not a big deal really bothers me. The secular world understands swearing is wrong and even in many workplaces swearing is cause for discipline. One professing Christian at work, uses swearing a part of his normal language and I am surprised nobody has called him on it.
Recently however, I have been noticing professing Christians say swearing is not a sin; rather the motive behind the swearing is a sin. They added that even Jesus swore when he called people a “den of vipers”.
Personally speaking, I do not even consider swearing and Jesus calling people a “den of vipers” as the same thing. LIke Jesus did, there are times strong language that gets the point across is sometimes needed. It seems to me however that asociiating this as swearing is wrong.
I believe sometimes changing the words from a profain word to a more socially accepted word hasn't really changed the heart of the individual.
Thoughts?

Tom

Colossians 4:6
Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

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.

James 3:10
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

Matthew 12:35-36
A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

Colossians 3:8 (ASV) "but now do ye also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, railing, shameful speaking (Grk: aischrologia vile conversation:--filthy communication] out of your mouth:"

Ephesians 4:29 (ASV) "Let no corrupt [Grk: sapros rotten, i.e. worthless (literally or morally):--bad, corrupt] speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for edifying as the need may be, that it may give grace to them that hear."

Ephesians 5:3-4 (ASV) "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becometh saints; nor filthiness, nor foolish talking, or jesting, which are not befitting: but rather giving of thanks."

James 3:6-10 (ASV) "And the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beasts and birds, of creeping things and things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed by mankind. But the tongue can no man tame; [it is] a restless evil, [it is] full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we men, who are made after the likeness of God: out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be."

Exodus 20:7 (ASV) "Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain; for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain."

I thought some who have read this thread, would like to know that this past week I wrote a short article for all my Face book friends to see using some of the Scripture verses that were provided in this thread.
As a result, I got many people thanking me for doing so, because they did not like some of the things that they were seeing from professing Christians. However, I got one person who claims to be a Christian unfriend me as a dirrect result of it and although I found it a bit sad, I am ok with it.
One other person told me that although they don't like what some people put on Face book, never the less, they believe I was wrong to say what I did; because they believe in voicing my feeling publicly I came off as "holier than thou."
Another person, thought I should not have made this public, because they think it should always be done privately. However, I made it very clear in what I wrote, that I was not pointing fingers, or naming names. I had already contacted a few people privately with no effect.

Thanks for your input.

Tom