Foul language and Anger

I cant believe that I have to write about this subject. But more and more I am seeing people, who say they are born again and love Jesus,using on a regular basis foul language. There is a reason its called "foul" and "bad" language. There shouldn't be anything that makes a true follower of Christ so angry that they use that type of language. You might then ask me "Do you ever cuss?" To be totally honest, yes. Do I do it habitually? No. I slip. I fail. I stumble. I repent, come into agreement with God that its sin and wage war against it. What is available in Christ is that we do not have to resort to the use of foul language, even when we have "righteous anger".

Before I was born again, I use to say bad words almost all the time. F-bomb here, MF that, GD this,etc. I use to say that I liked to use cuss words as a way to vent my anger and my feelings. Because my emotions and feelings were so strong, that I had to use this foul language in order to make my point clear. What nonsense! I was such a fool. After being born again, the Lord took away the use of these words. Slowly, I began to use these words less and less. The anger, malice and rage that was in me slowly became peace. With the transforming power of the Holy Spirit I was delivered from this.
We are in a state where our inner self is being renewed every day and our outer self is wasting away (2 Corinthians 4:16). When you are born again, you are made new inside. You become a clean vessel for the use of the Lord.

When studying for this, I found this wonderful website called www.thetruegospelofjesuschrist.org which is written by Robert Olsen. I really liked his understanding on the matter of why can believers still sin. Here is a quote that helps explain the point I am trying to make. "Here is the reason: although you are new and righteous in spirit, your mortal body is not new; it is exactly the same as it was before you were saved. Your physical body has not yet been redeemed and, therefore, it has not yet been freed from sin in the way your inner spirit has been completely and forever freed from sin (Romans 6:7, 18, 22; 1 John 3:9). This is why your mortal "house" causes you to "groan" ...2 Corinthians 5:2,4 For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, ... [4] For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. You are spiritual perfection living inside mortal imperfection."

By no means am I making excuses or saying it is okay to sin. We have been set free from sin and we should strive to not sin any longer. In Galatians 5:17 Paul writes that the flesh and the spirit are contrary to one another "and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish." Using myself as an example again, I do not wish to use cuss words. Ive been set free from that sin. But in a moment of weakness, my flesh gets the best of me and I give into the sin. Am I still wrong? Yes. Does the penalty of sin still carry the same wage? Yes. The apostle Jon wrote in 1 John 2:1 "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." If it weren't for Jesus, we would be in a WHOLE lot of trouble. 

I had a recent transaction with someone who was a friend of mine on Facebook. He began to allow his love to turn cold because of all the sin and evil going on. In Matthew 24:11-13, Jesus said "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved." This guy  was so frustrated with people believing in the prosperity gospel, following false prophets, and how sin is abounding. In his comments he was using cuss words to express his, what he called, righteous anger. He felt that because of this anger he had, it as okay to cuss for all his followers to read. I disagree with that because I know what the word says about anger and foul language. We are allowed to have righteous anger but the anger should not make us sin. Ephesians 4:26-27 Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.

The sins of others should not provoke us to sin. Yes, righteous anger is allowed. But this can turn into unrighteous anger very easily. Godly anger should be under control. But don't let the anger control you! Bob Deffinbaugh wrote on www.bible.org that "Anger may prompt one to speak to a brother in a way that is destructive. Just as speak may edify or build up others, it can also tear down and destroy. Anger which is not properly resolved may lead to slander or false testimony."

Cuss words don't make biblical truths more truthful. If anything, it misrepresents God. In the examples we have of the Lord becoming angry, nowhere does He ever display that His holy and righteous anger ever consumes Him. The Bible says that God is slow to anger. Not once does God or Jesus drop an F-bomb or tear somebody down using foul language. We are to be Christ-like which is what the definition of a Christian. So if Jesus doesn't use cuss words, what makes us think its okay to use those types of words? Oh, because you have righteous anger? That is an excuse to sin and that wont fly with God.

There is nothing godly about cussing and using foul language. Don't be a man or woman of unclean lips. Anger will label you a fool. I wanted to write about not using cuss words. But that is just the tip of the iceberg because it leads to other subjects. Take it from somebody who use to cuss worse than a sailor on a daily basis until the Lord touched me and made me new. I give Him all the glory, honor and praise for the change that has and is occurring in me. I am a living testimony of His magnificent power through His amazing grace and love. I would have never stopped habitually using foul language on my own because I was too weak to do it. My flesh is weak. But my Jesus is strong! Seriously though, if you have a problem with cussing, ask the Lord for forgiveness and help. Repent from your sin and resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Ephesians 4:29 - Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Ephesians 4:31 - Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 

Colossians 3:8 - But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

James 3:9-10 - With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

Proverbs 18:21 - Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.