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Answer
The apostle Paul excelled in simplifying complex doctrinal truths into practical life applications. In Ephesians 4:17—5:21, Paul provides specific guidelines for daily, holy, Christlike living. To live as Jesus instructs, Paul emphasizes the importance of speaking words that uplift and benefit others, as stated in Ephesians 4:29, NKJV.
Paul’s advice echoes the familiar saying, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” The Greek term sapros, translated as “corrupt” (KJV, NKJV), “unwholesome” (NIV), and “foul or abusive” (NLT), refers to words that are damaging or hurtful, akin to rotten fruit or decaying trees. Instead of using harmful language, our words should be constructive and encouraging, promoting growth and positivity in those who hear them. This aligns with living in the purity and holiness of Christ.
Paul further warns against inappropriate speech in Ephesians 5:4, NLT, emphasizing the importance of gratitude over obscene or foolish talk, as seen in Ephesians 5:4, NLT.
To the Colossians, he wrote, “You must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips” «But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. », (Colossians 3:8).
Jesus taught that the words we speak reveal what is in our hearts: “Make a tree good, and then its fruit will be good. Or make a tree rotten, and then its fruit will be rotten. A person can recognize a tree by its fruit. . . . Your mouth says what comes from inside you. Good people do the good things that are in them. But evil people do the evil things that are in them. I can guarantee that on judgment day people will have to give an account of every careless word they say. By your words you will be declared innocent, or by your words you will be declared guilty” (Matthew 12:3-37;GW;see also Matthew 15:19;Luke 6:45). One day, we will have to answer to God for every careless or corrupt word that proceeds from our mouths. If we can’t say something edifying, we are better off saying nothing at all.
James also stressed the influence of our words for good or evil, to bless or curse, heal or destroy (James 3:1-12). Solomon counseled, “Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips” «Put away from thee a froward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee. », (Proverbs 4:24). In Proverbs, the words that come out of our mouths are revealers of our character: “The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly” (Proverbs 11:11; ESV; see also Proverbs 15:28). “The words of the wicked are like a murderous ambush, but the words of the godly save lives” «The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: But the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.», (Proverbs 12:6, NLT). Corrupt words reflect rottenness in one’s heart and produce ruin, while gracious words reveal a heart after God, generating goodness and life.
Our ability to communicate with words is a priceless and powerful gift from God. As the only creatures He created in His image, speaking is one way we reflect God’s likeness «And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.», (Genesis 1:26). The Lord spoke the world into existence «Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.», (Hebrews 11:3), and, in a much smaller way, we can also speak words of life (Proverbs 10:11; Proverbs 18:21). When we “let our speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt,” we offer a welcoming and enticing word to those who don’t know Christ «Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.», (Colossians 4:6, ESV).
If we genuinely want to “live clean, innocent lives as children of God,” we must guard our tongues and speak life into every situation we encounter.In the Word of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people” «that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; », (Philippians 2:15, NLT), we will ask God to change our hearts so that no corrupt words proceed from our mouths. We will pray for the Lord to purify our hearts and renew our spirits «Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me. », (Psalm 51:10) so that we might “delight in truth in the inward being” and “wisdom in the secret heart” «Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: And in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. », (Psalm 51:6, ESV). As we seek inner transformation, the Holy Spirit will fill our hearts with the truth, love, and righteousness of Christ so that only what is good, helpful, and pleasing to God comes out of our mouths.
