A: It is definitely a sin to swear (curse, cuss, etc.). The Bible makes this abundantly clear. Ephesians 4:29 tells us, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." First Peter 3:10 declares, "For, whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech." James 3:9-12 summarizes the issue: "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water."
James makes it clear that the lives of Christians should not be characterized by evil speech or swearing. By making the analogy of both salt water and fresh water coming from the same spring (which is uncharacteristic of springs), he makes the point that it is uncharacteristic for a believer to have both praise and cursing come from his/her mouth. Nor is it characteristic for us to praise God on one hand and curse our brothers on the other. This, too, is uncharacteristic of a true believer.
Christians should honor the purpose of speech by using our mouths to praise God and leading others to obey the Lord through faith in Jesus Christ. Every word we speak should be “gracious” and “seasoned with salt” (Col. 4:6). We should always ask, “What would Jesus say?”
Jesus explained that what comes out of our mouths is that which fills our hearts. Sooner or later, the evil in the heart comes out through the mouth in curses and swearing. But when our hearts are filled with the goodness of God, praise for Him and love for others will pour forth. Our speech will always indicate what is in our hearts. “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).
Why is it a sin to cuss / swear / curse? Sin is a condition of the heart, the mind, and “the inner man” (Romans 7:22), which is manifested in our thoughts, actions and words. When we swear and curse, we are giving evidence of the polluting sin in our hearts that must be confessed and repented of. Once we confess our personal sins to God and ask forgiveness for them, we are restored to perfect fellowship and communion with Him. Thankfully, our great God is “faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). When this happens, we receive a new nature from God (2 Corinthians 5:17), our hearts are transformed, and our speech reflects the new nature God has created within us.
The Thesaurus defines “profanity” as “The quality or state of being obscene. Something that is offensive to accepted standards of decency.” The Law Encyclopedia defines “profanity” as “Irreverence towards sacred things; particularly, an irreverent or blasphemous use of the name of God; vulgar, irreverent, or coarse language.”
On March 5, 2007, the Christian broadcasting company VCY America ceased broadcasting “Insight for Living”, the radio program of Charles Swindoll, reformed preacher, author, and former president and Professor Emeritus of Dallas Seminary. The company listed many instances in which Swindoll had used language that the company considered “unbecoming a pastor, and…inappropriate for our listeners”. This language included words such as ‘crap’, ‘buns’, ‘heck’, and ‘balls’. This language was not only seen as offensive and crude, but a barrier to ministry. VCY affirmed their stance that Christian radio is a “witnessing tool”, and such inappropriate language abases Christian radio, interfering with its ability to minister effectively.
In January of 2007, author and pastor John Piper, preaching to college students at a Christian conference, said that God “kicks our ass,” referring to God’s discipline for his children. Reflecting on his slip of the tongue, Piper stated that he might have used it to try to be “gutsy and real and not middle-class pious”, but wished he hadn’t used it, reasoning that, “It backfires if one becomes unholy to make people holy”.
We must remember that over time language does change, as does connotation and the definition of profane. History proves that what was once profane is no longer, and what is now profane may not have always been and will not always be. Perhaps a more appropriate scripture for this cultural shift in how language is used is I Corinthians 10:23, “"Everything is permissible" - but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive.” So when in doubt, don’t. The Bible is clear, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” [Ephesians 4:32]. We need to be careful how we speak, no matter what language we choose.
The following response by Wayne Grudem may be helpful to you: http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByTitle/1945_Wayne_Grudem_on_Offensive_Language/
[answered by Pastoral Intern Ray Lee]
