There was a time in our nation when restraint in language was assumed, even expected. Profanity was not celebrated; it was corrected. Coarse and degrading speech was understood to shape attitudes, erode respect, and influence behavior—especially among children. Those boundaries were imperfect, but they reflected a shared belief that words matter.
That belief has largely vanished.
Today, profanity saturates television, movies, music, social media, gaming, public discourse, and everyday conversation. What was once shocking is now casual. What once disqualified a voice from leadership now earns applause. Vulgarity is framed as authenticity, and crudeness is mistaken for honesty.
We live in a profane world.
Biblically, profanity is not merely the use of “bad words.” Profanity is language that insults, degrades, demeans, or strips honor from people and from God. It treats what is sacred—human dignity, moral restraint, reverence for God—as disposable. Profane speech cheapens life, trivializes sin, and dulls the conscience. It often wounds long after the words are spoken.
Scripture makes it clear that this kind of speech is not harmless.
Matthew 12:34–35 (NLT): “For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart.”
Our words are not accidental. They reveal our compass—what directs us, what we excuse, and what we allow to shape our inner life.
Along the way, I encounter people who consider themselves Christians yet use profanity with little or no sense that it is a problem. Somewhere, the line has blurred. What once stirred conviction is now dismissed as cultural, harmless, or insignificant—as if grace made holiness optional. But grace never lowers God’s standard; it empowers us to live differently.
The apostle Paul speaks with unmistakable clarity.
Ephesians 4:29-30 NLT“Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.”
Notice what the apostle Paul does not do. He does not frame speech as a social issue or a matter of preference. He ties our words to purpose and spiritual impact. Our speech is meant to build, help, and encourage. Profanity does the opposite. It tears down, cheapens conversation, and diminishes both the speaker and the listener.
When degrading language becomes normal—even among those who claim Christ—it signals a loss of spiritual direction. What once troubled the conscience now passes unnoticed. This is not maturity; it is spiritual dullness. It reflects a heart slowly being shaped more by culture than by Christ.
Scripture does not soften this issue.
Colossians 3:8 (NLT): “But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.”
The phrase “get rid of” is decisive. It does not suggest moderation or justification, but removal. Profanity is not a personality quirk or a cultural accessory. It is something believers are commanded to put off because it does not reflect the character of Jesus Christ.
Jesus did not redeem us so we could sound like the world with a thin layer of faith on top. He redeemed us to be different—to speak life in a world drowning in verbal decay.
James confronts the contradiction directly.
James 3:9–10 (NLT): “Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God… Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right.”
Praising God while using language that degrades people made in His image reveals a divided heart. It exposes a faith that has learned to compartmentalize rather than fully surrender.
Profanity may be common, but it is never harmless. It numbs the conscience, erodes reverence for God, and weakens our witness. In a profane world, God’s people are called to be different—not quieter or withdrawn, but clean, intentional, and life-giving.
The goal is not perfection, but direction. When we stumble in speech, we repent, realign, and move forward. But we never redefine holiness to make room for what Scripture clearly calls us to put away.
1 Peter 1:15–16 (NLT): “You must be holy in everything you do… because I am holy.”
Prayer: Dear Lord, search my heart and guard my mouth. Where my words have become careless, coarse, or unkind, convict me and change me. Help me speak in ways that honor You, respect others, and reflect the transforming work of Your Spirit in my life. I want my words to bring life, not harm. Shape my speech so that it points people to You, in Jesus’ name, Amen!
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