Let a rotten saying not proceed out of your mouth, but whatever saying is good for building up as the need may be, that it may impart what is favorable to the hearers.” (Eph. 4:25-29)

13. (a) To what extent has cursing become prominent today? (b) What wise advice of the Bible do we have on this matter?

¹³ Cursing today seems to be the going thing, the accepted way of life for many. The theater, movies, even television, have become victims of the “four-letter words” as they are called. To be somebody, the view prevails, you have to use foul language, you have to swear. To those with such warped views the advice and counsel of the Bible indeed seem archaic, outmoded and is looked upon with disdain. Nevertheless, the counsel is that those seeking to promote unity among mankind should not even let a rotten saying proceed out of the mouth. It does not make a person a “man” or a “woman” to be able to speak rotten things. The Bible’s good counsel is that those wishing to please God and promote unity will follow this advice: “Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are of serious concern, whatever things are righteous, whatever things are chaste, whatever things are lovable, whatever things are well spoken of, whatever virtue there is and whatever praiseworthy thing there is, continue considering these things.” (Phil. 4:8) Rotten sayings can produce rotten people. To avoid rottenness, follow the advice of Philippians 4:8. To promote unity, follow the advice of the good news of God’s Word. Shun things that would fill your mind with rotten sayings and ideas. If you feed your mind with the garbage productions of the theater, screen, television and the printed page, in time you will become a speaker of garbage or rotten sayings. Remember, the advice comes from mankind’s Creator through the working of holy spirit on men who spoke as they were moved along by such holy spirit.