<1> sapros {pronounced sap-ros’}, rotten, putrefied, of poor quality, worthless, useless.
<2> logos {pronounced log’-os}, word, decree, doctrine, speech, spoken thought.
<3> oikodome {pronounced oy-kod-om-ay’}, the act of building up, edifying, the act of one who promotes another’s growth in Christian wisdom, piety, happiness, holiness.
<4> didomi {pronounced did’-o-mee}, Aorist Active Subjunctive, may give or bestow.
<5> charis {pronounced khar’-ece}, grace, that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude):—acceptable, benefit, favor, gift.

Ephesians 4:29 (KJV) "Let no corrupt<1> communication<2> proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying<3>, that it may minister<4> grace<5> unto the hearers.

Many a church has been emptied by the improper use of the tongue. Many souls have been wounded because believers have failed to understand how critical it is that our tongues always be used graciously, edifying and uplifting one another.

There was a time in our history that we called "The Cold War". During this "war" no shots were fired, no coasts invaded, no people captured, no governments overthrown. During the Cold War both America and the USSR built weapons of mass destruction, terrible nuclear weapons that had the capability of destroying thousands of people. At one time the combined weaponry of both nations had the ability, if unleashed to its fullest potential, to destroy all life on this planet several times over. We possess weapons that are terrible in their power. We continued the arms race, building more and more weapons, arming ourselves so that our enemy would never be greater in power than we are. Then, miracle of miracles, the great wall that separated East and West Germany was torn down. The USSR, once a superpower as fierce and terrible as the United States, fragmented into independent and, so it seems, democratic states. What happened? How did such a fiercely communist powerhouse become democratic? Did we unleash Armageddon on them, dropping weapons of mass destruction on them? No! The Spoken Word defeated communism, fragmented the Soviet Union, drove these people to a more democratic form of government.

Listen to this, my Beloved. What we speak has more power to destroy than any nuclear weapon. What we speak has immense power to build, if we season our speech with Grace. The Scripture says:

Colossians 4:6 (KJV) "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man."

Our speech, what we say about and to one another, has terrible power. The nuclear bomb has the power to kill a person so quickly that only his shadow would be left behind. This is terrible power. But our speech, what we say to one another, has the power to wound and scar a person in such a way that they die inside. They continue to live and function in this life, but they carry a hurt that lingers, even if it is unseen.

What causes corrupt communication in the Church? Sometimes it comes from carelessness ... a word spoken without thinking, a word allowed to slip without careful consideration. Sometimes corrupt communication is the output of a wounded person, retaliating for some offense, either real or imagined. Most often corrupt communication erupts because the speaker cannot see the bigger picture in the Plan of God.

There are two things that are real, Biblical truths that we always need to keep in our forethoughts as Christians. First, the enemy is Satan. The Bible clearly teaches that:

Ephesians 6:12 (KJV) "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

Our battle, our strength, our anger must not be directed against flesh and blood. This is what the devil, that old slanderer, wants us to do. If he can make us think that the enemy is human, part of the Body, part of the church, then he has won a great battle. Keep this in mind, Beloved of God, that the enemy is Satan, the enemy is Satan, the enemy is Satan. Define the enemy. Look for the enemy. Draw together as family and refuse to be overwhelmed by the enemy. When our Lord Jesus told Peter that He would have to go to the Cross, to suffer and die for us, His church, Peter said:

Matthew 16:22 (KJV) "Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee."

What was Jesus' response? Our Lord told Peter:

Matthew 16:23 (KJV) "But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."

The enemy is not flesh and blood, it is the devil. Satan tempted Peter, Peter took the temptation and tried to talk Jesus out of dying for His Bride. Jesus looked through Peter and saw the source, Satan, and rebuked that old devil for rebuking the Messiah. Christ had to present Himself to the Cross for His Bride. Christ had to die for us, to redeem us so we can serve Him and promote His Will on this earth.

The second thing we need to keep in mind is that we are the Bride of Christ, the Church of the Living God. We are blood bought sheep. Our Bridegroom is Jesus Christ, Messiah, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. All of the redeemed are, together, the Bride of Christ. It is this Bride, the Church, that Jesus said:

Matthew 16:18 (KJV) "... upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

Though the gates of hell shall not overcome the Bride of Christ, a carelessly misused tongue has often severely damaged that institution that Christ laid down His life for.

Application: Words have power, my friends, power to heal or power to kill. Because of this the Apostle warns us to avoid "corrupt communication", rotten or foul speaking to one another. In particular, Precious Ones, remember to control your tongues when we speak to, around, and in the Bride of Christ. We desperately need the unity of the Body if we are going to do the work of the Great Commission on this earth.

Remember that we are a Body, a Bride, and that we must be attentive to our Bridegroom Jesus. Consider how terribly He suffered for us, His church. Consider our Precious Jesus. Beaten, hanging on terrible nails, struggling for breath as He bled out for us: what were His words? Did He curse those who hurt Him? Did He attack us for driving those nails in His flesh, for tearing His beard from His face, for beating and mocking Him, the Son of God? As soldiers gambled at the foot of the Cross, Jesus said:

Luke 23:34 (KJV) "Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots."

To the thief that deserved death for breaking the Law, but who asked Christ to remember Him:

Luke 23:43 (KJV) "And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise."

To the grieving mother and friend who stood, horrified at what was happening to Jesus:

John 19:26-27 (KJV) "... he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! {27} Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother!..."

Remember Jesus and His example before you speak. Consider His graciousness in speech, even to those who tormented Him. None of us have ever suffered both physically and spiritually as our Savior suffered. As children of Grace, let us follow our Savior's example.

Ephesians 4:30-31 (KJV) "And grieve<6> not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. {31} Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

<6> lupeo {pronounced loo-peh’-o}, Present Active Imperative + me {pronounced may}, = and stop grieving, making uneasy, causing sadness.

Is it possible to hurt God? Absolutely! How do we hurt God? By misusing our tongues. When a person realizes that he or she is a sinner, lost and undone, unable to reach Heaven or God's Presence in their own power; when a person realizes that he or she is on a one way road to eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire; when a person realizes that faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ - accepting that Jesus died for me, paid the penalty for me; then that person is saved by faith in Christ. At the moment you accepted Christ as Savior the Holy Spirit of God enters you, comes and literally lives inside of you. We become partners with God the Holy Spirit in all that we say and do. This is part of the wondrous package of salvation that our Lord Jesus Christ promised us, for He said:

John 14:16-17 (KJV) "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; {17} Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."

This is the big picture that we must always keep before us: the Spirit of God indwells every believer, and every believer is part of the great Bride of Christ.

If you are a Christian the Spirit of God indwells you. You may not be aware of His presence at all times, but He is there whether you sense Him or not. The world can never have the Spirit, but the Spirit of God dwells in you and is with you - and as you grow as believers, studying the good Word of God, seeking God's Will and purpose for your life in prayer, you will become more and more aware of the indwelling Spirit. This wonderful Partner who lives in each one of us who believe guides us as we walk through this life:

Romans 8:1 (KJV) "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

The Holy Spirit that indwells every believer is the seal or mark of our salvation. If the Spirit of God does not indwell you, Beloved of God, then you are not saved - for the two things go together in absolute and pure partnership. As the Apostle has said:

Romans 8:9-11 (KJV) "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. {10} And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. {11} But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."

Romans 8:9 (International Standard Version) "You, however, are not of the flesh but under the control of the Spirit, since God's Spirit lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him."

Application: As a Bible believing Christian I know that the Spirit of God lives inside of me. Everything I do, I do it with the full awareness of God's Gracious Spirit. When I use my tongue negatively; when I engage in evil speaking of others, the Spirit of God is grieved, shaken, hurt by my actions. Christ died for all men, and none of us deserved the great salvation that has been freely given to us. When we orient our minds to Grace; when we realize fully that we are saved though we do not deserve it, when we realize that misuse of our tongues against anyone automatically involves the Spirit of God, then we will be more careful in our speech. We will put off or put away any speaking that hurts God the Holy Spirit Who indwells us. The world is full of negative things, nay sayers, destroyers, those who tear down one another without thought. The Church is greater than the world, for the Church is Christ's purchased possession. As the Scripture says:

Colossians 3:8 (KJV) "But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth."

If we love Him, we will not harm Him by carelessly and hurtfully speaking about others. We will remember that each member of the Church has value. Every member is a priceless, blood bought soul that must be encouraged to grow into what God wants them to be. Each member is part of the Bride of Christ. Each member must be cherished as part of the Body. No one person can do the work that the Church must do. Our work, our Great Commission, demands that we work together as one Body, loving Christ and loving one another.

Ephesians 4:32 (KJV) "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

No greater reason can be given in the Scripture for wholesome, encouraging speech within the church. Every person who has accepted Jesus Christ as Savior automatically has something in common with his fellow believer - we have been forgiven. We are brothers and sisters, joined together in one great Body called The Church. We are, at the same time, in partnership with God Who indwells us, and with our fellow believers, our brothers and sisters in Christ.

We may not always agree with one another, but even our disagreement must be marked with graciousness. We are to be kind to one another. We are not in competition with one another, nor do we struggle to see who is the greatest in this church. As Christians together we are partners with one another and partners with God. The Apostle said that God's ideal for the church is not "one upmanship", but a life of submission and service to one another. Jesus Christ our Savior told us:

Matthew 5:43-48 (KJV) "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. {44} But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; {45} That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. {46} For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? {47} And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? {48} Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

Love for the unlovable is the undeniable mark of a growing, healthy, mature Christian. If we are going to reach God's ideal for us, we must learn to throw out all of our hatred, all of our evil speaking, all of our desire for vengeance - and love as Christ loved. Speak graciously to those who are ungracious, do graciously to those who do harmfully. The old Quakers had a saying (and I paraphrase), "The only one that can truly harm me is me". When we repay evil for evil we scar our own souls. When we allow hatred to find harbor in our hearts, we burden ourselves with that badness. When we forgive wrongs, speaking graciously toward all men, then we pattern our lives after Jesus Christ to the glory of God.

God says:

Ephesians 5:19-21 (KJV) "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; {20} Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; {21} Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God."

Not all of you may understand this principle of Christianity. Some of you may have become immersed in the world, so much so that you believe a proper response to anything offensive is to attack back. There are procedures that the church follows when a member walks away from God and becomes unruly. There are methods, Biblical methods, of enacting discipline if a member of the Body of Christ becomes destructive to those around him. Yet, Beloved of God, these methods of discipline - Biblical church discipline - always seek one goal, that being the restoration of the fallen believer. We do not shoot the wounded, precious ones. We follow this pattern:

Ephesians 4:15-16 (KJV) "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: {16} From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."

God, for Christ's sake, forgave us. We did not earn nor deserve that forgiveness. Christ, Oh Boundless Love, lay down and died for us! Christ, Oh Sacred Head now Wounded, bled for us. We were all sinners, deserving of eternal torment, and Christ took that torment on us.

Application: You are in one of two states today: You are either a Christian, a child of God by faith in Christ Jesus our Savior, or you are an unsaved, unbelieving sinner. A sinner? Yes, a sinner, and no other title better describes the lost. Our God is eternal, our Creator without beginning or end. If you have ever lied, you have violated His ninth commandment, "Thou shalt not bear false witness". If you have ever cursed His name, you have broken His third commandment, "Thou shall not take the name of God in vain". If you have been full of pride, covetous, envious, you have broken His tenth commandment, "Thou shalt not covet". In short, if you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, you have committed sin in God's sight - and God never forgets an unforgiven offense. The church is not made up of sinless, perfect people ... the church is made up of forgiven sinners. People who are forever forgiven, because "God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you". If you do not know Jesus Christ, if you have not accepted Him to be your Savior, today is a perfect day to lay down your life. Submit yourself to God in Jesus' name. Believe that He died for you. Share in that boundless love that every believer, every Christian shares in. Come, accept Christ as Savior.

2 Corinthians 6:1-2 (International Standard Version) (1) Since, then, we are working with God, we plead with you not to accept God's grace in vain. (2) For he says, "At the right time I heard you, and on a day of salvation I helped you." Listen, now is really the "right time"! Now is the "day of salvation"!

2 Corinthians 6:1-2 (KJV) "We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. {2} (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)"

Romans 10:12-13 (KJV) "For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. {13} For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."