Manifesto of Christian Holiness: A Fresh and Practical Look at the Armor of God

Copyright © 2021 J. R. Shepard.

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ISBN: 978-1-6642-4133-6 (sc)

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2021915053

WestBow Press rev. date: 08/20/2021

To my ultimate love, the LORD God Himself, to whom belongs all glory, majesty, dominion, and power forever and ever. Thank you, Lord, for looking beyond my faults and seeing my needs and loving me with a love that will never be fully comprehended.

And to my earthly love, my wife, Rebecca, to whom belongs all I can humanly give in its fullest capacity; thank you for loving one so unworthy of your love. Having Christ, you, and a shoebox will suffice.

Contents

Preface

Chapter 1    The Speech

Chapter 2    The Heart

Chapter 3    The Eyes

Chapter 4    The Ears

Chapter 5    The Actions

Chapter 6    The Mind

Chapter 7    The Spirit of God

Chapter 8    Composites

Bibliography

Preface

Manifesto

A public declaration, usually of a prince or sovereign, showing his intentions, or proclaiming his opinions and motives; as a manifesto declaring the purpose of a prince to begin war, and explaining his motives.

—American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster (1828)

Therefore, I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.

—Mark 11:24

Am I a prince? In a literal human sense, I am most definitely not. But as a Christian, and since the Lord views me as being part of a royal priesthood (1 Pet. 2:9), then if not a prince, perhaps a duke or even a baron. To be sure, I exist to proclaim all the goodness of God. But if I were a royal alone, I would gladly give it up just to be in God’s presence, for it would be more than enough for me (Ps. 27:4). So, honestly, I am but a peasant, a slave even. And since we are all slaves, I declare that this slave has found the greatest freedom any purchased person could ever hope to obtain.

Am I declaring war? No, but one has declared war against me and has set me on the defensive. My enemy is adversarial to every human being on the planet. I am in a fight for my life—for my very soul. Since I serve God, and He has an enemy, His enemy is mine as well. So, since my Master is at war, I am in it with Him. My declaration is political; it is an abandoning of the present world order and all things in this world that hold Christ as an enemy. My declaration is also spiritual; I am more than my flesh; my true essence is not found in the shell of my physical body but in my innermost being (2 Cor. 4:16). It is from and within this mortality I must learn to fight for my immortality. This is a book of warfare.

It is also a devotional book because there will be some things here one can meditate upon. The wisdom of God never grows old or stale. We are like sheep, needing to be guided, sometimes step by step. It has a theological bent as well because the goal is to align with good, solid biblical interpretation. Anytime anyone says anything about God, the nature and character of God comes into view. I’m not re-creating the wheel here, I’m borrowing from the greatest compilation of stories ever told: the Bible.

The book I present here is a book I’ve written to myself. At times, I become autobiographical and recall things from the past in which God has appeared at just the right time. It has been a great exercise to not only see my own frailties and inconsistencies in print but to see God at work within me, shaping and molding me into what He desires.

Truly if there is a thesis to this work, it is that holiness is not just for Bible personalities, but it is for now, in a media rich, skin-revealing America of the early twenty-first century. In fact, I would argue holiness (or godliness) is needed more now than ever because (1) the time is shorter to the appearing of our Lord than at any other time in history, and (2) the time is worse as more ungodly distractions than ever have crept into the lives of Christians everywhere.

I pray my readers will look past me and find Christ, the One who can make us whole in Him. I’m taking a stand in this book (Eph. 6:13). No longer am I willing to just simply give in and give up. No longer will I run away from my fears and tuck my tail between my legs when tempted to abandon Christ. I’m convinced the Lord has given me and every other Christian a mind-set to fight (1 Tim. 6:12); not just to fight, but to fight for the only purpose reputable: to win for His Name’s sake. Acknowledgement must be made from the outset; there is no spiritual victory outside of Christ. Our hearts are not consistent enough, our minds are not wise enough, and our wills are not strong enough to withstand the forces against us (Eph. 2:2; 1 John 2:16).

While this book applies to everyone, all may not like how it is written. I do not wish to offend my readers. I also will not offend God by denying the truth. I do not intend on holding back the truth of what it really means to walk in faith, as I understand it. This is not a book for those who want to smile in church and not deal with the sin found in their own hearts. This is not for Sunday morning Christians. This is not for Christians who want to put every spiritual weight on the shoulders of their bishops. This book is not for you if you want to add it to an online app for completed books read in a year so you can feel you accomplished some spiritual duty. This is not for you if when you hear holiness all you can think of is the Christian movement by this name but not consider how this very thing is essential for you, no matter your denomination. It is hoped this book will inspire you to get to work, to re-evaluate your life, and by God’s grace, fix what you know needs to be fixed and not waste any more time in life. I can say unapologetically that I have played with life and God far too long; I no longer want to play with my Creator and no longer want to feel unsure of where I stand with Him.

Genesis

How did this subject matter come up? Well, throughout the book the reader will find the acronym SHEEAMS. This is the acronym-matrix through which I will approach the various subjects found in this book. It does not replace the scripture; it is simply a means to apply the scripture, in practical terms, as I strive to mature in the faith. I think there are several things the Christian should find support in: reading of the Word, prayer, the community of the saints, scripture memorization, meditation, accountability, and evangelism, to name a few.

I think the idea struck me over twenty years ago. At first, there was SHEEMS, which stood for Speech, Heart, Eyes, Ears, Mind, and Spirit of God. This was initially a schematic I came up with to help our five children understand, in a bite-sized way, how to live as believers. I soon discovered I needed it as much as they did! As I continued to evaluate how I lived, it seemed something was missing. In my attempt to cover facets I thought the scripture addressed in a person’s daily walk, I had left out one of the most important things. What kind of holiness could a person have if his actions were incongruent with standard Christian belief, as spelled out in the Bible? In the first chapter of his epistle, apostle James spoke about the delusion of hearing but not doing (James 1:22).

It is risky to talk about godliness when I’m not, and will never be, perfect in my walk with God. But I’m encouraged! Neither was Paul, David, Peter, Adam, Moses, nor even Abraham, yet we esteem them examples of what it means to walk by faith (2 Cor. 5:7). After all, David, the man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14, 16:12–13), was also an adulterer and murderer (2 Sam. 11:1–27). Moses lost admittance into the Promised Land due to his dishonoring and disbelieving of God before the children of Israel (Num. 20:7–13). What need I say about the murderous acts of Paul (Acts 7:57–59, 8:1, 9:1–2), Peter’s embarrassment and denial of Christ (Luke 22:54–62), the disobedience of Adam (Gen. 3), and the deceptiveness of Abraham (Gen. 12:10–20, 20:1–18)? The scripture does not say in vain we are all sinners before God (Isa. 53:6; Rom. 3:23).

From time to time, I will refer to experiences I’ve had at work and in church as well. Godliness is not something done in one place in our lives but not in other places; it is to become a part of who we are, no matter where we find ourselves. So, despite my shortcomings, I have been encouraged by God not to completely abandon this project. The LORD has been faithful, forgiving, and has expressed a love unfathomable unto me. And so, with this, I proceed with this work and dedicate it forever to the One who holds forever in His bosom.

Finally, I’ve heard it said most writers pen works that speak to the thing they struggle with the most. Holiness is that thing for me. This has nothing to do with my perfection in the pursuit, but the pursuit itself. I cannot be quiet because I’m an eyewitness to truths I see and experience every day. Raising children with my wife has been challenging; being married and attempting to stay on the same page as my wife has been challenging, but holiness is at another level entirely. I think I know why it is: It strikes at the nature of God. It is easy to compare your imperfect self to other imperfect beings, but when standing before absolute perfection, being compared to someone who sees straight through, there is no argument to make. God’s holiness is one of His most awe-filled and frightening of attributes. There is no one like Him, and I have great reverence for what and who He is. From His eternality and timelessness, His omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence, His self-existence and even, I dare say, His love, it seems to me His holiness shakes you, humbles you, and strikes a level of fear in you that puts you on notice quickly.

Is not His love a manifestation of His holiness? Over thirty times in the scripture God is addressed with the phrase, Holy, holy, holy … And this doesn’t take into consideration the times holy is used but once or even twice! Some have taken these words to mean God is Other, other, other … But what does this mean? Well, to be holy is to be set apart, separateness, or sacredness. In other words, God is not like us; He is wholly different. He is completely sinless. Herein is another reason why I see holiness as even loftier and elusive in comparison to love. How could God love us, as bad as we humans are, if He were not holy?

The love we see expressed in our world is aberrant in comparison to God’s. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). We run past these words, like they’re not even there. We see love between parents and children, among friends, and between lovers; and all these expressions provide different levels of meanings to the word love. I love music; some people love chocolate. Others love when the weekend arrives. What does it all mean? What does love mean? We have watered it down. If love is treated this way, holiness is not even approached, it’s not even considered. What is the commonplace statement about human holiness? To err is human; to forgive is divine. No, I say to err is not human but demonic, and to forgive is unto holiness, a thing God is, and He expects His creation to be.

If I see an expression of love from one person to another, I can understand this even with no understanding of God. But where will I find an expression of holiness without an understanding of God? It is not something so easily understood in the world of human beings. To be sure, we know what the opposite is; from scandals, adulteries, murder, you name it, we all know what wrong is. We have an innate ability to grasp when things fall short of some standard. We struggle trying to define the standard, though, and don’t agree what the standard should be. What I’m saying is love cannot exist without a standard. It thrives on it, feeds on it, and exists because of it. Without the standard, how could we even know love, yet even still the difference between right and wrong?

This other, other, other, then, is more than God being quite different from us. We are wholly different from Him, too. We call hate, love. We call bad, good. We literally obliterate standards. This is why for an unholy man to write about holiness; that is, to speak about God’s holiness and His continually calling Christians to be holy, is frightening … because what you don’t see, is laid open and bare before Him at all times.

So, Lord, show me how to order my steps, so I can approach and be accepted by You and not cast asunder.

Chapter 1

The Speech

The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; the one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

—Proverbs 13:3

Let the above be my prayer, Lord.

You turn on the television and what do you see, people fighting over words. Did you see the president’s tweets? Words. Did you hear what Kaepernick said about social justice? Words. What do you think about socialism? Words. So, you don’t support the Black Lives Matter movement? So, you just look black, huh? Words. Baby, will you take something out for dinner? Words. Son, is the trash going to take itself out, or are you going to take it out? Words. Hey, you’re late again; this is the third time this week. You know I gotta dock you, right? Words. Mr. President, it is believed you didn’t react soon enough with this coronavirus. Words. I don’t love you anymore. I want a divorce. Words. I no longer believe God will send anyone to hell. Everyone will be saved. Just meaningless words, right? Wrong.

This is America in the year 2021. If anyone were to look back at our time from 2051, it would be clear—of all things that mattered to us, words certainly did. They mean something. It may even be argued that words mean everything. I submit, though, especially now, that words should be measured. Intentional. They can never be put back into the genie’s bottle once released; Pandora’s box may be shattered forever by the words we use. And from a Christian perspective, we believe God is real, and He is a king (the King of kings, in fact). Can one imagine standing before an earthly king and saying whatever he wants with impunity? Believing one has a right to speak does not mean one can say anything and not consider potential consequences. So much the more when standing before God (and we always stand before Him). And I’m not just talking about any god but the only God. This God is holy. I’m reminded how serious a matter it is to speak idle words before our maker (Eccles. 5:1–7). As the preacher says in this text, Do not be hasty in word … God is in heaven, and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few (v. 2). The first verse in this text, which reads, Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, reminds me of a quote from Mark Twain: It’s better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt. Yeah, I don’t know about you, dear reader, but I need help with my tongue. And I need to watch what I’m doing; I serve a holy God and want to ever please Him.

New Birth

To make any strides at not being too quick with our speech or speaking less or simply taming our tongues or even getting straight any of our behaviors requires a baseline change in our nature. Every human being is born a sinner (Ps. 51:5). It is not just simply that we sin (that is, that we commit acts of sin) but that we are, at the core, sinners, long before we commit any acts whatsoever. As Michael Horton has said in Putting Amazing Back into Grace, We hate, kill, destroy, slander, rob, lust, and rebel because that is who we are … When we sin, it is not simply because we are victims of external influences, … but because we are of just that sort of character.¹

The idea that we are born perfect and become sinners only after being conditioned or influenced by our environments is not a biblical view. We literally must be, as Jesus said, born again (John 3:3). The interior person is made different, while the exterior remains essentially the same. It reminds me of the process of changing out a hard drive that is too slow or has been encumbered with viruses. Only the hard drive is being replaced; the keyboard, mouse, and the computer casing remain the same, but the computer is brand new in the most essential part of what makes it a computer. This newness of status is what apostle Paul spoke about in his second letter to the church at Corinth (2 Cor. 5:17). The old person is gone, and an entirely new person emerges because we now are one with Christ.

This being born again or being a new creature is not acquired by what we do. It is granted to us by God as a gift (Eph. 2:8–9). It is also not a magic amulet you wear when you want to do well. Nor is it a potion you drink with a certain shelf life. Many in the world think of Christianity as a thing that either causes one to become perfect (in the sense of not sinning) or that it should cause this. In speaking with a former colleague of mine, I was taken aback by her making this assumption about her Catholic husband, herself being Buddhist. She didn’t seem to understand how her husband could go to Mass every week and yet still be a sinner. Of course, there could’ve been other problems going on between them and/or the husband could’ve not been saved. But the point is that Christians are sinners. And while some Christians may believe they can pinpoint the exact moment they were saved—such as at a youth camp or in a specific church service, etc.—many cannot. I’m among those who, because of early exposure, can only say the seeds of belief were planted when I was young—somewhere between the ages of fourteen and eighteen. As Millard Erickson says in Christian Theology: The new birth is not felt when it occurs. It will, rather, establish its presence by producing a new sensitivity to spiritual things, a new direction of life, and an increasing ability to obey God.²

And so, at the start of this chapter, I want to make it clear that as we proceed in life as Christians, we will have ups and downs. We will be holy, and we will sin. That is, there will be times when we reflect Christ well and times when we don’t. This is all part of the sanctification process—the process of being set apart by God. I like what R. C. Sproul says on the subject when he speaks of what Martin Luther called Christians in Latin: "Simul justus et peccator: ‘at the same time just and sinner.’ That is what saints are, people who are at one and the same time just yet sinful.³

The Christian is empowered by God, and upon entrance into the family of God, no sin will ever change your new status in God. Sure, we still retain our sin nature, but we now have a new stature before God.

Speaking to Power (the Power)

I think of the interaction between the patriarch Abraham and God before Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed for their wickedness (Gen. 18:22–33). This story may be familiar to my readers—how fire and brimstone rained down upon these towns for their indiscretions, as described in the next chapter (19:5). But prior to the men of the towns wanting to have relations with angels of God who appeared to be men, Abraham spoke to God on behalf of his nephew Lot, who lived in these towns. Abraham knew he was speaking to the eternal king and approached with more than what would be the common Near Eastern hospitality. He was super reverent. His first inquiry seems normal enough; he knows the angels were sent to destroy the towns but wants to know if God would really destroy if there were fifty righteous people present. Abraham says, Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly? (Gen. 18: 25). The Lord says He would spare it for fifty souls.

But watch how Abraham, in each successive request of God, begins to change his approach. In the second inquiry he wants to know if God would destroy forty-five good people among the wicked. Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes (v. 27). The Lord agrees, no destruction will occur if forty-five righteous people live in the towns. Abraham asks the third time, Suppose forty are found there? (v. 29). The Lord will stay His hand for forty.

The fourth time around Abraham asks, Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there? The Lord promises not to destroy the towns if this number of righteous people reside in the cities. It seems Abraham was getting quite nervous! The fifth inquiry begins: Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there? (v. 31). The Lord will stay his hand in this scenario too, He says. Abraham then approached the Lord one final time: Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there? (v. 32). The Lord replies, I will not destroy it on account of the ten. Abraham’s words are measured and careful. While we are to be respectful to all people, depending on who we are speaking to, the approach will need to change (Rom. 13:7). We cannot simply run off at the mouth just because we want to or because of some personal philosophy like, Well, he puts his pants on one leg at a time, just like me!

Mister Big Mouth

Jesus said, But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the Day of Judgment (Matt. 12:36). Again, there is no comparison between us and God. He is holy; we are called to be holy (which means we don’t start off holy or will ever be God). We will never get 100 percent on the holiness test, if by such a mark it means we will perfectly go through life without ever sinning. But this likewise doesn’t mean we need to be sloppy in our approach with God and people. We must strive to be better; and I admit I need lots of help here. I aspire to have more events on the holiness side than unholy, and I don’t think there is anything wrong with wanting to give God your best.

So, has anyone ever said you talk too much? Or that you have a big mouth? Do you talk just because you like the sound of your own voice? It’s what you do. It’s what we all do. We must be heard. We seem to have a case of the can’t help its! But if you trust in Christ, ask yourself, Are my words pleasing to God? Am I respectful, encouraging, and uplifting, or do I ridicule, slander, gossip, or even speak obscene language? Do I tell vulgar jokes, just not in front of church folks? There are even bishops in the pulpit who say things they shouldn’t say. Or maybe the issue for some is the amount of information being shared. My wife has told me several times that I overshare! This may be, in fact, the generation of TMI (too much information).

In my everyday job as a supervisor of peace officers, I recall hearing of an officer who reportedly accounted for two inmates being in their respective cells for three days straight when they were supposedly in opposite cells. The very next day, while walking out of the prison, I turned to a couple of officers and asked if they had heard about this situation. One of the officers said, I was the officer; that was me! When I came back to work, I was told I made a mistake when I was inputting my count on the computer. But it wasn’t for three days; it was for one day, and the inmates weren’t in opposite cells, I mistakenly moved one inmate from his cell to an empty cell; at least in the computer. But he didn’t actually move! Now this example is a small thing, but I was really embarrassed; here I was, getting caught up in spreading rumors when I should have known better. I apologized to the guy and received grace from him. He didn’t seem to think it such a big deal. But I knew it was a huge mistake. I committed sin by listening to rumors and then spread the rumor myself. That type of thing seems so small, but this is how we see things. This is not how God sees it.

One aspect of speech that I recently was confronted with was something I had become very adept at doing. Sarcasm. It never occurred to me that in being sarcastic I might be sinning. But like so many things we say, our words, and more specifically how our words are used, can cut both ways. So, with sarcasm in view, it would be wrong to be unreasonably sarcastic. I will admit this sounds oxymoronic. Can there be a legitimate form of sarcasm? Take two examples, one from what we generally call the Old Testament (OT) and one from the New Testament (NT). And before we get there, let me just say that these examples come from two of the most well-known figures in the Bible.

Elijah, the Tishbite

So, Elijah is a prophet in Israel, believing himself to be the only prophet of God still alive (1 Kings 18:22). Why does he believe this? Because the king of Israel, Ahab, the husband to Jezebel (if this name is in a book on children’s names, don’t use it!), had already decimated the prophets in the land (1 Kings 18:4). So, the stage is set for a showdown, not so much between Elijah, a true prophet of God, and the royal family, but between God and all falsehood (exemplified by the false prophets and the king and queen). So, Elijah calls forth a competition, exclaiming to all Israel, How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him (1 Kings 18:21). At the outset of this story, there is a lesson for those who would follow God: Are we going to be holy and do things God’s way, or are we going to do things our own way, and thus be unholy?

Now this is where the sarcasm begins. Since the LORD is real and Baal is not real, Elijah sets up a scene whereby no one present would be able to dispute his claim of the reality of the LORD being the real God. He prepares animal sacrifices on an altar and then defies the 450 prophets of Baal to call upon their deity, telling them the god who sends fire down to burn up the offering is the real deal. As these prophets cry out to their god from morning until noon, only to get no response whatsoever, Elijah begins to mock them: Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened! (1 Kings 18:27). I can see Elijah cracking up, he must have been in tears watching the prophets of Baal make a spectacle of themselves!

Elijah teases them? Yes, he does. And what is sarcasm? It is being caustic in one’s remarks to someone else. Elijah’s words ate away, burned through, to his adversaries. His words were designed to inflict some measure of pain. It simply cannot be theologically argued Elijah didn’t know what he was doing or didn’t know his words might be hurtful. Have you ever been there? Have you ever said things to someone else knowing full well the effect your words would have on the person? These prophets are jumping up and down, dancing ceremonially around the altar, trying to get their god’s attention (v. 26). And through all of Elijah’s taunts and ridicule, they kept at it, all the way until evening (v. 29). In the end, God shows up; Elijah is vindicated, and the prophets of Baal are destroyed. God is the real deal.

Paul, the Apostle

Turning to the first century and the fledgling NT church, apostle Paul steps on the scene as the chief spokesperson for Christ in a Hellenistic Roman world. While Christians are trying to live their lives in this new freedom they gained by faith in Christ, Jews in the church are insisting that Christians adopt Jewish customs, like being circumcised. In fact, the letter Paul wrote to the Galatian church was penned to address specific heretical teachings that seemed to be gaining a foothold in the region of Galatia. Such teachings appeared to be spilling into the church. Paul opened his letter to the church in Galatia by saying,

I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. (Gal. 1:6–7)

Those preaching this kind of gospel are to be accursed, according to Paul. But in chapter 5, he goes much, much deeper. As circumcision, one of the rites of Judaism, was being pressed upon these new Christians, an act that involves cutting away the foreskin, Paul says, I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves (Gal. 5:12). In other words, since those contending with the believers were so bent on this ritual, pressing it upon those for whom the law was never written, according to Paul, they didn’t need to stop at the foreskin; they could cut off their own male organ! Some would say what Paul was really getting at was to tell the troublemakers to castrate themselves! Now, these don’t seem to be nice words. Were Paul and Elijah showing love in their speech? Did they speak the truth in love?

Both Elijah and Paul were sarcastic. Elijah didn’t really mean Baal might be on vacation or was tired from the day before and needed to rest. Nor did Paul really mean he was advocating legalistic Jews should cut off their genitals. But both men were attempting to address a truth about God that stubborn-headed, religious people would not accept. So, sarcasm has its place (at least in these contexts). But as saints of God, I would recommend we keep this in mind, going back to Galatians: But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law (Gal. 5:18). So, follow the LORD’s leading and lean not on what you think is right (Prov. 3:5–6). It may have been right for both Elijah and Paul to speak as they did under their circumstances. If so, there appears to be a right way to use sarcasm and a wrong way as well. Only let God lead you in what to say, and how to say it, and to whom. Again, words may mean everything.

Just like judging others, it has its place, too. How many times has a nonbeliever said something like, Well, ‘thou shalt not judge,’ right?’ It really depends on who is speaking and to whom he or she is speaking and the motive for speaking. In Matthew 7:1 when Jesus said, Do not judge so that you will not be judged, he obviously was not speaking of every circumstance, because when seeing the Bible as a whole, it is the condemning type of judgment He seemed to have in view. Luke seemed to clarify Jesus’s words in Luke 6:37 when he wrote, Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. If this does not make it clear, then the following passages would make absolutely no sense at all:

For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves (1 Cor. 5:12–13).

Or as Jesus said elsewhere, Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment (John 7:24). Obviously, this must mean there is a distinction to be made between judging rightly and judging wrongly.

Or as James said, There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy (James 4:12). Surely this passage has in view a judgment involving the eternal status of someone, because no human being can provide salvation or destruction to anyone. This is the prerogative of God alone.

And many other such passages like these are to be found in the Bible. While certainly there are many texts that speak explicitly of not judging, when looking at the entirety of scripture, it can’t be that judging, in and of itself, is wrong, but a certain type of judging that is wrong.

Therefore, in the cases of Paul and Elijah, they spoke in a manner that was not to be viewed as sinful but appropriate, given the circumstances they faced at the time. I will admit I have not always spoken well in every instance, and neither have the characters of the Bible. Nevertheless, in view of my own capacity to sin with my mouth, I think it best to steer clear of sarcasm and do my best to keep certain thoughts inside my head and not let them escape my lips. Those that remain inside—those thoughts that are contrary to holiness—I pray I will have insight to take them to the Lord and ask forgiveness for them.

Negative Words or Speech

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.

When I was a child, I used to believe this statement, but my thinking on the matter has changed (1 Cor. 13:11). I grew up in an environment where fights would break out when someone started talking about your mama. And although no one physically did anything to me or my mother, the words still hurt. Clearly the statement about sticks and stones is a patent lie. I think, in some way, the society is trying to address the sticks and stones situation, in the form of what we call bullying. Again, anyone looking at the president’s words on social media would hardly say his words don’t mean anything. Words can sting and cut. We understand pain primarily as physical, but emotional and psychological pain is just as real. Our words have power. Take for example the following text:

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. (Prov. 18:21)

I can kill you with my words. Or, if I wish, I can bring life to you. The verse above is akin to the pen is mightier than the sword. This is true; the effect of the sword may last for a moment, even if it brings immediate physical death. But written laws can govern millions of people for decades or even longer. Consider the lasting effect of the Constitution of the United States or, better still, consider the chief resource for the Constitution: the Bible. The words of the scripture have essentially built this nation and practically the entirety of Western society as we know it. Words don’t mean anything? Clearly this is not true.

So, our words, and how we package what we want to convey, can have far-reaching effects upon the hearer, for good or for evil. Or take Psalm 52:1–5 as another example of the destructive nature words can have.

Verse 1 of this text tells us of strong individuals who boast in evil. Consider the mind-set of someone who seemingly loves—relishes—the evil he causes. Do you know of anyone like that? The term pot stirer may be familiar to the reader. Oh, that girl loves to stir the pot! This is gossip, to be sure, but do any of us know someone who seems to enjoy causing misery in others? To add insult to injury, once the contents of the pot begin to gurgle, the instigator runs away before the kitchen becomes a mess, leaving others to do the dishes, and behaving as if he or she had done nothing wrong.

In Psalm 52, this kind of person devises and plots the destruction of others. The words of this worker of deceit are like a sharp razor!

The words from this person cut into us, but the instrument of choice is not a dagger but words. Those words that supposedly will never hurt me. But, of course, I’m hurt. How many times do relationships end, say a marriage, because of what is said in the heat of the moment? Sometimes we don’t fight fair and don’t want to because we want to get back at the other person for hurting us so deeply. So, we lash out, not with a scabbard or even a tomahawk but with a small barrage of well-placed word bombs. Sometimes we treat our spouses, friends, or you fill in the blank, as if they are our enemy. And we are extremely familiar with the enemy’s defenses and weaknesses. We want our opponent to not just feel it, but to feel worse than we do. We want to win. And far too many times, we are causing irreparable damage to the ones we have declared are our closest friends and family. Instead of speaking words that will bring about healing, the person who speaks thus, speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword (Prov. 12:18).

Also, language is used to bring about sin. Words used to entrap someone into lustful situations, for example: With her many persuasions she entices him; with her flattering lips she seduces him (Prov. 7:21). A kindred text, in narrative form, can be seen in the classic story of Samson and Delilah:

It came about when she pressed him daily with her words and urged him, that his soul was annoyed to death. (Judg. 16:16)

So, the speech entices the object of sexual affection. That is, the tempter is not doing this for nothing; no, there is reciprocity involved. To entice means to tempt with hope of reward or pleasure. In temptation there is always some secondary gain at play. The serpent didn’t entice Eve in the garden for kicks and giggles; no, he did it to strike a blow at God’s plan of having other creatures to adore and worship Him.

When someone uses enticements to seduce someone, they want something in return. It may just be the high from seeing you squirm because you don’t quite know how to rebuff such advances. Or it could