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Imitators of God...

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OBrenda:
Ephesians 5:1

So be imitators of God, as his dear children.
Live lovingly, just as the Messiah also loved us and gave himself for us as an offering and sacrifice, a fragrant aroma to God.
 
Do not let sexual sin, impurity of any kind, or greed even be mentioned among you, as is proper for saints.
 
Obscene, flippant, or vulgar talk is totally inappropriate. Instead, let there be thanksgiving.
For you know very well that no immoral or impure person, or anyone who is greedy (that is, an idolater), has an inheritance in the kingdom of the Messiah and of God.

I was reading someting Kat had posted recently and these scriptures she shared stood out to me, {that usually happens when God is trying to teach me something.}

There are those I know whom I just can't get close to, because of the over use of extremely vulgar words.  It makes me ill inside, and I can't wait to be out of their company.  I'm not talking about the occasional selection of words that comes out when cut off by a rude driver, or stepping on a nail, or an adjective that describes a person without the need for long explanations.... :-\  I mean the constant stream of vulgar words & the subject matter they harp on.

I try not to hold myself up as the "standard".  So when I see something in someone else, I try to also look inward to see where I also may miss the mark.  Like so many areas in our walk we need to have balance.  My comfort zone may be offensive to someone else.  I would like to understand what the full sum of God's word is on humor, Obscene, flippant, or vulgar talk?  Does do not mentioning Sexual Sin restrict "Saints" from discussing sexual topics?

I hope we can discuss this in peace, searching together!

Thanks for any help,
Brenda

Rene:
Hi Brenda,

I don't have any help to offer you, but I do feel similar to you when it comes to being  offended by the "mindless" overuse of profanity.  It really bothers my spirit. 

However, there are some comedians who have very foul mouths that I find very entertaining (not their foul mouths, but their ability to make me laugh).  What's up with that! ???  I guess that means I still have a lot of purging to be done.

René

Richard D:
Hi Brenda.

I like you’re topic and cause me to think about a scripture I have read in the Bible and it goes like this( So as a man thinks so he is) I say if someone thinks about talking about sexual things with someone other than their spouse then what’s their intentions?

If someone is not married and wishes to talk about sexual things then fornication comes to mind.

If someone who is married or not married wishes to talk about sexual things with others because they practice this behavior in an ungodly way trying to seek help I guess that’s alright.

I believe if a person has to express themselves using profanity they have a poor command of the English language.

However what I’m blessed with here at Bible truths and reading Ray’s papers really help me to understand why people do what they do and that also includes me too.

In this day and age I sometimes think we are living in the days of Noah, my ear hear things and my eyes see things that are wicked and evil but I also think to myself I’m apart of this evil and wickedness.

If God had not called me then I say only God knows what kind of man I would be.  Well I ‘am what I’ am by the grace of God. But I do know there dwells in me no good thing on my own.

I think it’s like Ray was saying about Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden under there perfect conditions would they of been happy? They had noting to compare anything good with.

Remember what Ray said about this all being and experience of good and evil. It’s our father’s way of making us all in His image.

I hope I was of some help to you Brenda but remember also I’m a man of little knowledge with the things of God.

You know Brenda, there is a part of me that does not want to die but also there is a part of me that does want to die because I know in the resurrection I’ll be perfect then but I have to wait until my time comes.


                God bless you Brenda, In His Love. Richard. You’re little brother.

Kat:

Hi Brenda,

I found this at answers.com and it shows what is considered profanity in English, but look at the difference in Korean.

Profanity in different languages
For reasons of differing cultural, linguistic and historical backgrounds, the profanities of different languages place emphasis on different subject matter. In briefest summary, here is a list showing main differences or emphasis for some common languages:

English: sex, excrement, homosexuality, religion, incest, increasingly bigotry, racial/ethnic hatred, prostitution (son of a b----), and prejudice.

Korean: Impolite responses to people, esp. family and authority, references to animals, sexual terms.

Anyway I guess we all have this to deal with this to some degree. It really bothers me to hear God's name taken in vain and that goes for expressions such as "Jesus Christ, that was close!" or "Oh God, not again."

But the abusive swearing that people use run a close second, when words are used for abuse or intimidation or insulting of others.

I think we hear a lot of profanity when somebody is just using the words to get attention or to show off.  And then it seems to become habitual and used almost without thinking. That is really annoying, when profanity is attached to almost every sentence.

Actually it doesn't bother me so much when something bad happens like coffee spilling and people curse. It seems like a knee jerk reaction and not of their regular vocabulary.

And yes I have laughed at a comedian in spite of their foul mouth.

I think the amount you are exposed to swearing early on, conditions you to being more excepting of it. We all seem to have our different weaknesses and fortunately this does not seem to be one for me. Well that's my view anyway.

mercy, peace and love
Kat

Dave in Tenn:
Brenda, you know the NT passages where people of different practices and levels of maturity meet.  It seems to me in almost all of them that the onus is on those with a 'freer' disposition to curtail that for the common good.

As for your verse, I really think the "being mentioned among you, as is proper for saints" refers to those outside looking in, and is a seperate, but related, thought to what follows.  That's just my take on it.

Anyways, it's been a part of the renewing of my mind by the Word to have my language renewed as well.  It hasn't really been through struggle, but it's happened all the same.  That doesn't mean I forgot the words, but the profane babble that was part of me before is simply not there any more.

Looking at others--especially those in the world--I'm mostly content to leave them be.  I think the reasons why 'blue' comics are funny is because they hit on the truth.  The good ones are all about smashing idols themselves.  So, rightly or wrongly, I tend to look past the outward sign of vocabulary towards what pain or sin is driving them.  That's where we can minister without placing a law.

As for saints?  Wherever the line is, we probably ought not to venture too close to it.  There's temptation no matter which way you 'lean'. 

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