Tired of the Filthy Mouths

by Brad Harrub, Ph.D.

One of the clearest indicators of cultural decline is not found in court rulings or political debates, but in everyday speech. Profanity has exploded in our culture—not only in conversations, but emblazoned across clothing, plastered on car decals, and casually promoted as humor or “being real.” It’s everywhere!! What once shocked the conscience is now worn proudly in public, even around children. Through constant exposure, our culture has normalized what Scripture has long identified as corrupt and unbecoming.

The Bible never treats language as morally neutral. James spends a great amount of time focusing on the power of the tongue (James 3:1-13). Solomon warned that “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21), and Jesus made it clear that careless words will be brought into judgment (Matthew 12:36). Paul’s instruction to the church was unmistakable: “But now you yourselves are to put off all these… filthy language out of your mouth” (Colossians 3:8). Profanity reflects more than poor vocabulary—it exposes a heart increasingly shaped by a godless culture rather than by reverence for the Creator.

For Christians, the issue is not whether profanity is socially acceptable, but whether it honors God. “As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct” (I Peter 1:15). It’s wrong. Period. In an age where vulgarity is celebrated and broadcast without shame, God’s people must resist the drift. Our speech should point upward, not downward—serving as quiet evidence that we belong to a different kingdom, one where words are chosen carefully because they are spoken in the presence of a holy God.