Heretics of the Heart
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I was shocked but not as much as I should have been.
The social media background check revealed postings that included vulgar, sexually explicit language and posted videos about prostitution and drunkenness. The individual is a professing Christian with a credible profession of faith.
I've also encountered professing Christian parents, seminary students, and even Christian educators who routinely use foul and expletive filled language.
I have enough experience under my belt that nothing should surprise me anymore. I'm also theologically literate enough to understand human depravity.1 Yet, despite my life experiences and theological training, I am continuously and increasingly shocked by the gap between what so many Christians profess and how so many Christians live. And how they speak.
Bad language like sexual perversion is being normalized even among Christians.
This ought not to be.
In her Christianity Today article Beware False Teachers with Good Doctrine and Bad Ethics,2 Emily Hunter McGown describes those whose profession is orthodox but whose life style contradicts it as heretics of the heart.
I would add that professing Christians whose language contradicts biblical teaching are examples of those James describes as hearers of the word but not doers.
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. (James 1:22-26)
Theology of the Tongue
Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things. (2 Peter 1:12-15)
While I presume my readers are familiar with the passages below, in the spirit of Peter's heart as he faced his imminent death I am sharing a reminder of the standard that the scriptures set forth for how we use God's gift of language and how we are to conduct ourselves as followers of Christ.
Guard your tongue. Your words reveal the state of your soul and are either a good witness to the gospel or a bad one.
Christ holds us as Christian educators to a higher standard than most Christians. We teach others and as James reminds us: “not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. (James 3:1)
Does your language adorn the Gospel of Christ? Would you use those words in Christ's presence? Is your language a godly model for your students, parents and employees? Is your language a good or bad witness to a watching world?
As a leader, when (not if) you encounter language unbecoming of a follower of Christ, lovingly but courageously and candidly confront professing believers in your school with their sins of the tongue. This is hard but we are called to encourage each other to holiness: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” (Hebrews 10:24)
The Bible and our Words
Matthew 5:22
But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
Matthew 12:36-37
I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Matthew 15:10-11
And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”
Ephesians 4:29
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Ephesians 5:3-4
But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
Colossians 3:8-10
But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Exodus 20:7
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
James 3:10
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Luke 6:45
The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Isaiah 6:5
And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Proverbs 15:4
A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
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Letham, Robert. (2020, October 9). Worse than we think: What Total Depravity Is (and Is Not). DesiringGod. https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/worse-than-we-think ↩︎
McGown, Emily. (2021, September 16). Beware False Teachers with Good Doctrine and Bad Ethics. Christianity Today. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/september-web-only/pastors-leaders-false-teachers-beware-bad-ethics.html ↩︎