Words of Grace (part one)

Our key text is Ephesians 4:29.

Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear.

My interest is grabbed by the last phrase – the very notion of grace-bearing words. For it is to the grace of God that we are witnesses. This is the purpose of our lives now – to pass on an experience of God’s grace.

But first, how would you define “evil talk”?? The Greek word here means “rotten and decaying”.

·         Corrupt, unwholesome, unhealthy, uncaring, worthless, harsh … that which is negative, discouraging, aggravating, abusive, destructive … leading to psychological injury, pain and suffering

·         Obscenities, lies, (idle) gossip, put-downs

Once spoken, any such “evil talk” takes on a life of its own – it can be forgiven, but it cannot be unspoken. Such “evil talk” can destroy relationships, turn neighbour against neighbour, even nation against nation.

Old saying: “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me” – NOT TRUE!

Proverbs 15:4 – A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit – VERY TRUE!

Frustration easily builds, and often pours out the mouth. Things happen every day that draw angry responses. There are excuses, and there is forgiveness. Yet there is also a responsibility we bear to others, a cause – the Kingdom cause, our ‘set apartness’ for God’s purposes, the companionship of the Holy Spirit – the fact that we have received God’s grace. We need to think about expressing God’s love in the same way as we are receiving it! This is what I was made for … this is what I’ve been redeemed for!

Even those people seen to be in acting in deep ‘darkness’ need to be shown grace. The book of James also famously warns us to be careful and consistent when it comes to our tongue. If we use our tongue as a tool through which to praise God, we should not use this same tool to curse others (James 3:9-10). To “curse” others in this context means to depreciate their value; and this takes in all those “who are made in the likeness of God” i.e. everyone. To praise and to curse with the same mouth is hypocrisy – the two things do not go together.

So, “evil talk” is to be eliminated, so that there is only words for “building up” others, and giving “grace” to those who hear.

We talked last week about the concept of “building up” others. This means to: encourage, stimulate, lift people up towards their [God-given] potential.

Ephesians 4:29 takes this further into the area of grace-sharing. The idea here is that we become channels through which God’s grace is reflected or revealed.

How can our words give grace i.e. God’s grace?? How can our speech be grace-bearing i.e. represent, indicate, offer a measure of God’s love and mercy?? After Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue and had attributed the fulfillment of that prophecy to himself, we read: All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth (Luke 4:22). As Jesus-followers and recipients of God’s grace, we are, by definition, grace-bearers. How can this become part of our everyday conversational patterns??

To be continued …