When the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, he was writing to people living in a pagan culture. Even things like speech needed to be refined in the light of Kingdom values. Thus Paul wrote that there should be no “obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving” (Ephesians 5:4, NIV).

We live in a similarly crude and coarse culture—it is easy to become immune to the spiritual effects of such language and even to participate in it. Paul suggested an alternative later in the same chapter when he exhorted the Ephesians to use spiritual language: psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. He was referring to the meeting of the church, of course, not that we should sing our conversations to each other. But his point was to let biblical values influence and motivate our conversations while living in a culture that does not appreciate the same.

Be aware of your conversation. Is it edifying and reflective of biblical truths and values? Make every effort to distinguish yourself from the world, even by your speech.

The church is a community of the works and words of Jesus.
Donald English