There Is No Such Thing as a Cursing Christian

I’ve taken several wood projects to a Lancaster County woodshop to be sanded. Their massive belt sander is cool. On the wall of the woodshop is the saying: “There is no such thing as a cursing Christian! If you do curse and call yourself a Christian, stop and think.” I assume they’re referring to obscene language. What do you think of that saying? Have you ever used obscene language? Have you ever thought obscene thoughts? Let’s consider a few angles.    

As a Christian, you continue to struggle with sin. You’re not perfect. In Romans 7, Paul explains his ongoing struggle against the sins of the flesh to the point he says in v. 24, “Wretched man that I am!” Should you think of yourself as wretched? Yes, in the sense that you continue to have sin inside you. “Wretched” doesn’t mean you’re unjustified, unsaved, unredeemed, or unloved. By calling himself “wretched,” Paul was simply acknowledging that nothing good dwelt in him or in his flesh, that sin dwelt in him despite his being in Christ (vv. 18, 20). Paul was wretched in the sense that sin continued to exist within him even though he was a true believer.

John explained in 1 John 2:1, “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” John’s assumption is that as a believer you will sometimes sin, and John’s words reassure you that you have an advocate, an intercessor, a representative before the Father. Jesus is your advocate and your righteousness before God, and the Father accepts and loves you on account of Christ’s righteousness alone. The Father sent His Son for you because He loves you and to rid you of sin and cursing. He takes time to do it.   

So, you will continue to sin, and the gospel is your comfort and assurance when you do. So then, there is such a thing as a “cursing Christian” because sometimes in a moment of anger or people-pleasing or when self-restraint gives way, you may say words you shouldn’t say. If you curse, it doesn’t mean you’re condemned. You need the gospel daily to remind you of your right standing with God and that the Helper is within you to help you speak God-glorifying words.

But what if you profess to be a Christian and continue to curse without any real concern, remorse, or fight? What if there’s no diminishment of cursing in your life? What if there’s no guilt, sorrow, or repentance? You just keep on cursing as if it was natural for Christians to curse. What about that? Well, that’s an entirely different situation, isn’t it? Consider Paul’s rationale in Romans 6:1–4. Paul said:

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

As a Christian, you are dead to sin. You have been baptized into Christ and his death. Christ’s resurrection is for you a new start, a new life. How could you live in sin without a fight against it (Rom. 6:11; Eph. 2:5)? To be alive in Christ and to possess the Holy Spirit assumes a fight against sin. The purpose of being crucified and raised with Christ is that God’s grace and Holy Spirit compel you to “walk in newness of life.” Willfully persisting in unchecked and unopposed sin invalidates any profession of Christ.

Would you carefully consider John’s words in 1 John 3? John explained:

Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. . . . No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. . . .Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. . . . No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. (vv. 4, 6, 8, 9).

John used the present tense: “keeps on sinning.” The Reformation Study Bible comments, “The present tense of the Greek suggests behavior that is characteristic or usual, i.e., persistent, impenitent sin.” [1] In other words, if you persist in sin, maybe cursing, without giving it a second thought, without ever opposing it, without penitence, without a desire or unstopping attempts to overcome it, then your pursuit of sin instead of flight from sin renders your profession of Christ hypocritical and false. True faith is always accompanied by the fruit of repentance and sanctification. By God’s grace, true believers continue in repentance and sanctification out of true faith and thankfulness for God’s grace and Spirit. Even a little sanctification validates true faith. Disinterest in sanctification validates true unbelief and hypocrisy.

Don’t skip over John’s words. Think about them. John said, “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil.” Again, John used the present tense. If sin, or cursing, classifies or typifies or defines your life, if you persist with no diminishing effect, you are of the devil. Perhaps this is what the woodworking guys meant. I’m not sure, but if so, they have a point.

John gave us the litmus test. He explained how to tell the difference between true children of God and true children of the devil. John said, “By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” Is this what the woodshop words were after? If so, point well-taken. Worship is typical of the Christian mouth, not cursing.  

I don’t really like the words on that woodshop wall. I think they’re all law without gospel, and I think they sound self-righteous, so I think they’re unwise. I wouldn’t put them on my shop wall. However, depending on how you interpret the words or the angle you take, there is some truth in them worth pondering.

Introspection is a dangerous endeavor because of our sinful flesh. It is best for us to fix our eyes on Christ in faith and to draw comfort and assurance from his person, merits, and means of grace. However, Paul said in 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” If you use obscene language with little to no thought or remorse, it will serve you well to examine yourself to see whether your profession of Christ is valid. Jesus’ words in Matthew 15:18 are profound: “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.” Profane lips reveal a profane heart. God-glorifying words reveal a pure heart.  

The moral of the story is this: even believers need the gospel; even believers need Jesus. Using obscene language in a moment of weakness, anger, or people-pleasing shouldn’t undermine our assurance of salvation, but it should grieve us and move us to Jesus to receive his mercy, grace, and forgiveness and to beg him for his Holy Spirit to help us make progress in appropriate speech. The gospel should always be moving us toward holiness.

Becoming a Christian didn’t purge you of all sin, but God’s grace did free you from the penalty and power of it. Your lips are no longer enslaved. Because of Christ, live free and speak words that encourage, uplift, edify, and praise.     


[1] R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 2271.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one-half of any book of the ESV Bible.

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Jonathan Shirk

Welcome to the online home of Jonathan Shirk, family man, Reformed pastor, author, podcaster, and small town theologian. Whether you're from a small town or big city, may this website help you find deeper comfort and joy in the gospel.

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