Disguised by Words

Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips

and harbors deceit in his heart

Proverbs 26:24

Wording can make all the difference. You can say, "Suzy your kitty was crushed under my tires as I backed out for work today" but you will likely instead phrase it, "Suzy your kitty is in a better place now." People will often use a phrase to make things sound less harsh or crude. "I have to use the restroom," or "He's having 'stomach' problems," or even "Check out my 'pre-owned' lexus. All of these euphemisms are used to keep us from thinking about the actual truth.

Society will do the same thing by giving a positive name to a sinful act. They change the wording so that they can be said and brushed over easily. A few examples of this deception are:

gay = homosexual

adult entertainment = pornography

pro-choice = abortion/murder

gaming = gambling

It is sickening to those who are righteous to se how evil can be twisted into something acceptable and palatable to society. Christians must be able to see through the dense fog of deception and

view the sin for what it really is. Words can disguise and mask the true meaning, but the Bible is full of examples and warnings about deceptive words. Satan from the time of the Garden has used words to manipulate people into sin. So how do Christians remain unscathed by deceitful words?

The good news about being a Christian is that we have no reason to manipulate words when describing our true purpose. Jesus never hid words (Jn 6:47-66; Mt 10:37; Mt 18:5-22; Mt 19:6-9). Some of his sayings were hard to understand but he did not sugar coat it. There was no reason to. Because he had the words of eternal life. He spoke these word lovingly to all so that they would have hope.

As disciples of Christ we can and should speak these same words. Not in order to condemn the world but so that they my be saved through the words of Christ if they choose to follow him. There is no reason to use sly words because we would only be converting the lost to a false hope. Instead we should unashamedly preach the cross of Christ (1 Cor 2:2-4). The cross encompasses a message of death of oneself, suffering, pain, and turmoil. While also conveying words such as hope, peace, eternal joy, and everlasting glory. Suffer through the cross with Christ and find life in his resurrection (Rom 6:3-5). Tell others about the cross and do not be ashamed of the language of Christ, himself (Mt. 28:19-20).