The venom of defilement and destruction is common m human speech. You and I know that this is an accurate description of us all, for we all have been guilty of striking at others with venomous words. A religious asp can kill the life of a church or destroy a family. Inflicting injury upon others with words seems to be a pleasurable pastime with some people, including professing Christians. "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness" (3: 14). The Psalm from which the Holy Spirit drew, to complete this part of His portrait of man, says, "His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity" (Psalm 10: 7). There are some moral, decent and upright people who never once used indecent language, yet the potential lies in every man. Our text in Romans says we are loaded with it, the word "full" conveying the idea of being heavily laded with. Profanity is rapidly becoming a commonly accepted form of speech. Vulgar and profane words are heard on the street, in public offices, stores, res taurants, television and radio programs and in many homes. This foul speech is heard coming from women as well as men. The obnoxious and profane forms of speech are inex cusable. They only expose the corruption that is in the heart. In verses 15-18 sin is shown to be in human conduct; what a man does. Paul continues, "Their feet are swift to shed blood" (3: 15). Each description of man adds to the evidence that he is depraved. Paul is but reiterating here what the Holy Spirit said of man centuries before. A Proverb says, "For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood" (Proverbs 1: 16). The Prophet Isaiah wrote, "Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood" (Isaiah 59:7). History is a record of man pursuing the way of strife and bloodshed. The Sixth Commandment says, "Thou shalt not kill" (Ex odus 20: 13), but man has ignored this Commandment as he does all of God's laws. Men will kill at the slightest provoca tion. This pronouncement in Romans 3: 15 applies to all, Jews and Gentiles. The first recorded sin of Adam's poster ity was murder. The first son in the first home killed his brother (Genesis 4:8). No murderer ever preceded him, no comic books, movies or television programs were present to show him how to kill, yet he murdered his own flesh and 89
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker