There is nothing that can choke the joy and power out of walking with God quite as thoroughly as legalism.  Legalism is the imposition of rules for Christian conduct that do not find their source in the Word of God but in the attitudes of people.

        Hans of Paris was a tailor with a great reputation.  Because of this stellar reputation, a visiting businessman ordered a suit.  But when he came to pick up his suit, he found that one sleeve twisted that way and the other this way; one shoulder bulged out and the other caved in.  He pulled and struggled and finally, wrenched and contorted, managed to make his body fit.  As he waited at the airport to return home, a fellow passenger noticed his odd appearance and asked if Hans had made the suit.  Receiving an affirmative reply, the man remarked, “Amazing!!!  I knew that Hans was a great tailor!  But I had no idea he could make a suit that would fit someone as deformed as you.”

       That is the nature of legalism.  It twists and contorts the Christian life until it becomes almost unrecognizable, and then it congratulates itself on how well it fits the monstrosity it has made.  A group manufactures an idea of what the Christian life should look like and pushes and shoves people until they fit the mold they have created.  That is death.  It sucks the life out of the soul.

       As we saw when we looked at Colossians 2, legalism has no proper place in the church.  But, as we abolish legalism, we have to be careful.  Abolishing human-made rules is not the same as abolishing all rules.  God too has rules for life that he has laid down in His Word.  The difference between God’s call and the bindings of the legalist is that the commandments of God fit who we are.  They do not force us into an artificial lifestyle but call us to a way of life and a way of community that ultimately frees us and fulfills us.  This is the lifestyle that works because it is designed by the One who holds the patent on the human race.

       In Colossians 1 and 2, Paul has told us what God has done for us in Jesus Christ.  He has rescued us from darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.  As the beginning of this third chapter he tells us that since we have died with Christ and have been raised with Christ, we are now to be Christ-like in our behavior.

       Now way last winter we saw that this requires putting to death certain things that are in our lives.  We looked then at verse 5, which tells us to rid ourselves of sexual immorality, impurity, evil desires, and greed.  Three weeks ago, as we resumed our study in Colossians, we looked at the need to remove anger, rage and malice.  Today we turn in verse 8 to slander and foul talk  -- two more of the sins of the month. 

       Speech is a wonderful gift of God.  It is one of the special capacities that reflect our likeness to God.  God speaks and like God, we also speak.  Speech distinguishes us from the animal creation.

       So we are to watch our words.  James writes, “The person who holds the tongue in check controls both mind and body. 

       Here in Colossians 3:8 Paul talks first about slander.  Slander is what we say about another person.  Slander attacks motives and destroys reputation.

       Perhaps like me you occasionally receive a phone call from someone who says, “I want to tell you about so-and-so.”  When I receive such calls, I’d better not say, “Please give me all the information so I can pray about it more intelligently.”   This is just a spiritual sounding way to  gossip.  I need to say, ‘Wait a minute.  May I quote you?” 

       When you say that, there’s usually a long pause.  And then they’ll say, “Well, I’m not sure that would be a good idea.”  Invariably your answer should be, “Then I’m not interested in hearing what you have to say.  If you’re not interested in putting your name on it, if you’re not interested in being there when we confront the individual, I’m not interested in listening to what you’ve got to say.”  Gossip and rumor have ruined too many people.   As Washington Irving once observed, “The tongue is the only tool that grows sharper with constant use.”

       That is why Anthony Hoekema asks in The Christian Looks at Himself:  “How much harm is done to the Christian fellowship by words that are carelessly spoken, words that hurt, words that are unkind, words which are cruel?  When we are tempted to sit in judgment upon our fellow Christian, we must set a seal upon our lips.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer calls this ‘the ministry of holding one’s tongue.’”

        Hoekema observes: “Where this discipline of the tongue is practiced right from the beginning each individual will make a matchless discovery.  He will be able to cease from constantly scrutinizing the other person, judging him, condemning him, putting him in his particular place where he can gain ascendancy over him and thus doing violence to him as a person.  Now he can allow the brother to exist as a completely free person, as God made him to be.”

        This discipline of the tongue is a powerful, healing thing.  It is what will allow us to build one another up rather than tear down.

        Jesus taught the significance of speech.  He said that our words reveal what is in our hearts and that we will have to give an account of every careless word we speak.  That’s in Matthew 12 if you want to check it out.  So James is only echoing the teaching of his master when he emphasizes the immense power of the human tongue for good or evil. 

       As the new people of God we are to develop and demonstrate new standards of conversation.  Instead of hurting people with our words, we should use them to encourage, cheer, comfort, and stimulate them.  Proverbs 12:18 says: “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”  We are to be the ones with tongues of healing.  Paul writes that our words are to be those that are good for edifying, bringing light into another’s life.

       There is a macho slogan which goes “deeds, not words.”  But in biblical thought words are deeds.  In fact in Hebrew, the words come from the same root, debar.  To say something is to do it.  To talk light into another’s life is to bring it.

       Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer discovered this and witnessed to it in the Flossenburg prison during World War II where he had been condemned to die by the Nazis.  He walked along the narrow corridors visiting the cells, speaking to the prisoners and encouraging them, laughing and joking with them, reminiscing with them, and praying with them.  His words were his only means of ministry.  Still his words were deeds. He wrote: “God has put His word into our mouths in order that it may be communicated to others.  The Christian needs another Christian who speaks God’s word to him.  He needs that friend again and again and again.”

       That ministry of the word is much better than slander.  It is also much better than the next item in Colossians 3:8 -- what Paul calls foul talk or abuse. 

       In the passage from Ephesians that parallels this Colossians passage Paul writes that we are not to allow any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths.  The word translated evil or unwholesome there is sapros which is a word used of rotten trees and rotten fruit.  We are to have no rotten talk.   Instead we are to use our words to talk light into the lives of others.   Over in Ephesians 5:4, Paul says that there should not be obscenity, foolish talk or course jesting.   Our mouths should instead be used to give thanks to God – including, in the context in Ephesians, the gift of sexuality.

       Poet Algernon Charles Swinburne once wrote that “profanity is a way of escape for the person who has run out of ideas.”   Well God has given us a new idea of life and our talk should show it.  Country singer Johnny Cash wrote: “When I was converted on Sunday, May 9, 1971, in a little church just outside Nashville, Tennessee, the first thing I took care of was my dirty talk.  I believe in the resurrection of the body, particularly the mouth.”

       Sometimes we are in situations where profanity is so common and casual that it ceases to have any power to shock.  It think that’s why a Marine sergeant told the young men who were heading home on leave after completing boot camp, “When you ask you mother to pass the butter, don’t describe it.”  If you don’t understand that, then you have never been in a culture of casual obscenity.

       The problem with obscenity is that while it claims to liberate, it actually creates distance in a part of life that God means to involve the most profound closeness, where the two shall become one flesh.

        Of course, some Christians have a bad reputation for being negative about sex altogether.  Dr. Michel Fourcault, Professor of the history of thought systems at the College De France, wrote a History of Sexuality in six volumes. Explaining his work in an issue of the French magazine Le Monde he spoke of “Christianity’s most intolerably, burdensome legacy – sex as sin.”  And it is true that some of the Victorian Christians came close to this attitude.  But the reason Christians should shun vulgarity is not because we have a warped view of sex, and are ashamed or afraid of it, but because we have a high and holy understanding of sex as a great gift of God to be used in he proper way.  We do not want to see God’s gift cheapened.  The silly talk Paul talks about in Ephesians 5:4 is literally morologia, the speech of a fool.

       The trouble with silly talk and course jesting is that they cheapen God’s gifts, the gift of other people.  The purpose of course jesting is to make us look good for our wit at the expense of someone else.  That should not be a part of our Christian lives.  We are to use our voices to give thanks for each other and build each other up, not to belittle, demean or embarrass.

       Now this is a passage of scripture and a subject I have wrestled with long and hard.  For example, in Ephesians 5:8 Paul says that one of the things that should not be part of our speech to each other is something the Greeks called eutrapelia.  And the thing is that this eutrapelia  is one of the things I most enjoy both giving and receiving.

       The Greek prefix eu means good .  You find it is words like euthasia – the good death, eucharist – the giving of good thanks and euphemism which is the good phemism.  Eutrapelia is good banter, witty conversation and cleverly delivered insults.  Eutrapelia is much of what passes for conversation between guys during football season: light-hearted insults about another’s favorite team.  In fact, as Bil and I talked about men’s get-togethers for Monday Night Football this fall, we chose games on their potential for generating eutrapelia under the guise of smack or trash talk.

       I began this sermon months ago while I was attending the West Coast Presbyterian Pastor’s Conference at Mt. Hermon.   Most years I am invited to emcee the all important Thursday evening talent show.  This isn’t because I look good in a tux – although I do.  It is because people know that they can count on me to deliver at least a few semi-inappropriate comments during the evening – or maybe quite a few of them.  They would be disappointed if I wasn’t at least a shade over the edge.  I’m not talking about obscenity.  I’m talking about what C.S. Lewis delighted in as “bawdy.”   Even our Session meetings and our staff meeting contain at least some happy banter and gentle teasing. 

       So if it is so fun and so welcome, why is it on the list in Ephesians 5:8?   The Greeks considered it a good thing – a lubricant for social interaction and part of the spice of life.  Why doesn’t Paul? 

       I think it’s because it can be abused and often is abused.  Things can be presented as humor which are actually both meant and received as personal attacks.   If it contains a hidden agenda  -- a secret barb that is intended by the speaker and received by the hearer, it’s not good. 

       You know that eutrapelia  has become bad-trapelia when a person has to say, “You know I’m only kidding you” or “I’m only teasing.”  If they don’t know before you even say it, it’s not good.  If the hearers don’t know that you deeply value them – as my friends know I deeply value them, it’s not good.

       That doesn’t mean that even the good kind won’t cause a mild “ouch” at times.  It will. But it’s a fun ouch. 

        For years, as you know, I lorded it over some of the men in the church because of the long success of the San Francisco 49ers, especially against the Rams. I didn’t have anything to do with the 49ers success but I claimed it anyway and I dished out the trash.  Now that the 49ers are playing like the 4 and 9ers – it would be a blessing if they improved to that level -- it’s other people’s turn to crow and they do. I dished it out and I can take it.  But I can only take it because I know that it is in fun – with no hidden barbs.

       Still, I need to watch my words – at least a little bit.   And if you ever feel that I ever have crossed the line from eutrapelia to bad-trapelia, please let me know – except for you Rams fans.   

       Erma Bombeck, in one of her columns, made the point that no one listens to anyone and no one really answers anyone.  One of her reader’s noticed it too and wrote to her that a few days earlier his sixteen-year-old daughter had yelled down from upstairs, “Has anyone seen my new sweater?”

       Her father yelled back, “You mean the one that cost $50.00?”

       Her sister replied, “You mean the one you won’t let me wear?”

       Grandma answered, “You mean the one with the low neckline?”

       Her mother grumbled, “You mean the one that has to be washed by hand in cold water?”

       Her brother answered, “You mean the stupid one that makes you look fat?”

       Now everyone was talking about the same sweater but nobody answered her question.  That’s because each of them had his or her own agenda to get across.

       But we have a different agenda, the agenda of Christ.  Paul says that since we have died with Him and have been raised with Him we are also to live like Him.  And, as Johnny Cash reminds us, the place that this will show up first is in our mouths.