“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:29-32 NASB1995)

What is an “unwholesome word”? It isn’t just a cuss word, or something vulgar, or slander. It is the opposite of beneficial and helpful and useful, i.e. it is contrary to what is good and healthful. It could be a false accusation against someone, or an unkind and unnecessary remark to them. It could be someone just being nasty or cruel to someone else just because they think differently on a subject. So, we must guard against such as this in our own lives and in our own speaking, and in our own responses to other people.

However, this does not mean that we ever compromise the truth of the Scriptures in order to not offend other people. We can speak the truth in love without being hateful and nasty in our approach. For the truth, spoken in love, is what is kind. Lying to people, even if meant to make them feel good, is never kind. Truth spoken in love is kind even if it is not received as kindness but it is rejected and disdained. But, with regard to the gospel, truth is what saves lives. Lies send people to hell. So tell them the truth!

For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

But this goes beyond just speaking the truth of the gospel versus speaking lies to people just to make them feel good or so that they will like us and not reject us. This goes to all of our speaking. All of us need to guard our hearts and minds and words against speaking hurtful and unnecessary words to other humans just because they look different, or they act different, or they believe different from us. Especially in the political realm, we are not to get caught up in the “attack” the other side just because they think differently.

We who claim Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives need to be those who represent him well. And I know that none of us are perfect, and we are not always going to say all the right things in all the right ways. But we should make it our goal and our purpose to be kind to all people no matter who they are or what they do or what they believe. And, again, kindness is not lying, and it is not compromising truth to not offend people. Love speaks the truth people need to hear even if they reject us and the truth we speak.

Your Life

Based off of Colossians 3:1-17
An Original Work / October 22, 2011
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Set your hearts and minds
On things up above
Where Christ sits with God;
Not on earthly things.
For you died and your life
Is now hidd’n with Christ.
When Christ, who is your life, is seen,
You will be with Him.

Your sins, put to death.
Don’t walk in these ways.
Don’t lie to yourselves
Or to others, too.
Since you have taken off
Your old sinful past;
Put on the new self in Jesus,
Get rid of such things.

Therefore, holy ones,
Put on gentleness;
Kindness; patience, too;
Be compassionate.
Bear with one another;
Forgive others, too.
Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
O’er all, put on love.

Let the peace of Christ
Rule in your hearts now.
You were called to peace.
Be ye so thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell
In you richly now
As you teach and instruct others;
Sing songs unto Christ.

Spoken: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17 NIV 1984).

Video Talk on the Same Subject

What is Good for Edification
An Original Work / April 22, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love