You really have to love the Lord’s timing. The other day at Apprising Ministries I felt led to write The New Evangelicalism: Forest, Trees, Arrogance, Ignorance and A Love of the World in the Emerging Church. In it I highlighted a post by Tim Reed, “Senior Minister at Owosso Church of Christ” in Owosso, Michigan at the Watcher of Watchdogs website CRN.Info.

Within pastor Tim Reed—who is one of the main Watcher of Watchdogs—leads their “amen corner” of new evangelicals and sympathizers of the emerging church in a prolonged and protracted argument FOR the use of “potty-mouth” profanity in the lives of Christians.

And then this morning the Lord led me across the devotion which follows from A.W. Tozer, a real man of God:

Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. (Titus 1:15)

But when a conscience has become seared, when a man has played with the fire and burned his conscience and calloused it until he can handle the hot iron of sin without shrinking, there is no longer any safety for him.

Paul wrote in his epistle about those to whom nothing is pure any longer, “but even their mind and conscience is defiled.”

Here Paul speaks of an inward corruption, revealed in impure thoughts and soiled language. I am just as afraid of people with soiled tongues as I am of those with a communicable disease.

Actually, a foul tongue is evidence of a deeper spiritual disease and Paul goes on to tell us that those with defiled consciences become reprobates, something just washed up on the shore, a moral shipwreck. Echoes from Eden, 064-065.

Oh Lord, deliver me from that “inward corruption.” Guard my mind and my tongue; convict me of any carelessness or straying. Keep my conscience alive and active. Lord, I really don’t want to end up a dirty old man, “washed up on the shore, a moral shipwreck.” Amen.”

See also:

NEW BREED NEW EVANGELICAL PASTORS LIKE TIM REED AND THE EMERGING CHURCH