Should a Christian prank / do pranks? Is it wrong to play a practical joke on someone?

Such uncalled-for activity grows the more it is indulged in, and is likely to end in playing the madman casting combustibles and causes of wound and even death, while he deceives his neighbour by the pretence that he meant no more than jest.

Now verses 18 and 19 go a step further in this actual contention against the truth. "As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,so is the man that deceivth his neighbor, and saith, `Am not I in sport?" Here is the man who trifles with truth as though it were a plaything to use as he pleases, even to the point ofdeceiving another and excusing himself for it on the basis that it was a joke. How strong is the condemnation of such conduct here: he is likened to a mad man indiscriminately throwing firebrands and arrows, likely to cause death. And if one should dare to use the Word of God in this light, frivolous way, to make fun of its infinitely serious truths, what deadly influence this may have upon others! Let us hold the truth in the pure, serious sublime dignity that belongs to it. It would appear that Lot, a believer, but in evil associations, had effected too light an attitude in Sodom, the truth not exerting living, serious power in his own conversation; for when he warned his sons-in-laws of the impending doom of Sodom, they thought it was a mere deceptive joke (Gen. 19:14). If one acquires a reputation for frivolity then when he is in earnest, he will have no effect.

The Lord Jesusis never recorded in the New Testament as giving expression to a sense of humour or taking part in any foolish jesting. We have God revealing that He will laugh and have the sinful heathen in derision, but that is altogether different to attributing "a good sense of humour" to the Lord Jesus. This is more than Scripture allows, and the circumcised heart should confine itself to the facts that Scripture gives and not give place to fleshly notions or speculations regarding the Christ of God that are all too prevalent in Christendom today.

The Lord Jesus is never recorded in the New Testament as giving expression to a sense of humour or taking part in any foolish jesting. We have God revealing that He will laugh and have the sinful heathen in derision, but that is altogether different to attributing “a good sense of humour” to the Lord Jesus. This is more than Scripture allows, and the circumcised heart should confine itself to the facts that Scripture gives and not give place to fleshly notions or speculations regarding the Christ of God that are all too prevalent in Christendom today.

To see God's saints planning their day, or using their means without consulting God only betrays how little practical holiness there is in their lives. The essence of holiness is that God be given His full place in our hearts and lives, not only as the object of our hearts' affection but also that His authority and title over us be fully and practically owned and joyfully bowed to with reverential esteem and respect. "Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body" (1 Cor. 6:19-20). "Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God." "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God" (Rom. 12:1; 6:11-13). "Become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness" (Rom. 6:22). The fruit of yielding ourselves wholly to God is practical holiness. God has a title over our whole being; our tongues, our hands, our feet, all of the members of our body, our minds and every faculty of our souls, our physical powers or our spiritual powers and all that we possess. He has a right over it all, and to use anything we possess or any of our powers of body, soul or spirit without consulting His will is sin, and a defiance of His title that He has acquired over us through the blood of His Son. A saint has no right to use his tongue to speak evil of anyone, for gossip, light or frivolous talking or foolish jesting, for bywords or idle words or a lie; God has forbidden it all (James 4:11; 1 Peter 2:1; 1 Tim. 5:13; Eph. 5:4; Matt. 5:37; 12:36; Eph. 4:25). No such things are learned in communion with God nor can be done in the consciousness of His presence. A saint has no right to allow in his heart any murmuring or bitterness, any feeling of envy or jealousy, hatred or anger. God's command is, Put it off, lay it aside (Phil. 2:14; Col. 3:8; 1 Peter 2:1; James 3:13-18). Self-asserting, pride or a feeling of self-importance is sin as also its more subtle but more obnoxious form of spiritual superiority or religious pride and its twin sister, mock humility. God's word is: "Be clothed with humility" adorned with a meek and a quiet spirit (1 Peter 5:5; 3:3-4). Wearing of gold, costly array, or fancy hair-dress, worldliness in our dress or in our homes are outward marks of inward pride and absence of holiness of heart. God forbids it, so He is not consulted nor considered by those who do such things (1 Tim. 2:9; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17).

Verse 4. In the presence of Christ we shall find jesting unsuitable. It is not that he who walks in the light of God's countenance is not happy. There is not a cloud on the joy of him who is in the presence of God; but such a Christian feels what the things are which do not become him who is called to imitate God. That the world should find such things suitable is natural enough: but "as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of a fool; this also is vanity," Eccl. 7:6.

(V. 4). Moreover, the passing merriment that the world finds in filthiness, indecent talking and buffoonery is unbecoming in the saint. The quiet, deep joy of praise, not the laughter of the fool, becomes saints (Ecclesiastes 7:6).

But then another thing comes to light. There is danger even among the saints of God. The devil can come in and turn brotherly love to a snare; and this not only in the way of positive evil being allowed to break out, but in the unjudged tendency to it. "But fornication and all uncleanness, or covetousness let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints: neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient, but rather giving of thanks." The Lord in no way forbids the happy cheerfulness, which he loves in His saints. He does not call us to be monks, which is man's way of keeping the flesh under restraint, and only another form of self. We may have self under a legal form, and self under a lax form; but under any form it is not Christ, and the only thing which God values now is Christ.

Now love of the true and divine sort is altogether exclusive of the evils that spring from the flesh. Hence these things are to have no place amongst saints, indeed they are not to be even named among them. Things like those specified in verse 3 appeal to instincts deeply rooted in man's fallen nature, and we do well not only to avoid the things but also the contamination that is induced by thinking about them. We cannot talk about them without thinking of them, even if we condemn them in our talking. Therefore let us not talk about them. Nor let us allow our talk to descend to the level of foolishness or jesting. A Christian is neither a fool nor a jester, so let us not appear either in our conversation. Thanksgiving is what becomes the lips of those who are forgiven and become children of God.

It may be, that many who have long been accustomed to high teaching, will turn away from such plain, practical principles as these; but we must expect this. It will be pronounced legalism; and the writer may be accused of seeking to bring people into a sort of bondage, and of casting them upon themselves. I can only say, God forbid. I trust the opening statements of this paper will furnish a very decisive answer to such an accusation. If it be legalism to direct attention to the matter of conversation, then is it the legalism of the Epistle to the Ephesians; for there we find that "foolish talking and jesting" are amongst the things which are not to be "once named among us, as becomes saints?" Again, we read, "Let your conversation be always with grace, seasoned with salt." These are plain statements of Scripture — statements, moreover, found in immediate connection with some of the most elevated doctrines of inspiration; and it will be found that where those plain statements are not allowed their full weight on the conscience, the higher truths are not enjoyed. I can neither enjoy nor walk worthy of my "high vocation," if I am indulging in "foolish talking and jesting."