Taming the Tongue
James 3:1-12
Introduction: People talk a
lot. They really do. I read one statistic that the average person speaks ten
thousand words in a day (and some are far above average!). Another source I looked at said men speak
about 7,000 words a day and women speak about 20,000. One wise guy said the problem is that by the
time he gets home from work he’s about used up his 7,000 and his wife is just
getting started on her 20,000! Jesus
said that our speech exposes something deeper, it reveals our heart. We read in Matthew 12:34, “You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when
you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” He
goes on to say in Matthew 15:19,
“For out of the heart come evil thoughts,
murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.” It
all starts in the heart. In fact, He said in Matthew 12:36-37 “I tell you, on the day of judgment people
will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will
be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Our speech
is a reliable barometer of our spiritual condition, so much so that what comes
from our tongue is sufficient to condemn us! Remember the children’s song, “Be careful little eyes what you see…” Is
there a line (there should be a line)
“Be careful little tongue what you say…”
Context: This passage
is in the context of a letter written by James the brother of the Lord. James is writing to Jewish believers who had
been scattered outside of their homeland in a time of persecution. He is
interested in showing them the difference between a mere profession of faith,
and the life changing evidence of authentic faith in Jesus. A genuine believer
is not perfect, but he is on a path: learning, maturing, and being transformed
by Christ. So he has a joy that the world can’t take away, because he knows
that even in the hard times God is working for our good and for His glory. He
realizes that he is responsible for his own choices when confronted with
temptations to sin, and he turns to God for help to persevere. He receives the
Word of God with eagerness and with a determination to hear and obey the
truth. He doesn’t discriminate against
people of a different social status, income or ethnicity – recognizing we are
all created in God’s image and equally in need of His grace. He understands
that we are saved by grace through faith, unto good works… in other
words, authentic saving faith will show itself in a transformed life. Chapter
three brings us to a theme that is repeated throughout the epistle, mentioned
in all five chapters: our speech will ultimately reveal our heart. I think
there is both an indicative and an imperative in what James has to say about
this subject. Our speech will be
changed if we believe in Jesus. And we must choose to submit our speech
to His lordship every time we open our mouth.
The Big Idea: “Our speech will be changed as God changes our heart,
and as we grow in Him we must choose to submit our tongue to His control. Will your
speech (and will mine) bring glory to God today?”
I. Our
speech must be controlled because of its power (3:1-5a). “Not
many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach
will be judged with greater strictness. 2
For we all stumble in many ways…”
Not many should be teachers since the
potential for harm (and judgment) is multiplied. James is certainly not saying that those with
the gift of teaching shouldn’t teach – but it seems that there may have been
some “status” linked to being “up front,” and that led to many aspiring to be
pastors and teachers. James said think
twice about it. Make sure that you are called before you choose to stand up and
teach the Word of God. It is critical for all of us to guard our tongue, as
James said earlier, “to be quick to listen, slow to speak,” but the potential
for harm is multiplied when you stand up before a group and claim to present
the Word of God. Teachers, says James, will be judged more strictly. The principle however applies to us all,
James mentions the tongue (or our speech) in every chapter. Here are a few of
the verses:
James 1:19 “Know
this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak,
slow to anger…”
James 1:26 “If
anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but
deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.”
James 2:12 “So speak
and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.”
Chapter 3 the extensive section we are looking at
today focuses on the tongue.
James 4:11 “Do not speak
evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or
judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law.”
James 4:16 “As it
is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.”
James 5:9 “Do not grumble
against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge
is standing at the door.”
Suffice
to say, James wants his readers to examine their own speech, but notice that
many of these are imperatives, commands. He is showing that our speech will
be changed if we have genuine faith in Christ so in that sense it is one more
evidence of authentic faith. But he is also telling us that we must
consciously choose to submit our speech to Him. [By the way, James is
not the only biblical writer that gives such attention to the matter of our
speech, it’s a prominent theme in the Book of Proverbs (see for example Prov
1:11-19; 5:2-5; 6:1-5, 12-15, 19, 24-35; 7:5; 9:13-18; 10:6-19,23; etc.!)].
In 3:2b-5a the analogies of a ship and a
horse are used to teach that the tongue must be mastered because it impacts our
entire life, for better or for worse. I don’t know much about ships, but it
seems pretty straight forward that a rudder is important, it is turned and sets
the direction of the entire ship. I know a little more about horses. I had a
horse when I was growing up, my sister had a couple of horses. We learned to
ride at a young age. The bit in the horse’s mouth allows that rider to control
the animal, and to direct it where you want to go. James seems to be saying not
only that a small thing, like the tongue, can have a tremendous effect, but in
both analogies it guides the larger body, it sets the direction. If we can
control our tongue, if we can submit even that unruly member to the control of
Christ, it will be increasingly true that the rest of our body will follow. Our speech will be changed as God changes our
heart, and as we grow in Him we must choose to submit our tongue to His
control. Will your speech (and will mine) bring glory to God
today?
II. Our
speech must be controlled because it can cause great harm (3:5b-8). “How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a
world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the
whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by
hell. 7 For every kind of
beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by
mankind, 8 but no human being
can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”
It seems every year there are out of control wild
fires in the southwest of the US. When
things are dry as they often are in that region of the country it doesn’t take
much of a spark to start a blaze. Dry brush and trees coupled with high winds
and they spread quickly, engulfing houses and tragically taking lives. In July of
this year 19 elite “hot shot” firefighters from Prescott, Arizona were killed
in one blaze that suddenly turned against them. In July and August dozens of homes were
destroyed in California by wildfires that burned out of control. Destruction,
havoc, heartbreak, and it only takes one match, or a discarded cigarette, in
some cases a lightening strike, but only a small flame can grow into a fire
that consumes enormous areas and everything in its path. If you think that is hyperbole reflect on the
impact that words from others have had on you during your life.
Notice the four-fold description of the tongue
in verse 6…
1. “And the tongue is a fire, a world of
unrighteousness…” The language
here is very strong, “a world of iniquity.” “Cosmos” would normally
represent the world as a system in rebellion against the rule of God. The
potential for evil in the human tongue is such that it can represent that
concept.
2. “The tongue is set [or possibly, “sets itself”] among our members, staining the whole body…” Jesus said that what
comes out of man defiles, that especially includes our speech (Mark 7:20ff.).
Could there be a double entendre here
that implies the tongue can not only “stain” our own reputation, but that of “the
body,” i.e., the church?
3. “…setting on fire the entire course of life…”
This is an unusual phrase that only occurs here in the New Testament, “the
circle of life.” It seems to be a hyperbole that expands on “the whole body” in
the previous phrase. Sin is pervasive, it touches everything, it spreads everywhere.
4. “…and set on fire by hell…” “Hell” is the
word “Gehenna” and refers to the Valley of Gihinnom outside of Jerusalem. There
pagan sacrifices of children to Molech were previously practiced (see 2 Kings
23:10; 2 Chron 28:3; 33:6; Jer 7:31,32; 19:5,6; 32:35) and so the place was so
despised by the Jews it became the town garbage dump. The constantly burning
fire there was referred to by Jesus as an illustration of the eternal fire of
Hell. There are two possibilities as to
what James is saying here and both are true: First, some commentators
think that this is saying that the one destined for hell, Satan, is the one who
instigates human tongues to start the damaging fires that we cause. Then lying,
hypocrisy, gossip, backbiting, all have their origin “in hell” (because they
come from the one who is destined for hell). That may be the point, but others
read this as referring to the eventual judgment of the unredeemed tongue of the
unregenerate. So James may be alluding to either the origin of the evil that
flows from the human tongue or the eventual destination of the unredeemed
tongue.
Either way, that paints a dark picture, and
v.8 makes it clear that although humans have subdued all kinds of creatures in
the world, “…no
human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” What
hope is there then? Well, no human can tame the tongue, but the Spirit of God
working within us can. One of the “fruit of the Spirit” is “self-control” (see Gal
5:23), that would certainly include our unruly tongue. According to the Apostle
Paul, as we present our bodies to God, He transforms us from the inside out
(Rom 12:1,2). Paul puts it this way in his letter to the Colossians:
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you:
sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is
idolatry. 6 On account of
these the wrath of God is coming. 7
In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all
away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another,
seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self,
which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator (Col
3:5-10).
Notice v.8, the tongue is what must be “put off” as
well. We are being changed and we are called to choose to live in conformity
with our new nature. That’s the rudder, the bit in the horse’s mouth that
directs our entire being. Our speech will
be changed as God changes our heart, and as we grow in Him we must choose
to submit our tongue to His control. Will your speech (and will mine)
bring glory to God today?
III. Our
speech should be and must be consistent with our new nature (3:9-12). “With
it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in
the likeness of God. 10 From
the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought
not to be so.
The duplicity of our use of the tongue is
underscored here by James. We sing praises to God, then we put down or tear
down people that are made in his image. A spring doesn’t yield fresh water one day and
salt water the next. A plant produces fruit consistent with its nature. And out
of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Our speech will reveal our
heart.
But notice that James says, “These things ought not to be…” The fact that he is giving commands,
imperatives, indicates that speech that is inconsistent with our new nature in
Christ may happen, in fact it does happen, but it should not characteristically
happen. IF we are in Christ we are being transformed, our speech should
increasingly reflect that transformation. He asks, “Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh
and salt water? 12 Can a fig
tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt
pond yield fresh water.” Our speech
should consistently reflect our new life in Christ.
What is God saying to me in this passage? There is a tension between “what is” and “what ought
to be” in James: Our speech will be changed as God changes our heart,
and as we grow in Him we must choose to submit our tongue to His
control. Will your speech (and will mine) bring glory to God
today? In this sense James is not only
giving us tests to measure the authenticity of our faith, but he is saying that
we should live consistently reflecting our faith. I think I can say that every
one of us have sinned with our tongue. Sometimes it is malicious: we aim to be
hurtful. Sometimes its sarcasm that we
think is funny, maybe we don’t mean to hurt, but it can still cut
deeply. It could be gossip, whispering to a friend what should be kept in
confidence or dealt with face to face. Sometimes we speak in anger and we might
regret it, but there is no calling those words back. “Sticks and stones may
break my bones, but words can hurt me deeply.”
What would God have me to do in response
to this passage? Will you determine
to use your speech to encourage and build up others? Remember the power of your
words, to wound and devastate, or to encourage and edify. This passage drives
me back to James 1:19, “…be
quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger…” Could it be that you have wounded someone with
your tongue, and need to seek forgiveness and reconciliation? Is there someone
in your sphere of influence that needs to hear words of blessing or
encouragement today? As we prepare our hearts for the Lord’s Table, may we
examine ourselves in the Light of James’ challenge to us. Think about that, AMEN.
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