James 3:1-12
My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. 2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. 3 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. 4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. 7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: 8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. 11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
One of the amazing miracles that accompanies salvation is the miracle of the new birth (John 3:3, 7; 1 Peter 2:23). When a person truly comes to faith in Christ, their life is forever changed. Paul wrote, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). With this new life, the believer is given new desires and new dispositions. The believer may struggle against sin, but our new lives are marked by a growth in holiness and sanctification as we seek to obey our Lord. One evidence that James puts forth for the new birth and that changed life is the ability, given by God through the power of His Spirit, to control the tongue. James, therefore, puts forward the use of the tongue as a mark of true saving faith. Last week we focused on the first power of the tongue; it’s power to convict. In verse one, James addressed “would be” teachers and reminded them of their stricter accountability because of their influence with their tongues. The tongue has the power to convict because it issues from what is in the heart. This week we will look at four more things that James teaches us that the tongue has the power to do.
The second thing, in that list of five, that the tongue has the power to do is to command. Solomon wrote long ago, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). The book of Proverbs is full of teachings about how one uses the tongue and the effects that it has on us and those around us. One such passage is Proverbs 15:1 which says, “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” After reminding us that we all sin in many ways, James speaks to the use of the tongue as a representation of the mastery of our lives. If we can control the tongue, we are “perfect…able also to bridle the whole body.” How can something so small have such power and influence over us? He uses two examples that were clear pictures for those in the ancient world that we can also understand today. Just like the small bit put into the mouth of a powerful horse can serve to change the direction of a horse and a small rudder on a large ship can determine its course, so does the tongue for us. It is “a little member (part), and boasteth great things.”
A third power of the tongue is its power to contaminate. Now, James compares the tongue to a small flame that ignites and spreads and burns down a forest. The effects of just one minor misuse of the tongue are sometimes incalculable. The Chicago fire of 1871 was started in just one barn, but it spread uncontrolled. 100,000 people were left homeless, roughly 17,500 buildings were destroyed, and roughly 300 people died. When we pour water out of a bucket, it does not have the ability to multiply, turn into a flood, and destroy a town. However, one spark and tiny ember can lead to the destruction of an entire countryside. The tongue is like that. It is a “world of iniquity” and “is set on fire of hell.” How many reputations, lives, and ministries have been destroyed with words? How many people have trapped themselves in a web of lies that have destroyed friendships with others or altered the course of their lives?
The tongue also has the power to clash. It causes conflict. James points to nature and how mankind has been able to tame almost all of the animal kingdom. Almost every kind of animal, no matter how wild or powerful, has been tamed. Yet, no one can tame their tongue. He describes it as “an unruly evil” and “full of deadly poison” (Romans 3:10-13). “Unruly” translates a word that means “unstable,” “unpredictable,” or “restless.” It has the basic meaning of being out of control. Therefore, it causes conflict and collateral damage that is beyond control. Once it is misused, there can sometimes be no limit to the damage caused. What hope do we have for taming it? “With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27). “No man” means that we must look outside of ourselves to God. The only way to tame the tongue is with His power and His Spirit in us producing His fruit (Galatians 5:22-23).
The last power of the tongue that James gives to us is its power to contradict. Whatever comes out of our mouths reveals what is in our hearts (Matthew 12:33-37). It is possible to profess faith in Christ and deny Him with our words and actions. James is writing to people who would all profess faith in Jesus. However, he also writes to address their misuses of the tongue and he makes the point that there should not be “blessing and cursing” and “sweet water and bitter” coming from the same source. Whatever fruit our lips bear indicates what kind of tree we are. How can we “bless God” and at the same time “curse…men” who are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26)? The word “curse” means “to wish evil upon.” It is the idea of speaking evil of someone or speaking to or about someone in such a way that harms them. This contradicts all that it means to be a Christ follower.
What is the solution for the tongue’s untamed power? The answer is outside of ourselves. It is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. First, we must look to God in faith, trusting that He alone can provide the self-control through His Spirit. David prayed, “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; Keep the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3). Second, we must follow our Savior “Who did no sin, neither was guile (deceit) found in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:22). Lastly, we must have our minds and hearts transformed by His Word (Romans 12:2). God has “given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness” including controlling the tongue (2 Peter 1:3). Will we submit to Him? Will we look to Him who is able (Ephesians 3:20; Jude 24)?