Taming of the Tongue
Jas 3:1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
Jas 3:2 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.
Jas 3:3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
Jas 3:4 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.
Jas 3:5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
Jas 3:6 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.
Jas 3:7 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:
Jas 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Jas 3:9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
Jas 3:10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Jas 3:11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
Jas 3:12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
This book of James is a very challenging book. It digs deep into each of our hearts, attitudes and actions.
It is a discipline book. James is doing here what the commission of Jesus was. Go into all the world and make disciples.
In Chapter 1, we are challenged on how we act in trial and temptations. How we can develop in our Christian walk in response to suffering.
In Chapter 2, we are challenged by our response to the Word of God. How our works should show our faith.
Here in Chapter 3, we are challenged on the use of our tongue and how this can be evidence of our spiritual maturity.
Being able to master the tongue is a clear mark of where a Christian is in his or her Christian walk.
V1 “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness”.
There is a greater responsibility on those who teach or preach. Teachers or preachers should be very conscious of the weight of responsibility and potential influence they have on the hearer.
As can be seen in the last part of chapter 2, each one of us should practice what we preach. We should be very careful that our words and our speech match our actions, if we do not want to be seen as hypocrites.
An unreliable tongue is likely to be a destructive model for those who hear, or those who are being taught.
The second half of the verse makes it clear how serious this is, “for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness”.
Anyone who has influence in whatever capacity carries a greater responsibility to others.
This is the same, whether parents or family members who teach their children, teachers who teach pupils, religious teachers and leaders who teach and shepherd the flock, or any other group or club, be it boys brigade, scouts etc. Those who are in positions of authority should be examples to others.
We do not want others following an example of bad behaviour or bad language or false teaching.
Jas 3:2 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.
James here is not saying that he has “arrived”, that he has reached some high spiritual state of sinless perfection. He is admitting that we all need to examine ourselves.
He, just like the Apostle Paul recognises his own shortcomings. (for we all stumble).
Paul said: (1Tim 1:15) “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”
Paul also said:
Romans 7: 18 – 20 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
19 For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do.
20 And if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.…
James knows his own shortcomings, James was the half brother of Jesus and was one of those that did not accept Jesus as Messiah in the first instance.
John 7:5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.
He probably remembered how he spoke about Jesus in the early days, possibly one of those that said, “he is out of his mind” Mark 3:21 And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.
James was under no illusion; he knew he was just like everyone else. He was saying, if anyone does not offend in word, then he is a perfect man and if he can bridle his tongue, then he can control his whole body.
How can we get our bodies into subjection if we can’t even control the smallest member of our body?
How we use our tongues provides clear evidence of where we are spiritually.
When we were children, we used to go to the doctor. The doctor would say “stick out your tongue”.
Which is quite funny really, because I used to get a smack for doing that very same thing.
The marvellous thing was that the doctor could tell a lot about our physical well being, by examining our tongue.
It is just the same in our spiritual life.
What we say with our tongue reveals a lot about who and what we really are.
Paul is very clear about this:
Rom 3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Rom 3:13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
Rom 3:14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
We shall all answer for the things that we do and the things that we say.
Mat 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
Mat 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
Mat 12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Jesus said: “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” Matthew 12:24.
There are many scriptures that speak of the tongue:
1 Peter 3:10 For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.
Eph 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Pro 15:4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.
Pro 17:9 He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.
Mat 15:11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
Psa 141:3 Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
We think that we are controlling our tongues when we don’t say the things that are really in our hearts.
When we say, “I am pleased to meet you”, when really inside we are not really bothered whether we meet them or not.
Often we say the things we don’t really mean. This is not bridling the tongue, it is being hypocritical.
Of course it would not be right for us to go around being completely blunt, telling everyone what we really think of them.
My mother used to say, when we were kids, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, keep your mouth shut”.
There is a lot of truth in that.
James reminds us of the dangers of being quick to speak.
Jas 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
James goes on to say. James 3: 2b “and able also to bridle the whole body”.
If we can bridle the tongue, we are able to control the whole body.
He then goes on to give us three examples of how powerful the tongue, (one of the smallest members of the body) really is.
1. Jas 3:3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
A horse, a very powerful animal can be tamed and guided by a very small piece of metal place behind the teeth of the animal. The whole body of this mighty muscled creature can be turned to and fro by something so small.
2. Jas 3:4 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.
A mighty ship that can be tossed about by the wind can be controlled by a simple tiny rudder, giving control to the helmsman.
3. Jas 3:5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
Though it is the littlest member, it has the capability of setting a great fire, or causing great damage and heartache.
Not only is the tongue a small thing that can start a great fire but the tongue itself is a fire, in itself a world of iniquity and defiles the whole body.
Jas 3:6 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.
So, what are we to do, we may ask, to tame this iniquitous member of our body?
The answer is nothing, there is nothing we can do.
We may be able to tame a lion, we may be able to tame an elephant or a bear but we cannot tame the tongue.
Jas 3:7 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:
Jas 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
When we were growing up and we were being bullied at school and other kids were calling us names. We used to hear this little verse. “Sticks and stones may break my bones but calling doesn’t hurt me”.
Really!
That wasn’t my experience. If someone thumped me, it used to heal but the hurt remained from some of things that were said.
Some people still carry emotional scars from an idle word or a statement from someone that called you useless and good for nothing. Others have shrunk within themselves because of comments that were said as they were growing up, carrying a complex for years and in some cases needing therapy and counselling. Sadly, some even being driven to suicide.
We may say, well, I can understand this of non Christians but in the church!!!
What we must remember here is that James is speaking to believers.
James is talking about the one who sits next to you in the prayer meeting, the one who teaches our children in Sunday school, the one who stands in our pulpit on a Sunday.
In fact, James is talking to ME!
Look what James is saying, the tongue is very inconsistent.
Jas 3:9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
You may be driving down the road singing hymns and praising God, suddenly someone cuts you off and out of that same mouth, with that same tongue, you curse and scream and possibly, even blaspheme.
You may be cleaning the church, arranging the flowers, ("working for God") and at the same time gossiping about another brother or sister from the fellowship.
That ought not to be so.
Jas 3:10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
James says,something is very wrong brethren.
Jas 3:11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
Jas 3:12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
So, is there anything that can be done. If I can’t tame the tongue, what can be done?
Is the situation hopeless? The answer is no.
Lets go back a bit to the words of Jesus.
Jesus said: “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” Matthew 12:24
We need to realise that the tongue is connected to the heart. If we have a tongue problem, it is because we have a heart problem. To solve the problem of an unruly tongue we need to concentrate on the heart.
Notice what James has already said in v8 But the tongue can no man tame.
The tongue can only be bridled by a changed heart and only God can change your heart.
"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My Statutes, and ye shall keep My Judgments, and do them... Without Me ye can do nothing"
(Ezekiel 36:26-27; John 15:5).
To be able to bridle the tongue, we need a change of heart.
If you have a change of heart, you change your opinion or the way you feel about someone or something. A change of heart (about-turn, realign, reassess, recalibrate). In other words REPENTANCE.
Only God can change the heart.
"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).
"For God, Who commanded the Light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2Corinthians 4:6).
We need to constantly examine our heart, carefully and prayerfully, examining our attitudes and our actions in our daily walk. Examining our feelings towards our brethren.
To ask God for wisdom, to speak with single mindedness. To set a guard over our mouth.
To be quick to hear, slow to speak. Asking for wisdom to see when I am being partial.
To always speak being mindful of the judgement of Christ. Not to be boastful but to practice humility.
Resist quarrelsome words and always speak with integrity.
To confess it, whenever I have failed.
