James 3
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Welcome everybody. I trust you have enjoyed your Chistmas/New Year season and are refreshed for a big year in 2023. I know I have thoroughly enjoyed New Zealand and have been spoilt by my family with God given views and accommodation. Tody I am going to share a few things about my journey in New Zealand followed by the first part of James 3.
You really do not need to go too far to find Alps like the South Island in New Zealand.
For me it was great having the family together where 26 of my family on Dad’s side celebrated Christmas. It has also been my privilege talking to people about my faith and what my family believes. I do not know about you, but I find one of the biggest stumbling blocks occurs when people learn about GOd, acquire some knowledge but fail to ascertain that Jesus is God and that He also was from the beginning in creating the Universe and is alive and relatable now. Some of my family are athiestic but have had encountered hunches that came true, meaning they can sense that there is something outside ourselves. Others say God is science but really are evolutionists. When queried about the source of the Big Bang, evolutionists simply say we cannot or do not know that yet. Yet, the Christian knows and it is much simpler than the evolutionist lies that they convey.
Mum, Dad and I had a very close call in a serious accidant 30 minutes away from my Chistchurch on our way home. I was checking the cricket score with Mum and Dad and then most suddenly, we went to the side of the road as my Dad fell asleep at the wheel. The entire BMW 2000 SRI model was mangled on the left side as the car hit safety rails. I said what the hell and Dad confirmed that he fell asleep at the wheel. Thank God for the safety rails. My Dad has never had or been involved in a collision in his whole 72 years of living. Certainly this hit his pride. Mum and Dad must have been cautious of their eternity and what would have taken place should that accident been fatal.
Back to our topic today and that is James 3.
James 3 talks about the untamable tongue and the difference between heavenly and demonic wisdom. In this lesson, we will look at the former - the untamable tongue.
My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.
See how great a forest a little fire kindles!
Some people relish the opportunity to teach. However, there really needs to be fervent faith in place that is reverant with a true sense of the fear of the Lord. Why - well because such will be judged with a more stricer judgment.
Believer’s Bible Commentary VI. The Tongue: Its Use and Abuse (3:1–12)
We are all prone to stumble in many areas but if anyone can control his tongue, so that he does not commit the various sins of speech, that person is truly well-rounded and well-disciplined. If one can exercise control in speech, he should not have difficulty in practicing self-control in other areas of life as well
Believer’s Bible Commentary VI. The Tongue: Its Use and Abuse (3:1–12)
Of course, the Lord Jesus Christ is the only One who ever did this completely, but there is a sense in which each of us can become perfect, that is, mature, complete, thoroughly disciplined.
In verse 3, some pictures of the tongue is provided. If we look at the bridle, they are harneses that goes over the horses head and holds the bits in the horses mouth. Connected to the bit are the reigns. The bit is very small steel but if that is controled the bahavior of the horse is controlled. The tongue also can be used either for good or evil.
In verse 4, we see the rudder, which is also very small. This piece weighs a fraction of the size of the ship, yet when the rudder is turned, it changes the entire direction of the ship. It is incredible that a huge vessel can be controlled be a man with such a small device. To emphasis this, we should not misjudge the power of the tongue by its size on our vessel. The rudder can boast of great achievements, whether good or evil.
This chapter aludes to talk about our attitude and motivation. What we say has a huge burden as when we speak gossip or foolishness, lies or negativity, this can be poison or bitterness and can affect our whole phsche, direction and demeanor. That is why we need to be onguard with what we say as the tongue is like a rudder that directs our path. Are we Christians that go to Church but leave all weekly disciplies behind? Do we speak evil of our brother or sister or are nasty behind their backs.
Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.
See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.
Think of a small match or tipping over a lantern in a camping site and learn how much devastation that can bring. The same can be said of the tongue. Certainly to begin with, a brush fire might develop but when provoked, can lead to an ignition of much destruction and devastation. What sounds like an honest gesture can cause an arsen that destroys lives, homes, properties, wildlife, farming communities and even cities. We are to think of such scenarios to acknowledge the power and destruction that the tongue can bring.
Clearly the tongue can be used for good or for evil - for blessing or for cursing. A good guage of how we are going in our walk with the Lord is what comes out of our mouths. Do we judge when we should not judge? Do we criticise when there is a log in our very eyes? Wickedness comes from spreading lies, rumours, dissensious arguments, trouble, slander, abuse, blasphemy and swearing.
In hignsight, our attitude determines our altitude. The tongue can ruin our personal lives and the activities that this brings. The bible states that a wicked tongue is set on fire by hell. By being angry or resentful, covetious or bitter, hateful or divisive or unforgiving, an evil speech has its source from hell. We all have had situations where dissension and hatred exists, but the reality is in such circumstances, our speech and behaviour can be motived with evil from the Kingdom of Darkness. That is why we need to continue to assess where we are at by what motivates us and what comes out of our mouths.
As we continue to discuss, in verse 7, the Bible looks at taming the tongue like a wild animal. This shows that when we are new to the faith, some level of taming needs to take place in our language and expressions.
In Chch, I met a Christian brother who knew me back in old Uni days. His statement was that I was an extremely argumentative Aussie. He said he could not get through to me because of what was spoken through the mouth. I had no comprehension on what was motivating me to say these things. These words and my character were set on fire by hell. Over the years, I have had to tame my language and my temperament to speak gently and well of people, not hide behind a mask and being self destructive. What I was doing was hurting myself and my activity and motivation. When sanctification takes place, such evil is purged and we become a new creature in that our tongue over time becomes tamed. WHat is for sure is that through Christ, anyone can tame their language and tongue to speak good things about people - things that are helpful and edifying, lovely and nice. Love for our fellow man wins when we uphold God and speak well of people. Funny enough, when we are kind and loving, people start to see good in us and that may mean people confide in us and our relationships attracts good rathar than evil. This allows the fruit of the spirit to flow and everyone who resented our evil now causes love to perpetuate and that means the Christian lives a much more Godly life.
Back to my friend, he now speaks differently and acknowledges that I have changed immensely. He felt my arguementative behaviour had gone and that I was much more confrontable and warm. Perhaps you have been to school reunions. People commented in the change that had hapenned to me and apologised for what they thought and said about me. Friend, that is God and he can mould us and change us to be a whole new creature. When people notice such differences, they really take note of our faith when we share our testimony.
Gossip is a serious sin that halms other people with slander and speaking ill of another. Actually, it is the fall that weakens our ability or strength to govern this small little member - the tongue. In actual fact, it is only God that can bring it into control. This takes place in the born again believer as they pray, renounce, confess, repent and seek God’s guidance and deliverance to speak the oracles and mysteries of God. As knowledge and prayer increase, God can weed out character faults caused from habits learnt in the Kingdom of Darkness. As we are refined as in santification, we receive a heart of flesh that allows our rudder to be guided by what is good, gentle, kind, loving, patient that reacts with love and relilience and puts others first. This is an act of God’s grace towards us as we refine our character to grow into Heaven’s cause through eternity. Some people say that people do not change. However, have they found the favour and miracle of God. For those the Lord calls, he also brings them closer to perfection in speech and language. We also perfect our relationships with God and man and our goodness will persist through trials and tribulation, allowing us to be resiliant to the way we are treated, becoming more like Christ every day.
Do not be surprised when you are persecuted or hated as our Lord has suffered it all. The tongue from other people can be fueled by deadly poison in a restless serpent that contains venom. However, the biggest response that indicates where we are in the Lord is how we react to such behaviour. The tongue can poison minds and assinate our character. This can bring tears and broken hearts. However, the more we recognise hurtful speech and behaviour, the greater our resolve and character to the point that man and the world cannot control us and we respond with love and do not react by avenging ourselves. People that bring poison on their lips affect their own mental health and those that he curses and hates.
We need to not talk unfavourably about anyone.
And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”
“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
It is got to be said, some things are better left unsaid. This all brings God glory in our relationships.
Sometimes, we perceive one minute that a man blesses with his tongue the next he curses people made in the image of God. The tongue that blesses God should help men instead of wounding him. Is what we say true, kind or neccessary? We need to let our Lord to set a watch before our lips.
Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
That is our goal. When we guard our mouths and speak well of people, this brings glory to God. A spring that gives fresh water cannot be bitter at the same time. Neither should our tongue in that it should be uniformly good.
On another matter, we can discern in others where they are at in the Lord by the fruit of their words through their mouths. Water can be seen as a refreshment as does a fig tree brings nourishment. Fig trees produces figs not olives. A tree produces only one type of fruit. How then can a tongue produce good and evil. We c annot expect good fruit from bad trees. Evil men can only produce wicked works. We really should not use the tongue to produce opposite kinds of fruit. Really this scripture is saying that a spring cannot produce salt water and fresh water at the same time. It must be one or the other. Therefore, is your fruit consistently good?
So we have to assess:
Do you hypocritically teach things that you have not obeyed myself?
Do you criticise others behind their back?
Is your speech consistently clean, edifying and kind?
Do you use blasphemous language?
Do you engage in levity or talk about football or cricket scores?
Do you seek people to impress?
Do you habitually tell the truth, even it means loss of face, friends or finances?
By being your inner critic, you can learn to control the tongue and with a good attitude, you will go to great places in the Lord.
l will leave things there. Back to you.