The Enormous Influence of the Tongue
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Introduction
Introduction
26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
PRAY
1 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. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!
Not Everyone Should Instruct
Not Everyone Should Instruct
My brothers - Once again, James reveals his familial affection for the scattered churches. They were part of God’s family and his care for them was evident by his approach to such a strong letter with many admonitions.
Not many of you should become teachers - A teacher is one who takes of a formal or informal position of authority in communicating the truth. Another word for teacher is master. Here, James is addressing an inordinate desire by some to be one giving instruction. He charges urges them to take care in taking up the role of master or teacher.
R. Kent Hughes comments are also helpful, “Now, James is not trying to diminish the pool of teachers for the church. The church has never had too many qualified, Spirit-filled teachers or leaders at any time in its history. He is rather discouraging people from taking up the task for the wrong reasons. He also is not promoting ecclesiastical elitism which limits the teaching office to the ordained or super-educated. The church in the United States is dying from a lack of good teachers in its pulpit and Sunday schools, but we need teachers with right motives.”
James is also not discouraging mutual encouragement among believers.
16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
For you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness - The reason not many should teach is that those who lead in doctrinal instruction will be held to a higher standard. How? God will hold teachers more answerable for what they believe and teach as truth. Lenski writes, “This, of course, means in case we are faulty or wrong in what we teach or in the manner of our teaching.”
10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
This judgement is not only condemnation of false teachers, but but accountability to all. Lenski adds, “ God will look more closely at all teachers when he judges them. Teachers undertake to convey God’s Word in the way in which God wants it conveyed; God will judge them on that score. Those who do not teach will not be judged in this way.”
Not Sinning with the Tongue Reveals Maturity
Not Sinning with the Tongue Reveals Maturity
For we all stumble in many ways - James describes the struggle of Christians including himself. What does he mean by stumble? James uses stumble to communicate when a believers sins. Christians still sin or stumble but they do not ultimately fall away.
James speaks of the sin which is confessed and needs forgiveness in the model prayer.
12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
It reminds us of the truth communicated in
8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
It is true the Christian has been freed from the power of sin, but we have not yet been completely delivered from it presence in our lives.
21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
J.I. Packer says, “The sins of the best people are many.”
And if anyone does not stumble in what he says - James continues to speak about stumbling, but he narrows his focus to the tongue. When a person does not stumble, faulter or sin in his speech, He is a perfect man. In other words, he is a mature man. This man has reached a certain level of growth in the Christian life.
Able to bridle his whole body - James adds a following truth. A man who has learned maturity in the use of the tongue exhibits the ability to bridle or hold in check the rest of his body. The image used by James with the use of the word bridle is that of a bit and bridle. These are used especially with horses to control and guide where they go. Here, James communicates that this man has the strength to exercise self-control with the other faculties of his being. He reveals this because he is able to control the use of his tongue.
The lesson is as follows: Sin with the tongue is extremely easy. You can sin is what you say. You can sin is where you say what you say. You can sin is how you say what you sin. You can sin in why you say what you say. You can sin is when you say what you say. You can sin in who you say what you say to. There are many ways to sin with our tongues. Therefore, if one is mature to control his or her use of the tongue they also possess the ability to control the rest of their body with its various desires. Sinclair Ferguson writes, “Spiritual maturity is evidenced by the use of the tongue… Tongue-mastery is the fruit of self-mastery.”
A Psalm of David. 1 O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? 2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; 3 who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; 4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; 5 who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.
Not Very Large, But Influential
Not Very Large, But Influential
If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us - James returns to the imagery of bits and bridles as he describes the tongues’s power. Though the tongue is small it possess great power and influence. Here, a small bit is placed in the the mouth of a large work animal and with the bit in place, they will obey us. Though humans are significantly smaller and weaker than horses, a horse is controlled because the bit is in place. The bit’s control leads to this fact: We guide their whole bodies as well. The body of the horse follows his mouth, guided by the bridle.
James goes on. Look at the ships also: They are so large and driven by strong winds - James mentions larges boats, ships and the stiff, powerful winds that push them across large bodies of water.
They are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs - Even though the ships are large and the winds are strong, the ability to set course and change direction is given to rudder and the desire of the pilot or captain. Here is one writer’s definition, “A rudder is a crucial component of a ship, designed as a flat, movable device affixed to the rear of the vessel. Its primary purpose is to control the ship's direction by responding to the movement of the steering gear.” The pilot sets the course according to his desire by use of the rudder and the large ship plus the strong wind moves to the destination.
So also the tongue is a small member - Like the bit and the rudder, James gives his point concerning the tongue. The tongue is a small part of the body (about 3” long and weighing a little over two ounces) just like the bit in the mouth and the rudder of a large ship, Yet is boast of great things - The tongue owns significant power and influence in all of life.
Finally, James illustrates the power of the tongue. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! - A small fire or spark can set a massive forest on fire. Forest fires were common in ancient times as now, and were usually caused by small sparks carelessly thrown.
This imagery still communicates the same reality. The tongue is small, but it possesses large power and influence.
Practical Application
Practical Application
Confess with your tongue Jesus is Lord.
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
Pray for those who are teachers, whether in this church or the church at large.
2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
Realize the power of the tongue can be both for evil and for good.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
Repent of using your tongue in evil ways.
29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
Do not underestimate the influence of your tongue.
20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth. 21 The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense.
18 There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. 14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.