The Egregious Inconsisteny of the Tongue
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 1 viewNotes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
William Barclay writes about why this passage of Scripture is necessary for us to hear this morning: Many people speak with perfect courtesy to strangers and may even preach love and gentleness, and yet snap with impatient irritability at their own families. It has not been unknown for someone to speak with piety on Sunday and to curse a team of workers on Monday. It has not been unknown for someone to utter the most pious sentiments one day and to repeat the most questionable stories the next. It has not been unknown for someone to speak with sweet graciousness at a religious meeting and then to go outside to destroy another person’s reputation with a malicious tongue.
PRAY
9 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. 11 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.
The Good Use of the Tongue
The Good Use of the Tongue
With it we bless our Lord and Father - With it, the tongue, we praise God. We worship God. We honor God. This is a proper use of the tongue. We are called and commanded to praise God with our lips. God is worthy of our verbal expressions of worship and adoration. He is our Master. He is our Daddy.
1 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
30 With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord; I will praise him in the midst of the throng.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.
The Evil Use of the Tongue
The Evil Use of the Tongue
And with it curse people who are made in the likeness of God - And with it. It being the tongue. Not only do we praise and bless God, we curse people who are made in the image of God. The same tongue that blesses God curses people. To curse someone is to invoke evil on or harm to them. The curse is opposite a blessing.
Douglas Moo writes are the curse in First Century culture, “The ancient curse was far more than abusive language; it called on God, in effect, to cut a person off from any possible blessing and to consign that person to Hell. Jesus prohibited his disciples from cursing others; indeed, they were to “bless those who curse you” (Luke 6:28).
First important observation in this portion of our text is that mankind, though fallen, is still made in the image of God.
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.
The second important observation is that cursing another person, is inconsistent with Christian praise of God. Crossway Classic Commentaries, “So then, in your behavior toward people let this check any injury or impropriety of speech: this person is in God’s image. Though images are not to be worshiped, yet the image of God is not to be splattered with reproaches, especially if they are new creations: these are vessels of honor. Consider who the sin is against: it is spiting God himself, because it is done to his work and image. Solomon says, “He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker” (Proverbs 17:5).”
28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The third observation is that abusive, cursing language toward other believers is also inconsistent with biblical, Christian behavior.
10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
The Inconsistency of the Tongue
The Inconsistency of the Tongue
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing - Out of one mouth speech that both honors God and dishonors God is spoken. The tongue and the mouth are often inconsistent, contradictory, and hypocritical. The double speak of the tongue is reflective of the double mindedness of the heart.
My brothers, these things ought not to be so - Dear family of God, this should not be the case. James’ language is a a strong negative. You might place these words in all capitals, “OUGHT NOT”. This language is similar to what is found in both 1 Timothy and Titus.
13 Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.
11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.
You might rephrase James’ statement with the following: These things should not have to be, because they do not have to be, new creations in Christ.
James is calling the Christians to behave like Christians in the use of their language. He is calling them to be consistent. They are to bless God and man with the use of their tongues.
The Convicting Consistency of Nature
The Convicting Consistency of Nature
In the final part of this section, James wants to drive the point home through the use of illustrations. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? - This is a what is called a rhetorical question. It is a question being asked to which the answer is obvious. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? The plain answer is no. A spring or fountain does not produce both fresh and salt water.
Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine products figs? - He adds pictures from agriculture. Does a fig tree produce olives. Does a grapevine produce figs. This reminds us of Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount.
16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
The truth is obvious. The trees, bushes and vines of the world produce fruit according to its kind and nature. Two kinds of fruit does not grow on the same tree. It is against the laws of nature. The natural order of things does not allow this to happen or occur.
Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. - Here, James comes back to water, but to a larger body instead of a spring. However, he includes the negative answer to firm things up. Just like fig trees do not produce olives, a pond of salt water cannot and does not contain fresh water.
J.I. Packer writes, “Nature abhors hypocrisy; contrary effects from the same cause are against the way God orders matters in creation. It is true that a Christian has a double principle—flesh and spirit—but not a double heart. Hate the double-dealing that occurs when you profess religion and live in sin. See how contrary this is to the whole course of nature; say, ‘Surely this cannot come from a uniform and good heart.’”
Practical Application
Practical Application
If you are satisfied, comfortable and unaffected by the inconsistencies of your tongue, it is probable that you are far from Christ Jesus. I will give you two reasons for this.
First, believers have a new relationship to sin.
8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
Second, believers have a new relationship to Jesus.
6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.
God, have mercy on me the sinner!
We must not disconnect our treatment of others from its vital connection to our relationship and fellowship with God. The nearer I am to Christ, the more I will treat others the way they should be treated.
20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
Believers, God has given us everything necessary to have consistent tongues.
We have the transformative mindset.
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
We have the transformative process.
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
We have the transformative material.
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
