Godly Speech

James 3:1–12 ESV

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! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 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.

Growing up, we all heard the phrase, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” However, we know that is not true. How we speak to others is connected to our witness for Christ. Being a pastor for almost 30 years, some of the most hurtful things have been said to me by those who claim to be Christians. Some of those words still hurt when I think about them. I guarantee that some of you have similar experiences where those who claim to know Christ say extremely hurtful things.

‌This is particularly true in our current environment. So often, Christians speak against the ills of society and lump faceless and nameless people together. We can say that one group of people is awful. It may be that what they promote is egregious toward God and contrary to his word. However, we do not resort to ad hominem arguments that attack the person. We can call out the ills of our world without targeting groups of people or individuals.

‌James’ concern is not so much with speaking to society but how we speak to one another within the church. As we have stated throughout this series, we are called to be peculiar and holy people. This means how we act and speak are part of our witness to the world. If we speak like the rest of society, how is that counter to it? James’ statement in 1:19 is clear. We are to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Our speech can be a weapon against the demonic powers of this world or those we call brothers and sisters in Christ.

‌This morning, we will learn how Christians use godly speech to build one another up and spur one another on in the faith. We must reject worldliness in the church. We are called in 1:27 to keep ourselves unstained by the world.

1. Christians use words wisely. (vs. 1-4)

The worldliness plaguing Christians to whom James is writing has taken the form of harmful and critical speech. This begins with those who are teachers of God’s word. It is a heavy responsibility to preach and rightly divide scripture. Those in pastoral authority and teachers must show the example to the rest of the congregation. James’ concern is twofold: doctrinal purity and speaking lovingly to those in the congregation. Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:2, “And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” Those with teaching authority must do so with humility and soberness. Pastors are not to use sermons as places to air grievances with the congregation. It happens too often.

‌All of us stumble and fall short of God’s standard in many things, including our speech. In verse two, he moves from teachers specifically to the whole congregation. Just like a bit for a horse or a rudder for a ship, the small organ of our tongue must be controlled just as the bit determines the horse's direction and the ship's rudder so that the tongue can determine an individual's destiny. When believers exercise wisdom in their speech, it can be presumed that they can also direct their whole lives in their proper, divine charted course: they are “perfect.” But when the tongue is not restrained, small though it is, the rest of the body is likely to be uncontrolled and undisciplined.

‌Christians must use their words wisely, grounded in humility and self-awareness, and they must be aware that our speech should bring glory to God and reflect Christ’s love. Our speech has a significant influence. It may be a small member of the body, but it can boast of the great things of God. Christians use their words wisely when they declare the goodness of God and praise his name. Our words are used wisely when we encourage and build up one another in love. This does not mean that we are not to speak against sin. We are not to sit by and let a brother or sister in Christ go down a path that will be destructive. Likewise, we cannot ignore what is happening in our society. We must use our speech to point to how God calls us to obey him. However, this is not to be done through personal attacks or in a hateful manner. It must be done with humility and grace so that God is glorified.

2. Our words can be destructive. (vs. 5-8)

James compares the results to a great forest fire if we are not disciplined in our speech. Proverbs 16:27 speaks to this: “A worthless man plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire.” James builds on this principle by saying that “the tongue is fire, a world of unrighteousness” in verse 6. He suggests that the tongue contains the sins of the fallen world within it. Jesus also speaks to this in Matthew 15:11: “It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” The things that we say are products of sin in our hearts. Jesus goes on to say in Matthew 15:18–19, “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.” The results that Jesus talks about and what James talks about are synonymous. James goes on to describe the results by saying that the tongue has the power to “stain the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.”

‌The words that we speak can corrupt our lives and the lives of those around us. Destructive speech can infect the congregation. This is the opposite of “pure religion.” It is of Satan. The power of Satan gives the tongue its great destructive potential.

‌What is terrible is that there are so many Christians who walk with bitterness, hurt, and pain in their hearts. Satan has a deep hold on us that sometimes we are unaware of. There can be demonic powers that are oppressing us even as followers of Jesus. Satan will find ways to use your pain to cause chaos in your life. Sometimes chaos is sown through what we say.

‌Everything is fine for one minute, and then that hurt and pain is triggered by something. At that moment, that hurt flows out to inflict pain on another. This is why many Christians need inner healing and deliverance. Many of us have emotional wounds that come from things that happened back in our childhood - brokenness and abuse; this is not about going to a therapist for help. There is nothing wrong with that, but what I am talking about is more than mental trauma. This is spiritual trauma. The only way we can truly overcome this is by the work of the Holy Spirit. Only by the sanctifying power of God’s grace can the Lord work in our lives to bring the kind of healing that is necessary. We will discuss this more in a couple of weeks when we talk more about healing and the power of prayer. But I do think that it is essential to recognize the wounds that exist within us that Satan can use to bring chaos into our lives through our words.

3. Our words must be consistent with Christ. (vs. 9-12)

Although the tongue can be used in destructive ways, it is the calling of Christians for our speech to be consistent with Christ. James reminds us that the most excellent form of speech is praising God. James also points out that it is with the same tongue that we curse others. To curse someone is not about using swear words; it is to desire that another person be cut off from God and experience eternal punishment. The reason cursing another is so heinous is that all human beings are made in God’s likeness. Paul quotes Jesus in Romans 12:14, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.” Our speech is to be about blessing others, not cursing them. The way we speak should be in the same manner that Christ spoke.

‌We are called to be holy in the way we talk. Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” With our speech, we are to be people who show the power of life. The fruit we produce from our speech should uplift and encourage others. Jesus says in Matthew 12:37, “for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Our words are a product of our hearts. If our hearts have been cleansed and we are on the path of sanctification, it should be reflected in how we speak to one another. Our speech must be Christ-like.

‌It is easy to be “double-minded” in how we talk. We get frustrated. Our first reaction is to blurt out things that are not very Christ-like. But part of the fruit of the Spirit is self-control. The Holy Spirit works in our lives to bring control to our actions. It is by the Spirit that we do not respond with hostility. Only by the Spirit can we bless those who persecute us. When we choose to bring life rather than death with our speech, we see Christ's true blessings. Consistent in our speech in a manner that is under submission to Christ and his commands means that our interactions with those in the congregation, our families, our co-workers, and our friends will be pleasing to God. I am not saying that you live your life as a doormat. We are to speak the truth in love. We are to help our brothers and sisters in Christ strive for holiness when we know they are not. It is the same with each of us. We should welcome correction when necessary when it is done in a Christ-like manner. However, how we speak in tone, delivery, and words must be with a heart of love and care. Each person is made in God’s image. Even if we disagree with a person, we can disagree and state our beliefs in a way that uplifts Christ.

‌This is where we fail too much as Christians in our interactions within the body of Christ and with society. It is so easy for us to be caught up in the emotion of the situation and say things that are not Christ-like. James states, “My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” Christians are to speak differently than the rest of the world. We are not to allow worldliness to defile us. Instead, we declare the goodness of the work of Christ. We praise him for what he has done for us. We are in constant communion with him through prayer that our hearts are changed so that when things happen, and we must respond with our words, we do it in a way that brings glory to God, not to ourselves or hurt others unnecessarily. Christians are to be the model of how we are to treat others. We reflect Christ in every way. This includes our speech. May our speech be Godly and our actions edifying to the Lord.