Taming the Tongue

Context: 3 min

Here’s what you need to know about this book that we are reading called James.

It is a letter written by Jesus’ half brother to every Christian in the world.

And this letter was written specifically to Christians who have placed their faith in Jesus. It is not written to unbelievers.

James is going to talk a lot about ‘the tongue’. What he means by that is your words and the way you speak.

The last thing you need to know is that in the passage we’re about to read, James is answering a very specific question that he poses in Chapter 2 Verse 14.

James 2:14 “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?”

James is answering the question, “What kind of faith can save a person?” Or, “What is genuine saving faith?” “What does it look like?”

Read: 5 min

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.

The Tongue is Small but Significant: 8 min

My first point is this: The tongue is SMALL but SIGNIFICANT. The tongue is SMALL but SIGNIFICANT.

Look at Verse 2, “If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.”

Bridling means to control or to keep in check.

So James is saying if you can keep your words in check you can control everything else.

Do you treat your words like they can control your whole life? Do you take every word that seriously?

Any of y’all heard the saying big doors swing on little hinges? That’s what James is saying.

Your words may seem small, but they have a real significance in either a positive way or a negative way.

God says the words we say and the way we speak is important, but how often do we just blurt out whatever we’re thinking?

Listen God’s Word is not at all quiet about how we should talk.

He says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth,” “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking,” “Death and life are in the power of the tongue,” “What comes out of your mouth defiles you.”

Finally, the clearest and scariest verse about our words is Matthew 12:36–37. “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Your words have the power to condemn you.

The Tongue Can Bring Tragedy: 12 min

Look at Verse 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.”

Here’s my second point: The TONGUE can bring TRAGEDY.

James calls the tongue a fire. How easy is it to control a fire once its burning?

Have any of you watched the news and seen footage of the California wildfires?

These fires are huge. They burn down thousands of houses and cover millions of acres. That’s bigger than all of Travis county, by a lot.

The fire departments use thousands of firemen and firetrucks. They use planes and helicopters and these fires still take over California every summer and they burn for months on end.

James says, and God says, that your tongue is a fire. It is uncontrollable.

He also says, “the tongue is a world of unrighteousness.”

Your natural bent as a fallen human that has a sinful nature is going to be towards unrighteousness.

In other words, no person ever is going to by pure nature never sin with their words.

Every person will have to actively strive for righteousness in their speech.

Continuing in Verse 6 he says, “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.”

We just talked about how being perfect in speech can cause us to control our whole bodies, but now, James gives the negative side.

The tongue can also bring tragedy.

The words that come out of your mouth can stain your entire body, and get this, your words can set on fire the entire course of your life.

So think about your life as a beautiful green hillside like all the areas around us, and think about an uncontrollable fire burning the whole hill to ash.

James wants us to take our words seriously and recognize the power for destruction that they have.

The Standard is Spotless: 16 min

Let’s keep reading. Verse 7:

James 3:7–12 ESV

For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

Here’s my final point: The STANDARD is SPOTLESS.

Meaning, God’s law and expectation for our words is absolute perfection.

James says, “Fresh water and salt water should NEVER come from the same opening.”

He says, “A fig tree will NEVER grow grapes.”

So, what I want us to do right now is everyone close your eyes and bow your head, and we’re going to take just one minute and I want you to think about every word you spoke in the last week.

Was there something you said that you regretted?

Did you yell at someone in your family?

Was every word that came out of your mouth pure and wholesome?

Take a minute and think about it

*Pause for 20-30 more seconds

Let me be honest here. I did this earlier today. And as I reflected I felt the Holy Spirit convict me about the way that I spoke to my sister, so I texted her to apologize this morning.

Maybe God is calling you to apologize for your words that you’ve spoken recently.

I’m sure that you thought of something that you said that wasn’t completely pure.

In verse 8 James says that no one can tame the tongue, so if you couldn’t think of a single thing then you’re lying to yourself.

But even if the last thing you could think of was over a year ago, you have still fallen short of God’s perfect standard.

Because we as humans all fall into sin, we like to lower the standard of what is right and what is good.

We think, “Well, pretty much everyone talks bad about this person, so I’m not that wrong for doing it.”

Or, “All the guys make those kind of jokes.”

But you’ve gotta catch this. If you’ve been asleep this whole time, wake up.

God does not lower the standard because we can’t meet it. The standard is the standard and it will not budge, because God is just.

So we have a serious problem.

The God who is in charge has a standard. We fall short of that standard every day, but the bar isn’t gonna be lowered for us, and we will never be able to work hard enough to reach the standard.

Gospel: 19 min

As followers of Jesus we know that we don’t meet the standard and never will.

And if you’re not following Jesus then you need to know that anytime you have fallen short of God’s standard, you are found guilty of breaking God’s law.

That means that you and God are no longer right. You’re not friends.

In fact, James just a couple verses later says that you make yourself an enemy of God when you break His law.

That doesn’t mean God doesn’t love you and care about you. He does. He sent His Son to die for you so that you and Him can be made right, but you’re not just naturally good with God.

So how do you as a law breaker found guilty in God’s courts get right with God.

The Bible says that you need to repent.

Acts 3:19 says, “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,”

To repent means you’re going this way, doing these things, and you’re turning around to go towards God and stop doing the things you were doing.

Repentance is a change of heart, a change of mind, and a change in actions.

In order to turn away from your sin, you need to see it and acknowledge.

This is so important for you to understand. Don’t miss it. For ANY person to be made right with God and go to Heaven, they MUST acknowledge in the presence of God that they are guilty of breaking His law.

You must admit it to God and accept that you have earned a punishment for the evil things that you’ve done.

And you must believe that Jesus took every ounce of that punishment for you.

And God says that if you repent of your sinful works, He will blot out your sin, or remove it completely, it will be gone.

And if you are following Jesus, James is not teaching a salvation by works.

He’s not saying that you must obey to be saved.

Your righteousness is given freely. Not earned in the slightest bit.

The only thing that you contribute to your salvation is the sin that made it necessary.

But we as believers still need to repent of our sins, when we go astray.

We have already been forgiven, but as a response to the forgiveness that God has given us, He calls us to keep turning from our sin and returning to Him.

And He calls us to live righteous lives.

Application: 20 min

So consider what steps you need to take to speak without sin.

Maybe you and some of your friends need to make a group that keeps each other accountable to the words you’re saying and the jokes you’re telling.

Maybe you need to set aside time at the end of the day to think about how you spoke that day.

If we’re being honest, some you probably need to talk a lot less, because the things you’re saying are not God-honoring.

Pray and ask God what He is calling you to do.

As the band gets ready to come back up, let’s pray and ask God for help doing this.

Prayer: 21 min

Lord, we recognize that every one of us has broken Your law and made ourselves an enemy of you.

We thank you for your mercy to forgive us for our sinful words.

Reveal to all of us the ways that we fall short of your standard and empower us to repent and turn back to You.

We love You and we need You.

It’s in Your name we pray. Amen