Both Side of The Mouth
Notes
Transcript
8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.
9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God;
10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.
11 Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?
12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.
8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.
We spoke on this last week, but it is so important of a verse we need to start this week with it.
It is pretty well established that the only hope we all have at taming it is through complete surrender to the Lord.
This week we are going to look at the way the tongue poisons, last week it was blunt force and full of fire, this week it is subtle and quite in it’s destructive ways.
Before we move to the rest of the passage I want to pause for the sake of context.
When we study the bible context is important.
That means there has to be some level of interpretation.
But what decides if we are correct in our understanding of the Word?
First pray before, during, and after studying the Word, next.
4 things point us in the right Direction
Scripture: This is the heaviest—What does the rest of the Bible say about this passage, does your understanding fit in the the rest of God’s word?
Orthodoxy: What has the church as whole understood about this passage or doctrine for all of Church history? It would be very strange for the Church to teach something for 2k years just to be wrong in 2026 on a core doctrine. (If this does not line up with scripture look back to step 1)
Reason: Does it make sense… “Example” If the Bible says there is but One God and also to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, & Holy spirit… Make man in Our image… logic might tells us we worship a triune God head. (If this does not line up with scripture look back to step 1 and 2)
Experience: How have we seen God’s word alive and active in our lives. Does it convict us, does it comfort, does it leave us hungry? (If this does not line up with scripture look back to step 1,2,&3)
Now for the Word
9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God;
Again James is writing to the 12 tribes, to the Jewish Christian Churches.
MacArthur Study Bible NASB (Commentary)
bless … curse. It was traditional for Jews to add “blessed be He” to a mention of God’s name (cf. Ps 68:19, 35).
However, the tongue also wishes evil on people made in God’s image. This points out the hypocritical inconsistency of the tongue’s activities.
We’re in the South… Bless their soul/heart is not a real blessing now is it?
Translation: Your so stupid, but God bless you…
James is cutting them at the Heart of a long time cultural habit.
To curse a man is an attempt to Curse the owner of the image that man was made in.
Genesis 1:26–27 “ tells us that God said lets create man in Our Image (Imago Dei).
Think on that before you go talking junk on someone else.
It is one thing to say that someone frustrates you, it’s a whole ‘nother thing to curse them (Oh I wish X-Y-or Z would just happen to them…
10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.
Part of what James is getting at is phrases of the time “May God strike them down, praise be to God…”
Anytime God’s name was used it was followed up with Praise Be.
It is like back in the day after someone died “Jimmy was a strange man… God rest his soul”…
The other context of this passage is more applicable to today.
The way one can come into church and sing praises, then say something so toxic that it rips the life right out of the hearer.
“A little girl was coming home from a concert… plays her heart out and her mother tells her all the mistakes she made in the performance… all that money on lessons wasted…”
“You give it all, but you’re waste of time, because your all is never going to be enough”
How many times do we do that to each other…
How many times have our actions and heart said that to God?
Proverbs 10:19 “When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise.”
The Point is simple that James is making—You cannot be holy and curse others at the same time, your either life giving and killing.
11 Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.
You produce what you are
If you want Holiness, ask God to make you Holy and start living it out
Every time wickedness tries to pop up, stop and remind yourself that you are Holy Because of Jesus and you need to live it.
Over time you will produce more and more of Jesus, but it takes discipline and constant surrender to Him.
Take Home?
What Comes Out Of Your Fountain?
