Faith and Speech: James 3:1-12

The Relationship between Faith and Speech

MAIN POINT

The tongue is a great indicator of our spiritual health.

Getting checked for indicators of coronavirus.

What do we look for?

Share about a time when you spoke too soon and ended up saying something you regretted.

What are all the ways you can think of that people sin with their speech?

Everyone struggles with sin. Some sins may be more specific to certain people. Not everyone will deal with an addiction to alcohol or drugs. Though all lie, not everyone has a huge problem being dishonest. Yet, every one of us has gotten into trouble at some point for the things we have said. All of us have put our foot in our mouth. We all have gossiped, unhelpfully criticized, condescended, or said something crude. The tongue is a great indicator of our spiritual health. Because of this, James devoted a whole section of his practical letter to address the relationship between our faith and our words.

UNDERSTANDING

James 3:1–2 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.

James first addressed people who teach. Whether or not you teach in a Bible study or a school classroom, What have you been teaching through your words, even over this past week?

You might say that controlling our tongue leads to controlling our thumbs. That is, we speak not only through our words, but also through social media presence.

What does it look like to take James’s advice to heart in your online presence?

Matthew 12:36 ESV

36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,

What type of speech did Jesus question here? Are there really such things as “idle” or “empty” words?

Why do we tend to view what we post online or what we say to a customer service representative over the phone as less serious than words we speak elsewhere?

What are we teaching our Facebook friends and the people on the other end of our conversations about ourselves?

What we teach is a good indicator of what we believe because the aim of teaching is to communicate our beliefs to someone else.

Yet any time we open our mouths, we are teaching other people who we really are. Verse 2 takes a holistic look at what we say. Nothing we say is missed by God. Jesus said that we will be judged for everything we say. The word translated “empty” or “idle” means unproductive or without thought. The reason this is so closely connected with our spiritual health is because a good way to measure spiritual health is what you do without thinking. If the default setting of your heart leads you to say things that you wish you hadn’t, it might be time for a heart check.

If you teach God’s Word in any capacity in our church or somewhere, then how seriously do you take this task?

What are some habits that help us make sure we are teaching His Word correctly?

James 3:3–8 ESV

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.

Our tongues have the power to direct and to destroy.

What analogies did James use to describe this power?

When do you first remember seeing the power your words could have?

Proverbs 18:21 ESV

21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived and thought that words had the power of life and death.

Why do we make the things we say, good or bad, less important than the Bible makes them?

1 Timothy 3:9–11 ESV

9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.

1 Timothy 5:13 ESV

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.

Titus 2:2–5 ESV

2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

These are letters Paul wrote to young pastors.

Why do you think he felt the need to mention and condemn gossip so strongly here?

What is your relationship with gossip? Do you need to rethink anything based on James’s and Paul’s advice?

A small piece of stainless steel placed in the mouth controls the power of an enormous animal. A small mechanism on the back end of a ship guides the entire vessel through the water. A small spark can ignite a flame that burns down a city. Such is the power our tongues have to give life or to bring death. Satan led Eve into sin through his words. The saying “sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is a good reply on a playground, but that saying is disproven every time a kid comes crying to his mom after someone has hurt his feelings. If anything, words are more painful than physical hurt because words reach us at our core, and they stay with us forever. With such power to direct and destroy, we need to be more careful in our speech.

Knowing that our words have such power, we should give more thought to them.

Consider the T.H.I.N.K. principle:

Is this True?

Is this Helpful?

Is this Inspiring?

Is this Necessary?

Is this Kind?

How might taking time to answer these questions steer you away from sin?

James 3:9–12 ESV

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.

While most of our discussion has focused on the evil that words can do, we need to have a balanced approach.

What power do our words have for delight?

When we come to church or a group like this one and fill ourselves with truth, what impact should that have on how we speak when we leave?

If it doesn’t, what have we missed?

Words have the power to give pleasure and delight to the one listening. It is a word from the Lord that saved us. Likely, you have words that have stuck with you because they continue to encourage you. The point of this section is that what we hear from the Lord should change and shape the way we speak. If Jesus is Lord of all, He is Lord of our words. We are called to use our words in a way that gratifies and brings honor to Him. We are to encourage and correct one another with gentleness, love, and respect. When our tongue is mastered by the Holy Spirit, our words become life-giving and delightful.

What are some helpful words you need to speak?

To whom will you speak them? When will you speak them?

APPLICATION

Has someone ever said something to you, whether good or bad, that stuck with you over the years?

How does this demonstrate the unique power of words?

1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV

11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

How can we obey this command with our tongues?

Do we feel the freedom in this group to lovingly correct each other when we know someone’s words have hurt someone else?

Is there anyone you can ask to evaluate your speech?

Why is this helpful?

What ability do our words have both to strengthen and harm our witness for Jesus with our friends, family, and coworkers?

PRAYER

Thank God for the gift of words, particularly His Word that points us to love and truth. Ask God to help us control and tame our words so that we can bless Him and build one another up.