Lesson 5 – James Chapter 3:1-12
We closed out chapter 2 of James talking about faith, and more specifically, about a faith without any sign of good works is considered a “dead faith.” The heart of a transformed believer will have the spiritual urge and desire to serve God in any way they can. Doing good works in the name of Jesus can be defined as anything that glorifies God. So, we learned that a true and active faith will always see its way to bringing glory to God.
In chapter 3 of James, we will examine the subject of our tongue, about the things we say. James first spoke of the tongue in chapter 1:26, “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.”
James 3:1
“My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.”
When I first read this Scripture years ago it intimidated me, and quite honestly it scared me. When you think about it, who in their right mind would want a stricter judgment from God? But as God was directing me into ministry, I sensed a call to teach and pastor God’s people. If God calls us to teach, we should respond in obedience. This is why every word I bring to you, I do it under the umbrella of prayer and the Holy Spirit.
I never prepare a message without first asking for the Holy Spirit’s help in every step of the way. Know this, as a pastor/teacher to you, I will never intentionally give you any false doctrine. That being said, you guys need to be Bereans, always searching God’s Word and hold me accountable if I should ever go in the wrong direction.
When we do teach, we need to do it with reverence and humility. With this in mind, it’s God’s will that all of His people be able to convey His Truth accurately and carefully as they are able. All believers should be able to teach in some way, no matter how small it might be.
I Peter 3:15
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;”
Rom. 14:10b-12
“Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For the Scriptures say, ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to Me, and every tongue will confess and give praise to God.’ Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.”
Even if you’re not a pastor or a teacher, God wants you to study His Word, and communicate His Word to those around you. So, always treat God’s Word with respect and do your best to tell others about Him.
II Tim. 2:15
“Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.”
James uses the word “we” in verse one showing us that he is including himself when talking about teachers receiving a stricter judgment. James knows that when it comes to God’s Word we must always explain it correctly as Paul says… because we never want to misrepresent God’s Word.
James 3:2
“For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.”
“Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.” (NLT)
The word stumble means to make a mistake, or to sin. James says we all make mistakes, we all stumble, we all sin. And the last time we checked, “all” means “all,” every one of us is guilty.
Rom. 3:23
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
James and Paul are in agreement about stumbling. We all sin, but as time goes by, we should be sinning less and less in our walk with Christ. A mature believer isn’t sinless, but they sin less as they grow in Christ.
If anyone does not stumble in word… this has to do with what we say, the words that are coming out of our mouth.
Matt. 12:34b-37
“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
God knows us inside and out, He knows our actions, He knows every word that we’ve ever said… that’s a scary thought when you think about it. Thank God for His grace and mercy!
James says to us, If anyone does not stumble in word, if you’re not making a mistake by the things you say… he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.
The word perfect here means “mature” or “complete.”
Whoever doesn’t offend by the way they speak, they are mature whether they are a teacher or not, for the person who controls their tongue controls their life as well. A paraphrase would be; “If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you’d have a person in perfect control of life.”
Able also to bridle the whole body… to bridle is to guide, to hold in check, to restrain. We commonly think of a bridle as the headgear used to control a horse, consisting of buckled straps to which a bit and reins are attached to the horse.
To bridle the whole body for the believer, means to have control over one’s self… self-control.
II Tim. 1:7
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
A “sound mind” translates as self-control. The original Greek word translated “sound mind” here is ( so-fron-is-mos’) , and it appears in the Bible only this one time. In other Bible translations, the word (so-fron-is-mos’) is rendered “self-control,” “self-discipline,” “discipline,” “good judgment,” and “sound judgment”
The influence of the Holy Spirit is required for us to produce a genuinely sound mind. The sound mind Paul speaks of is a mind that is under the control of God’s Holy Spirit. In the sense of self-discipline, the word (so-fron-is-mos’) conveys careful, rational, sensible thinking.
Having a sound mind or a bridled mind requires a thought process that is based on the wisdom and clarity that God gives to us, rather than us being manipulated by our own fleshly desires.
James 3:3
“Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body.”
We go from a bridle to a bit… I wonder if James had a horse? The bit applies subtle pressure to the bars on the mouth which are made of sensitive cartilage. The horse is responsive to any movement or pressure on those bars and instinctively moves away from it, which means that they actually move in the direction the rider wants them to go. With the bit, we have something small controlling a large animal.
James 3:4
“Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires.”
Here again, we have something very small controlling something large.
James 3:5
“Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!”
Just as an insignificant looking rudder controls a large ship, or a little piece of metal controls a powerful horse, our tongue, weighing a mere twenty ounces, can cause great things to take place or total destruction… all depending on how it is used.
Welcome to speech class 101…
How many of you have said something, and the moment you said it you wish you could have those words back again?
Proverbs 18:4
“The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook.”
Proverbs 18:21
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
These two Proverbs show us the power of words. We can draw a parallel between “words” (the tongue) and “water” (life giving) as both being very powerful and both can give or take away life.
1976 – On July 31, a stationary thunderstorm near Estes Park dropped up to 12 inches of rain in 6 hours over the Big Thompson Canyon. Hundreds of homes were destroyed along Highway 34 by the ensuing flood and many motorists were trapped. The estimated discharge at the mouth of the canyon was 33,000 cfs. 144 lives were lost in that flood.
But on a hot summer day, when we drink a nice tall glass of ice water, chances are we’re not thinking of a killer flood. We cannot do without water, but water out of control can kill. We need water for our health. The words we receive from the Bible are spiritual water that cleanses us.
Eph. 5:26-27
“That He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”
Rev. 22:1
“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
Our words, when spoken to each other, should be like rivers of living water, not like the killing waters of a flood.
John 7:38
“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
What can we do to make sure that our tongues aren’t being used for destruction?
Rom. 14:11
“For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”
Let our tongues be used in worship and prayer, edification and praise.
Commentator J. A. Motyer writes; “If our tongue were so well under control that it refused to formulate the words of self-pity, the images of lustfulness, the thoughts of anger and resentment, then these things are cut down before they have a chance to live: the master-switch has deprived them of any power to “switch-on” that side of our lives. The control of the tongue is more than evidence of spiritual maturity; it is the means to it.”
In a world that tells us to use our voice, and that we have a right to be heard, Proverbs 10:19, tells a different story.
“Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.” (NLT)
It’s easy for us to get caught up in debates. We get passionate about something and we think, if we just explain things a little bit more, the person we’re debating will finally get it. Again, Proverbs offers a different perspective.
Proverbs 23:9
“Don’t waste your breath on fools, for they will despise the wisest advice.” (NLT)
There’s something to be said for saying nothing. Silence can be powerful. Kind words can calm the soul and harsh words cut like a knife.
Proverbs 10:11
“The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.” (NLT)
Proverbs 12:18
“Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.” (NLT)
Proverbs 15:4
“Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” (NLT)
Regardless of the world’s demands on us, that we are to watch out for number one because no one else will, as children of God, we are under His authority alone.
Proverbs 15:28
“The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.”
Proverbs 15:1-2
“The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness.”
God wants us to use our voices for His glory. We should speak up when it is wise to do so, and when it’s time to say nothing, keep your mouth shut.
James 3:6
“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.”
“And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.” (NLT)
An uncontrolled tongue can defile or destroy the whole body. Speaking of the tongue, somebody once said, “Every one of us is carrying around a concealed weapon.”
Do you realize that you speak about 18,000 to25, 000 words a day? Some people have said that men speak 25,000 words a day and women speak 30,000 words a day. I don’t know who counted that up, but the difficulty is by the time the man comes home from work, he has already spent his 25,000, and the woman hasn’t started on her 30,000 yet.
The Bible refers directly or indirectly to a wicked tongue, a deceitful tongue, a lying tongue, a perverse tongue, a filthy tongue, a corrupt tongue, a bitter tongue, an angry tongue, a crafty tongue, a flattering tongue, a slanderous tongue, a gossiping tongue, a back-biting tongue, a blaspheming tongue, a foolish tongue, a boasting tongue, a murmuring tongue, a complaining tongue, a cursing tongue, a contentious tongue, a sensual tongue, a vile tongue, a tale-bearing tongue, a whispering tongue, an exaggerating tongue, et cetera. Did you see yourself anywhere in there?
John MacArthur says; “No wonder God put your tongue in a cage behind your teeth, walled in by your mouth.”
Somebody else said, “Remember your tongue is in a wet place, and it can slip easily.”
The easiest way to sin is to sin with your tongue.
Psalm 39:1
“I said, “I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, while the wicked are before me.”
Back to verse 6, And sets on fire the course of nature… the course of nature can be translated “wheel of life” meaning the whole course of a person’s life. And it is set on fire by hell… Who loves it when our tongues are out of control? Satan, of course. A tongue that tears down, curses, gossips, lies and destroys all bring delight to satan and his demons.
James 3:7
“People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.”
James says, But no one can tame the tongue… here’s the problem, in our own energy we can’t tame our tongues, we need the Lord. It’s our sinful nature that wags the tongue.
Rom. 7:18-20
“And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway but if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.” (NLT)
Plain and simple, only the work of the Holy Spirit within us can help bring this destructive force under control. So, am I saying “Let go and let God”? that’s a tricky phrase for us.
The Bible never tells us to “let go and let God.” In fact, there are so many commandments about what we are to do that it completely contradicts the way most people interpret “let go and let God.” The popular idea of “letting go” is to adopt a sort of spiritual apathy where we do nothing, say nothing, feel nothing, and just simply live, allowing our circumstances to roll over us however they want.
How do we have the Holy Spirit help us in controlling our tongue? It all stems from our relationship with God… Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To keep this relationship alive and vibrant, we need to be in the Word… studying it, understand it, then applying it to our life.
I Tim. 6:12
“Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.”
Eph. 6:11
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
But if we do have a good relationship with God, if we have spent time digging into His Word, meditating on His works and His nature, we will begin to see His plans and purposes, His love for us, His sovereign control over all our circumstances in life, then we can rest in His “peace that surpasses all understanding.”
What does this have to do with controlling our tongues? It has everything to do with it. Having a good relationship with God also means we can ask Him anything through prayer.
I John 5:14-15
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
If we have a tongue issue, and most of us do, ask God to help and He will. It is God’s desire that our tongues are under control, not a flood out of control.
James 3:9
“With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.”
“Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.” (NLT)
When I hear a Christian using foul language, I want to say, “Do you pray with that mouth too?”
James says, Bless our God… this may refer to the Jewish practice of saying “blessed be He” whenever God’s name was mentioned. Cursing… implies any words that bring hurt to someone. James is pointing out for us the inconsistency of blessing God while cursing people who are created in His image. That’s a hypocritical action to be sure.
James 3:10
“Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.”
Again, this is inconsistent and hypocritical for a believer’s conduct, yet every believer has been guilty of this to some extent. And, this is nothing new… Peter confessed that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God” in (Matt. 16:16); but while Jesus was on trial for His life…
Matt. 26:74-75
“Then he (Peter) began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.”
Even Paul has a little slip of the tongue, in Acts 23:3 he called a high priest a “Whitewashed wall” which was a term applied to a hypocrite who conceals his malice under an outward assumption of piety… pretty calm compared to today’s standards.
My brethren, these things ought not to be so… the phrase “ought not” is used here as a strong negative term, and it’s used only here in the New Testament. The idea is that there should be no place in a Christian’s life for any kind of two-faced speech. It is an unacceptable and intolerable compromise of righteous, holy living. Listen, when God transformed us, He gave us the capacity for new, redeemed, holy speech, and He expects us, as His children, to speak only that which is holy and right.
Eph. 4:29-30
“Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.”
Okay, hold on, we’re going to get a little deep here…
Isa. 50:4
“The Sovereign Lord has given me His words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning He wakens me and opens my understanding to His will.” (NLT)
Mark 1:35
“Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.”
Warren Wiersbe; “If you and I are going to have tongues that delight, then we must meet the Lord each day and learn from Him. We must get our “spiritual roots” deep into His Word. We must pray and meditate and permit the Spirit of God to fill our hearts with God’s love and truth.”
James 3:11-12
“Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.”
A fresh spring can’t give out two kinds of water, and a tree cannot give two different kinds of fruit… common sense really. We expect a spring to flow with sweet drinkable water all the time, and an apple tree is going to give apples, or an olive tree will give us olives… this is how nature works.
James is still talking about the tongue… if the tongue is inconsistent, there is something radically wrong with the heart.
There’s a story about a professing Christian who got angry on the job and he let loose with some colorful language in front of everybody. Embarrassed, he turned to his co-worker and said, “I don’t know why I said that. It really isn’t in me.” His co-worker wisely replied, “It had to be in you or it couldn’t come out of you.”
The problem, of course, is not the tongue; it’s a matter of the heart that controls the tongue.
Matt. 15:18-19
“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.”
The person with a tongue problem has a heart problem, and is in need of some spiritual heart surgery. How do they get this surgery? They need to come to the fountain of life and drink of the Living Water.
Rev. 22:1
“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
Rev. 22:17
“And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.”
Perhaps some of you got a bit of a tongue lashing tonight (pun intended).
II Cor. 12:9
“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
God’s grace is sufficient all the time. Whenever we find ourselves falling short in our Christian walk we can always go to our Lord and Savior with everything, and He will restore us back to where we need to be… with Him!