James 3:1-12 Controlling the Tongue

Well, good morning.

Today we will be in James chapter 3, and we will be looking at verses 1 through 12.

James 3 · chapter mention

That is James chapter 3, and we'll be looking at verses 1 through 12.

James 3 · chapter mention

Our passage this morning is all about controlling the tongue.

And just a fun fact: this is the longest sustained teaching on the tongue in the entire Bible.

So, as a way of introduction, first, I would like to remind us of the context here.

So Jesus' half-brother James is writing to Jewish believers who have been scattered from Jerusalem because of persecution.

So these believers, they suffered greatly.

Not only did they lose their homes and their employment, and in some cases, some of them lost their lives, but they're being confronted with false teaching.

And they are tempted to stop being so expressive about their faith because the more expressive they are, the more trouble they face.

So James writes this letter to remind them and us of the living faith that we have in Jesus Christ.

And that is his main theme: a living faith.

So as we saw in chapter one, a living faith perseveres through trials, and it not just listens to the word, but it actually does the word, and it cares for widows and orphans.

And then we saw in chapter two, a living faith doesn't show favoritism, and it reveals itself in good works.

And now what we will see here in chapter three this morning is a living faith affects the way that we talk.

So what we see then throughout this letter is how faith in Christ should affect every area of our life.

The faith that we've been given, it should be penetrating and invading every department of our life.

Our faith should influence our minds, our arms, our legs, and as we will see today, it should influence our tongues.

If God has truly changed our hearts, then the way that we talk and the words that we use and the things that we say should be changed as well.

Jesus taught this principle in Matthew chapter 12.

Matthew 12 · chapter mention

He says, What we say reflects or projects what's truly in our hearts.

So if Jesus is in your heart, if we say we adore him, then godly speech should come from our mouth.

Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

So James, being fully aware of this, now transitions to this great theme on the tongue.

And his goal for these believers is that they would one know the power of the tongue, that they would, two, be aware of its corruption, that they would three be aware of its uncontrollable nature, and that they would four know the inconsistencies that lie within it.

And his hope for them and for us is that we would learn how to tame our tongues as children of God and help us to grow more in what I like to call vocal holiness.

And so James begins this teaching in verse one with a warning.

He says, Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

So his introduction on the tongue begins with a warning.

Not many of you should be teachers, or more literally, not many of you should be instructing others.

Now this might seem like a weird intro, but it is very relevant, especially in Jewish culture, because during this time, being a rabbi or a teacher, it was overly glamorized by the Jews.

So if you were a teacher during this time, you were the man on campus.

I mean, you were highly respected among the people.

Everyone came to you for advice, and you got to tell people what's right and wrong.

And so teachers then were often idolized.

The office was coveted, and it was a the Jewish dream job, especially in the religious realm.

So as a result, there was this great rush to be a teacher.

But James almost offensively stops this wild hurry and he says, friends, not many of you should be teachers.

Now it's important to note that James is using the word teacher here loosely.

He isn't merely talking about preachers or Bible teachers or seminary students.

If that's what he meant, he would have used the term presbyter, but he doesn't use that term.

So what he's saying then is not many of you in the general sense should be seeking out a teaching platform.

And this has broad implications.

So allow me to translate this for modern terms.

Not many of you should be seeking a following on social media so that you can teach them.

Not many of you should be instructing others on a YouTube channel.

Not many of you should be giving advice large scale via book or via blog or via podcast.

Not many of you should be pursuing the office of a preacher.

Now don't misunderstand what James is saying here.

This is not a discouragement from sharing Jesus with other people or being a witness to lost people or teaching your children or your friends or your coworkers about the Bible.

That's missing the point.

The main point is this not many of you should be seeking a teaching platform with a significant audience in shaping them.

Now, this is hard for us to hear because we live in a culture when everyone wants to be the teacher.

We are expressively individualistic.

Everyone has a truth.

Everyone else needs to know my truth.

And I need to find as much people as I can to believe and affirm my truth.

That's the attitude nowadays.

So what's encouraged?

Well, seek a teaching platform.

Don't sit down and listen.

Stand up, teach your truth.

I have the right understanding, I have the right interpretation, and people need to hear it from me because I'm so wise and I'm so smart.

I need to be heard, I need to teach my truth.

And because of this mindset, we live in a society that is diving for microphones, trampling over bodies to be in the spotlight, aggressively publishing our teachings to the masses, doing whatever we can to instruct others in this so-called great knowledge and wisdom and insight.

But in this crazy pursuit to influence others and to gain a following and to be the one who imparts wisdom to others, may we heed God's word this morning.

Friends, not many of us, many of us should not be teachers.

The vast majority should not be instructing people on any large-scale basis.

But the question remains, why?

I mean, would it really be that bad if we all had a teaching platform?

Well, it could be very bad, says James.

And not for your listeners, but for you.

Look at the end of verse 1.

Those who teach will be judged more strictly.

So everyone wants to be a teacher until they find out that they will be held accountable for what they teach and how it influenced others.

So everyone wants to be a teacher until they discover that every word they say, every influence they have on souls, and every lifestyle choice that they lived that didn't line up with what they taught, will be judged by the one who sees and knows all things.

So many people want to be esteemed and acknowledged as a teacher without paying the price demanded by the position.

And so those who teach will face a stricter judgment.

According to 2 Peter, there are special places reserved in hell for false teachers.

And on the contrary, there are special rewards for God's people who faithfully teach his word without compromise.

And for this reason, the reason for this is because teaching has a dramatic impact on the lives of other people.

It can totally change the course of someone's life, for better or worse.

And that's why God deals with teachers more sternly.

As Jesus says in Luke 17:1, I don't know if you guys remember this verse, things that cause people to stumble are sure to come.

Luke 17:1

It's inevitable.

But woe to anyone through whom they come.

So, Rick and Ron and myself, we will have to stand before the judgment seat of Christ one day.

And we will have to give an account for how we taught and influenced Proclamation Church, his bride.

And we will either gain or lose rewards based on our teaching that we otherwise wouldn't have to face if we had not been teachers.

So anyone seeking to be a teacher needs to know this.

And anyone who is a teacher should feel the weight of this, and it should be cause for holy tremble before the Lord of glory.

So, in light of this reality, this should make us think twice about pursuing a teaching platform.

Imagine for a moment, if I asked the question to a group of college students, and I said, Who wants to be a teacher?

All the hands go up.

Then imagine if I said, Okay, love the passion, but here's the deal.

You can teach, but every word you say will be recorded.

Then we will monitor how your teaching influences your students.

Then we will watch carefully your behavior to see if it lines up with what you teach.

Then, at the end of your teaching career, based on what we discover, you will either be punished or rewarded.

Many hands go down after that.

Those who teach will be strictly judged.

And James, being a teacher himself, was fully aware of this.

But interestingly enough, James doesn't pretend to be perfect because he reminds us next in verse 2 that we all stumble in many ways.

It's referring to the tongue.

And anyone who is never at fault in what they say is a perfect or a mature believer, able to keep their whole body in check.

So James doesn't write as one who has arrived.

He's aware of his own shortcomings, for we all stumble in many ways.

So there's no false perfectionism here.

Perhaps he remembers how he misspoke about Jesus and demeaning him during the days of his ministry.

We all stumble in many ways with the tongue.

Have you ever stubbed your toe on a rainy day and used the Lord's name in vain?

Have you ever been passive aggressive with your spouse?

Have you ever gossiped about a member of the church here?

And even worse, you used prayer as an excuse to do it.

Have you ever told a dirty joke at work to get a few laughs from your coworkers to fit in?

Have you ever completely lost it on your children and said some very damaging things to their poor little souls?

We are constantly stumbling with our tongues and saying things that dishonor the Lord.

It can be used to tell an off-color story.

It can be used for profanity.

It can be used to pass on idle gossip or report half-truths or tell exaggerations.

Our tongues are constantly getting us into trouble because it is the microphone of our flesh projecting forth frustrations and desires and intentions.

So, church, we all stumble in many ways when it comes to the tongue.

But here's the whole point of the statement: you're not alone in this struggle.

It's a universal issue for Christians.

Our speech is the mouthpiece of what's inside us.

And sometimes, let's be honest, there's not good things inside us.

And James doesn't try to condone this reality.

He doesn't say we all stumble, so let's just accept it and allow it to continue.

No, no, no.

He points ahead to the direction that we should be going, towards maturity.

And that's what the word perfect here means.

It means maturity, that we might come to a place in our Christian walk where we are able to keep our whole bodies in check.

That's the goal.

Not absolute perfection, but rather a maturity in our walk with Jesus, where we're bringing our speech under the control and the power of the Holy Spirit.

So we can, on earth, reach a point of spiritual maturity where we are able to have more victory than failure over sinful impulses, rash statements, and hurtful comments with the Spirit's help.

It is possible to use our speech in a more edifying and productive manner that is more in line with the person of Jesus Christ.

So this is what Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians 9, when he says, I discipline my body and I make it my slave.

And someone might object and say, Well, that was the Apostle Paul.

Yes, but it was written for us.

And the same spirit that dwells in Paul dwells in us.

So Christ has made it possible for us to walk in vocal holiness.

As 2 Peter 1 says, God has given us everything we need to live a godly life.

And that godliness includes what we say.

So instead of allowing our flesh and our tongue to do whatever it pleases, we can, through Christ, tell our body and our tongue what to do.

Now this doesn't mean we have to be a monk or take a vow of silence.

James is not pleading for ascetic behavior, but control over your body in areas where sin seeks to express itself, which includes the tongue.

So allow me to give you guys a few examples of what this might look like.

Someone makes you mad, they mistreat you, and the thought comes to mind, I'm going to hurt this person because they hurt me.

I'm going to tell them to go eat dirt.

That's what you're feeling, that's what you want to say, but the spirit in you knows that's wrong.

So you abstain from saying it.

And you take that thought or that desire captive, the desire to vocalize retaliation.

And you take it to Christ and you say, hmm, this doesn't line up with Jesus, right?

So then you uh eradicate it.

Then you ask, God, what should I say?

What does your word recommend?

Oh, wait, to bless my enemy.

So then, in a matter of moments, instead of telling someone in the flesh to go to hell, you end up saying to them, in the power of the Holy Spirit, I'm so sorry about this whole situation.

I forgive you for any mistreatment.

How can I help or serve you?

Do you see that?

So here's another example.

Maybe Rick is uh, he's doing something that I don't like.

And my flesh really wants to go to Ron behind Rick's back and say, Ron, can you believe Rick why he's acting this way?

Like, what's his problem?

He's got issues.

But I stop that impulse.

I don't act upon that thought.

Instead, the Holy Spirit in me is saying, pray for him.

Lovingly talk to him.

So instead of creating division and promoting gossip and resentment in my own heart towards Rick, instead I pray for him, which creates a greater love for him, and I talk to him about how I'm feeling, which cultivates what?

Conflict, resolution, unity, and growth.

So this is what it looks like to have spirit-filled control over the tongue.

By the way, that was an example.

I struggle with the tongue.

It's control over the tongue, God-honoring language, spirit-influenced communication.

This is Christian maturity, and this is the direction that we should be heading.

Now, this is no easy task because the tongue is very powerful.

Scientists actually say the strongest muscle in the body is the quads, but the Bible clearly says it's the tongue.

And James reminds us of that in verses three through five.

He says, When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal, or take ships for an example.

Although they are so large and driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot wants to go.

Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.

Consider a great forest fire fire is set on fire by a small spark.

So here we are given two visual aids, horses and ships.

Now I'm not a big horse guy, I'm kind of afraid of them, but apparently they can be controlled.

Historically, there's this small piece of metal called a bit that sits in the horse's mouth, and it can be used to steer the direction of the horse.

Now, the same idea can be seen with ships.

Ships are very large and rudders are very small.

The longest ship ever constructed in the whole world was called the Seawise Giant.

Um, it was 458 meters long.

Enormous ship.

And yet it was totally controlled by a small rudder.

So in the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body.

It seems insignificant compared to the rest of the body, but says James, it makes great boasts.

It is able to project very powerful things that can steer or control the whole body, even influencing other people around it.

And as a result, it can create a great deal of harm and corruption.

Like a spark that causes an entire forest fire, the tongue, though small, can cause some of the most tragic and destructive events in life.

Did you know that most people who commit suicide were verbally abused?

Did you know that most school shooters are people who were verbally bullied or physically bullied and listened to extremist words on the internet?

Did you know that millions of marriages have been destroyed because of verbal venom spewed between spouses?

Did you know that entire lives and careers have been ruined because of a rumor?

There are literally decades of unforgiveness, bitter resentment, broken relationships, resulting in a lifetime of estrangement of family members because of words.

Entire cults that have blasphemed God's name for decades and have led millions of souls to hell.

How were they started?

By a word someone received.

Wars have been started among nations.

Millions of innocent lives, not merely because of actions, but because of slanderous words spoken among political leaders and media.

Friends, consider how a spark starts a fire.

Words are powerful.

Words can steer a life and cause a fire.

Proverbs 18, 21 says this: death and life are in the power of the tongue.

Now, I'm not saying that we have the power to speak things into existence.

This isn't a name it and claim it teaching.

That's ridiculous and that's heretical.

But what I am saying, what James is saying, is that words have a great impact and influence both on us and those around us.

And clearly our natural inclination as fallen sinful humans is to use our tongue for evil, to use it as a weapon.

That's our bent.

We use sharp words and loose sentences and hurtful comments and dark humor and sarcastic phrases and passive-aggressive language, which can cause a flame that cannot be extinguished.

Words can destroy a life.

What we say and how we say it can cause some of the greatest injuries and promote some of the worst wickedness.

Now, someone might object and say, Jimmy, you're being a bit dramatic here.

But I'm not.

And I wouldn't dare exaggerate while preaching on the tongue.

The tongue is far more heinous than we could ever imagine.

Just look at verse 6.

The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.

It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one's life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

This is the most hellish, devilish language used to describe the tongue.

A world of evil?

Corrupting whole bodies?

Setting someone's entire course of life on fire?

And being on fire itself by hell?

You'd think we were talking about the devil.

This clearly leaves the impression that one, the tongue is very powerful, and two, it is more often than not used for evil.

So without Christ and his redemption, this is your tongue.

It's a powerful, evil force used to do horrible, horrible things.

And the sad part is many people would never admit that.

Some people wouldn't even recognize it.

You just speak what you think without any consideration, and even worse, you would admire the fact that you speak your mind or speak the evil that's in your heart.

And you can lay down at night in peace, and meanwhile, your words have hurt so many people and created so much drama, causing unforgiveness, pain, damage, ruining relationships, tearing down others.

And yet so many of us would never make the connection between our words and the chaos and the fire that is all around us.

The mantra, sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.

That's a lie.

I'm still haunted at times over past words spoken to me as a child by people in school.

Even as a redeemed Christian, at times past words, things that I've said or things that have been said to me ring in my head from childhood.

The bitter pain of a word spoken against us can hurt for a whole lifetime, long after a broken bone has healed.

But thank God that there's one who speaks a better word over us.

And that's Jesus, our Savior, who has the final say over us and speaks really the only word that matters.

No, James doesn't stop there.

It's like an infograph.

Doesn't stop here.

He doesn't merely just show us the corruption of the tongue, but he wants to show us its uncontrollable nature.

And he does this by pointing to a zoo in verses 7 and 8.

He says, All kinds of animals, birds and reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no man can tame the tongue.

It is a restless evil full of deadly poison.

So we are reminded that mankind has tamed all kinds of animals.

And really it's fascinating.

We have tamed cats and dogs, lions and tigers, elephants, monkeys.

I watched this video the other day of a guy who trained his dog to ride a skateboard on two legs.

And so there's no doubt in my mind if dinosaurs were still on Earth, we would find a way to tame them too.

So humanity has tamed these wild instinctive animals.

And that's pretty impressive, honestly.

But yet when it comes to this small little thing located in our mouth, the tongue, no man can tame it, says James.

It is a restless evil, meaning it never stays still.

It can't be caged.

And it is full of deadly poisoning, meaning it wants to harm others, it wants to bite.

And we cannot declaw this thing.

We can't de-venomize it or put it on a leash.

We do not have that kind of power over the tongue in and of ourselves.

Nevertheless, we know that the tongue can be brought under the power and under the control of the Holy Spirit.

So we might say that only God Himself is mightier than the human tongue.

But without Christ, it cannot be controlled.

It will never rest, it will always want to cause harm.

And if you don't have Jesus, there's nothing you can do about it.

But not only is it uncontrollable, but it is also very inconsistent.

Look at verses 9 through 12.

He says, With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings who have been made in God's likeness.

Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.

My brothers and my sisters, this should not be.

Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?

My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives or a grapevine bear figs?

Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

So it is truly amazing how quickly we can praise God with our mouth, we can speak of his excellencies, proclaim his goodness, and give him praise, and then turn around and curse someone who is made in his image.

Have you guys ever been driving down the road, listening to worship music, praising God?

Maybe even got one hand out the window.

Perhaps you're listening to the newsboys, love one another.

Then all of a sudden somebody cuts you off in traffic, and you say, You stupid idiot.

Have you ever been worshiping God here on Sunday?

And then one of your kids are being so disobedient, so rebellious, and it's embarrassing.

All the other families are looking at you, and you're singing the song His Mercy is More, and then your kid just loses it, and you grab them and you say, I'm going to consume you in my wrath.

Have you ever had a wonderful fellowship with a friend?

And you go and you grab coffee together, and you're just talking about God's goodness in your lives.

Then all of a sudden, not even a minute later, you start saying, Oh my gosh, did you hear about Ron?

Oh, I can't believe it.

He's got serious issues.

What a scumbag.

Oh, Linda just walked in.

Linda, hey, did you hear about Ron?

The tongue is amazingly inconsistent.

It can be used for the highest calling to bless God, and it can be used for the lowest evil to curse men.

But James will have none of it.

If what Jesus said in Matthew 12 is true, that a man's words are a revelation of his heart, then it is completely, totally unfitting that we would bless God and curse men.

Friends, this should not be.

It reveals a divided heart.

Such speech is the mark of a double-minded man who is unstable in all his ways.

It expresses a contradiction in our very being.

Just like a spring that brings forth fresh and salt water, this should not be.

Just like a fig tree bearing olives, this should not be.

If you saw a dog giving birth to a giraffe, or if you saw a browns fan rooting for the bangles, you would say what?

You would say, this should not be.

There's something seriously wrong here.

Well, in the same way, it should not be that a bloodbought child of God would praise God and then tear down others.

It's unfitting, it's abnormal.

And we need to repent of this inconsistency.

Because the reality is this if we are honoring God with our mouth, and that doesn't overflow to God's people around us, and even worse, we use our words to hurt others, and we do that progressively and habitually, that's a dangerous place to be because it might just be revealing a false faith.

Because if you love God, you will, and I repeat, you will love his people and strive to love others who have been created in his beautiful image.

So, proclamation church, what do we do about all this?

Well, clearly it is a call to control the tongue with the Spirit's help and to use the tongue not for evil but for God.

But I think there's a much deeper implication here.

It is a call to our hearts.

Since the tongue is the wellspring of our hearts, then this is really a heart issue.

So I'm going to ask a series of questions about the tongue to gauge where our hearts are at this morning.

Is your tongue used to lift up others?

As Colossians 4.6 says, is your conversation always full of grace?

Or is it always full of critical judgment?

As Proverbs 15.4 says, is your tongue soothing and a tree of life?

Or is it rash and full of death?

As Proverbs 21.23 says, is your tongue guarded and it keeps you from trouble?

Or do you find yourself getting in trouble because of your loose tongue or your aggressive tongue?

Do you use your tongue more to brag about yourself and talk about yourself?

Or do you use it more to edify others?

Do you use your mouth more to complain about the church or praise God for his church?

Do you love to spread the gospel more than you love to spread gossip?

Do you speak your mind or do you filter what you say through the Holy Spirit?

When you talk to your spouse, are your words intentional?

Are they uplifting?

Are they life-giving?

Or are they passive aggressive, critical, and always filled with frustration?

What better defines you?

If someone passed out a transcript of everything you said last week before the church, would you be nervous about that?

Would you be ashamed about that?

Why?

It's questions like this that reveal the true nature of our heart.

Show me what you talk about.

Show me what you use your words for, and I'll show you what you worship.

It will reveal what you truly cherish and adore in life.

And this isn't just an introvert, extrovert matter.

You can't pull that card here and say, Well, I'm an extrovert.

I can't control my tongue.

It's the way God has made me.

No, it's the way sin has shaped us.

We may be more verbally expressive, but it's not an excuse here.

And this points all of us to the gospel.

The solution isn't trying harder in the flesh or trying to willpower your tongue.

We clearly see that in James's text.

The solution is asking Jesus to continue to transform our hearts.

And the solution is drawing nearer to Jesus and delighting in him and being filled more and more with him.

So that when you speak, you can't help but to speak things that are edifying and controlled and beautifully consistent in godliness.

Church, God has redeemed us.

You've been rescued by Christ.

He's reconciled us to God the Father.

And in this beautiful salvation, God has made us his children.

He's given us his spirit, and we are now his ambassadors, his representatives, his mouthpiece on earth.

It is our job now, as his people, to proclaim his gospel, to vocally declare the excellencies that are found in Christ, and to call others to believe and to use our words to build up our brothers and sisters in Christ.

God has saved us, not just from sinful behavior, but from evil language, that our words might be a sweet aroma going before the throne of God, pleasing Him.

So, church, this wonderful gift that God has given us vocal cords, communication, the ability to project sound and communicate language, it's meant to be used for God's glory.

If you are in Christ, your life is not your own, and that includes your tongue.

So may we, as Ephesians 4 29 says, not allow any unwholesome talk to come out of our mouths, except only that which is helpful for building up others according to their needs, that we may benefit those who listen.

And again, in 1 Peter 3.11, for whoever would love life, do you love life?

For whoever would love life and see good days, do you want to see good days?

Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.

It's time to start using our words more intentionally.

It's time to start using this great gift of speech to advance God's kingdom.

A kind word, a word of encouragement, a proclamation of Jesus could make a world of difference in someone's life.

And so confess with your mouth this morning, before your mouth this morning, and ask God to change your heart and guard your tongue.

The days are short.

The Lord's return is nearer than ever.

Rick preached on that last time.

So let's start being more mindful and spiritually mature in our speech.

And let's be a church that is known for words of life.

Let's be a people who are so deeply in love with Jesus and obsessed with his work on the cross that it naturally overflows and is seen in the way that we walk and the way that we talk.

Church, honor the Lord with your speech this morning.

Let's pray.

Father, we thank you for this word.

Lord, how often we take um the we take the tongue for granted.

Lord, I pray that you would work in us this truth.

Lord, write this scripture on our hearts.

Help us, God, to be a church that is constantly praising you, constantly lifting up others.

May we be a mouthpiece for you, Lord, here at Proclamation Church.

Father, work in our hearts this morning.

Show us your goodness.

Help us to leave here encouraged, knowing that you love us.

And Lord, for those who are here who may not know you, I pray, Lord, that you would save their soul, work in their heart, bring conviction, grant repentance and faith.

Father, thank you for your word.

We praise you in Jesus' name.

Amen.