Taming the Tongue

I. Introduction
A. What do horses, ships, and fires have in common?
1. One things is that all three are used by James in James 3:3-6 to illustrate the power of the tongue.
B. Last week, we had to dive pretty deep into James 2:14-26. in order to grapple with the faith and works issue in But if you’re the kind of person who prefers very practical sermons, then this is the week for you.
C. This larger section is on faith and works. True faith, James says, yields fruit in the way one lives. In this section James mentions three examples of how faith must be manifested in one’s life:
1. In James 1:27, 2:2-9, and then 2:15-16 he mentions caring for the poor.
2. In James 1:27 and later in 4:3-5 he says to “to keep oneself unstained from the world.”
3. And then the use of the tongue in 1:19-21, 1:26, and now here in 3:1-12.
D. James 3:1–12 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.
II. Explanation of James 3:1–12
A. It is not obvious at first that James is introducing the subject of the tongue: 1 “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”
1. He starts by talking about teachers in the church, and how people shouldn’t pursue that role lightly, because teachers will be judged by a higher standard.
2. But as James continues in the next verse, it becomes clear that this is being said in the context of a larger point about what people say.
B. 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.
1. If one of us could master the words which come out of this mouth, we would have achieved perfection.
C. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well.
1. Horses are such large creatures, so much bigger than us and stronger than us.
2. And yet, people are able to control a horse with a tiny little piece of metal which goes through their mouths.
3. And with that, you can steer these mighty beasts this way or that way. It’s amazing!
4. And then he reinforces the point with the analogy of a ship’s rudder...
D. 4-5a 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. 5a So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.
1. In both of these analogies, James is not saying that a person’s tongue is somehow his/her control center. He is saying that, though small, the tongue has much power and importance, like a bit in a horse’s mouth or a rudder on a ship.
2. Then, he moves on to the analogy of a forest fire...
E. 5b-6 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.
1. Here his point is slightly different. Instead of merely illustrating the power and importance of the tongue, the analogy of a small spark setting aflame an entire forest shows the destructive potential of the tongue.
2. These days, it seems like forest fires have become a normal part of our news. This morning’s news feed talks about the Mosquito Fire in northern California, which has been burning all week, has already charred around 35,000 acres and is 0% contained. There are 3,666 structures threatened and the fire department hopes to have it fully contained by Oct.15!
3. And those fires are started by the smallest spark: a discarded cigarette, a lightning strike on a tree, a campfire not thoroughly extinguished.
4. Some of you remember that about 23 years ago, we had a small forest fire in our woods, resulting from one of our own children’s carelessness. The fire department, along with our neighbors were able to get it under control in a few hours and there was no significant damage.
5. But many forest fires cause great destruction: 1000's of acres burn, whole neighborhoods burn to the ground, animals are killed, sometimes people die. All from a little, insignificant-looking spark.
6. That’s what the tongue can do. A tiny little organ in our mouth, but it can have devastating effect.
7. Then James goes on to say...
F. 7-8 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.
1. Animals trained: Sea World, circus bison, YouTube: many videos of animals trained to perform.
2. It’s amazing the power human beings have to train all kinds of creatures!
3. But no one can tame his own tongue. You can’t get it to do what you want it to do.
4. In some context, evil stuff comes out of it, poisonous stuff, stuff which hurts the people we love, stuff we wish we could take back – but we can’t.
5. The tongue is not only powerful, but it is uncontrollable – and devastating.
G. 9-12 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.
1. In this final section, James portrays the scandalous contradiction which characterizes the tongue of a Christian. The very same tongue with which we lift up beautiful praises to the Lord, is used to curse the very people He loves.
2. How many of us sing praise and recite Scripture at church, and then snap at our child or bark at our spouses on the way home?
3. This isn’t the way it should be, is it?
4. Bad fruit shouldn’t be coming from people with Christ in their hearts.
5. Having the HS at work within us ought to make a difference in the way we use our tongues.
6. Our speech ought always be gracious, seasoned with salt, as Paul says in Col.4:6.
7. How can we expect people to listen to our words about Christ when they also hear words coming out of our mouths which dishonor Christ?
III. Summary, confession and an important lesson
A. The main points of James 3:1-12 are rather obvious:
1. The tongue, though small, has an enormous amount of power.
2. In particular, the tongue is capable of wreaking havoc. Like a casually-discarded cigarette can cause a devastating and deadly forest fire, so “the tongue is a fire...setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.” (James 3:6)
3. The use of the tongue is just about the hardest thing for a Christian person to master.
4. Tragically, this means that out of the same Christian mouth comes forth both worshipful praises of the living God, as well as words which judge and condemn and disdain and disrespect.
B. In light of this, we can well understand why a person should think twice about having a teaching ministry in the church. The potential for harm is even greater for someone who is thought, in some sense, to speak for God and about God, and to represent God.
1. And many books could be written about ways that pastors have hurt people in their congregations through their words.
2. As a pastor, I’ve never cursed anyone out. I don’t think I’ve ever screamed at anyone, except my own family. But it doesn’t take that kind of thing to do damage as a pastor.
3. I have made arrogant comments, thoughtless comments, ill-timed trivial comments, irritated remarks. I have spoken careless words, unkind words, judgmental words, selfish words, words which revealed something very wrong in my heart.
4. Some things I’ve said still haunt me over 30 years later.
5. And I know ways I’ve hurt people. And I don’t just mean hurt their feelings; I mean I’ve done them damage.
6. And, if I’ve hurt any of you by things I’ve said, I would love to talk with you about it.
7. I also have memories of things others have said to me over the years which were deeply hurtful. Those things are hard to forget.
C. Why is the tongue so untamable & hurtful? It is important we realize where the real problem lies.
1. The issue isn’t that we don’t try hard enough to control our tongues. The issue is that there is something very wrong with us in the deepest part of our being: our hearts.
a. Eric Grover said it well in a song: “In my heart there is a treason, one that poisons all my love.”
2. I told you a few years ago that my wife and I were very blessed by reading How We Love, by Milan & Kay Yerkovich. Well, it was so helpful to us that over the last year-and-a-half we have been meeting each week working our way through the accompanying workbook.
a. As a result of one of our sessions recently, we came to the conclusion that we didn’t have tender hearts toward one another, we’ve never had enough compassion on each other.
b. We knew that we had a tendency to say things to each other with an edge in our voice, and we have hurt each other many times. Both of us tried hard to speak in a way in which we couldn’t be accused of that, and were often defensive when we were.
c. But we realized that the problem wasn’t so much with our words as with our hearts.
d. As Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Matthew 12:34
e. And so what we needed to do was not work harder to control our tongues, but repent of our sin and cry out to God that He would give us tender hearts toward one other. And God has been doing some really precious things in our relationship since then. It may be long overdue, but after over 50 years together, it is very precious. It is very hard to have a happy marriage if you aren’t tenderhearted toward one another. and it means so much to have a spouse who is tenderhearted toward you. (Of course, I share this with her permission.)
3. But our tongues are not only twisted, they’re diabolical.
a. James puts it this way in v.6 “The tongue is set on fire by hell.”
b. We can’t tame the tongue because there are actors and forces at play which are way beyond our control.
c. I think a lot about what I will be like and what I hope to be like on my deathbed. But the fact is, I can’t plan that. Even then, my heart will be untamable and potentially hurtful.
IV. But as we reflect and mourn over the damage done – and the potential future damage done – by our own tongues, there are three things we should remember:
A. We should remember the golden tongue of the Son of God while He walked on this earth, and cherish the verbal gems which came through His tongue.
1. “Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks.” John 7:46. All the great things ever said, all the great orators, all the inspiring speeches. But no one ever spoke like this Man.
2. Luke 4:22-32 refers to “the gracious words which were falling from His lips”
3. Remember this is the One who invented the tongue. He not only knows the truth, He is the truth.
4. If the OT law of the Lord was more to be desired than gold and sweeter than honey (Ps.19), how valuable and delicious the words of Jesus are! And how precious these words ought to be to us!
5. If the OT law was water, our Lord’s words were wine.
6. “Christ the blessed One gives to all wonderful words of life, sinner listen to His loving call, wonderful words of life. All so freely given, wooing us to heaven, beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life.” (Philip Bliss)
7. In a world of hateful and hurtful words, Jesus’ words are holy and helpful and healing.
B. We should also remember that one day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord (Phil.2:10-11).
1. One day Satan will be cast down and his influence over us will be over. Then our tongues will no longer be impossible to tame.
2. One day our hearts will be purely devoted to God and our tongues will be elegant tools of His glorious praise! No more hurt! No more careless comments! No more world of unrighteousness, no more restless evil, no more deadly poison, no more destructive fires!
3. Every word will be gold, every comment a treasure, every remark praiseworthy. That’s where we’re headed. I can’t wait!
C. And, in the meantime, until that day, there is one more good thing to remember.
1. At times James sounds like a pretty high level of godliness is necessary in order for us to feel secure about the authenticity of our own Christian faith.
2. So far in this epistle, there have been a number of verses which emphasize the need for works – not to be saved, but to demonstrate one’s salvation.
3. This is even the case with regard to the use of the tongue. “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.” James 1:26
4. But in this passage James admits that even true Christians struggle a lot with sin.
a. 3:2 For we all stumble in many ways.
b. 3:8 No human being can tame the tongue.
5. You know, sometimes we need to hear the Bible’s challenge that we must be doers of God’s word and not just hearers of it (James 1:22).
6. But there are other times when we need to remind ourselves that “we all stumble in many ways,” and that “no human being can tame the tongue.”
7. The fact is, all of us are sinners saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
8. In this life, none of us lives the way we ought to live. None of us speaks the way we ought to speak. None of us feels the way we ought to feel. None of us loves what we ought to love.
9. This is why we confess our sins and ask Jesus to forgive us.
10. This is why we look to the cross. This is why, when Satan tempts me to despair and tells me of the guilt within, upward I look and see Him there, who made an end of all my sin. (Before the Throne of God Above, by Vikki Cook and Charite Bancroft)