James 3:5b-12 - Warning About Our Tongues And What God Has Done For Us
In James 3 we have been shown that James has a very healthy respect for the power of the tongue. James has a very sobering view of the tongue and this view is corroborated with the teachings of Scripture. For example, this week I was reading in Isaiah 7 about two powerful kings who were coming against Judah. As you think about this scene you can imagine how terrifying it would be to see two large armies coming to mount an attack against your city. The scriptures describe how the king reacted in this moment, “The heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.” (7:2)
The LORD mercifully sends the prophet Isaiah to King Ahaz. The LORD sends His prophet and not a general with a military plan. No, the LORD gives King Ahaz a very practical plan regarding how he is to respond during this trial while God delivers them from our enemies. (This is an illustration about how God will tame our tongues.)
The LORD says to the king, “Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint…”. (7:4) If you were Ahaz would you take the time to listen to this Word of God and then take it seriously?
Let’s put this instruction in Isaiah 7:4 in the context of what James has taught us.
‘Be careful’- James has taught us to remain steadfast in the faith and don’t allow your faith to shift away from your trust in the LORD. (James 1:3-4)
‘Be quiet’- James has taught us that during trials we are to guard our hearts and bridle our mouths while we meditate upon God’s Word and obey it in faith. (6:11) We are best served in moments like this when we speak only those things that glorify God and strengthen our faith. We are best served in these moments when we pray and to seek God’s wisdom while making our request in faith. If we do not do this in faith we will be double-minded and unstable in all your ways. (James 1:5-8)
‘Do not fear’- James has taught us to remember that blessed is the man who remains steadfast in the faith under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive all that God has promised. (James 1:12)
‘Do not let your heart be faint’- James has taught us to endure with joy our trials. (1:2-4) It is not uncommon that our faith will often shift from Christ and when this happens our hearts will be unsettled and fear will over take us. In our fear we say foolish things. (James 1:13) We must remember that every good gift and every perfect gift is from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1:16-17)
After saying these things to King Ahaz the LORD tells him that his enemies will not have the victory. The LORD promises that those who have come to fight against him will be defeated at the proper time. Therefore, the LORD says to King Ahaz in Isaiah 7:9, “If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.”
From this verse we see that a steadfast faith is essential to how we are to live. A person's faith will express itself through careful obedience to the Word of God, through guarding the thoughts of the heart and the speaking of the tongue, it will provide freedom from fear and peace, and our hearts will not faint in the face of adversity but it will persevere and obtain the victory.
With these things in mind let us turn now to James 3 and continue to look at James’ teaching regarding the tongue. Let week our text was James 3:1-5a which says, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 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. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 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. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.
In this text, we saw that James gave us strong encouragement to bridle our tongues. James reminded us that we all stumble in many ways: in thought, word, and deed. (2) The Christian is engaged in a battle on many fronts. Since this is the case we might ask, “What is the best strategy for fighting this battle for our sanctification?” Let me state three things regarding this.
First, we are surrounded by a multitude of counselors but who should we listen too. King Ahaz was surrounded by people who shook in fear and were responding in many different ways. The LORD, however, sent His prophet who would exhort Ahaz to live by faith in the face of this trial. He did not give the king a military plan; no, he gave him a plan for all of life. He gave the king the Word of God. This is where we need to go to get our plan as well for all of life. (James 3:1)
Secondly, like King Ahaz, we are to receive grace for our sanctification by faith. Consider what the Baptist Catechism teaches regarding a believer's sanctification. It asks, “What is sanctification?” The answer is, “Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God; and are enabled more and more to die to sin, and to live unto righteousness.” This answer is full of so many encouraging truths. For example, it teaches us that...
‘Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace’- Having received God’s mercy we are justified by God’s free grace and this grace continues working in a believer from that point on to work out their sanctification.
‘...whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God...’- This grace renews, restores, and matures a believer in every area of their life from the inside out. And what is this grace achieving? God’s grace works to restore us back into the image of God which has been so badly damaged by sin. (James 1:18)
‘...and are enabled more and more to die to sin, and to live unto righteousness.’- Justification is a powerful and decisive work of God, and from that moment on the progress of sanctification begins in a believer's life and this grace continues without fail to the very end. (Philippians 1:6)
Third, while engaging in this battle for our sanctification James, like the prophet Isaiah, exhorts us that we are to pay particular attention to our tongues. (Isaiah 7:4) James says in verse 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.”
With these words, James is implying that the more we bridle our tongue the more this will affect every other area of our lives. If by faith we apply the grace of God to our tongue then this grace will become more noticeable in the other areas of our lives.
Some of us may question if this could realy be true? It is often our habit to concentrate on so many other areas of our lives while we ignore what the tongue is saying. I think that James understood that it might be hard for us to accept this teaching so he uses two powerful illustrations to convince us. The first illustration is about how a 1,200 pound horse can be controlled by the will of a rider when a bit is put into its mouth.
As you contemplate this illustration don’t picture a strong cowboy sitting on a horse like John Wayne. Instead, imagine a small child sitting on top of a large 1,200 pound horse while holding onto the harness. A child can sit on a large horse that possesses such great power and control it. That child can control such a strong beast and make it go wherever they want.
The second illustration was that we ought to consider a very large ship that is driven by strong winds. Even as the wind blows the waves against a ship that vessel can move wherever the will of the pilot directs by turning a very small rudder.
Illustration: This Fall Mindy and I went to Lake Michigan and took a boat tour. Before the boat was released from the moorings our tour guide took some time to give us the captain's credentials to assure us that we would have a safe voyage. After he did this I think we all felt pretty safe on this boat.
At one point during the trip the Captain had a father bring up a very young girl who had been badly burned and he let her sit in the captain's seat and steer that large vessel. During that time the boat went wherever the captain told that little girl to go.
Similarly, our tongues are to be surrendered to the control of our LORD Jesus Christ. Those who profess to have faith in Jesus Christ are to act and speak in a godly and righteous manner.
Now let’s look at James 3:5b-12 which says, “How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 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. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.”
In James 3:1-5a we were given strong encouragement to bridle the tongue. In this passage, we are given a very strong incentive to do this immediately and persistently without fail. James says, “How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 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.”
James says, “How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!” We might consider the smallness of our tongues, and the words that it produces, and conclude that these things don’t matter, that they are nothing, they are irrelevant, inconsequential, insignificant, and meaningless. Nothing, however, could be farther from the truth. James says that our little tongue, and the little words that it speaks, can set the world ablaze and they will direct the entire course of life!
Illustration: When I was clearing our land to build our house I created a lot of brush. It was piled everywhere and it needed to be burned. To be honest, I really did not want to have to stop and get a burning permit but I am glad that I did. When I did this I also learned that even with that permit I was still liable for any mishap that might occur. Did you know the same is true with our tongue? (Matthew 12:36- “On that day people will give account for every careless word that they speak.”)
Knowing that I was liable for any fire that got out of control I intended to be very careful. However, when I began to burn the brush one day I became overly confident and I started to pile the brush up too high on multiple piles of burning brush. At one point, however, the wind picked up and the fires began to spread on the ground small sparks began to fly through the air. My heart was racing at the thought that any one of those sparks might make their way into the nearby trees.
James lived in a dry and arid region and everyone would have known the destructive nature of a wildfire. The threat of a fire must have been very alarming to them because in James’ day there were no firetrucks, fire suppression systems, and big equipment to help with such things.
There are two observations I would like to make about the words, “How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!” First, notice that James speaks of a vast forest. A forest is made up of innumerable trees that are growing close together. Under those trees there would be an innumerable number of fallen trees that are lying on the ground dried out and decaying. All of these things become fuel for any spark that would fall upon them. (Consider Shmeekle Reserve)
During a forest fire, the flames can go several hundred feet into the air. This happens when the leaves of those trees is ignited. When this happens the fire explodes as if gas is being poured onto a flame and the winds drive the fire up high into the air and into any neighboring trees. This is what James is speaking of when he writes, “How great a forest is set ablaze...”
Secondly, notice that James says that this great forest can be set ablaze by ‘a small fire’. Another translation says, ‘a mere spark’. A large fire always begins with just one small spark or a small flame.
Illustration: I know a family who had a house fire. This fire destroyed their home and it started when their child crawled under a bed and lit one little tiny match. Everyone in the home was ok. Unfortunately, after this happened the child did the same thing again in another home and the same thing happened.
Similarly, a little word, carelessly used, will always result in big trouble. This is the lesson that James wants us to learn about the tongue. The tongue is a very dangerous member of our body. The tongue is dangerous whether or not these words come out of a child or an adult. John Flavel spoke of this when he wrote, “God is pleased to suspend the power of speech (as we see in children) until reason begins to bud in them: they have not the liberty of one, until they have the use of the other. Which plainly shows, that God is not willing to have our words run waste.”
The illustration of a fire spreading through a forest is a powerful picture that is meant to make us take quick action to bridle our tongue. Consider Proverbs 26:18-28 and how often this text addresses the danger of the tongue and its effects. It says,
“
18 Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death19 is one who deceives their neighbor and says, “I was only joking!” 20 Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts. 23 Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart.24 Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit.25 Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts.26 Their malice may be concealed by deception, but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.”
Consider carefully what James says next, “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.”
Can James give us any more sobering facts regarding the tongue than he does here? These words are meant to move us to quickly bridle the tongue. The tongue IS a fire..the tongue IS a world of unrighteousness...the tongue IS set in our members, the tongue stains the whole body...the tongue IS a member of our body that sets on fire the entire course of our life...and the tongue IS set on fire by hell. Do you need any more proof to make the sanctification of your tongue a priority?
In the second half of James 3 James will summarize these things by saying that a believer's life is not to be characterized by the wisdom of this world which IS: earthly, unspiritual, and demonic! (James 3:15)
Consider what James says next in vv. 7-8, “For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, BUT no human being can tame the tongue. It (the tongue that is set among your members) is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”
Man can do so much, but he cannot tame the tongue. Illustration: A UWSP Master’s student attended our church and he gave my son and me a tour of the place where he worked. One of the tasks that he had to do was to feed the snakes and we were going to watch him do this with 6-7 foot snakes.
As we observed him do this we were all standing in a tight space as he brought a snake out of the cage using a metal snake tong. He lifted the snake up in the air as he walked past me and the snakes head passed within inches of my face. That snake looked directly at me as he went by me. That was a terrifying moment! It was only after this happened that we were told that they have trained these snakes in such a way that they are very calm while they are getting fed so there was little chance that snake would have tried to strike me.
James, however, says that the tongue cannot be tamed, it cannot be bridled, it cannot be muzzled, it cannot be controlled by any man. All have tried and everyone has failed! James says it is a restless evil and full of poison. Our tongues can lash out and strike fast at any moment.
Notice that James does not simply say that the tongue possesses a mild poison that is irritable. No James says that the tongue contains deadly poison. James also says that the tongue is always full and ready to disperse its poison whenever it finds an opportunity. The tongue, in other words, cannot contain both good and evil, truth and lies, blessing and cursing. No, it is full of poison.
James has communicated some very sobering news about the tongue. It is a small member of our body but it stains and consumes all of life. James has told us that no man can tame the tongue. And worse yet, the tongue is restless and full of deadly poison!
Is there any hope for us? In James 3:1-12 James has…
Given us a battle plan regarding our sanctification. We are to bridle the tongue. (2-5a)
James gave us strong incentive to address the tongue. (5b-8) It is restless and full of deadly poison.
And as we come to the end of this text (9-12) James reminds us that there is hope.
After describing the tongue in these ways James is not full of despair because he will not look to man but to God for the answer. James says, “With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” (9-10)
God created mankind in His image but original sin has affected everything. If God did not show kindness and mercy to sinners we would never be saved from our spiritual death and misery. But God, who is rich in mercy, has acted to save and restore sinners.
The people that James is writing to have professed faith in Christ and that they have a love for God. (2:1) James sincerely believes them to have received a new nature. (1:18)
He is writing to believers who have been justified. They have been forgiven of their sins and they have received the righteousness of Christ.
They have been adopted into God’s family and given all the rights and privileges of a child of God.
They have received the work of God’s grace, whereby they are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die to sin, and live unto righteousness. (See Baptist Confession Question 36-38)
Because God is restoring sinners by His sovereign grace James can confidently say, “My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.”
This week I would encourage you as you walk out your salvation to remember that God created us in His image. (Genesis 1:27) However, when Adam and Eve sinned we all fell through them. (Romans 5:12) But God did not leave us in our sin and misery. Through Christ He came seeking sinners to redeem them by grace. (Titus 2:14) And He also seeks to sanctify us by grace. (Hebrews 10:14; 2Corinthians 13:11) If we are to tame the tongue, we must know and apply these things in faith.
Comments