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Today as we pick up in part 4 of our series Faith in Real Life we are going to look at James 3:1-12. This passage zeros in on the extraordinary power of the tongue.

So far in the book of James we have seen how spiritual maturity is developed through our response to suffering along with how the demonstration of works reveals the maturity of our faith in response to God’s word. Today, we are going to look at how spiritual maturity is evidenced by the use of the tongue.

For a moment before we read the passage let’s briefly consider the power and potential of the tongue. Now understand when we talk about the tongue were not merely mentioning the physical appendage, but the words the tongue can produce through speaking.

What is the potential of the tongue?
I feel the natural inclination is to think of the potential of the tongue in the negative sense only, but it has great potential overall.

It has the power of Life and Death. Proverbs 18:20–21 “A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.”

The tongue can speak life to dreams and visions, it can speak truth, it can prophesy, give words of knowledge, and words of wisdom, it can offer up prayer. It simultaneously can be used to do the opposite. Speaking lies, bringing death by false accusations, deceiving, or manipulating.

It can build up and edify, or it can tear down and destroy. Proverbs 12:18 “There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health.” Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”

The tongue can build up others through expressions of appreciation and affirmation. The proverbial nod to things that they have done well or achieved, and giving encouragement for future things they will do. Or we know that the tongue can also be used to destroy and tear down by belittling, character assassination, or being critical.

It can be used for blessing, or it can be used for cursing. James 3:10 “Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.”

It can be used to teach, correct, equip, and train, or it can be used to deceive, manipulate, and lead people astray. Proverbs 15:28 “The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.”

So, we see this contrast of the effect and ability of the tongue. The greatest question in the power of the tongue is what has the control of it? The flesh or the spirit. The renewed or the unrenewed mind?

James begins by issuing wise counsel to those who aspire to be teachers.

He says, James 3:1 “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.”

Why should this be?

Those who teach should be conscious of the weight and potential influence of what they say because words lie at the heart of the teaching ministry. To have an unreliable tongue is likely to provide a destructive model for those who are taught.

The potential for multiplication of influence requires a teacher to understand the measure of both responsibility and opportunity. They must have principle and pattern of judgment concerning the righteous word of God. Teachers must understand the greater accountability and condemnation that follows if we teach incorrectly. God will not hold teachers guiltless if they knowingly lead people astray.

Another dimension with influence is speech vs. lifestyle. The elevated responsibility of those who teach is to model what it looks like to serve Jesus well. If we talk one way, and live another we will deceive people.

Romans 2:21 “You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal?”

Teachers must be careful to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Talk without walk leads to deception. Be mindful not to gain knowledge through study and then fail to put it into practice. That is what the scribes and pharisees did, and we understand from the gospels Jesus’s view on that practice.

A final aspect in teaching, we must be mindful not to allow ourselves to get caught up in a place of judgement over people’s lives. Even though we have gained knowledge and model a life of faith, we still stumble.

James 3:2 reminds us, “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.”

Those who teach are expected to model a life of faith and rightfully so, but ultimately Jesus is our model and example.

Teachers must be sensitive and responsive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Godly leaders and teachers are not to be arrogant or prideful. They should walk in sensitivity to the spirit in humility, meekness, and the fear of the Lord.

Now after this initial instruction to those who desire to teach James then zeros in on the tongue itself. He uses three objects to illustrate the effect of the tongue.

1. A bit in a horse’s mouth.
2. A rudder on a ship.
3. A little fire.

1. A bit in the horse’s mouth.
James 3:3 “Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body.”

Consider the imagery of the horse. It is a powerful animal capable of many things and yet is turned easily by the bit in its mouth. The words of our mouth are like a bridle in the mouth of a horse. Like the bit leading the horse in a specific direction our words are leading us in a direction to a destination. The greatest question of the illustration is who is holding the reins?

Psalm 32:9 “Do not be like the horse or like the mule, Which have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you.”

If we lack understanding the words of our mouth will become a snare to our lives leading us to places, we don't want to go. Our lives have great potential that can be robbed by an inability to control the tongue.

1 Peter 3:10 “For “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit.”

2. A rudder on a ship.
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.”

This second example of a rudder on a ship once again illustrates the power of what seems small or insignificant. Though the rudder is small in comparison to the size of the ship and the fierceness of the wind that drives the sails. Yet it steers the direction and sets the course of the ship. The emphasis of the rudder is the question. Who is the pilot or captain steering the ship?

What has captivated my heart in both examples so far is the capacity of the horse and ship. They have so much potential. Think of the ship. How many people it could carry, the amount of cargo it could hall. The precious resources it could transport. Also, the horse with major advantages it brought in travel or agriculture. Now think of that in the context of people. We have unlimited potential To do great things. But the word is telling us that the speech of our mouth can turn away from the vastness of our potential.

3. A little fire.
James 3:5 “Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!”

A small fire can destroy an entire forest; all it takes is an uncontrolled spark. So it is with the tongue. A sharp word, a loose sentence, a callous or sharp response can set on course a large blaze of destruction that has great difficulty being extinguished.
Proverbs 26:20 “Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.”

The words of our mouth are both the spark and fuel for many problems.
• Lies spark an erosion of trust.
• Perverted speech sparks perversion of your life.
• Profanity leads to the profane.
• Sarcasm and insults linger in the hearts of others.
• Slander speaks with the critical intent to hurt.
• Flattery and flirty speech sparks the desires that lead to sexual sin.
• Gossip sparks the destruction of friendships and relationships.
• While Grumbling and complaining spark doubt and unbelief.

The tongue though small in stature can cause disproportionate destruction, and like the bit in the horse’s mouth or the rudder on a ship our words steer our life.

James further describes the tongue as a world of iniquity. Proverbs 10:19 affirms this, “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.”

He says it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Romans 3:13 “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”;”

The poison it references is the duality of its use. On the one hand we use it to bless God, and the other we curse men who are made in the image of God. To curse means to invoke divine harm or evil on someone or something. God has called us to become singular. We know that the double minded man is unstable in all His ways.

Now why is it so challenging and what is the root issue of the tongue?

He says the tongue is set on fire by hell. What is meant by that? Once again, we come back to the unrenewed mind. The picture of the bit in the horse’s mouth breeds the question who is holding the reins? With the rudder steering the ship the question is who is at the helm?

The power of the revelation is to understand who is in control, and who it is that is leading our lives. Our speech gives evidence to who is holding the reigns and steering the ship.

James said that no man can tame the tongue. It’s a world of iniquity, full of deadly poison. Hearing that it would be easy to assume that the task then to guard our speech is impossible. That is not true. James is correct in stating that NO MAN CAN TAME THE TONGUE.

Do you want to know who can? The Spirit of God Can.

When we renew our mind with the word of God it will change our speech. I believe this is something we will have to run after our entire lives, but it is possible.

I have shared many times that the issues Jesus came to address are the issues of the heart. The tongue is no different. The tongue simply carries into the world the breath that issues from the heart, by verbally projecting the thoughts and the intents of the heart.

Remember Jesus said in Luke 6:45 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

Our greatest need in the area of speech is submission to the Lord. To submit to his rule so that He would take the reins and stand at the helm of our life. His word is filled with instruction on how we are to speak and what we are to refrain from. This is part of the process of sanctification in the life of the believer.

Our answer is to fill our hearts with the word of God and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Allowing Him to temper the various areas of heart. Proverbs 15:28 “The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.”

Mastery over the tongue is possible if we will follow the lead of the Holy Spirit.