James (14) Controlling the Tongue (James 3:2b–12)

Evening Service, 13 September 2009

James (14) Controlling the Tongue (James 3:2b–12)

In v.2 James calls us to a Biblical Realism. He is not saying that there is a ‘perfect man’ – in fact quite the opposite.

A wise old Christian was speaking to one ‘believed in sinless perfectionism, and who indeed had been bragging about his sinlessness. He asked, “Can you point to a single man or woman, other than Jesus, in the entire Bible?” “Yes,” replied the perfectionist, “turn to Luke 1:6 and you will read of Elizabeth and Zacharias that “…they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” “I am glad you mentioned Zacharias,” said the old saint, “for if you read on you will find that the Bible says he was struck dumb because he did not believe the special revelation which God gave him through Gabriel.” (see Luke 1:20)

Here James explodes the false notion of sinless perfectionism by stating that every person is guilty of sin – literally, “we stumble again and again” (see also Eccles 7:20; 1 Jn 1:8; Rom 3:10, 23).

He does so demonstrating it in our use of the tongue, particularly in that we don’t control it as we should. James in vv.1-12 is highlighting the scriptural truth that the mouth is a focal point and vivid indicator of man’s fallenness and sinful heart condition (cf. Isa 6:5; Matt 15:11,16–19; Mark 7:20–23; Rom 3:13,14). As Doriani points out, ‘The tongue daily demonstrates both our sinfulness and our inability to reform ourselves. Failures of the tongue are frequent and public, hence undeniable.’ How often we have seen the media pouch on the foot-in-mouth disease of politicians and famous people, or any other whom they want to hold up to ridicule or to expose in their eyes the folly of their views. Indeed, do we not know this ourselves. In speaking of teachers James is reminding us that we all suffer from this reality, but also that we all in the pursuit of practical godliness need to take seriously the battle with the tongue, or rather the battle with what the tongue represents, sin-within. It is not only teachers who are called to control their tongue or demonstrate problems to do so.

James is calling all of us to manage or control our tongue, to see this as a point of priority in the Christian life and that it is essential for a consistent Christian life. In fact it could be said that James’ point is that ‘true religion controls the tongue’. To that end James speaks of and calls us to recognise the powerful influence of the tongue. It is

James uses three examples to show this

The ‘bit’ (v.3) which directs and stops the powerful horse. In both cases a disproportionately small thing moves and controls a large body.

The ‘rudder’ (v.4) which though unseen steers the ship against the powerful forces of the wind and waves. For those no familiar with boats, if James was writing today he might have used the idea of a steering wheel in a car. In like manner the tongue has great influence on the whole person.

Then of the ‘spark’ (v.5b) from which a raging forest fire can develop – a reality we are all too well aware of in this country as year after year we face the awful trauma of bushfires and regularly hear news reports of house fires. A little carelessness with fire can cause enormous damage – just a cigarette butt falling into dry grass by the roadside may be all that is required (as the TV ads when I was a child indicated). So too the tongue can set fire to relationships, communities and nations. In Proverbs we read, “An ungodly man digs up evil, and it is on his lips like a burning fire. A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates the best of friends” (Prov 16:27-28, cf 26:20-22).

Something small, insignificant, accomplishes so much (v.5a) – not a false boast. The small tongue has such a great influence on the whole body.

Have we not seen this throughout history?

It was with the tongue that Sir Winston Churchill galvanised the nation of Great Britain against Germany. And what of Adolf Hitler’s ‘skill’?

Indeed, has not God given the tongue a place of honour in saving people? Do we not come to faith in Christ “through preaching” (Rom 10:10).

Have we not known something of this in our own lives? Been comforted, guided, strengthened, corrected, led to the Lord by the use of someone’s tongue? This is the greatest use of the tongue among humanity.

The use of the tongue, then, is not a minor matter, and controlling your tongue is not a minor thing in developing a consistent Christian character. It is fundamental because of the influence it can bear.

The tongue exercises a disproportional influence. So much damage is done in and for the cause of Christ because we forget this, and many opportunities are wasted because we neglect this. Until we see this about the tongue we will not see the importance of giving attention to controlling it.

Its powerful influence is further seen in that the tongue is the last frontier of human dominion in a sinful world.

James stresses man’s ability

We are renowned for taming the created world. Despite the inroads of sin into the functioning of this world, we show ourselves adept at discovering and controlling it. Discoveries which are almost daily made testify to this. You don’t have to be a Christian to do this. There is sufficient of the image of God in mankind that enables this.

But James equally points out our failure with the tongue!

This is not hard to prove – is it? During WWII the slogan was plastered everywhere, ‘Loose lips sink ships’. The underlying understanding was that even in the best of people there is a tendency to fail to control the tongue. “A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calls for blows. A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.”(Prov 18:6-7)

Despite our best efforts, under duress or stress, we blow it. It is such a little thing, but we can’t control it! Man can bring under control everything else – but the tongue – by comparison so small and accessible – remains uncontrolled.

James’s point here is that this is not accidental – this failure is due to the defect of our nature through sin.

In v.6 we see the impact of the tongue for evil in that it is described as “a world of iniquity” – not that all evil is due to the tongue, rather that much of the evil in this world is related to this small instrument! It’s incredible capacity to suggest sin establishes it as a source of great wickedness. It is not that the tongue is necessarily more evil than other members of the body, but speech is involved in almost every form of wickedness and indeed it exercises a corrupt influence. For example, we say someone is selfish or lazy because we think it, but once we say it we think it all the more and find that we relate to them in the light of it all the more earnestly.

But we also see that the cause of this is the activity of satan on human nature – “is set on fire by hell”. As MacArthur notes, ‘Even a slip of the tongue – carries the full potential of all hell’s evil’.

Even the Christian finds themselves vulnerable to satan at this point – so easily at times do we find ourselves succumbing to the influences of satan on our sinful nature.

Notice in v.7– “mankind” is literally “human nature”. There is something in us that enables this dominion to still take place. But as we move to v.8 the idea is that this is not true when it comes to the tongue!

In other words, there is nothing resident within human nature that can control it. We try, but we fail. We will always fail in the end. James is pointing a very bleak picture of humanity here. Such is the impact of sin upon us we cannot in and of ourselves control the tongue. You may see the depths of human wickedness revealed in some of the vile acts of people – James sees it in the tongue. If you are not convinced of the both the depravity and inability of human nature then look at the tongue! The Bible gives a long ‘crime sheet’ of the tongue.

Indeed we can extrapolate James’ thinking further and say that this is true of bringing all our body to glorify God. We cannot do it in and of ourselves. This is why works–religion will fail!

Do you get the point? You will never be able to control your tongue so long as you rely on your native ability! In the realm of human effort it is an untamed power. And until we see that we will not be able to control it.

We have already seen that the tongue’s use can be beneficial or bad. Here James draws closer to home and deals with the fact that it can be true within the same person. That we can speak as an angel one moment, but as a devil the next. Notice here – James says “we”. He is including himself. This is true within Christians.

Sometime ago a sermon was preached on gossiping entitled ‘Ten Minutes After the Benediction’. In it the questions were asked: ‘Do we move from Gloria to Gossip? Do we move from Creed to Criticism? Do we move from Praising God to Wounding men?’

This inconsistency is what James draws out in v.9–12. “These things ought not to be so” says James. Though it is an inconsistency for the sinner, that it is particularly so for the believer is what James emphasises here. He points out:

a. That such inconsistency is impossible in the natural world

James shows this by drawing our attention to a spring and to the fig tree and grape vine. Natural springs were common there – some were fresh, others salty – but never both. As to the fig and the grape you don’t ever find the fruit of the one growing on the other. Simply put, there is a basic law of consistency in creation.

b. In the same way it is improper in the spiritual world

Though we still have a sinful nature so long as we are in this world, it is a different thing to say that therefore it is natural and proper for both types of tongue use to be present. Even in the case of the unbeliever who has not a recreated spiritual nature, it is not proper – for they too, though fallen, still bear the marks of being created in the image of God. We were created to use our tongue to God’s glory, and this is all the more true for the Christian who is re–created in the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

c. But in this lies our hope for control

That it is improper means that the power of sinful nature over the tongue has been broken in the Christian. We are the “fresh water”. Earlier we noted that the tongue is so easily inflamed by hell – but on the day of Pentecost a different fire came and gave new speech – a tongue intelligibly declaring the wonderful works of God. We cannot control the tongue, but God can. He has made us new, genuinely new though not yet totally new; and He has given us the indwelling Holy Spirit who gives the power that human nature doesn’t have – to free the tongue for righteousness.

The Christian alone then can exercise control of the tongue through the Holy Spirit who strengthens us. He is concerned to use our speech to the glory of God. And so as we find ourselves struggling with our sinful nature which is so easily inflamed by satan, let us turn to God. He is our resource. Is this not what James has already told us in 1:5?

Let us see then that there are no idle words – they all matter. Jesus makes this abundantly clear when He says “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:37) This is not a salvation by works, or rather words, rather that our words will reveal the inner reality and so stand as essential evidence for or against us. Let us learn that we must watch our tongues in all its usage – from the words we say to the songs we sing. The advice of Alexander Whyte to new converts is useful here. He said to ask: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? Let us also learn that what no one can do, can and will increasingly be done by the grace of God; that we must look to God to do this, doing it in His strength and by His grace. Our continual prayer must be that of Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, 0 Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer”.