We are in short series on how to tame the tongue. In our last lesson we looked at the direction that the tongue provides. The tongue is like the bit in the horse’s mouth and like the rudder of a ship. The tongue has the power to set the direction for your life. Therefore, we need to control our tongues so that we can go forward in the direction of righteousness and holiness. But James has another point about our tongues that he wants to teach us that further impress on us the necessity of taming the tongue. Open your copies of God’s word to James 3.
Small But Destructive (James 3:5-6)
James used two illustrations to show how the tongue directs our lives, even though it is quite small. But now James wants to make an intense warning. Just because the tongue is small does not mean that it is not dangerous and destructive. Look at how James illustrates this at the end of James 3:5.
How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! (James 3:5 ESV)
A small fire can set a whole forest on fire. We see this happen every year in the western part of the country. People have neglected to fully extinguish their campfire and has created devastating wildfires. Lightning strikes have set whole forests on fire. While we have hurricane season here in Florida, I grew up in California and that is fire season. Various areas will give a fire hazard warning due to the dryness of the land. Fireworks are banned because a small fire can cause massive amounts of destruction. So we understand that a little fire can cause catastrophic destruction. Now listen to what James says in verse 6. The tongue is a fire. The illustration is supposed to really drive home how we should view our tongues. Our tongues are that fire. Continue to listen to James’ description of the tongue. He says that the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness that is set among our body parts, staining the whole body. Not only this, the tongue sets on fire the whole course of life and is itself set on fire by hell.
How serious is the tongue? How potentially destructive is the tongue? How dangerous is the tongue. James says that he wants us to see our tongues as fires. He wants us to see that our tongues set fires. But our tongues are not setting forests on fire, but set on fire a world of unrighteousness. Have you ever thought about how what you say can start of fire of unrighteousness that spreads to many, many people? Your words set a fire so that another person says words that set a fire which causes another person to set a fire. Unrighteousness spreads with more unrighteousness. Think about how often that happens in marriages and in families. Someone uses their tongue and it sets a fire of unrighteousness. So then someone responds with their tongue another fire of unrighteousness. Then the next response is more unrighteousness and so on and so on. The world of unrighteousness can become so filthy and toxic that divorces happen, families are fractured, and permanent hurts are inflicted. Are there words that your parents said to you many years ago that you still remember and they were very destructive? Are there words that your spouse has said to you that happened many years ago but you still remember those words of unrighteousness? Were there words that you said also that were a world of unrighteousness also, said in response to their painful words? Probably.
James also says that the tongue stains the whole body. You will change how people look at you based on the words you say. You can ruin your reputation with your words. You can destroy your efforts to live a holy life by your words. Your words stain you. Our words create this stain that can be very difficult to erase. You can still remember what someone said and it colors and stains how you look at that person now. James also says that the tongue sets on fire the course of one’s life. This is the point James made in the first five verses. The tongue sets the direction for your life. You are setting your whole life on fire if you are not watching your words and taming your tongue. Now look at the end of verse 6. When this is what our tongues are doing it is as if hell itself is the source. James is just showing how wicked, how destructive, and how dangerous our tongues can be so that we will control our tongues.
Dangerously Untamable (James 3:7-8)
Now James wants to again show us the extraordinary strength needed to tame the tongue. He says in verse 7 that we are able to tame all kinds of animals. We can tame birds, animals, reptiles, and sea creatures. Have you ever seen those amazing acts that people do with dangerous animals? There was a Las Vegas show where two guys had tamed tigers so that they could put their hands and heads in their mouths. Have you seen the guys who hold their chin on the nose of an alligator? Perhaps you have seen people be able to tame cobras. It is pretty crazy to think about all the dangerous animals people have been able to tame. But look at verse 8. You can tame an animal but try taming the tongue. How true is verse 8! You think you are getting somewhere in purifying and taming your tongue and then malicious words come out! Or then some gossip comes out! Or some jealousy or even comes out! Or slander comes out! We are going along in our day being kind and careful with our words. But then the restless evil of our tongues rises up and says something poisonous. Just when you think you have some control over it, it strikes again, filled with deadly poison. I think the point is that you can never let your guard down with your tongue. You can never turn your back on your tongue. You can never think that you can relax around your tongue. It is a restless evil. It is full of poison that kills people. Do not trust that your tongue is safe. You might think you can trust the alligator to not bite off your face, but do not trust your tongue. It is dangerous and restless.
Inconsistent Tongue (James 3:9-12)
Now James sets the teaching before us in verse 9. With our tongues we bless the Lord and we curse people who were made in God’s image. Isn’t that a cutting point? We often do we use our tongues to praise and worship God only to then use our same tongues to curse people that God made in his image. From the same mouth comes blessings and curses. This ought not be. Why not? Why is this such a problem that sometimes we have blessings and sometimes we have curses coming out of our mouths? In verses 11-12 James shows why this is a problem. Look at what James says.
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. (James 3:11-12 ESV)
James again uses some important illustrations to communicate this key point. A spring cannot have fresh water and salt water flow from it. A fig tree cannot bear olives. A grapevine cannot produce fig. James is telling us that there is something wrong when this happening. Springs do not switch back and forth. Fruit trees do not switch back and forth. The outcome represents the source. The fruit represents what is inside. Jesus explained this problem very clearly.
“You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:34-37 ESV)
But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. (Matthew 15:18-19 ESV)
The tongue represents what is inside. This is why James says that both blessings and curses coming from our mouths simply ought not be. Our words reveal that there is a source problem. Our words reveal what is in the heart. Now this makes sense of what James said earlier in his book. Listen to what he said in James 1:26.
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 ESV)
Do not think that you belong to God while not bridling the tongue. If you do not control the tongue, then you are deceiving yourself and your religion is worthless.
Taming the Tongue
So what is James showing us? First, James showed us that our words direct our lives. Control the tongue and you can exercise control over the body. An untamed tongue sets us toward the direction of hell itself. So we want to control our tongues because we want set our lives toward God and toward heaven, not to pain in this life and suffering with eternal punishment. Second, James showed us the destruction of our words. The tongue is a fire. The tongue is a restless evil. The tongue is a deadly poison. Your words stain you and sets on fire a world of unrighteousness. Look at the damage you have experienced in your life because of the words of others. Look at the damaged you have caused in the lives of others because of the words you have spoken. Do not be a fire starter. Your words can destroy you, destroy others, and set you on the path to eternal destruction. Do not think you can bless God and curse others. The person you are speaking against was made in the image of God. The tongue is the overflow of the heart. It is time to draw near to God and work on the heart when our tongues are untamed. We want to control our tongues because we do not want to hurt people with our words. If we are Christ followers then the last thing we want to do is spew deadly poison from our tongues. We do not want to set the world on fire with our words.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. (Proverbs 18:21 ESV)
Your tongue has the power to give life or inflict death. What will you do with your tongue? Will it be death to others or will it be life to others? Now listen to the end of the proverb. You will experience what you give. You will eat the fruits of either being a life-giver with your words or a death-giver. If you are inflicting harm and death in others with your tongue, then you are going to have the consequences for this in your life and for eternity. If you are giving joy and life in others with your tongue, then you are going to have the rewards for this in your life and for eternity. This is why we must control our tongues.