Study of James: Wisdom and Practical Christian Living
The Book of James is probably the oldest book of the New Testament, written perhaps as early as A.D. 45, before the first council of Jerusalem in A.D. 50. James was martyred in approximately A.D. 62, according to the historian Josephus.
James is a great complement to Paul’s teaching on faith…
• By grace alone (solo grati)
• By Faith alone (solo fidei)
James focus…
Although James does not teach us how to come nearer the lord through salvation, he does tell us how a just man orders his daily existence. James, throughout his life, was known as James the Just, because of the correctness of his actions, the uprightness of his demeanor and the strength of his character.
By following his words, we can live the same way.
MAJOR THEME: THE BALANCE BETWEEN FAITH AND WORKS
Some think that this epistle was written in response to an overzealous interpretation of Paul’s teaching regarding faith. This extreme view, called antinomianism, held that through faith in Christ one is completely free from all Old Testament law, all legalism, all secular law, and all the morality of a society. The Book of James is directed to Jewish Christians scattered among all the nations (James 1:1).
In the book of James we see the reality of the Christian walk and how to walk it…
• The adages…
o Don’t just talk the talk, walk the walk
As Martin Luther himself said, "You are saved by faith alone, but if faith is alone, it is not faith."
• Talked about…
o Sin – power of it…
o Favoritism, and the little things that can pull us away – still sin.
o Faithfulness… faith without works is dead!
~ You are not called to achieve… but to have faith. Faith that leads to action… action backed up by Character…
James would challenge the church of today…
• to get on with the Father’s business…
• but I also think he would challenge the Christian of today…
o you can’t just skate through and let the church do it for you…
o Your faith should lead to your actions… and walk in the character to back up what you say you believe!
James 3:
Taming the Tongue
1 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. 3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we praise our LORD and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
The Taming of the Tongue
James has obviously seen first-hand in his life and in the life of the church the impact of this deadly beast… the tongue.
"The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail more than his tongue."
1 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
Keeping our whole body in check…
• It is in our nature to be controlled by feeling, passion, and even respond in kind if responded to in a certain way.
• It is in our nature to be defensive, and especially if attacked to attack back… we have the right too… at least we think so.
Illust. General Robt. E. Lee was once asked what he thought of a fellow officer in the Confederate Army--an officer who had made some mean-spirited remarks about him. Lee thought for a moment, then rated him as being very satisfactory. The person who asked the question seemed troubled. "But general, I guess you don't know what he's been saying about you." "Oh yes," answered Lee. "I know. But I was asked my opinion of him, not his opinion of me."
To keep our body in check is a difficult process… almost impossible, but not fully so…
The culmination of James words on the tongue is right here in vs 2.
If you can master the tongue, you can master life.
a. In comparison to an Arabian stallion a bit is quite small.
b. In comparison to an aircraft carrier a rudder is quite small!
c. Illust. Words are like dynamite--if used properly and in the right place they are beneficial. Used improperly and in the wrong place they produce a lot of damage!
James goes on to make illustrations of this reality…
3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.
Powerful examples of the impact words can make…
• When we were kids we said “sticks and stones…”
• But that was wrong… words are powerful and even hurtful things…
• This small muscle of our body directs our path…
o Paul uses two powerful illustrations.
1. The horse
1. A powerful horse can weigh 1000’s of pounds and be able to pull over 6 tons by themselves… 36 tons with two horses working together…
2. The boat –
1. Queen Mary
1. Rudder - 140 tons
2. 82000 tons the ship weighs
3. 13 stories tall and 1000 feet long
4. 1000 crossings across the atlantic
Just as the rudder is such a small piece of the ship in comparison to the boat itself… it sets the path of the entire vessel… such it is with our tongue.
You can have unbelievable potential in life, but unable to control your tongue…
5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
The great Chicago fire was allegedly started by a single cow-- Mrs. O'Leary's, who kicked over a lantern in its stall. From that one lantern the entire city burned down!
We have to be careful of the words we speak, the instructions we give… and make sure we only speak when it can lift others up…
• I learned long ago that you cannot drive anyone down into greatness!
But sometimes we can mean well… but if we don’t clearly say it, the meaning is lost.
Billy Joe and his friend Bubba are out in the woods hunting when Billy Joe suddenly grabs his chest, keels over and falls to the ground. Billy Joe doesn’t seem to be breathing, his tongue is hanging out and his eyes are rolled back in his head. Bubba frantically whips out his cell phone, and calls 911. He yells to the operator, “Help! I think my friend here is dead! What do I do?” The operator, in a calm. . .soothing voice says, “Ok, ok, calm down and take it easy. I can help. First of all, let’s make sure he’s dead.” There is a silence, and then a gunshot is heard. . . Bubba comes back on and says, “Ok, now what?”
Our words paint a picture of what is happening in our hearts…
Bruce Barton: "For good or ill, your conversation is your advertisement. Every time you open your mouth you let men look into your mind."
"I have never been hurt by anything I did not say" (Calvin Coolidge).
"He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity" (Prov. 21:23).
"When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise" (Prov. 10:19).
James goes on…
7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
Bottom line… we need God’s help!
"One of the first things a physician says to his patient is, Let me see your tongue. A spiritual advisor might often do the same."
Our tongues are a good measure of where we are…
• I know when I am tired what is the first thing to go?
• Younger I could tell my spiritual state based on my tongue. When I was not doing well with God I cussed like a sailor…
How is your spiritual condition? Your words are a good place to look to find the gauge…
Take a moment… evaluate… how are you doing in the area of taming the tongue…?
Then James finishes off with a challenge of authenticity…
9 With the tongue we praise our LORD and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
A redeemed and changed life… from what we were… to what God builds us into being…
A true story I found of redemption such as this… about a witch doctor… who use his mouth for horrific and demonic activity… finds Christ… and God turns his words around for good…
In a book entitled "Jungle Harvest," written by a missionary named Ruby Scott, she describes some of her experiences in reaching a people group known as the Tila Indians who lived in a remote village in the jungles of south Mexico, just north of the Guatemalan border. As Ruby and her colleague learned the Tila language, they translated the message of the Bible in order to give the people the Scriptures in their own tongue; and they arranged to have the Gospel recorded and duplicated on records that could be played on little record players that worked by turning a crank. The Tilas were astonished at this.
One of the men who heard the message was a witch doctor named Domingo. He was in his mid-fifties and illiterate. When he learned about Christ, he turned from his old way of life and was wonderfully converted. He instantly became burdened for his old friends, the other witch doctors in his former village. One day he decided to take the message to them. He borrowed one of the portable record players and the records and off he went.
His former friends were happy to see him, and they talked, laughed, and reminisced about the good old days. When Domingo opened up the record player, they watched him with great curiosity and begin listening. After playing some of the Scriptures, Domingo told them that God had turned his heart around. He shared his own testimony with them and preached the Gospel to them as well as he could.
They were angry and skeptical, and they replied, "How can you, who have experienced the power and authority of a witch doctor, turn your back on the very gods who have chosen you?" They argued with him and threatened him. Domingo remained calm and kept preaching Jesus to them. Finally, his friends grabbed their machetes and ordered him to leave.
Domingo hastily closed the phonograph and slipped the records into his carrying bag. Swinging the machine onto his back, he turned sadly and started down the trail. But he was so burdened and so upset that he felt he had to make just one more try. Turning back, he began to say another word for Christ.
In great anger, one of the men raised machete and aimed it at Domingo’s phonograph. Instinctively, Domingo’s hand touched the machine to steady it, and the machete sliced off three fingers. Domingo hurried away, and when he was out of sight he stopped and tore a sleeve from his shirt to bandage his bleeding hand. Then he trudged wearily home.
Two days later, as Ruby Scott was dressing the stumps of his fingers, she coaxed him to tell her exactly what had happened. He told the story, then after a long pause, he looked at her and said these words: "Those poor men! God’s message just didn’t grab their hearts. I’ll go back and tell them again."
In her book, Ruby Scott wrote that she stayed awake a long time that night, staring into the dark and thinking of Domingo’s crippled hand and of his quiet words: "I’ll go back and tell them again." She thought of the times she had failed to witness to her friends, the times she had grown discouraged with her witnessing, and the times she had failed to go back and tell them again. Then she wrote, "I turned over, struggled to my knees in the cramped confines under my mosquito net, and rededicated my life to the Lord. I asked him to make me as faithful a missionary as this humble, illiterate former witch doctor."
