The Tamed Tongue

The Tamed Tongue

Scripture: James 3:1–12, especially verses 8–10

No man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.

Introduction: The Bible says a great deal about the tongue. David prayed for the Lord to set a watch and keep the door of his lips. The writer of Proverbs declared that the hypocrite with his mouth destroyed his neighbor. Jesus warned about judgment regarding use of the tongue (Matt. 12:36–37). James said it takes a perfect person to not offend by words (James 3:3). The way we talk reveals what we think, for out of the abundance of his heart a man speaks. The use of the tongue either crowns or curses the Christian community. The index to our spiritual health is how we talk. Our speech reveals what kind of person we are.

1. The Tongue’s Power to Direct (James 3:3–5). James 3:3–5 illustrates the great potential of the tongue in how it directs: like the bit to control a horse and the helm to control a ship. The power of the tongue is effective to direct the lives of others into right or wrong paths. We must ever be aware of the idle word, the questionable story, the deliberate lie, or a half-truth, which is in reality a whole lie. If the tongue is properly regulated, the whole man—as a horse is managed by the bit and a ship is steered by the helm—is brought under control. The problem with the tongue, however, is that it has the power to direct in the wrong way as well.

2. The Tongue’s Power to Destroy (James 3:6). James gives us the tongue’s description, comparing it to a fire, a world of iniquity (3:6). He further states that it defiles the whole body, sets on fire the course of nature and is itself set on fire of hell. What a powerful indictment! The tongue defiles, destroys and damns men by suggesting sin, committing sin, condoning sin, excusing sin, and defending sin. Throughout his epistle, James describes the tongue’s devastation: the hasty tongue (1:19), the hellish tongue (3:6), the heathen tongue (5:12), the hypocritical tongue (1:26), and the heartless tongue (2:15–16) are all described in this book.

3. The Tongue’s Power to Delight (James 3:9–17).

A. The Illustrations (v. 11). James uses a fountain and fruit trees to set forth this truth (3:9–17). He argues, “Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.”

B. The Impossibility (v. 10b). James declares that it is impossible for a fountain to give both fresh and salt water at the same time. Likewise it is impossible for the tongue to speak blessings and cursing at the same time; in the end your blessings are contradicted and mean nothing.

C. The Imperative (vv. 8–10). These verses make it obvious that the Christian must discipline his tongue. The holy tongue, happy tongue, honest tongue, and humble tongue characterize the Christian. He uses his tongue to pray for wisdom, help the afflicted, for healing, and for backsliders to be restored. He uses his tongue to praise his heavenly Father for His glory, goodness and greatness. He uses his tongue to proclaim the gospel.

D. The Inference (v. 8a). The tongue can only be tamed by the Holy Spirit. James declares, “But no man can tame the tongue.” If we cannot tame the tongue, we must rely on the Holy Spirit to do so in our lives. We are exhorted to yield our members (Rom. 6:13) to the Lord. That includes the tongue.

Conclusion: Perhaps it’s time we all gave our tongues to the Lord and prayed, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer” (Ps. 19:14).

Nelson’s Annual Preacher’s Sourcebook Thomas Nelson Publishers.