True Religion & The Tongue
James 3:1-12
Main Idea: The tongue is powerful, dangerous, and impossible to tame without a new heart transformed by the gospel.
I. The Power of the Tongue (3:1-5a)
What is a particular issue for teachers is also a general warning for all believers: the more words we speak, the more we will be judged by our speech.
Proverbs 10:19: When words are many, transgression is not lacking,
But whoever restrains his lips is prudent.
Though small, the tongue is incredibly powerful, just like a ‘bit’ for a horse, or a ‘rudder’ for a ship. The tongue has incredible power to either build up or to tear down, powerfully expressing the will of each human.
Proverbs 18:21: Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruits.
II. The Danger of the Tongue (3:5b-10)
The tongue is like a small spark that can set an entire forest on fire; it can reach & stain the whole body & all of its members, and it has the power to do so for the entirety of life. This is the inevitable end of the tongue when it is “set on fire by hell” (3:6).
The tongue is a “world of unrighteousness” because it can be responsible for any number of sins: deceit, slander, lies, half-truths, boasting, gossiping, tearing down, manipulation, stirring up dissension, etc.
“Social media simply is another way of exercising our tongues, either for good or for ill. Social media amplifies the reach of our tongues. It lets our private thoughts circle the globe and brings into public discussion conversations and statements that once would have been contained in a small circle of friends bantering in a coffee shop. That means it has huge potential for evil, because we are sinners, and as James reminds us, the tongue is hard to tame.” ~ Ligon Duncan
Matthew 12:36–37: “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.”
James indicates a mark of “true religion” is the ability to “bridle” (tame) the tongue (1:26), while simultaneously making it clear that no human being can do this. Humans can tame every kind of animal, but we can’t tame ourselves. We need divine intervention to accomplish what is impossible on our own.
III. The Source of the Tongue (3:11-12)
The problem with the tongue is actually a problem in the heart, the “source” of the tongue. Our hearts are either dead in sin or alive in Christ. A product is always consistent with its source (whether fresh or salt water or fruit that comes from the corresponding seed).
Luke 6:43–45: “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
The remedy for the tongue is a heart that is transformed and made new by the gospel. In Acts 2, the tongues of the first Christians were “tongues as of fire” from heaven above, not from hell below. They were set ablaze “telling of the mighty works of God” (Acts 2:11).
“[Pentecost] is James 3 in reverse. The effects of the tongue are no less widespread, but now the great forest is ablaze with the Spirit of God. The small spark of gospel living is able to change the course of a whole life and even whole communities and nations. Such godly fire only comes from heaven by the Spirit of God. If we have come to Christ, this new kind of speech is now our native tongue.” ~ Sam Allberry
