Bridle the tongue James 3

Hugh DeLong
04/06/14 - Sun AM

Bridle the tongue James 3

Angry words, oh let them never…

YET, that is the very problem with anger and words, they DO slip out. James warns that the smallness of the tongue belies its power. He compares it with a bridle for a horse, a rudder for a ship, and a small 'fire' that sets ablaze the whole world.

Notice the contrast between chapter one and chapter three. In 3:8 he writes that 'no man can tame the tongue'. He had said in 1:21 that "If a man bridles NOT his tongue, his religion is worthless." The harmonization comes when we perceive that the BRIDLING of the TONGUE will come when we have converted our heart! To attempt to bridle the tongue WITHOUT changing the heart will only leave us frustrated and failing. This is because all such words and expressions come from our heart. We can deceive ourselves (and others) into believing we are kind, gentle, loving, forgiving. Yet 'by our fruits' we are known.

James addresses this very thing in chapter three. "With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh." Out of the heart the mouth speaks! When Jesus listed things that 'come out of the heart' he included evil intentions, false witness, and slander (evil speaking).

You know how many 'works of the flesh' are directly connected to our words. "Now the works of the flesh are evident: … enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, … and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:19–21).

In Prov. 6:16-19, out of the 7 things that that God hates 4 of them involve the heart and our words…  a lying tongue, a heart that devises wicked plans, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brother."

Instructing us on putting of the OLD MAN that is corrupt, Paul first lists lying and falsehood (Eph. 4:25). He then says to 'let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear" (vs. 29). Finally he commands that we put away 'all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice' (vs. 31). In this last list, it is my impression that these are accomplished with our words much more often than with our actions. We see then that whether accomplished by word or deed, such are WRONG and sinful.  

To the church at Corinth Paul wrote: "For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder."  (2 Corinthians 12:20). Again notice the abuse of words – quarreling, slander, gossip, and those things wherein the use of words is so often abused – jealousy, anger, hostility, and disorder.

We don't just use the tongue to express our words for we today have access to texting, email, Facebook, etc. All these 'conveniences' have just made it that much easier for us to sin against our brethren with our words.

Most battles and wars among brethren are fought with the tongue. Churches choose up sides over issues that are not in themselves sin. They build up their case among themselves by talking ABOUT the other 'side'. Those who try to stay out of such disputes are then castigated by BOTH sides. In spite of Paul's warning, churches DO bite and devour one another and they ARE consumed by one another.

The danger is perhaps more acute when we are 'in the right'..  We feel entitled if not obligated to 'take the high road' and denounce the one who is wrong. While reproof may be needed, all such must be governed by LOVE. The aim is NOT to malign their character but to restore them to a right relationship with God.

This is even MORE so when our brother has not sinned. We will often disagree on how we see things. We will, like Barnabas, decide to give a brother another chance while Paul decides not to. We will be longsuffering when others have reached their limit. We MUST then bridle our tongue. We MUST measure our words carefully.

Matthew 5:21–22 - "“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire."