8 “But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless
evil and full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father,
and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from
the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren,
these things ought not to be this way.” (James 3:8-10 [NASB])
James
included in chapter one teachings about the tongue. He taught disciples to
bridle their tongues or else they would have deceived hearts and that would
prove their religion worthless (1:26). Before that, in verse nineteen, James
taught the people they must be slow to speak. In both these instances, he
taught Christians to control their mouths because the words people speak
reflect their hearts and who they really are.
For
James, bridling one’s tongue is an action and James taught continually about
faith and actions going together. Jesus taught this, too, when He said it is
not what goes into a person that makes him or her defiled, but what comes out
of his or her mouth defiles them (Matthew 15:11). Each of these men understood
what is in a person’s heart and mind is reflected in what a person does and
says. Because of this, James taught that faith without works is dead because a
true faith would show a new person indwelled by the Holy Spirit who did the
actions God led him or her to do. Without the changed heart, evil would
continue to dwell in the person’s heart and mind and at times would be evident
in the person’s words and actions. For this reason, James taught a Christian
could be noted by his or her actions and words that reflected his or her faith
in Jesus Christ.
When
James spoke in James 3:8-10, he emphasized that no one could tame the tongue.
He spoke truth. Without the power of the implanted Holy Spirit in our hearts as
Christians, we would continue to periodically speak or do things that were not
righteous, but evil. Our emotions, heart, and mind would still be led by the
whim of Satan as we battled him in our own strength. At one moment, our mouths
could pour forth beauty upon a person for their accomplishments or offer encouragement,
solace and hope to someone who needs sympathy and at other times, it could speak
profanities and swear about God. A person who speaks both good and bad words is
not under the power of God. No human strength is great enough to defeat Satan’s
in our lives because we are sinful and unrighteous. God is stronger than Satan
and offers His strength and power to Christians to combat the power of sin, the
temptations Satan hurls at believers.
Blessings
and curses should not come out of the mouths of Christians. Bridling the tongue
shows ones faith. It is an action. The power to control one’s tongue comes from
the power of the Holy Spirit in that person’s life. The Holy Spirit has the
power to change the heart and mind of the person. By accepting and using the
power the Holy Spirit gives, a person can bridle his or her tongue. In that
way, the person is acting out his or her faith and growing more Christlike.
With each step of walking in the power of the Spirit, a believer grows stronger
in his or her faith and is able to thwart more of Satan’s attempts to trip up
and deceive him or her.
Bridling
the tongue requires a changed heart, a heart given to God through faith in
Jesus Christ. It also requires the Christian to enact the power the Holy Spirit
gives him or her to hold one’s tongue and words in check so that only holy and
loving words are spoken. Faith requires mental assent and action and results in
righteousness, love, and peace. Only God can do this for people, for without
Him humans are sinful and prone to fall to the temptations Satan puts in their
ways.
Have
you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Have you allowed the Holy Spirit
He implanted in you to give you power and strength to combat Satan and
temptation? Have you acted upon the power of the Spirit to live your daily life?
If you have, then you will see fruits of the Spirit – love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, meekness, and self-control.
I urge
you today to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
I urge
you to walk with the strength and power of the Holy Spirit acting with His
power to bridle your tongue so God’s goodness and His glory are made known.
