“So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.” James 3:5-9
Devotional Thought For The Day
The apostle James begins these observations on how the fall into sin has deeply corrupted our use of language by warning all who would be teachers that we will be judged by a stricter standard [James 3:1]. He acknowledges that “we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body” [James 3:2]. These are pretty ominous statements in regard to teachers, and should compel all of us to much greater and deeper repentance, “for we all stumble in many ways.” And it should compel teachers to make great effort to insure that their teaching corresponds to God’s teaching, His Word, the Bible. It is also somewhat surprising, in view of James’ concession, that many people expect perfection from their pastors and teachers. In that this consideration of the tongue as “a fire, a world of unrighteousness . . . staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell,” is set in this context of the foibles of teachers, it is astonishing that so many people feel completely at ease criticizing and complaining about their teachers [pastors]. I suppose that it is a kind of personal payback for the admonishments delivered from Scripture, but one should take note of the catastrophic damage that is done.
James acknowledges that “no human being can tame the tongue.” So we must daily spend time in repentance and confession just for the things that we say to others [and often about others]. And surely all sins of tongue are also covered over, washed away, and cleansed by the blood of Jesus – otherwise no one could be saved. So it is not a matter of having to master our tongues in order to be saved; this would impossible and futile. Rather, we are saved by God’s gracious mercy and love, from beginning to end, in the sacrifice of atonement made by Jesus on the cross. However, as we exit that conversation with God, our confession and His absolution, we must consider our future course of life and whether or not we wish to continue injecting deadly poison and starting forest fires. Hopefully, such contemplation will lead us to be much more careful in how we use our tongues, cognizant of the evil we intend even before we open our mouths.
All of this helps us to see just how horrible our infection of sin truly is, that just this one little member can do so much horrid harm and damage, and that we are unable to fully control it. It is described as “a restless evil” – how deplorable is that? And ironically, remarkably so, the real motive of our evils of tongue is to “boast of great things.” So at the very moment we are engaging in wretched gossip and slander, we are feeling better about ourselves, in a sly and subtle way boasting that we are above evil. And much of this is so habitual that we don’t even notice what we are doing! Lord, have mercy! So, if anyone thinks that he has tamed his whole body he is a fool, for “no human being can tame the tongue,” and such an assertion contradicts God’s own Word which asserts that we all stumble in many ways, and that no one is able to tame even his little tongue. So again, all of this calls for much greater repentance from us, and much more understanding about the nature of the evils we are engaging in when we are “just talking.”
All of this is deadly serious – for our use of the tongue demonstrates the status of our faith, whether we have it or whether we are pernicious hypocrites who “praise God” but excoriate our fellowman, even those who are brothers and sisters in the faith. A couple of great quotations from the commentators: “In the true satanic spirit, many pray to God, the Father, to destroy those who are objects of their displeasure! These are the common swearers, whose mouths are generally full of direful imprecations against those with whom they are offended.” “How absurd is it that those who use their tongues in prayer and praise should ever use them in cursing, slandering, and the like! If we bless God as our Father, it should teach us to speak well of, and kindly to, all who bear his image.” The cure for this is repentance, humble trust in God’s gracious mercy and forgiveness, and greater contemplation of His love and how it is to dictate not only our actions, but more importantly our speaking. May God deliver us all from this wretchedness, even as He has already forgiven us.
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, on many occasions You suffered the wagging of wicked tongues, and such deadly poison brought about Your conviction, suffering, and death on the cross. Keep us firm in faith and trust in You, filled always with the truth of Your Word, and preserve us from denying our confession of faith by despicable use of our tongues. Deliver us from all horrid hypocrisy of blessing You but slandering our brothers and sisters. Amen.