James 3:1-12 FAITH CONTROLS THE TONGUE Teaching down through the centuries has been a respected profession in most cultures. The responsibilities associated with teaching is very high. Next to parents, teachers most affect the lives of people and of nations because they influence the lives of students to the extent they teach the values, ethics, morals, occupations and attitudes of young impressionable people. These same students then move on further to the social, political, economic and religious life of a nation and make or break the future of that society. A teacher's responsibility is great because their words and example affects so many other people. Because of that they should be held to a higher standard of life and character than is common. Any leadership role has a high standard of righteousness in every way. Teachers are in such a position that the lives of children are molded by their teaching. Those who teach will be judged more strictly that those who listen. A teacher's responsibility is great because their words and examples affect the spiritual life of other people.
We can identify mature Christians by the way they speak. The exhortation in the first verses of this chapter is that the person who controls his tongue, controls his body. What you say and don’t say are both important. When i speak I need to ask myself - Is it true? Necessary? Kind? When it comes to teaching God's word, it is presumptuous for one to teach who has not been called and equipped by God to teach the truth in all of its completeness. In teaching, what one says and what one does not say is significant. Proper speaking and teaching means we say the right things at the right time. There are "teaching moments" in which a situation or an event puts those who are learning into an attitude of expectation and special interest.
Proper speech also means that one controls and refuses to say what they might want to say, because they know it is inappropriate and unnecessary. Control of our speech and careful use of words is essential to good communication of truth. A bit in a horse's mouth, a rudder on a ship and a tongue in a human body has great potential for good or bad. Gossip and verbal "put downs" may happen in a moment, but can ruin a person's life without just cause. The illustrations given show us that words have power to direct like the bit and rudder. Words can direct into wrong paths and words can lead a life into destruction. Exaggeration and bragging may ruin a person's usefulness because they cannot be trusted to tell the real truth. False teaching, manipulating the truth, flattery and complaining will soon catch up with one who does not bridle their tongue.
A person may have great natural skill and have a well trained intelligence, but when what they say is found not to be the truth, or has been for a manipulative or vindictive reason, they will no longer be trusted. The unbridled tongue has power to destroy, and through lies, gossip and angry words, a family or a church can be set on fire. No man can truly tame the tongue – only God can because the tongue is restless and unruly. Do not be careless with what we say. Scars remain if wrong things are said. A few words can destroy a relationship. You can’t control words after they are spoken or reverse the damage they may do.
The speech of believers and the control of one's tongue is commanded and emphasized in the New Testament. Christians are to speak truthful words [Eph.4:25]. Our words should be gracious [Eph.4:29] and serious [Eph.5:4]. Relevant speech [Col.4:6], courageous [1Pet.5:15] and corrective words [Ti.1:9] that have a just purpose [Mat.12:36] are able to be used as ways of blessing others. The use of a bridled tongue should always be ready to bear testimony to the person of our Lord Jesus Christ in an appropriate way and in context. A right word can lead a person out of sin into salvation.
"Corrupt communication" that proceeds from one's mouth is "set on fire of hell." It is possible for people to use deceptive, abrasive and hurtful words and not realize the seriousness of the consequences. Trivial, foolish, compromising speech can hurt one's testimony to the extent that it may never be recovered. This mention of "hell fire" (the others were spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself) implies that hell is an awful place of wickedness, hatred and violent speech. To be separated completely from the holiness of God and never to hear words of peace, love and forgiveness is so terrible it is described as hell fire. Total depravity expresses itself in words that set on fire the "course of nature" or the circle of life even now.
We may not have perfect control of the tongue but we can reduce the damage and yield to the Holy Spirit for tongue control. Our speech patterns affect our true identity. The Holy Spirit gives self-control so a person’s words will please God. A spiritual tongue is medicine [Pro.12:18] and has power to delight like the fountain and the tree. We can bless God and man in our praying and singing or we can curse in anger and impatience. The Holy Spirit can give the “living water” of the Word through our words. The same tongue can be used for destructive and evil words, or to praise God and bless people.
By our fallen nature, sin has made us prone to evil even though human beings are still made in "the image of God." By God's grace, depraved sinful people have been made ":new creatures in Christ Jesus" and can bring to God the praise due to Him. The Holy Spirit in a believer enables us from a cleansed heart to glorify God from a self-controlled and Spirit-controlled tongue. When that small member of our physical bodies is under control, there comes words that please God, comfort and bless our brothers and sisters in Christ, and gives the Gospel message to those who are still dead "in trespasses and in sins."