Hello, my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends on this Friday,
Of all the muscles in your body, which do you suppose might be the strongest at least in terms of potential impact power? I think it’s TONGUE! It’s a relatively small muscle but oh my we use it for so much in our lives: eating, swallowing, drinking, tasting, and most powerful of all TALKING!
Piles of books have been written about the influence, impact, potential and the need to control our tongues. Why? Why such a priority on tongue control? Because every living person has been wounded by the tongues of other people.
These days we’re taking an overview look at the little book of James in the New Testament. Why? Because many believe it was the FIRST book of the New Testament written, perhaps about 47ad. It was written by James, the 1/2 brother of Jesus Christ, who had become a passionate believer in Jesus AFTER His resurrection. Then after being anointed by the Holy Spirit James became a key leader of the first century Christian movement in Jerusalem.
James dedicated much of his 3rd chapter to teaching about HOW the tongue of a Christian person should be quite DIFFERENT from the tongue of a non-Christian person. James declares: “…no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” (James 3:8)
But wait a minute. Have you ever been in a butcher shop and seen cow tongue ready for purchase? It lays there limp and lifeless, unable to do anything. The truth is our tongues have no power or potential unless connected to our living soul! What we feel, think, desire, and want to express, requires a tongue to be made known, right? So, the problem isn’t really with our uncontrollable tongue, the problem is our out-of-control SOUL… our intellect, our emotions, our will, our personality, all of which express with our tongue. That’s why whatever our tongue says is showing us and others what is really happening down in our soul!
James challenges all who claim to be Christian with these words: “With the tongue we praise our Lord and father, and with it we curse mankind who are made in God’s image. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters this should not be! Can both fresh water and saltwater flow from the same spring?” (James 3:10,11) Friends, I’m sure you’ve noticed James several times uses the phrase ‘My brothers and sisters’. Of course, James is not speaking about his biological family from Nazareth. He’s celebrating one of the great uniquenesses of Christianity… our ADOPTION by God the Father into HIS eternal family! (John 1:9; Romans 8:13-17; Gal. 4:4-7) Because God adopts EACH person, born again by His Holy Spirit, into His global and immortal family, that means several things which were obviously important to James…
First... that the relationship a born-again Christian has with God the Father is a Father/son, Father/daughter, intimate relationship rooted and sustained in love! Especially God’s unconditional love for us whom He created in His image and for whom He sent His Son Jesus to die an atonement death so God could forgive us of our sin condemnation.
Second... that God the Father is interested in and available to each and all of His adopted children 24/7/365…all the time! Hebrews 4:14-16; 10:19-23 tell us God’s throne room is ALWAYS open to receive any and all of His children who desire a conversation with their heavenly Father. And Jesus Christ has paid for our entry into that Holy throne room by His death and resurrection!
Third… All God’s children have a wonderful, glorious, unimaginable inheritance in heaven awaiting us! (1 Peter 1:3-5)
Fourth... All God’s children are related, as brothers and sisters, because we all have been adopted by the same God the Father and therefore we form HIS family!
James loved using that phrase “brothers and sisters”, and so do I, what about you, my friends? It’s a bold declaration and affirmation of God’s truth available to us ONLY through Jesus His Son and our Savior!
James wants every member of God’s family to understand our loving heavenly Father, and our Savior Jesus Christ, and our indwelling Holy Spirit, ALL want us to learn to control our tongues by using our tongues to ONLY speak what is helpful. Paul, who in his younger years really struggled controlling his anger and his tongue, wrote this a few years later: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen!” (Eph. 4:29) Oh my, that’s painfully clear isn’t it my brothers and sisters? And it’s only possible as the Holy Spirit leads us to control our tongues!
In the final verses of James’ third chapter, he challenges us to pursue wisdom. I wonder if he frequently read the book of Proverbs written by King Solomon. Every verse of that great book is Godly wisdom for us. I urge you to consider reading some of it every day, my friends! James wrote: “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in humility that comes from wisdom…Where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every evil practice. But wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure…” (James 3:13-18) Pause. Oh my, that’s really good, isn’t it? Do you consider yourself a wise person or at least a person who hungers for God honoring wisdom? Do you know the Holy Spirit and God’s Word are the best sources for God honoring wisdom?
Once again, I urge you to take that pad of paper we’ve used these past two days, and this time read every verse of James 3, making notations on your paper when the Holy Spirit speaks into your soul as you read.
The “lessons learned” will help you find wisdom, and a great song will soothe your soul, and James and I will be here waiting for you tomorrow.
Today’s Scripture: James 3.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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