The Terrible Potential of the Tongue – James 3:2-8

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on May 30, 2012 under AM Bible Study |

AM Bible Study Group; May 30, 2012

James 3:2-8

This passage is is unusual. It presents us with a standard that we are to seek to follow; and then lets us know that we can never achieve the standard it holds out to us. It encourages us that, if we can control our tongue, we can control everything else about ourselves; and then proceeds to assert that no one can tame the tongue. And perhaps the intention of Pastor James in doing this was to help us acknowledge our own frail weakness and inability—and our need to trust in God for His help in bringing the terrible potential of our tongues under His control.

Only one man has ever exercised perfect control over the tongue. It was testified of Jesus that He spoke as no one else did (John 7:46). What was so striking about His words? Certainly, much of it had to do with what He said. His words stood out because of their authority (Matthew 7:28-29; Mark 6:2) and with His remarkable wisdom (Luke 2:47). But it also had to do with the way He spoke. His words were so ‘gracious’ that people ‘marveled’ at them (Luke 4:22); and they came from the lips of One who was Himself “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14; see also Psalm 45:2 and Isaiah 50:4). He was the ultimate model to us of Proverbs 25:11; “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”

When we look at how Jesus spoke, we soon realize how sinful our own use of our tongue is. The destructive potential of the tongue is far greater than any amount of control we ourselves may be able to bear on it; and so, we must rely on God’s powerful help to bring it under His control—and thus bring His control upon our whole body as well.

Note from this passage that . . .

I. SELF-CONTROL IS CENTERED UPON THE TONGUE (vv. 2-5a).

A. James writes, “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body” (v. 2). The man or woman who can keep from stumbling in what he or she says will be perfect. To “stumble”, in this case, means “to offend” (see James 2:10); that is, to be guilty of saying something that makes us guilty of harming someone else and that places us under the obligation of making things right. James says that whoever keeps from stumbling in this way is “perfect” in the sense of “mature” in Christ-likeness (see Ephesians 4:13); because they are able then to “bridle” the whole body as well.

B. There’s a good reason why James uses “the tongue” as a metaphor for speech in general. It conveys that, though it is among the smallest members of the body, its impact far outweighs its size. He writes, “Indeed, we put bits in the horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things” (vv. 3-5a). The control of the tongue is strategic for the control over one’s whole self. Jesus Himself taught that what comes out of one’s mouth can defile whole person (Matthew 15:18-20), and reveal the real condition of the heart (Matthew 12:34-35). Just as is true of a bit in the mouth of the horse, or of the rudder of a ship, the tongue is a small member of the body that has a decisive impact on the course one’s life—far out of proportion to its small size!

II. AND YET, AS STRATEGIC AS THE TONGUE IS, WE CAN’T TAME IT (vv. 5b-8).

A. James writes, “See how great a forest a little fire kindles! (v. 5b). James is stressing again the idea of something small impacting something big. But in this case, it illustrates the potential destructiveness of the tongue. There’s a glue-pot on display in a museum in Seattle. It’s considered to be the glue-pot that started the great Seattle fire of June 6, 1889 . The destruction that was caused by that little glue-pot makes you to stare at it with a sense of horrified awe—to think that such a little thing could have caused so much death and destruction! Similarly, the tongue should provoke in us a sense of horrified awe as well. As James said, it is small; but it boasts of great things—and it is right to so boast! And the tongue, as James says, “is a fire” (v. 6). Even though small, its potential for destruction is as great as a small spark in relation to a great forest fire. Once begun, the vast destruction it causes is almost unstoppable!

B. James also describes it’s dreadful potential in other ways as well:

1. As a “world of iniquity” (v. 6). We often speak of the Internet as placing a world of information at our finger-tips. But we have a “world of iniquity” at the tip of our tongue—far more iniquity than we can imagine.

2. As that which is so situated in the body that it defiles the whole person. (v. 6). Proverbs 17:28 says, “Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.” A man or woman can be otherwise considered ‘honorable’ and ‘dignified’; and yet, by saying one foolish thing, he or she can bring shame and dishonor to themselves—not just upon their mouths, but upon their whole person!

3. As that which sets on fire the course of nature (v. 6). Many great politicians or leaders worked hard to raise themselves to a position of prominence; and yet brought themselves to complete shame, and saw their careers brought to ruin overnight, by some careless word or foolish utterance. The world tends to forget whatever other good things they did; but the folly of their lips is remembered for a life-time.

4. As that which is set on fire by hell (v. 6). It’s as if our tongues have a direct connection to hell itself. The devil has done much of his work in this world through the use of unrighteous tongues.

5. As that which cannot be tamed (vv. 7-8). All creatures of the animal kingdom—even the most dangerous—can be and have been tamed by man. But not even the greatest animal trainers in the world have been able to tame their own tongues. The tongue is an unruly evil—wilder and more unpredictable than the wildest wild animal. And what’s more, it’s full of deadly poison!

C. All of this should lead us to trust in Jesus and dread the terrible potential of what is in our own heart (Jeremiah 17:9). We cannot tame our tongue; but Jesus can.

* * * * * * * * *

Now; in all of this, we should always remember that God gave us our tongues so that we may serve Him with it. It might be tempting to think that the best thing to do is to have our tongues removed, or to sew our mouths shut. But it’s not only God’s will that (negatively) we not use our tongue for evil, but also (positively) use it for good (Ephesians 4:29-30). But we cannot tame it. We must trust Him to help us do so.

May He so change our hearts that our tongues become His instrument for good!