Building a Faith that Works:  the Book of James

Taming the Tongue

James 3:1-12

August 25, 2002

People who insist on being happy never find joy. (James 1:1-12)

Satan wants us to think that joy can come without God. (James 1:13-18)

Really listening to God produces change from God. (James 1:19-27)

Loving completely means loving like Christ. (James 2:1-13)

Genuine faith is a living faith. (James 2:14-26)

Genuine faith is a talking faith. (James 3:1-12)

1.  Don’t be discouraged by your faults. (3:1-2)

            the danger of presumption - "we all stumble"  

¹Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. ²We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

2.  Your tongue will tell you what your heart is doing. (3:3-6)

            James 1:26; Luke 6:45           

³When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. ⁴Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. ⁵Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

3.  Only through dependence can you have freedom. (3:7-8)

⁷All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, ⁸but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

"who will rescue me from this body of death?"  Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!" - Romans 7:24,25

4.  Maturing in Christ requires dependence on Christ. (3:9-12)

            the immature life is an erratic life – James 1:8

⁹With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. ¹⁰Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. ¹¹Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? ¹²My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.