Proclamation:
“All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are
being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the
tongue. It is a restless evil, full of
deadly poison.” James 3:7-8 (NIV)
Explanation:
These words were written by James, the half brother of
Jesus, The Christ, (Galatians 1:19) under the influence of The Holy Spirit of
God, to the Jewish believers who were scattered after the crucifixion of
Christ. (James 1:1) He wrote this
general epistle to provide them with practical advice on Christian
behavior. He begins this letter by
telling them that most of them should not become teachers because those who
teach will be judged more strictly and will be held to a higher standard.
(James 3:1) Then he tells them that the
tongue is a small part of the body but it can do a lot of damage. (James
3:5-6) He continues by saying that no
man can tame the tongue. They praise God
and curse each other with the same tongue, and that should not be so. (James
3:9-10) He ends this chapter by telling
them that the wise men will live a good life and their good deeds will reflect
their wisdom. (James 3:13-18)
Application:
Our tongue can get us in a lot of trouble. Frequently we have said things that we should
not have said. What we say can defile us.
(Matthew 15:11) Sometimes the less we
say, the better off we will be. (Matthew 5:37)
We should refrain from profane conversation and vain boasting. (Timothy
2:16) We will be judged on every word
that we speak and by our words we will be justified or condemned. (Matthew
12:36-37) We need to pray for God’s help
to teach us to hold our tongue. (Job 6:24)
We should pray that our words will be “seasoned with salt” and helpful
to those that hear us. (Colossians 4:6) We
also should pray that God will create within us a clean heart, because that
which comes out of our mouth reflects that which is in our heart. (Matthew
12:34) Good clean Christian conversation
requires the help of The Lord.
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