1. Looking at your Bible, how do today's two verses fit in with what

goes before and what follows after?

2. What are the primary lessons from today's verses?

C. Comment:

James has just been explaining that faith without action is a useless thing, and for those (i.e. teachers) who seek to guide others, this is especially important. It is crucial that teachers don't merely talk about spiritual things but fully enter into them. Now the moment he mentions teachers he realises that they convey their teaching through words and so he starts along a fairly long path discussing the importance of what comes out of our mouths.

OK teachers, he says, you will make mistakes, we all do, so that shouldn't debar you from teaching, but never the less watch out for what you say. The counsel that comes from the Old Testament verses you looked up is that it is better to say little than say a lot of foolish things that help no one. The tongue has a potential to really bless people but it is a disciplined person who can ensure that this is all their tongue does. So, what should we be considering here?

Are our lives expressing faith so that we are “doing people” not just “saying people”? Are the words that come from our lips bringing blessing, peace and healing, or hurt and upset?

D. Application:

1. We should be doers and not merely hearers.

2. If we are speakers then we need to watch what we say.

Chapter: James 3

Passage: James 3:3-6

A. Find Out:

1. What point does James make about horses? v.3

2. What point does he make about ships? v.4

3. What point does he make about the tongue? v.5a

4. What does he say about a forest? v.5b

5. How does he illustrate the tongue? v.6a

6. What does he say it can do? v.6b

B. Think:

1. What is the main point being made by each illustration?

2. How does he apply that to the tongue?

3. How can words be damaging?

C. Comment:

In continuing to speak about the use of our mouth, James uses three clear illustrations to show how something very small can have a big impact. The bit in the mouth of a horse controls it, the rudder on a big ship controls it, and a small flame in a forest can set the whole forest on fire.

We may think the tongue is a small and insignificant part of the body but its effect can be very powerful. The tongue (and James focuses on its bad use here) can be used for lying, slander, stirring up hatred or discord and inciting a whole host of wrong behaviour.

James says that the tongue can set your whole life on fire. That which merely remains a thought can remain dormant, but that which is spoken out releases a whole powerful wave of wrong feelings and attitudes. Spoken words for good and evil can have a very powerful effect.

When he says the tongue itself is set on fire by hell, he means that once wrong words are released it seems to open a whole floodgate of further wrong words that seem to have no end. Hell is a translation of Gehenna, a valley outside Jerusalem where rubbish was continually being burnt; it is a picture of an ongoing fire that just keep on going. Once the tongue starts there is no stopping it!

D. Application:

1. Would Jesus approve of all the words that come from our lips?

2. Do we need to repent for wrong words spoken?

Chapter: James 3

Passage: James 3:7-12

A. Find Out:

1. What can we do with living creatures? v.7

2. Yet what do we fail to do with the tongue? v.8

3. What two things do we do with the tongue? v.9,10

4. But what does he ask about water? v.11

5. What does he say about fruit off trees? v.12a

6. What does he say about a salt spring? v.12b

B. Think:

1. What is the main point of this passage?

2. How is that different from the previous passage?

3. What does this say to your life?

C. Comment:

Above James spoke about the possible damaging effect of the tongue and now he goes on to consider the source of our words. He starts out by saying that we can tame animals but we can't tame our tongue. When we focus on our words and try to control them we find that we soon fail again. That is not the answer.

James' answer is to look at the source of our words. Look, he says, consider a freshwater spring, can salt water come from it, or alternatively can freshwater comes from a salt water spring? Or perhaps look at different trees. Will olives grow on a fig tree or figs on a grapevine? No, the sort of fruit that comes is determined by the tree itself. Picture after picture says the same thing1

The implication here is that our words simply reflect what is going on inside us, our words reveal the sort of heart that we have. In Matthew 12:34 Jesus said, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks”. Wrong words indicate a wrong heart and therefore our focus should not be on trying to ensure that good words come out of our mouths, but that we have put our heart right with God, and when this happens then the good words will follow.

D. Application:

1. Are we aware of wrong words continually coming from our mouths? It is

an indication of needing to put our hearts right before God.

2. Remember, words reveal the state of the heart!

Chapter: James 3

Passage: James 3:13-18

A. Find Out:

1. How are we to show we have wisdom? v.13

2. But what may we harbour in our hearts? v.14

3. Where does such come from? v.15

4. What will follow those things? v.16

5. What are the characteristics of wisdom from heaven? v.17

6. What will peacemakers harvest? v.18

B. Think:

1. How are “earthly-wise” people described?

2. How are “heavenly-wise” contrasted?

3. How do you think this follows on from the previous passage?

C. Comment:

James had been previously speaking about the words that come out of people's mouths. Now he picks up on those who would say they are wise and would seek to appear wise but whose inner wrong attitudes deny it.

The point that he is making is that whatever fine words we speak and however wise our sayings appear to be, if we harbour wrong feelings that is not wisdom from heaven, but simply an earthly counterfeit. If we harbour wrong feelings towards others we cannot call ourselves wise!

Real wisdom, by contrast, originates in heaven and is shown by a good life characterised by humility that comes from knowing who we are, frail in human weakness but great as children of God. This awareness will always keep us humble. But that which comes from heaven will also show the characteristics of Jesus: it will be pure and holy, loving peace and seeking to bring peace, caring and considerate of others, submitting to God and to authority, merciful and accepting of others, not taking sides and fully truthful and sincere.

Where these things are seen in a life then here is real wisdom, here is a person who has truly learnt to be wise, and this is true righteousness.

D. Application:

1. Human wisdom allows wrong feelings to prevail inside.

2. Godly wisdom not only says good things but shows that the inside is right with God, as well as the outside!

RECAP: "Beware the Tongue" - James 3

SUMMARY :

In these next 4 studies we have seen James dealing with:

- teachers being more accountable for what they say

- the amazing influence of the tongue to guide our lives

- the potential of the tongue to produce good and bad

- nature showing that that should not be so

- wisdom being expressed by leading a good life

- the fruit of wisdom from heaven

COMMENT :

This is an uncomfortable chapter and James confronts us with the contradictions that can come from our mouths. Words spoken can have great effect and we should be that much more careful about what we say. We should not have critical and harsh words coming from mouths that at other times in the week speak out words of praise and worship. The two just do not go together. Indeed, if we say we are wise people, then we ought to show that wisdom by the way we speak and act. The proof of the pudding is very much in the speaking!

LESSONS?

1. We should be doers as well as hearers of the word

2. Leaders are that much more responsible for what they say

3. We need to repent for wrong words spoken

4. Continual wrong words indicate a wrong heart condition

5. Godly wisdom is seen by outward good acts

PRAY :

Ask the Lord to help you face up to the wrong words that comes from your mouth. Repent of them.

PART 4 : "Straighten up your Lives!"

In the next Part of this uncomfortable letter, James focuses on the causes of squabbling. We may feel this Part mostly applies to non-Christians but it should still challenge us. The call is to put our lives firmly in His hands and to avoid a self-centred mentality that permits a rule-by-self rather than guidance by God. Again let these strong words speak personally to you.