Series on James - Speaking With a Forked Tongue

 

Speaking With A Forked Tongue

James 3:9-12

There are contrasts to about everything in the world. And in the nature of contrasts, they are established by their uniqueness and differences in design and purpose.  Man’s sin nature reveals the contrast between those that aren’t from God and those who are from God by the words spoken from the heart. Isaiah stated that people twist words like the devil, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (5:20 NIV); “All God's words are tried and true; a shield for those who take refuge in him.” (Prov. 30:5 CEV)

James understood the speaking out of both sides of the mouth, because it was being practiced in the world and the church, whether it was sarcasm or sincerity. People’s hearts bore out their sin nature when they spoke. So let’s begin with the first portion of our text. “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth comes praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.”

James probably heard the sarcasm jews had for the Romans, and vice versa. But he also knew the regenerational change the Holy Spirit makes in a true believer's tongue and heart. For James draws out the contrasts between good and evil spoken with the tongue, just as Paul had taught the Ephesians and the other churches as well. “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body… 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. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Eph. 4:25,29-32)

The church in Jerusalem had experienced its share of persecution, slander, and ostracizing at the hands of the religious leaders of the law as well as the Roman usurpers. James called the church into examining their hearts by examining the use of their tongues in speaking blessing to God and them going out and speaking curses, slander, and malice against their fellow man after they had just finished worshiping and praising the God of grace, goodness, and wonders, our God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. “Out of the same mouth comes praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” The believers in Christ Jesus needed to demonstrate their love for God and of God for the lost as well as for each other who are redeemed by the atoning blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. For cursing is to ask God to bring His wrath down upon the head of the one you spoke about. There shouldn't have been any cursing of their neighbor, enemy, or their brother or sister in the Lord, and then come into worship of Jesus and the Father with the forked tongue of the devil.

Application - How things do not change because of the sin filled world and the sinful nature of mankind. Yet it shouldn’t be so in the Church, the body of Christ. For it is who created us new, and for His good purpose. “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” (Phil. 2:13 NLT)

Let’s be clear, how we use our tongue is evidenced in all areas of our lives. For the words spoken whether by email, instagram, facebook, or in other forms of social media or communication reveals and reflects your identity and who you are on the inside, your heart. If sharp and callus words are used in our everyday speech, it reflects back to God our Father and Our Lord Jesus Christ. We view the decantency of the world and then curse those we don’t agree with and use ungracious and thoughtless words, then we go into our prayer times and praise the Father with the same tongue that brought lightning down on the heads of those we don’t agree with. Yes, Jesus did criticize the religious leaders for their disbelief but it was the Father’s righteous words of judgment not the Son’s. We must remember those whom we curse are also those whom God created in His image and in whom He loves; and He sent His Son to die for, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Rom. 5:8 NLT)  For when we curse others, we are in essence cursing God! Ouch! Please forgive us, Lord, and cleanse our hearts, minds, and tongues of this sinfulness.

Last, James continues in using the contrasting of the natural world with the tongue in speaking in contrasting ways. Let’s read the last portion of the text, “Can both freshwater and saltwater flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”

He begins with the joy of fresh water, it quenches the thirst, refreshes the body, and assists in developing good health. Every believer in the Jerusalem church understood the blessedness of pure clean refreshing water in their lives. Without it mankind couldn’t live very long. As they all understood from the stories of the patriarchs, the first thing they did was to find a fresh water spring or dig a well in order to live in the area. Fresh water was a necessary staple in the life of every person.

 But when a well or spring was mingled or overtaken with salt water, it was useless for human drinking, or for the animals to drink. The contrast was clearly evident. You can’t have both water sources flowing from the same spring or well.

Second, James used the agricultural contrasts of creation. For God had created all things according to their kind. “The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.” (Gen. 1:12 ESV)

The grape vine, olive tree, and the fig tree were stable plants in Israel. Probably, each community had at least one or the other. Each was quite distinct and in the manner that God created them, they wouldn’t bear a fruit foreign to its kind, “can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?

This was an elementary illustration of the distinction of the difference between good and evil, right or wrong, cursing and blessing. The tongue of the person would reveal the fruit of the heart by their words just as Jesus said,  “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matt. 12:33-37)

James concludes that the contrast in the words that we speak with the tongue will be judged according to those words. For you can only be one or the other, there is no spring of both fresh and salty water, or a single plant that bears olives, grapes, and figs together.

Application - In our overtly sinful nature in the world, it is much like the days of Noah, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Gen. 6:5)

The tongues of mankind reveal the state of the heart, and the fruit of the spirit within man. Before I was saved, my tongue wasn’t any different than those of the world, but when the Lord Jesus saved me and cleansed me, He took two-thirds of my language away as well, without me even asking. It was a heart miracle in me, and the incredible peace of God that permeated my whole being. He gave me the evidence of His wonderful working power at creating a new creation, and a new heart. “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” (2 Cor. 5:7; Ezk. 36:26)

As for the plants and fruit they bear, it is the physical example of who we truly are. As Jesus said, “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.” 

I am not here to throw stones, for I understand how easy it is to allow the evil of the tongue loose in anger or vengeance. It is so easy to get caught up in the slander, gossip, or sarcasm of our fallen world. Just listen to politics, for it sounds like an elementary school playground. The tongues are turned loose to speak curses and maliciously malign those that have offended them or accused them. 

But we aren’t of the world, though we are in the world as Jesus said “I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.” (John 17:14-18 NLT) 

So let us live as those who are holy and saved and don’t belong to the world. Let us speak truth in love, and do the work he has called us to as we await the Lord’s coming to take His church to himself.

In conclusion, we have all been guilty of a loose rebellious tongue, speaking words that were not from God (stumbling). I’m including words of correction that are from God for those who have stumbled and to ask for forgiveness and getting forgiveness from God. These words come from His Holy Word, for they are for the chastisement, discipline, and healing from our sins and they are from the love of the Father that cares for our needs, and to give us hope and cleanse our hearts, minds, and tongues. And only God can clean the heart, mind, and mouth. David wrote in Psalms 51 and 139 an examination and cure for a loose tongue and slanderous words. “O God, favor me because of Your loving-kindness. Take away my wrong-doing because of the greatness of Your loving-pity. Wash me inside and out from my wrong-doing and make me clean from my sin…Take away my sin, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow… Let the joy of Your saving power return to me. And give me a willing spirit to obey you.” “Look through me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. See if there is any sinful way in me and lead me in the way that lasts forever. (Psalms 51:1-2,7,12; 139:23-24 NLV)

I’m again including the ABC’s of salvation for all those who have not yet received Jesus Christ for salvation. For Jesus, God the Son, came to this world to save all who would believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you, He is the Light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and all authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. He will answer you if you will truly believe. If you haven’t asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

 First, A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Second,

 B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Third, 

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis

I have revised my webpage on Spiritual warfare. Please give it a look. Thank you.

http://uss-warfare3.webnode.com