James 3: 7-12
Over the last few days, we’ve been discussing the first half of James 3: Taming the tongue. Today we’re going to wrap it up by discussing verses 7:7-12.
7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind,
I never doubt the inerrancy of scripture, but its pretty hard to get my cat to do what I want it to do. The Greek word for Tame here is δαμάζω (damazó), which means restraint and obedience. So its pretty straight forward what James is trying to say here.
8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
I play indoor soccer. Even on my best day, an angry word slips out here-or-there. After the game, I’ll go and shake my opponents hand apologizing for acting a fool. Later, I’ll feel this inward shame of my sin. I pray to God and ask Him why am I so quick to anger. Why do I feel that it’s my right to carry out justice with my words? This verse represents our sin nature. It’s why we’re separated from God, but how BIG is our Gospel though. How big is our Savior—Christ Jesus!
9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
How strange is the human condition? When people accuse Christians of being hypocrites it’s because we are! We’re constantly at war with our-selfs. We’re genuinely trying to live out Christ, but that doesn’t mean we always choose Christ every time. It’s why we must pray daily to God and plead with Him to make us more like His Son.
11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
I love this verse because James will not allow us to cop out. He’s not giving us the green light to curse and bless. He’s saying you’re either cursing or blessing. You can’t do both. The metaphors are “either/ or” not “both / and.” That’s the call of the Christian life. We cannot live a life of unrestraint, and then profess we’re living a life submitting to Christ. We’re called to a higher standard. You must change. I must change.
Changing our actions is the challenge of the Christian life because when we are saved, we’re still working through years of bad habits and poor decision making.
So here’s what we can do: Daily pray to God asking him to forgive your sins. Ask him to conform you to the image of His Son. If you pray that prayer everyday, God will answer your prayer. You’ll begin to notice that your heart will begin to change. Cursing someone with your words will become less frequent and You will begin to see the change from the inside out.
Photography: @fordyates