My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. James 3:1-8.
James lists five terrors of the tongue.
It boasteth great things, kindles a great matter, it is a world of iniquity, defiles the whole body, and ignites the course of nature.
And he notes four times its fiery nature. James concludes the reason for its incendiary effect is that it is set on fire from hell.
Left unattended the tongue can inflame a situation and bring about a divorce, a church split, a war, and cause many lives to be wounded or lost. The marks of sticks and stone will be gone in a few days. The hurt of words can endure for a lifetime.
I am reminded of the saying, “Loose lips sink ships.” That was a wartime expression meaning 'unguarded talk may give useful information to the enemy.’
This phrase was coined as a slogan during WWII as part of the US Office of War Information's attempt to limit the possibility of people inadvertently giving useful information to enemy spies. The slogan was actually “Loose Lips Might Sink Ships.” This was one of several similar slogans which all came under the campaign’s basic message - 'Careless Talk Costs Lives'.
The totality of the destructive force of the little member is unparalleled.
What is the remedy? I submit it is given in Acts 2. The sure cure for this particular human malady is of a spiritual nature. It is the Pentecostal experience. The baptism of the Holy Spirit. Yes, speaking in tongues.
It is no wonder The Promise of the Father, sent down from Jesus, engaged the tongue in its initial outpouring, and throughout the book of Acts, even to our day.
Let us contrast James 3 with Acts 2.
The tongue is set on fire of hell. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
It defileth the whole body. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,
The tongue can no man tame. They began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
It boasteth great things. They spoke in tongues the wonderful works of God.
If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Speaking in tongues is as close as you can get to being a perfect man.
No wonder Paul declared:
I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all. 1 Corinthians 14:18. -PJF-
Purpose! Ministries
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