The Restless Evil of the Tongue

​James 3:10 ~ “From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.”
 
How quickly does a person’s heart get revealed when an unguarded moment happens? It gets passed over as merely a “slip of the tongue” but what is hidden in the heart is illuminated when that tongue slips and the words come rolling out. And, before we launch into this writing today, I admit with great sorrow that there have been times when I have spoken words that are not a blessing. I am certain everyone reading this will recognize this to be true of themselves as well. James 3:2 says, “For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.” Only the LORD Jesus was ever the perfect man to walk upon this earth. He never once slipped in anything that He said. He was self-controlled in every thought, word and deed—bringing glory to His Father in heaven. If we are to emulate our Savior, it will often be tested first with our words.
 
Let us first begin by looking at the condition pointed to us in the text today: “From the same mouth comes blessing and cursing.” Consider the examples given in James 3:11-12, “Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.” Can there be from the same heart a fountain of bitterness as well as a river of joy? Those who surround our lives will experience one or the other—and the question is always: which one. Our lives are meant to be a wellspring of living water for those who encounter us, that they should drink deep and find the life of the Savior. Jesus said in John 7:38, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Not only that, but we are to bear the right fruit—the fruit of the Spirit. You cannot declare yourself to be a joyful person when what flows from your lips are the harsh sentiments of a bitter soul. Nor can you declare yourself to be a person of peace when strife issues forth from your lips. Beloved, let it be that our hearts are not mixed with both blessings and curses. Our words prove our heart. Jesus our LORD said this very thing in Matthew 12:34, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
 
We continue with the admonishment of James when he said: “My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” Are they “so” of you? This is where the examination of our lives demands clarity. We do all stumble in many ways, as James has said. Not one of us can fully control his tongue, nor always put a guard upon our mouths that we should never again speak a bitter word. What we must do is something far deeper than that—we must examine the reservoir itself, and not just the spring that flows from it. We must examine our hearts. Proverbs 4:23 commands, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” If the source is poisoned, every stream that flows from it will contain the tainted water. If it is purified, then from our lips will pour forth that which is a blessing and not a curse.
 
John 7:38 gives us our first purifier—believe on Jesus as the Scripture said. Turn to the Word of God and have your faith anchored to Jesus through His revealed truth. Do not look to any other source than the Holy Bible to discover who Jesus is and how to believe on Him. Proverbs 4:23 gives us another purifier—do not let in anything tainted. To keep your heart is to guard it, to stand watch over it, for you know that from it will issue the things of your life. If you want purity, truth, blessing and not curses, then you must not let your heart be governed by anything other than Christ Jesus—not even your own understanding (see Proverbs 3:1-8). And though this is not an exhaustive list, here is a final purifier from Hebrews 10:22, “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” In those times when we find ourselves again bringing forth curses instead of blessings, let us draw near again to the LORD and have our hearts sprinkled—washed clean from an evil conscience. We cannot truly stay in the presence of Christ for long except that it will have a transforming effect upon us—making us to be more and more like Him.
 
My friends, the tongue is a restless evil—proving the condition of the heart. Let us then take our hearts before the LORD that He should transform us from one who shouts a curse to one who shares a blessing.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

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