Bible Study - Pressure Points - Pressure of Words - James 3:1-18 - September 22, 2013

Bible Study – Pressure Points – Pressure of Words – September 22, 2013

This is lesson four in our series entitled “Pressure Points.”

GOD equipped mankind with one mouth and two ears. HE intended for mankind to listen twice as much as they speak.

Our scripture is James 3:1-18.

The old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me” is easy to say but it is not true. Words are like sticks and stones when spoken harshly. Words are seeds that get into our minds and grow. Good words bring about good results but harsh words can break a person’s spirit, especially a child’s spirit.

The Bible tells us that GOD’S Word will never return void. HIS Word always produces a result. Words spoken or written by each of us will produce a result, either for the good or harm.

There are certain groups who have identified certain words that are politically incorrect to use, yet within their group they use these words. This is a form of control to keep those outside that group silent. Yes, there are words that are derogatory and must not be used by anyone including rap artist and comedians. We live in a country which gives us freedom of speech; yet, Christians are not to pray using the name of JESUS in public events because it might offend someone. That is control.

People use e-mail, smart-phones, social media, written media and the spoken word to bully others, which in turn, results in causing the targeted person much grief, hospitalization, mental problems, self-esteem problems or can even lead him/her to commit suicide. Words are powerful and words written or spoken can work for good or for evil. We think that such use of words pertains only to our modern day but James gives us insight into the power of words during his day. Let’s explore!

Let’s read James 3:1-8:

1 Not many should become teachers, my • brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment, 2 for we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a mature man who is also able to control his whole body. 3 Now when we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide the whole animal. 4 And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how large a forest a small fire ignites. 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is set on fire by • hell. 7 Every sea creature, reptile, bird, or animal is tamed and has been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

James begins by referring to teachers. Teachers then and today have a tremendous influence upon those they teach. Parents, grandparents and many others teach children. Teachers speak from a position of authority and have certain credentials which qualify them to teach. Thus, James stated that teachers are going to be held to a higher standard. He was referring to teachers of GOD’S Word, the scripture. They will be held accountable by GOD for rightly dividing GOD’S Word, understanding it and applying it to their lives to live by.

Notice in verse 1, that James puts himself in that category by using the word “we.” James was highlighting the importance and seriousness of those who teach to study, pray, prepare, practice what they teach and present the message GOD lays upon their hearts.

I encourage YOU TO PRAY FOR THOSE WHO TEACH YOU GOD’S WORD. A big bulls-eye is drawn on every teacher by Satan because if he can get them to compromise, fall into sin or misrepresent the truth it will negatively impact so many people.

In the early days of Christianity, church leaders had a problem with false teachers coming into the church espousing false doctrine. Some of the false teachers were called Judaizers and taught that a person had to become a Jew and be circumcised before becoming a Christian.

Being a teacher is a calling by GOD and even though called, a teacher is not perfect. James wrote that all Christians, including teachers, stumble. But those who do not stumble in what they say or do are mature. Mature words spoken reveal that the person has control of his/her entire body.

James gives three illustrations regarding small things, when properly used, control large things or prevents greater devastation:

-         Small bits in the mouths of large animals guide them and make them useful for the riders.

-         A small rudder on a large ship is useful for the captain of the ship to navigate through stormy seas with high winds.

-         A small ignition source used properly is good but if the responsible person lets it get out of control, it results in wide spread devastation.

James admonished Christians to think of their tongue as a fire. We know that an uncontrolled fire can cause a vast amount of devastation. We know the devastation of the forest and homes in California and Yosemite. The rider on the horse controls this large animal by the small bit placed in its mouth. The pilot of the ship controls it by the small rudder safely through stormy seas. Every person is responsible for what comes out of his/her mouth. The responsible person and especially every Christian must control that small thing between his/her teeth called the tongue. Each person must keep in mind that his/her tongue is a fire and must be used responsibly.

In the news, this week, was the story of a young girl who committed suicide because of hateful words being used to bully her. It reveals the wicked heart of those who use words as weapons. With social media available to children, it puts a weapon into their hands that can be used for good or evil.

James continued to admonish Christians to consider the power of the tongue. An uncontrolled tongue not only impacts others but also pollutes those whose tongue is not under control. People can control various animals, reptiles, sea creatures and birds but they are not able to control the tongue. The uncontrolled tongue is restless evil, full of deadly poison.

I recall a story I heard many years ago about a person starting a vicious false rumor about their pastor. The rumor went viral. It made the pastor ill. The person who started the rumor went to the pastor’s home and confessed what he had done. He told the pastor that he was sorry and wanted to know what he could do to rectify what he had done.  The pastor handed him a feather pillow and told him to go to the back door of the house, open the pillowcase, and shake out all the feathers and to come back to him. The man did as the pastor had instructed him and returned with the empty pillowcase. He told the pastor that he had done as the pastor had requested. The man wanted to know what else he could do. The pastor said, “Now go out and gather all the feathers and place them back into the pillowcase.” The man replied quickly that the wind was blowing and the feathers were scattered by the wind and it would be impossible for him to gather all the feathers. The pastor told the man, “I forgive you but you will never be able to tell everyone that the rumor you started was false.”

Fellow Christians, we must be careful about the use of our tongues. They can be used for good when properly controlled and under the authority of the Holy Spirit but when they are out of control they are lethal weapons. The best gun control is for people to control their tongues.

James addressed the importance of controlling the tongue in James 1:26:

26 If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, then his religion is useless and he deceives himself.

The tongue translates what is on the inside of a person to the outside. Man can tame all sorts of animals but when it comes to the tongue it is difficult to impossible to tame. It reveals who rules our lives, CHRIST or Satan. It pollutes the entire body when Satan controls a person’s life and devastates everything in its path because it is an uncontrolled, unrighteous fire.

6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is set on fire by • hell. 7 Every sea creature, reptile, bird, or animal is tamed and has been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

The tongue reveals what is on the inside of a person. JESUS addressed this in Mark 7:14-23:

14 Summoning the crowd again, He told them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: 15 Nothing that goes into a person from outside can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him. [ 16 If anyone has ears to hear, he should listen!]” 17 When He went into the house away from the crowd, the disciples asked Him about the parable. 18 And He said to them, “Are you also as lacking in understanding? Don’t you realize that nothing going into a man from the outside can defile him? 19 For it doesn’t go into his heart but into the stomach and is eliminated.” (As a result, He made all foods • clean.) 20 Then He said, “What comes out of a person —that defiles him. 21 For from within, out of people’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, 22 adulteries, greed, evil actions, deceit, promiscuity, stinginess, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a person.”

James continued writing about the tongue and how it reveals our heart toward GOD and others. Let’s read our next scripture.

Let’s read James 3:9-12:

9 We praise our Lord and Father with it, and we curse men who are made in God’s likeness with it. 10 Praising and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers, these things should not be this way. 11 Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.

James made another observation that Christians can use their tongues to praise the LORD JESUS and GOD and curse fellow humans. How can it be that coming from one source are praises and curses? It shows the deceitful nature of mankind and reveals hearts that are not under the authority of GOD.

Mankind was made in the image of GOD and, in essence, when we curse our fellow man, we are cursing GOD. He wanted Christians to focus on the message that it sends to all who observe their walk with CHRIST. It sends a puzzling message regarding Christians to both fellow Christians and to the non-Christian world.

James used several illustrations to make his point:

-         Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening?

-         Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers, or a grapevine produce figs?

-         Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.

James answered the questions he posed in his last statement. When Christians take an honest look at themselves, what do they observe? Do they listen to the words they utter? Do they speak to others as they would speak to CHRIST? Some things have to be spoken in a firm voice and tone but often we think that we have to curse to get a point across. Or we think we have to run a person into the ground. I know some people just don’t get it unless you speak firmly and with authority.

But how many times do we as parents or in the work place say, “If you do such-and-such again, such-and such will happen?” Then, when they do it we say it again and again, we say the same thing. Whereas, if we were consistent and did what we told the person we would do, he/she would learn that we meant what we said, even when we used calm a voice and tone. Those in authority must be consistent but they also need wisdom from above and that comes from our relationship with GOD through CHRIST.

How do Christians control their tongues? They need wisdom. Where do Christians get wisdom? True wisdom comes from GOD and the indwelling Holy Spirit. Every Christian is a vessel who contains the indwelling Holy Spirit, the source of living water. When Christians are spewing out bitter, poisonous water it reveals hearts that are not under the control of the Holy Spirit. 

Let’s read James 3:13-18:

The Wisdom from Above Versus Wisdom From Earth

13 Who is wise and has understanding among you? He should show his works by good conduct with wisdom’s gentleness. 14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t brag and deny the truth. 15 Such wisdom does not come from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where envy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every kind of evil. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without favoritism and hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.

There are two kinds of wisdom, one from GOD and one from earth. Wisdom is a product or fruit coming from the work of the Holy Spirit within a Christian. A mature Christian is manifested when he/she has a gentle Spirit controlled by wisdom. Wisdom from GOD comes from our relationship with GOD through CHRIST.

This has been an area I have wrestled with the LORD over for years. I pray for wisdom and then what I do does not come out wisely. So I go to the LORD and say, “But I prayed and asked YOU for wisdom about such-and-such and it did not come out wisely.” The answer I often receive is, “How else are you going to learn to be wise.” That is not the answer I am looking for because I want the solution to reveal the hand of GOD at work. GOD works in many different ways but HIS goal is to shape our lives into the image of CHRIST. It is important that when we ask for wisdom from GOD, that we remain in communication and in relationship with HIM as we seek a solution and implement it. We may need to learn a lesson and if so, we have to suffer the consequences of our actions.

Life is a training ground and I believe most of us want to be wise in all that we do or say. But it is all about our hearts toward GOD, through our relationship with CHRIST.

So how can we tell the difference between wisdom that is from above versus earthly wisdom?

Wisdom from GOD is manifested through the life of the Christian. Wisdom is the product resulting from Christians planting peace in their hearts, which can only begin by accepting, by faith, CHRIST as their Savior. CHRIST, the Prince of Peace, in each person is ground zero. Sanctification is a process which can produce the attributes for being a wise Christian as revealed through their lifestyle and actions. When the Holy Spirit makes the change, it is genuine and revealed naturally with wisdom’s gentleness and humility. That can only be achieved by Christians yielding to the power, leadership and shaping of their lives by the indwelling Holy Spirit. That does not happen quickly.

How do we learn wisdom from GOD? We are subjected to the things in life that cause us to practice wisdom.

Wisdom is a fruit or the product of a Christian’s relationship with GOD through CHRIST. The good soil cultivated and nurtured by the indwelling Holy Spirit is the foundation for wisdom from above. It is imperative that Christians are grafted into CHRIST, the vine, as JESUS stated in John 15:1-5:

1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper. 2 Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes, and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. 3 You are already • clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.

The branch produces the fruit. Christians are the branch.

The product that is produced by being grafted into CHRIST is revealed in Galatians 5:22:

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.

The wise Christian will reveal wisdom through his/her lifestyle as revealed by James in verse 17 - But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without favoritism and hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.

When wise Christians allow GOD, through their relationship with CHRIST, to sow the seeds of peace in their lives, GOD will produce the fruit of righteousness. That is peace yields the fruit of righteousness.

Do you wonder why our government leaders do not lead with wisdom from above? It is because many of them do not acknowledge having a relationship with CHRIST. It is not politically correct to ask the people of our nation to pray along with them for wisdom to lead and direct the affairs of our nation, state, county or city. America, when you leave GOD out, the nation will wreak havoc and suffer.

So what does the wisdom from earth look like?

James stated it best:

14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t brag and deny the truth. 15 Such wisdom does not come from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where envy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every kind of evil.

The opposite of wisdom from above is earthly wisdom which is revealed by “bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart.”

James tells his Christian readers that when they have bitter envy and selfish ambition in their hearts as evidenced by their lifestyle, it is a wake-up call. Such action is not a badge of honor. It is serious. When Christians begin to brag about having such a nature, it becomes even more serious because the next stage in their decline is for them to deny the truth, which is sin. Sin blocks communication with the Holy Spirit.

When such a lifestyle is manifested in their lives, they must confess it and ask GOD to help them change because the next step is to give control of their lives to Satan because the final stage is for them to deny CHRIST. They will hide their light under a bushel and shrink from being associated with the name of CHRIST. Christians can do the work of Satan and when that happens they are like wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Such wisdom does not come from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. Notice the descending order:

-         Earthly wisdom does not come from GOD even though it may appear to be clever.

-         Unspiritual – Those without the Holy Spirit, non-Christians or Christians who have compromised their lives and built a barrier in their relationship with CHRIST cannot comprehend the wisdom which comes from GOD. Therefore, when those who are Spiritual give solutions from GOD, the unspiritual or compromised Christians cannot comprehend it. Often, the unspiritual, as well as compromised Christians enjoy earthly wisdom.

-         Devilish – Yes, Satan can come as an angel of light. His desire is to deceive and destroy. The non-Christian of course is open to such deception, because he/she relies upon earthly wisdom. The Christian who has compromised their lives can also be deceived by Satan. That is why CHRIST told HIS followers to take up the cross daily. A Christian’s walk is daily and depends upon our relationship with CHRIST and a constant flow of wisdom from above.    

James tells it like it is. Where envy and selfish ambition exists, there is disorder and every kind of evil. Do we have disorder and every kind of evil in the world today?  Yes, and we know that it comes from, earthly wisdom. Contrast earthly wisdom with wisdom from above, which James defines.

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without favoritism and hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.

Are you an instrument of peace? This does not mean you roll over and play dead when things go awry. When the peace that only CHRIST can give is sown in the hearts of Christians, it produces righteousness, which only comes from GOD. Our relationship with GOD through CHRIST gives Christians unlimited access to GOD Who is the source of wisdom from above. Do you want wisdom from above? Then ask for it and seek an intimate, loving relationship with GOD through CHRIST. Blessings!!!