A Living Faith Evidenced in Wise Speech and Conduct Part 2 (James 3:1–18)
A small thing can make a big difference. A tiny bit in a horse’s mouth can turn that massive beast in the direction that the rider determines. A small rudder on a huge ship has the power to turn that massive boat in the direction that the pilot determines. And a small spark has the potential for inflicting great damage by setting a large forest on fire. James uses these three picturesque illustrations to compare the small member of the tongue to the huge impact it can make. The tongue has great power even though it is small.
On the one hand, we are accountable for how we use our tongues: the rider uses the bit (the tongue) and the captain or pilot uses the rudder (the tongue). We can’t just blame the tongue as if we ourselves are not culpable. On the other hand, once we let the spark fly (the initial use of the tongue) things can get out of our control very quickly. The tongue, like fire, is characterized by its unruly nature, spreading damage quickly. It may be hard to contain how widespread the damage becomes, much like a raging wildfire that cannot be dampened.
After illustrating the tongue’s impact and power, James provides a detailed explanation of the tongue’s problematic nature as well as the significance of the problem. James 3:6 details the extent of the problem due to the very nature of the tongue. It is a fire, a world of iniquity. That means that the tongue is characterized by a whole system of evil or unrighteousness. The problem is as wide as or comparable to a worldwide system of a problem. The extent of the tongue’s problem can also be described as staining the whole body—even though it is just one small member of the body. Its sinful nature affects every other use of the body; the whole person’s corruption can be revealed by the tongue.
How exactly is the tongue a world of iniquity? Both its origins and results determine this characteristic. The tongue is set aflame by the fires of Hell—the fallen, sinful nature expressed by the tongue is satanic in nature (Revelation 21:8). And the result is to set the course of nature/life on fire. This corrupted person/tongue manifests itself in the corruption of the whole course of a person’s life (1 Corinthians 15:33). Thus, an unrestrained tongue is evidence of a false faith because the person shows no transformation from the natural man who is of his father the Devil (James 1:22, 26).
In fact, the problem of the tongue can only be solved by supernatural internal transformation. That is why you can use this as a test of a genuine faith. Humans are unable to tame the tongue on their own. The difficulty in attempting to solve the problem is illustrated in James 3:7–8. Humans have a lot of power over creation—every category of the animal kingdom has been tamed: beasts, birds, serpents/reptiles, and sea animals. But humans, for all their power, do not have the power within themselves to tame the tongue. Why? It is restless to do evil. It is full of deadly poison. The tongue is like a pacing animal just waiting for an opportunity wreak havoc by attacking its prey. Or the tongue is like a subtle but deadly potent cocktail that sickens all those who receive its offerings.
If the tongue is so powerful and untamable, then can we excuse our inconsistencies? Blessing God and cursing humans is an inconsistent use of the tongue. But maybe we can just excuse this because we can’t help it since it’s beyond us to tame the tongue. James 3:9–12 explains that inconsistencies cannot be condoned. This is not the way things ought to be. God did not create and redeem us to behave this way. All humans created in God’s image deserve to be valued and respected as image-bearers.
At this juncture we need to pause to more carefully interpret and apply these verses so that faulty guilt trips would not be used to condemn and silence godly Christians. What exactly is being prohibited or critiqued in reference to cursing other image-bearers?
I do not believe that these verses prohibit confronting others or warning others of unbiblical beliefs or unethical behavior. Those beliefs and behaviors ought to be condemned. Many Bible verses command Christians to do so and Jesus models doing so. Rather, these verses prohibit and critique calling down God’s judgment/curse and therefore taking God’s place as the judge (Psalm 139:19–24 must be harmonized with James 4:11–12). Such is motivated by a vengeful and bitter spirit. Such is based on extra-biblical judgments (personal opinion or human tradition). Such is an attack on a person as a person, an image-bearer (an ontological matter) rather than a confrontation of unbiblical philosophies and beliefs or unethical character or behavior based on biblical critique (an ethical or doctrinal matter). Too often, Christians, daring to boldly stand as they ought, end up being condemned by those who use verses like James 3:9–12 out of context and in a very sloppy way.
James is concerned about professing believers who are characterized by a hypocritical piety (blessing God while mistreating and devaluing image bearers). How can someone justify both? This inconsistency ought not be. The origin of blessing and the origin of cursing cannot be coming from the same source any more than a fountain of water can issue forth both salt and sweet water or a fig tree yield olives. In other words, a pure heart from a genuine faith in God does not produce bitterness or seek to do harm to others. A pure heart seeks to love others—as defined by seeking God’s greatest good for them.
A living faith concerns itself with treating fellow image-bearers with due respect in the way that we speak to them and about them. We should always want the well-being of our fellow man as the consistent outflow of our hearts as reflected in our speech. This does not mean that Christians never take a stand—even in their philosophical and doctrinal disagreements with each other. But it does mean that how they address their deep disagreements with one another matters. James is addressing warring factions in the church due to people driven by lusts (see 4:1-12). And yet James addresses them militantly in the strongest terms: calling them adulteresses. Is James violating these verses in the very next chapter by resorting to picturesque name-calling? I think not. He has a pure heart, calling people back to God’s best good for them. He is not attacking their persons but their unethical character and behavior. We ought to carefully do the same. Be bold but not belligerent. Don’t stand down because our society so often recasts the bold godly believer as an ungodly belligerent.
Kevin Collins has served as a junior high youth leader in Michigan, a missionary in Singapore, a Christian School teacher in Utah, and a Bible writer for the BJU Press. He currently works for American Church Group of South Carolina.
Photo by Alex Shute on Unsplash