PART VII
Hello. I am Patrick Cooley, pastor of Northport Methodist Church, and I want to thank you for spending some of your time with me today at the First Day podcast. Make sure you visit FirstDay.us and subscribe so you will be notified when new episodes drop.

To turn a phrase from President George Bush the elder, James is trying his “level best” to teach a Church and individual Christians who are facing trial how to escape from temptation and become the people that God wants them to be.

Chapter three is dedicated to doing something that many of us have trouble doing: taming the tongue. As we saw last episode, there are great benefits for God’s kingdom and for righteousness when we do so; however, this is no small feat.

Read verse 5b,6
See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our body’s parts as that which defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of our life and is set on fire by hell.

Proverbs 16:26 states, “A worthless person digs up evil. While, his words are like scorching fire.” This is a good starting point for unpacking verse 6. This verse stands in contrast verse 2, which we covered last episode: “If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to rein in the whole body as well.”

James’ concern in both verses 2 and six is the same: the tongue controls the body; and the body is the person’s and/or the Church’s action. So what we allow to control our tongues will impact everything about us.

Read verses 7,8
7 For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. 8 But no one among mankind can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Here in verse 8: 8 But no one among mankind can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison—James paints a picture that has been previously painted by the psalmist in Psalm 140:1-3, Rescue me, LORD, from evil people; Protect me from violent men 2 Who devise evil things in their hearts; They continually stir up wars. 3 They sharpen their tongues like a snake; The venom of a viper is under their lips.

“The tongue is the very world of unrighteousness” that is lit “on fire by hell.” These people must have been saying some nasty things to one another. Jesus says, “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil person out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.” (Luke 6:42)

So the tongue—what we say—influences our actions and is itself directed by the heart. Do you see how this builds upon what James has already said? We struggle with temptation, and we fail to produce God’s righteousness because we place our own needs about others. We have short fuses, are impatient, and lack empathy. Each of us think that we know best and, therefore, treasure ourselves in our hearts.

If we fill our hearts with the desire to practice true religion, we begin to unlearn and replace what was before as we visit the orphan and the widow and the stranger in their distress.

But the thing is, according to verse 8, we cannot tame our tongues. Let’s quote Dune, 1984 again…because I can.

“By will alone I set my mind in motion.” James would say that will alone is not enough to tame our tongues. Sure, for a while, we fake it—maybe fools some people into thinking that we are more religious and faithful than we are—but at the end of the day, this type of Christianity—being Jesus-y—won’t last. Eventually, our uncircumcised—our unchanged hearts—will reveal our true colors through our tongues.

In fact, this is what James tells the Church in the next verses.

Read verses 9-12
9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way. 11 Does a spring send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, bear olives, or a vine bear figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.

This is the power of a change in heart: It changes salt water to fresh; it keeps temptation at bay; it leads to the practice of true religion.

Read verses 13-18
13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

What we get at the closing of chapter 3 is a summary of what is going on in the Church—in the congregations of Jewish Christians scattered across the Roman Empire: bitter jealousy, selfishness, ambition, arrogance, and lying. These qualities result disorder and more wickedness. When they are, righteousness cannot exist.

Like the salty tongue, their source is not God but are of the world and “lit by the fires of hell.” Desire to put these things away and the Church and each one of us will find peace no matter what we are facing.

In the last verse James writes, “18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” Isn’t it funny how the prophets Isaiah and Hosea say the very same thing,

Isaiah 32:17 reads, “And the work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever”; while Hosea preaches, “Sow for yourselves, with a view to righteousness; Harvest in accordance with kindness. Break up your uncultivated ground, For it is time to seek the LORD.” (10:12)

Imagine how the life of our churches—and the Church universal—could change if we would only accept that implanted word?

With that I want to thank you for tuning into First Day. Reach out to me by email if you have in questions, or call or text if you have my number, and I look forward to the next episode.

I’m Patrick and you have been listening to the FirstDay podcast. Visit me at www.firstday.us. Blessings to you all.