Listen to: Nothing At All by Third Day (Opening track on their debut album - Ed.)

Everyone has one and some people use it more often than others. What are we talking about? The tongue! Oh yes that little thing inside each of our mouths that is in the Bible representative of our speech. It is an important subject, and one where we need to know and obey what the Bible teaches us concerning its right use and its wrong use.

The tongue may be used helpfully, for the glory of God and for the blessing of others; or it may be misused, thus bringing sorrow and tears to others, and in the process casting shame on the testimony of the Lord.

The fact that James has so much to say in his letter about the tongue suggests that those he had in mind, upon writing, were guilty of what Matthew Henry called "tongue sins". James is very clear to point out that the tongue of the Christian is the index of his/her spiritual health. Our speech reveals what kind of Christian we are (a real one or a fake one). In order to emphasize this fact James uses three pairs of illustrations to show the power of the tongue.

1.THE TONGUE HAS POWER TO DIRECT - James 3:3-4

The illustration here is the bit and the rudder. Our words can direct others onto the right path or onto the wrong path (Proverbs 18:21). Beware of the idle word, the questionable story, the half-truth, the deliberate lie. All these can change the course of a life and lead to its destruction. On the other hand, the right word can direct a soul out of sin and into salvation, out of darkness and into light, from the prison of Satan to the freedom in Christ Jesus. How we need the Lord to control our tongue!

2. THE TONGUE HAS POWER TO DESTROY James 3:5-8

The tongue is a little member of the body but it can cause terrible destruction. What the tongue says comes from the heart (Matthew 12:34-35). A tiny spark can set a whole forest ablaze, and the tongue is like a "scorching fire" (Proverbs 16:27). A little flame, a few heated words and before you know it a terrible fire! An evil tongue can also spread poison. On the other hand, a spiritual tongue is medicine (Proverbs 12:18); it will heal and not hurt!

3. THE TONGUE HAS THE POWER TO DELIGHT James 3:9-12

Here the illustration is of a fountain; it is impossible for a fountain to produce both fresh and salt water at the same time. Likewise, the tongue cannot speak blessing and cursing (Proverbs 18:4) and a tree cannot produce two kinds of fruit (Proverbs 13:2 and 18:20-21).

Open your Bible and look up the following references in James, and see how the tongue of the Christian should not be used.

1. To blame God when tempted to do wrong - 1:13-14. God never tempts us to do evil. Temptation arises when a man is lured away by his own lust.

2. To speak hypocritically - 1:26. How easy it is to do this! There is a terrible warning we all need to take notice of in Titus 1:16!

3.To express discrimination between rich and poor fellow believers -2;1-4. To discriminate between people’s color, background, race and status in life can be thoroughly unchristian.

4. To speak unfeelingly to those in need - 2:15-16. Living as we do in a world where poverty is very common we all need to search our hearts as we read these powerful words. Poverty does not just exist in the Third World but on the streets of our cities and towns. As Keith Green used to sing, "Open Your Eyes to the world all around you"!

5. To boast and flatter and possibly cause disunity - 3:5. Sometimes just one word is all it takes to bring upset into the life of a family, and also just one word of boasting and self flattery can split a church in two! - 3:14.

6. To speak evil of another - 4:12, 5:9. Moffat’s translation of Romans 14:12-13 says "Each of us will have to answer for himself to God, so stop criticizing one another!"

7. To swear or blaspheme - 5:12. The average non-Christian is careless with his words, even to the extent of taking God’s name in vain (1 Peter 3:10).

Now look at the following verses in James to see how the tongue of the Christian should be used.

1. To praise God - 3:9. We use our tongues to praise our heavenly Father. We should be doing this every day (see Psalm 148-150).

2.To pray to God for I) wisdom -1:5-6; II) For help for the afflicted -5:13-16; III) For healing -3:14-15; IV) for big things (!) - 5:17-18; and V) For backsliders to be restored - 5:19-20.

3. To sing to the Lord - 5:13. Turn to Psalm 51:14 and make the same resolve.

4. To witness for the Lord. This is not actually mentioned by James, but we must include it (Psalm 107:2; Acts 1:8).

We have seen that our tongue can be used in a number of bad ways and a number of good ways. How can we control our tongues to do only those things which bring joy to the heart of the Father? Only by the power of the Holy Spirit. Have you ever asked the Holy Spirit to take control of your tongue? If not, do it today, and as we conclude here is

1. A resolve to make - Psalm 17:3; 39:1.

2. A warning to heed - Matthew 12:34-37.

3. A prayer to pray - Psalm 19:14; 141:3.

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