James 3:9-12

COMMENTS

Well, the Lord says we’re not quite through with our “tongues” yet ;-).  Yesterday, we only got through verse 8, so today we’ll cover verses 9-12.

NOTES

May I quote these 4 verses for you—just in case you don’t have your Bible handy? This is what James says:

“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  My brothers, this should not be.”  (James 3:9-10)

As I read those verses, the truth of what James spoke hit me hard.  He’s right!  How can I use the same mouth and tongue to give praises to my God and King and, then, turn around and gripe at a stranger who annoys me—or even worse, someone I love?  

In verse 10, James states “this should not be”.  He follows that statement with a couple of interesting analogies:

“Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?  My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?  Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”  (James 3:11-12)

The answer reveals how double-minded I am, even though I love my Lord.  (I almost said that I love Him with all my heart; but if I really loved Him with “all my heart”, I would be more like Him than I am.)

Back to my point.  Here’s Brenda’s version of verse 11:  “Can both good words and bad words flow from the same tongue?”  As James said, that shouldn’t be possible; but when I look at my life, that’s exactly what happens!  It shouldn’t be possible, but it is.  My next question is “why”?

To find the answer, we must look to Paul’s letter to the Romans:

“I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do….As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me….For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.”  (Romans 7:15, 17, 22, 23)

The answer is that, even though I’m saved and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, I still have a “sinful nature” that battles to get out and to be victorious.  As I’m brought more and more under the control of the Spirit, that sinful nature will rare its ugly head less often.  However, as long as I’m in this body, there will be a battle to fight. 

So, yes, both good words and bad words come from my mouth, but the reason that happens is because my “spring” is polluted.  One day, when I’m with Jesus, my spring will be pure.  I can’t wait for that day!

“What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”  

(Romans 7:24-25)