James Expounds on Faith Volume 32

 Taming the Tongue 😝 Part 3

James 3:5-6 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version

Now the Apostle gives us the details, the description, and the diagnosis of the power that lay within our 😝 tongues to do that which is bad for the desecration of our inner man 👨 or inner woman 👩 if we do not bridle it, as it is written, "Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell." (James 3:5-6) (KJV). Not only is the Apostle James speaking here of the speech which proceeds from every individual member of our Lord Jesus Christ, but he could also be speaking of those who claim to speak for Christ having a talent for oratory or speaking in public, but they do not declare the truth of the Gospel and the entire Word of God, instead by their boastful speech using elequent language and flattering the hearts of sinful men and women they spark a movement that leads the souls of men and women into a lie 🤥 and into eternal darkness forever; think of the damage that has been done in this manner by the one man Joseph Smith through whom there are now currently approximately 25 million souls in this darkness world 🗺 wide because of the little spark or flame kindled by one man less than a couple of centuries ago. Whether or not the Apostle is speaking of both the individual and the use of his or her tongue 😝 or the latter, the tongue 😝 has the power to do that which is good in the individual and to do that which is good to and for many individual people when that tongue 😝 is used to declare the true Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) and that our Lord Jesus Christ is the only way to God because He is God (John 14:6). The Proverbs declare these words concerning the tongue 😝, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit." (Proverbs 18:21) (NKJV). When the tongue 😝 is used in the hearing of many people to declare the true Gospel then life proceeds from it, likewise when any of us individual brothers or sisters 'in Christ' submit to His authority and allow Him to govern our speech then life will proceed from that brother or sister just as water comes up from the ground of a well, as our Lord Jesus said with these words to the woman at the well who had slept with many men, "Jesus answered and said to her, 'Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:13-14)(NKJV). When we drink from Him as our fountain of living water, then our speech will spring up pleasing to Him and edifying to ourselves and to others. On the other hand, when our individual tongues are spewing vile, volatile, or violent speech then our inner man 👨 or inner woman 👩 will suffer decay, deterioration, and desolation from closeness with our Father in Heaven and we will lose the joy of our salvation. The tongue 😝 is not a unique member of the body that can act on its own without governing or control, for as we heard from our Lord Jesus Christ it is what or in this case who is governing our inner man 👨 or inner woman 👩 which determines the nature of our speech. Will it be Christ? or Will it be ourselves?

Christ Jesus our Lord will not force His Governing Authority upon us, but we must yield to His authority. The Apostle Paul said this of our speech, "Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one." (Colossians 4:5-6) (NKJV). This is a hard command for me, especially concerning those who are outside of my Lord Jesus Christ, as I far to often allow my speech to revert back to my 'old man' and I cry out to my Lord Jesus with these words as did King David my brother, "O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!For Your arrows pierce me deeply, And Your hand presses me down. There is no soundness in my flesh Because of Your anger, Nor any health in my bones Because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds are foul and festering Because of my foolishness." (Psalms 38:1-5) (NKJV). Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of James 3:5-6, "And hence we should learn to make the due management of our tongues more our study, because, though they are little members, they are capable of doing a great deal of good or a great deal of hurt. Therefore, We are taught to dread an unruly tongue as one of the greatest and most pernicious evils. It is compared to a little fire placed among a great deal of combustible matter, which soon raises a flame and consumes all before it: Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity, etc., James 3:5-6. There is such an abundance of sin in the tongue that it may be called a world of iniquity. How many defilements does it occasion! How many and dreadful flames does it kindle! So is the tongue among the members that it defileth the whole body. Observe hence, There is a great pollution and defilement in sins of the tongue. Defiling passions are kindled, vented, and cherished by this unruly member. And the whole body is often drawn into sin and guilt by the tongue. Therefore Solomon says, Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin, Ecclesiastes 5:6. The snares into which men are sometimes led by the tongue are insufferable to themselves and destructive of others. It setteth on fire the course of nature. The affairs of mankind and of societies are often thrown into confusion, and all is on a flame, by the tongues of men. Some read it, all our generations are set on fire by the tongue. There is no age of the world, nor any condition of life, private or public, but will afford examples of this. And it is set on fire of hell. Observe hence, Hell has more to do in promoting of fire of the tongue than men are generally aware of. It is from some diabolical designs, that men's tongues are inflamed. The devil is expressly called a liar, a murderer, an accuser of the brethren; and, whenever men's tongues are employed in any of these ways, they are set on fire of hell. The Holy Ghost indeed once descended in cloven tongues as of fire, Acts 2. And, where the tongue is thus guided and wrought upon by a fire from heaven, there it kindleth good thoughts, holy affections, and ardent devotions. But when it is set on fire of hell, as in all undue heats it is, there it is mischievous, producing rage and hatred, and those things which serve the purposes of the devil. As therefore you would dread fires and flames, you should dread contentions, revilings, slanders, lies, and every thing that would kindle the fire of wrath in your own spirit or in the spirits of others."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…