God's Tongue Test

3 My brothers and sisters, 

most of you shouldn’t become teachers. 

Apparently, most of James's readers were wanting to teach others (the Bible);

however, James was warning them not to do so.

That’s because you know that those of us who teach will be held more accountable. 

Teachers are held to a higher standard by God 

because they can impact a greater audience 

positively (or negatively). 

2 All of us get tripped up in many ways. 

A person who is truly following the Lord can mess up occasionally. 

Suppose someone is never wrong in what they say. 

The major area of offense is what we say.  

Then they are perfect (Mature). 

The sign of spiritual maturity is managing our mouths.

They are able to keep their whole body under control.

If we can manage our months, then we can manage all our private and public behavior.

3 We put a small piece of metal in the mouth of a horse to make it obey us. 

The weakest part of a horse is his tongue, and the secret to managing a horse is  through this weakness.   

We can control the whole animal with it. 

The secret to managing a horse is to never take your hand off it's harness controlling the horse's tongue.

4 And how about ships? 

They are very big. 

The power to control a ship is not in its size.

They are driven along by strong winds. 

The power to control a ship is not due to external forces.

But it is steered by a very small rudder. 

The secret to controlling a ship is to never take your hand off it's rudder. 

It makes them go where the captain wants to go. 

If the captain never lets go of the rudder, he never loses control of the ship.

5 In the same way, the tongue is a small part of a person’s body. 

But it talks big. 

James is calling out boasting.

Think about how a small spark can set a big forest on fire. 

As small as a tongue is,it is amazingly destructive and dangerous.  

6 The tongue is also a fire. 

The tongue is the most evil part of the body.

What a comment!  

The tongue is the most evil part of the body!

It makes the whole body impure. 

Sin occurs when we take a thought suggested by the devil, and we act upon it by speaking it. 

It sets a person’s whole way of life on fire.

Being a mouthpiece for the devil puts us on a collusion course with destruction for ourselves and others.   

 And the tongue itself is set on fire by hell.

Our words reveal if we are following demonic suggestions. 

7 People have tamed all kinds of wild animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures. And they still tame them. 

8 But no one can tame the tongue. 

The tongue must constantly be locked securely in its cage (behind your teeth).

It is an evil thing that never rests. 

Don't take your hand off the harness of your tongue. Don't strike the match of destrution!

It is full of deadly poison.

The tongue speaking the suggestions of the devil is a most destructive force.  

The source of your thoughts must be managed. 

9 With our tongues we praise our Lord and Father. 

Some of thoughts originate with God. 

With our tongues we curse people. 

Some originate with Satan.

We do it even though people have been created to be like God. 

God gave man a free will to choose whom we listen too.  

Him or Satan?

10 Praise and cursing come out of the same mouth. 

Men and women are God's reflection. 

How could we bless one while cursing the other if not by following the promptings of a demonic spirit?

My brothers and sisters, it shouldn’t be this way. 

Shouldn't you be sorting out the source of your thoughts before speaking or doing them?  

This discipline reveals your maturity.

11 Can fresh water and salt water flow out of the same spring? 

No!

12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree produce olives? 

No!

Can a grapevine produce figs? 

No!

Of course not. 

And a saltwater spring can’t produce fresh water either.

No!

13 Is anyone among you wise and understanding? 

If you're not controlling your words,you're a mouthpiece for the devil! 

Do you have enough understanding yet to realize it?

That person should show it by living a good life. 

Speaking is an action that can be good or bad.

If you are wise, it will reflect in your speaking only words of life!

A wise person isn’t proud when they do good deeds. 

Speaking words of life and acting upon them is accomplished by sorting out the source of your thinking.

We must follow the Holy Spirit's promptings while refusing Satanic promptings while doing so.

The source of our good deeds is God Himself.

How can His good deeds make us proud?  

14 But suppose your hearts are jealous and bitter. 

Satanic suggestons...

Suppose you are concerned only about getting ahead. 

More Satanic suggestions...

Then don’t brag about it. 

We must follow the Lord not Satan!

And don’t say no to the truth. 

We must say yes to Jesus, but no to Satan! 

15 Wisdom like this doesn’t come down from heaven. 

Are you understanding yet that we're in a battle by discerning our competing thoughts?  

It belongs to the earth. 

If we are speaking and acting strictly from an earthly point of view,   

it doesn’t come from the Holy Spirit....

It comes from the devil. 

It isn't God, but Satan!

Can James be more clear? 

16 Are you jealous? 

Satanic!

Are you concerned only about getting ahead? 

Demonic!

Then your life will be a mess.

Satan is trying to end you prematurely. 

 You will be doing all kinds of evil things.

Satan blinds you from all your stupidity that he is prompting you to do.

17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is pure. 

That’s the most important thing about it. 

And that’s not all. 

It also loves peace. 

It thinks about others. 

It obeys. 

It is full of mercy and good fruit. 

It is fair. 

It doesn’t pretend to be what it is not. 

18 Those who make peace plant it like a seed.

 They will harvest a crop of right living.

1. Sort out the source of your thoughts.

2. Speak and act only after checking their source.

3. Use the checklist above in verse 17 to help distinguish the source of your thoughts.

James 3 New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

KEY:

Highlighted in Red Means Command

Highlighted in Blue Means Explanation.

Highlighted in promise means a promise.

Highlighted in purple means a warning.

M. H. Dennis yellow highlights.