26th October 2024

26th October 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read (James 3v7-12)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


It doesn’t take a university professor to tell us that the lion is the king of the jungle. Most of us know this to be true and we might have even sung a few songs about it but it’s not really true. The Lord has given humans dominion and authority over the animals and although we wouldn’t want to see a wild lion marching down our street, humans are very much supreme over the created order. Every kind of beast, bird, reptile and sea creature can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind (v7). 


But before we pat ourselves on the back, we may have tamed the animals but we still have not mastered the tongue (v8a). James described the tongue as a “restless evil, full of deadly poison.” (v8b). In one instance we sing God’s praise with our tongue, the next we curse our neighbour with the same mouth that shouted “Praise the Lord!” (v9). This is made all the more egregious by the fact that humans are made in God’s image. What does this mean? There are some things that God does not share with humans. He is all powerful, all knowing, in all places at once and He is perfectly self-existent in that He does not need or depend on anyone else. These attributes are described as “incommunicable” meaning they aren’t shared with us - we are not all knowing and never will be.


Even so, there are some attributes of God that He does share with us, they are His “communicable” attributes. For example, God is love and so in the same manner human beings will love and be loved. Furthermore, God is gracious and so human beings are to imitate this grace in our lives and relationships. Let it be said that God is perfect in all His ways. Even though we are made in His image, we will never love like Him or show grace like Him - He is the creator and we are the creatures. However, Paul spoke truthfully when he urged us to be imitators of God (Ephesians 5v1) - we bear the Lord’s image and we are to represent Him in this world.


Therefore, it is disgraceful when we use our tongues to destroy the reputation of a fellow image bearer. Our tongues are wild! It is Monday afternoon and we speak honestly and lovingly about our neighbour. Then just a few hours later we curse that same neighbour because he has wronged us in some way. From the same mouth comes blessing and cursing (v10)! This should not be so (v10b)!


The old well at your grandfather’s farm cannot give both fresh and salt water (v11), the fig tree you bought at Dobbies should not give you a harvest of olives (v12a) and the grapevines you walked beneath in France should not produce figs (v12b). I’m sure we take James’ point. The human being made in God’s image understands the evil that comes from the human mouth and so we must strive to control the tongue.


If this seems like a losing battle then you are not alone. Why are we so duplicitous? My lips preach God’s Word and then they speak harshly about another image bearer. Paul was right “I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” (Romans 7v19). Brothers and sisters, you will never tame your tongue but this should not stop you from waging war against your big mouth.


I thank God for His mercy to sinners in Christ Jesus. May we consider that when Jesus stood before His accusers He didn’t rant or rave or speak sinfully. “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.” (Isaiah 53v7). May the mighty Spirit continue His work of transformation in us and may our tongues be quick to bless and incredibly slow to curse.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC


Q19 What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell? All mankind, by their fall, lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell for ever.
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