 Integrity: The Mouth James 3:3-12

Story of Two Fires  October 2003, California  Largest fire in California  280,000 acres burned  15 people killed  October 2003, East Texas  Gossip firestorm  Church split

Controlling the Tongue  James 3:3 Now when we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide the whole animal.  4 And consider ships: though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder where ever the will of the pilot directs.  5 So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how large a forest a small fire ignites.  6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among the parts of our bodies; it pollutes the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is set on fire by hell.

Controlling the Tongue  3:7 For every creature – animal or bird, reptile or fish – is tamed and has been tamed by man,  8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and will it we curse men who are made in God’s likeness.  10 Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things should not be this way.  11 Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening?  12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.

James 3:3 Now when we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide the whole animal.

James 3:4 And consider ships: though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.

James 3:5-6  5 So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how large a forest a small fire ignites.  6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among the parts of our bodies; it pollutes the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is set on fire by hell.

Scriptures about the mouth  Matt 15:11 “It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”  15:18 “But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a man.”  Prov. 16:27 “A worthless man digs up evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire.”  10:11 “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.”  10:14 “The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of the fool hastens destruction.”  10:31-32 “The mouth of the righteous produces wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut off. The lips of the righteous know what is appropriate, but the mouth of the wicked, only what is perverse.”

Scriptures about the mouth  13:3 “The one who guards his mouth protects his life; the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin.”  15:2 “The tongue of the wise makes knowledge attractive, but the mouth of fools blurts out foolishness.”  15:28 “The mind of the righteous person thinks before answering, but the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil things.”  18:6 “A fool’s lips lead to strife, and his mouth provokes a beating.”  18:7 “A fool’s mouth is his devastation, and his lips are a trap for his life.”

James 3:7-8 For every creature – animal or bird, reptile or fish – is tamed and has been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

James 3:9-12  9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in God’s likeness.  10 Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things should not be this way.  11 Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening?  12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.