Jesus's Words on Words - Matthew 12:33-37

33 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit.

34 "You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good?  For the mouth speaks out that which fills the heart.

35 "The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.

36 "But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for in the day of judgment.

37 "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

I realize some of these verses overlap with our previous post; 33-35 make up a "transitional" point that has to do with both the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and the power of words.

We already pretty much covered 33 in our last post, so let's look at 34-35.  Jesus is saying that, while people certainly can fake things and shape their words to trick you, ultimately, a person's words will reveal their true character.  Let us all ask ourselves: What does what I say (and how I say it!) tell other people about me?  Does it reflect the kind of person I want to be?  Does it reflect Christ well?

As for the careless words spoken of in verse 36, I think the ultimate passage on this topic is James 3:1-12.  I encourage you to click the link to read the entire passage (it's pretty short), but here are some highlights from it:

So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.  See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!  And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. (verses 5-6)

With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing.  My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.  (verses 9-10)

So, what are careless words?  Here are some examples I can think of:
Lies
Gossip
Slander
Insults
Cursing others
Blasphemy
Speaking of things we shouldn't (like making dirty jokes, for example)
Wasting time on pointless conversation in a situation when serious things should be discussed (like witnessing to someone)
Using the Lord's Name in vain (this includes "Oh my God," despite our culture's lack of concern over the phrase)
Speaking in (unjustafiable) anger

Now, what's with that bit about giving an accounting for it in the day of judgment?  Well, we will all stand before God in judgment at the End of the Age.  For those of us who have accepted Christ, Jesus has paid the price for those sins - but that doesn't mean they won't be mentioned.  If that's what it takes to help you think before you speak, then mull on that: Do you want to have to give an account for the thing you are about to say before God in His glory?  Our sins are forgiven, but they are still deadly serious - and it was the realization that they are deadly serious that drew us to Christ in the first place.  And these careless words we speak definitely qualify as deadly serious - men will be condemned for them (verse 37).  For those of you who do not have Christ in your hearts, know that you do not have to face God's judgement without Jesus's perfect record credited to your account - click here or on the "How to Receive Salvation" tab above to learn how to accept Jesus's forgiveness, and feel free to e-mail me or leave a comment with any questions about that.

This brings us to verse 37.  What does it mean that, "By your words you will be justified"?  Let's look at a couple of Scriptures:

that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
(Romans 10:9)

Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess Him before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny Him before My Father who is in heaven.
(Matthew 10:32-33)

Now, this is not saying that words are magic - confess means we have to mean it (i.e., confess Jesus as Lord = say and mean that He is Lord of your life, that He is in charge now).  We have to live it.  But that kind of circles back to the main point: Just as our actions ought to match our words, our words reflect what's in our souls.

Questions for You

 

What other examples of careless words can you think of?

 

Has there been a time in your life when you really wish you could take back what you said?

 

Any other questions or comments?

 

Giving Credit Where It's Due

 

Image: "Orange blossom and oranges" by Ellen Levy Finch.  Wikimedia Commons.  Used by permission.

James 3:5b-12 - The Power of Words - Part 3 of 3 (for now) - FIRE!!!

5 […] See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!

6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.

7 For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race.

8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God;

10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing.  My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.

11 Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?

12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs?  Nor can salt water produce fresh.

Context

Remember, this is part of a long passage in the epistle of James on the power of words.  Furthermore, James is sort of a “general epistle,” listing off all sorts of instructions for followers of Christ rather than sticking to a specific theme, so we all do well to pay attention to what James is telling us, and to apply it to our lives.

Fire!!!

As I mentioned in the previous post, the concept of the tongue lighting a fire is one I wish to spend a bit of time on.

Here, it is presented as being an extremely negative thing, but I also see it as positive in certain circumstances.  Let’s examine it in context, in terms of negativity, first.

James is making the point in these first couple of verses that one spark from the tongue – one snappy tone, one unkind word, one bit of gossip – can light an entire forest fire of trouble.  Consider the following:

·         It results in you having to deal with more sin in your life.  James references what Jesus said: “It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the  man” (Matthew 15:11).

·         It can ruin your relationships.

·         It can even ruin your witness to others!  Think about it – if you were not yet a Christian, and you saw a lady or guy claiming to be living in Christ’s love, yet they were always rude to people, would you believe them and want to consider Christianity?

·         It can determine the course of your life.  (“…and sets on fire the course of your life…”)  No, this is not an exaggeration!  If you can’t restrain your tongue, you may not get hired for that job, or your boyfriend or girlfriend may break up with you.  For such a “little” problem, it has far-reaching ramifications.

Clearly, this starts a raging inferno of trouble!  But James takes it a step further still – “and is set on fire by hell.”  That’s a sobering thought – to think that when you say something nasty, Satan was trying to speak through you…yikes!

Now, what of a fiery tongue in a good light?  Well, consider that throughout the Bible, whenever God is described as a “consuming fire,” it is always a destructive force – yet, sometimes for our good.  There is such a thing as good destruction!   Today, as we go out to wage battle against the devil’s strongholds in this world, let’s use our tongues for good – destroying the chains that bind souls in sin by spreading the news of Christ, and by reigning in our tongues as a testimony to how Christ changes us.

Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.”  The tongue can be used for good or evil – whichever side you choose to use it for, will come back to you.

The Rest of the Passage

James sums up with two more points:

·         First, employing irony, he points out that we have tamed bears and lions – monsters that can rip our heads off in one bite! – yet we cannot tame one tiny part of our bodies…we let it rule us, when it should be the other way around.  Taming our tongues requires both REAL commitment, and God’s help – so, let’s ask for it!

·         We’re trying to live two lives by speaking both ill and good – but we can’t!  We are residents of an eternal kingdom now, new creations, and we need to act like it.

o   2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

o   Romans 6:12-12 “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members (body parts) as instruments of righteousness to God.

o   1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?  For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God with your body.

Today’s discussion starters:

1.      How have you seen the power of words play out in your own life – for good or for bad?  What were the effects?

2.      What specific tactics can we employ in order to use our tongues for God’s glory?

Next Bible study post, we’ll switch gears and discuss earthly versus spiritual wisdom.  See you this weekend! :-)

James 3:2-5 - The Power of Words, Part 2 of...a Lot of 'em!

2 For we all stumble in many ways.  If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bride the whole body as well.

3 Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well.

4 Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires.

5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boats of great things.  See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!

Before we start, let’s remember the context here – we are in the middle of a long passage examining the various ways in which words are powerful…for better or for worse.

Verse 2 always makes me smile – I always do whenever the epistle writers get borderline-sarcastic.  James is making the point that no one will ever have flawless control over their tongue, so even the most pious person in the world cannot claim to be perfect.  Remember James 1:26 “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bride his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless” (ESV).  Think about it – if you really had the massive amount of self control to tame your tongue, wouldn’t resisting all other temptation seem like the easiest thing in the world?  Angry words, vulgar words, prideful words, impatient words, gossip…it seems like all these spring out of our mouths before we have time to realize what we’re saying.

So…how does this make sense?  It seems against nature that such a tiny part could cause such a gigantic problem.  James doesn’t explain this directly, but rather by means of a couple of analogies – how easy it is to control a horse (a huge, powerful animal!) with one tiny piece of metal between its teeth, and how an entire ship (not just sailboats, but brigantines, man-o-wars) are steered by one piece of wood.  In modern terms, think about the various components in the computer you’re reading this on – like the IBM processor, a small little square – and how much power is in each of those parts.  Thinking about it in these terms, then, the tongue’s power actually makes sense – which is all the reason to keep an extra wary eye on it.

The end of verse 5 is a segway into the next post’s passage, in which we will examine the issue of the tongue as fire further.

But before I sum up for the day, I’d like share both my personal struggles with this issue, as well as a few verses pertaining to this subject.

Okay, so I have huge problems with taming my tongue!  It’s seems like every time I open my mouth, I’m being rude to someone.  I honestly don’t like leading studies on this subject because I don’t have it figured out at all yet! :-)  God has been helping me a lot lately to catch myself immediately much more often, but that evil tongue of mine still rears its head multiple times a day.

Do you struggle with this, too?  What have you found that helps you not do it?

Alright, now for a few Bible verses (ESV instead of NASB for this list; it’s another one of my favorites and I happen to have it with me right now):

* Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

* Proverbs 12:18 “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

* Psalm 141:3 “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!”

I think I'll be praying that last one a lot this week. ;-)

James 3:1 - The Power of Words, Part 1 of ... a Lot of 'em!

1 Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur stricter judgment.

Verses one may seem unrelated to the subsequent verses in the chapter (it certainly did to me at first reading today), but after examining the passage more, it became clear that both sub-topics (spiritual teaching and speaking in general) both hinge on the issue of the power of words.  We’ll address the subtopic of teaching today, bearing in mind the overall context as we do so.

Teaching

Firstly, we know that “teachers” here is clearly referring those with the spiritual gift of teaching (Romans 12:7, Ephesians 4:11).  However, if teaching is a spiritual gift, aren’t those with it supposed to use it (Romans 12:6, 1 Corinthians 12:7, Ephesians 4:12)?  Why then is James telling them, “Let not many of you become teachers”?  I believe the answer can be found in 1 Corinthians 12:31a “But earnestly desire the greater gifts” (this is spoken after listing off the “coolest” gifts like apostling, teaching, speaking in tongues, and working miracles).  Therefore, I believe that James is telling his readers to be cautious when asking for the gift of teaching, because it is a dangerous job with ramifications.  It’s sort of a “Be careful what you wish for” case.

So what’s the big deal?  I’d say that it goes back to the theme of the power of words.  From my personal experience, it seems that when you’re having a spiritual conversation with another brother or sister in Christ, you’re far more likely to check what they say against Scripture than if you hear the same thing from a pastor, Christian author, or other spiritual teacher.  It’s like people assume (perhaps subconsciously) that we teachers are experts in the Bible.  But what makes the Bible so beautiful is that God made it so complex that no man can ever fully understand every facet of it!  I 100% believe that no human ever has had, or ever will have, perfect theology and doctrine until we finally meet God face to face in heaven.  Which means, “even” we teachers are going to make mistakes sometimes and tell you something incorrectly. 

I can think of three ways this can be manifested:

(1)   An incorrect tidbit that’s a side point, but not doctrinal.  For example, I don’t speak Hebrew, so if I had not been taught by a former pastor of mine that in the Old Testament when literal translations say “sons of God,” it means angels in Hebrew, I would have assumed this meant human followers of God, and likely would have passed this misinterpretation on to others.  Does this affect anything?  Not really – but it’s still incorrect.

(2)   A doctrinal, but not salvation-affecting point.  For example, the debates over predestination, the timing of the rapture, and whether or not we are to keep the Sabbath.  Getting these wrong is a much bigger deal, but still is not “false teaching” in the sense of affecting salvation.

(3)   Out-and-out false teaching.  Meaning, “teaching a different gospel” – i.e., cult leaders (see Galatians 1:8).

What, then is the “stricter judgment” spoken of in today’s verse?  First, I want to express that I believe this is referring to the second category spoken of above.  Why?

(1)   Only God knows everything.  I see no evidence in Scripture (which is the most important source), or in personal knowledge of God, or in theological reason, to believe that if a preacher got an historical tidbit wrong that had no effect on anybody’s walk, why they would be judged for it.

(2)   (Related to the above #3 about cult leaders) We know from throughout scripture that cults who deny the deity of Christ, preach a Gospel of salvation through works, etc. are not saved, and thus their leaders and members will face judgment in hell (you can find this taught throughout the New Testament, so I won’t bother including references for this one).  However, James is not writing to cult members – he is writing to Christians.

So…is he saying that any Christian teacher who makes a mistake and teaches incorrectly on one issue is going to hell?  NOT AT ALL!  This would mean a gospel of works, and require all teachers to know everything!  Rather, my understanding of this issue is based on two passages: Matthew 5:19 “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” and 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 “Now if any man builds upon the foundation [his salvation, given by Christ – see verse 11] with gold silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and straw [based on common interpretation, the first three presumably being good works and deeds done for Christ with pure motives, and the latter three being works and deeds that you screwed up somehow, such as by seeking human recognition for your “holiness”], each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.  If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward.  If any man’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.”  Considering those passages, it is my understanding that the judgment today’s verse speaks of refers to a lesser degree of reward, a lower position in heaven (See our study on James 1:12-16 for a much more thorough discussion of the issue of heavenly rewards). 

In case you haven’t noticed, I often include disclaimers in my posts – phrases such as, “in my opinion,” “my interpretation is,” etc.  This is to protect both me and you.

So, what are some applications for you non-teachers out there?

1.      If you think I’m teaching something unbiblical, please send me an e-mail at elijahsbunker@gmail.com mentioning what I said, what you believe is correct, and the Scripture you base your belief on.  Do this with your other spiritual teachers, too –you will be helping us tremendously!

2.      Don’t believe something without checking it out for yourself, no matter how much you trust the teacher – we aren’t trying to purposefully mislead you about anything, but we don’t know everything, and we will make mistakes.

3.      Study the Scriptures for yourself so you can easily recognize and unbiblical teaching the instant you hear/read it.

4.      When asking God for a certain spiritual gift, mission, etc., be sure to “count the cost” (Luke 14:28-31).

I don’t have any discussion starters for today, but please, if you have any thoughts on this passage, share them in the comments section below.  I’d love to hear from you! :-)