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Blessing The Father While Cursing Your Brother!
Ammar Saheli, Evangelist

 

Lesson Text: James 3:7  For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: 8  But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9  Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10  Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

 

The little member that we have in our body known as the tongue allows us to do some amazing things. It allows us to maneuver the food in our mouth. It is layered with taste buds that allow children to taste the wonderful food of mother and for husbands the wonderful food of their wives. It alerts us as to when the body is in need of water. It is a flexible muscle that can reach almost any part of the mouth and in actuality is the ruler of the orifice.

 

Physically the tongue brings many benefits to the human body, but by the same token it can bring forth spiritual disaster and life long regrets. For the Christian, the tongue is truly a complex part of the body because it helps us physically, but can get us into trouble spiritually. Some might make into heaven with flying colors if yet they only did not have a tongue. For the Christian, it is the tongue that needs to be controlled. Paul said, "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live" (Romans 8:13).  He later said, "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway" (1 Corinthians 9:27).

 

What makes this portion of the body glorious and yet deadly is that with it, humans can bless, worship, glorify, and praise God and immediately thereafter curse their spiritual brother. Our text informs that man has been able to tame a plurality of animals, but has yet to find a carnal method for controlling the tongue. The tongue, just like the flesh, cannot be tamed through routine exercise and trial. The only way the tongue can be tamed is to walk in the light as Christ is in the light (1 John 1:7). The only way it can be controlled is through self-denial and being a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1).

 

If we are seeking an example of how to control the tongue we must look to Christ. Jesus had a lot He could have said to the evil men who were attempting to entrap Him and those who tried, beat, spit upon, and nailed Him to an old rugged cross. He kept His peace and only spoke wholesome words:

 

 

 

 

It was the tongue that got Eve in trouble in the garden and it was the tongue of Eve that convinced Adam to eat as well (Genesis 3:1-13). It was the tongue of two humans that changed the earthly condition of humanity. There are some people we are better off not talking. It was the tongue of Adams' son Cain that got him into deeper trouble with God after he murdered his brother Able and responded to God "...Am I my brothers keeper" (Genesis 4:9). It was with the tongue that humanity concocted a scheme to build an idolatrous tower to the heavens that displeased God:

 

"And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth" (Genesis 11:1-4).

 

It was the tongue of Pharaoh that resulted in the destruction of his kingdom as he continually went against his word, saying he would let Israel go (Exodus 7-12). It was with the tongue that the nation of Israel decided to forsake God and requested that Aaron build a golden calf so they could have an entity to worship:

 

"And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me" (Exodus 32:1-2).

 

It was with the tongue that the nation of Israel requested a king so they could be like other nations (1 Samuel 8:1-5). It was with the tongue that Jobs' wife attempted to discourage him by telling him to "...Curse God and die" (Job 2:9). It was through the tongue that the prostitute seduced her prey:

 

"So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows. Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed. With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him" (Proverbs 7:13-21). 

 

It was through the tongue that Satan, already having an invitation to God's terrible end time destruction, attempted to seduce Christ into disobeying the Father (Matthew 4:1-11). It was with the tongue that Peter promised Christ that he was ready to go with Him into prison or death (Luke 22:33). Through the tongue, man is capable of blessing God and then cursing his brother. God is informing the Christian that this should not be in the house of God. When Christians lose their spiritual identity they begin to say irresponsible things. The same tongue that Peter used to bless and commit his allegiance to Christ, he used to deny that he knew Christ three times, coupled with profanity (Luke 22:54-62).

 

Matthew 26:73  And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.

 

Although Peter fell into the snare of Satan, he made a remarkable comeback and that same tongue he used to deny Christ he used to preach the first sermon in the church that resulted in 3,000 baptisms (Acts 2:14-39, 41). Do not fall victim to the deceptive tongue. Do not use it to worship God and to curse your brother. Jesus Christ defeated Satan through the word of God that proceeded from His tongue.

 

·        Ephesians 4:25  "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another."

 

·        Ephesians 5:12  For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

 

·        1 Timothy 2:7  "Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity."

 

·        Titus 2:1  "But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine..."

 

·        James 1:19  "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath..."

 

·        James 4:11  "Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge."

 

·        1 Peter 3:10  "For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile..."

 

·        1 Peter 4:11  "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God..."

 

Use the tongue for good.

 

Amen!