Taming the Tongue, Part 1 B

Nothing is more representative of man's sinful was that his mouth and there is no easier way to say that with your mouth because you can say anything you want to say there are no restraints you can say absolutely your tongue has tremendous potential judge how many Americans tend to interpret the First Amendment of the Constitution force if you're Christian living in the US or not.

The question is do you have a local right to free speech.

The fact is God's word, advocates and even commands restricting what you say that's John MacArthur's focus today on grace. Do you recall to study taming the tongue, and it's a practical look at the kind of speech you should and shouldn't be known for is a Christian. So now here's John. Nothing is more telling on the heart and the tongue and it's of great concern to James. He mentions the tongue in every chapter and he spends a large portion of chapter 3. Dealing specifically with the matter of the tongue. James calls us to control the tongue because it's potential to condemn is so great it's potential to condemn verses one into my brothers stop being so many teachers knowing that we shall receive the greater judgment, for in many things we all stumble. At that point James speaks about condemnation or judgment in the whole context of what he says at the beginning, though he doesn't mention the tongue.

There is this matter of speech and the implication of what he is saying is you must take good care not to thrust yourself into a teaching position because a teacher basically trades on his time and you have such a high liability to abuse that and bring upon yourself potential judgment. That's the point is making and he begins with teachers starting at the top if speech is the mark of true faith. And if you go back to chapter 1 verse 26 he says that if any man among you seems to be religious but bridles not his tongue, he deceives his own heart.

The man's religion is useless, a faith which does not transform the tongue is no saving faith at all. So since speech is the mark of true faith.

It should be a proper measure then of those who articulate the fate those who teach the faith livers to we all stumble in many ways, and the implications James is laying down errors in the in the mouth is certainly one major one. Everyone sends in a myriad of ways and this one way. The mouth underlies the warning regarding hurrying into the position of teaching. He says we all stumble. This is a comprehensive word on the depravity of everybody.

Proverbs 20 verse nine says who can say I have cleansed my heart. I am pure from sin answer is nobody second Chronicles 636 says there is no man who does not sin. But you can't put any plainer than that there is no man who does not sin. For all sinned and come short of the glory of God. So we all sin and we all sin. In many ways. The word here is the word stumble, which is a substitute for the word sin. It means a moral lapse of failure to do what is right, an offense against God is the idea we all do it is present tense. We all do it commonly and we all do it in many ways in all kinds of ways, all of us continually fail to do what is right and the tongue is 1 Very Very Dominant Way in which we fail. And so it has great potential to condemn us now while in a sense this is a confession on the part of James.

It is more an observation of truth than a personal confession. What he is saying is don't hurry to be spending your life using your mouth if you realize how potentially disastrous.

That is because you are a sinner you will take it quite reluctantly, rather than heard Scriptures refer to the disaster of the mouth the Bible and I just wrote down a list of things I went through the Scriptures.

The Bible refers directly or indirectly to a wicked tongue, a deceitful tongue, a lying tongue, a perverse tongue, a filthy tongue, a corrupt tongue up bitter tongue and angry tongue. A crafty tongue of flattering tongue, a slanderous tongue a gossiping tongue up, backbiting, tongue up, blaspheming tongue a foolish time boasting tongue a murmuring time for complaining tongue a cursing tongue, a contentious tongue, a sensual tongue of Weill tongue, a tail bearing time. A whispering time and exaggerating tongue, etc., did you see yourself anywhere in their no wonder God put your tongue in a cage behind your tea walled in by your mouth may not be bold to say most problems relate to the tongue. Most of the summaries and remember your tongue is in a wet place and it can slip easily.

The easiest way to sin is to sin with your tongue. Nothing is more representative of man's sinfulness in his mouth and there is no easier way to sin, then with your mouth because you can say anything you want to say there are no restraints. You can't do any evil deed you might want to do because maybe the circumstances aren't there for you to do it but you can say absolutely anything but your tongue has tremendous potential to judge you to look at this from the vantage point of our Lord turn to Matthew chapter 12 Matthew chapter 12 verse 34, most pointed men here Jesus is in a very intense dialogue with the Pharisees who accused him of doing his works, by the power of hell rather than heaven and Jesus comes back at them in verse 34 and says oh generation of snakes. How can you, being evil, speaking good things such as the basic truth. James will get back to that same principle later. How can you, being evil, speak good things for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

I expect you to talk to what you talk because your hearts.

The way it is a good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things and evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

But I say to you mark this every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned for what estate, listen to this, you realize that in final judgment your eternal destiny can be determined by your words you say. I thought I was justified by faith in Jesus Christ. That's right, but the justification you received by faith in Jesus Christ will be manifest in your in your words so that you can literally be judged according to your words for your words are a tattletale. They tell on your heart and soul. In the end it is right to say you will be judged by your words as to whether you are to go into the kingdom of God or be shut out of the king your words you say does the Lord keep a record of everybody's words. It's easy for it doesn't even have to write them down you know that even science has some interesting things to say. I read some years ago about a man who turned on his television in London England and saw a half-hour program that came out of Texas.

He was so absolutely curious about the program that he called the station found out that that was a local program that had been broadcast three years earlier. The only explanation they had that made any sense as to how he picked it up on his television was the fact that scientifically once something goes out into the airwaves, it stays there. And somehow it found its way to his receiver. Scientists say that the soundwaves set in motion by every voice go on an endless journey through space and that if we had the right instruments delicate and sophisticated enough and the power to recapture those waves we could re-create every word, every person has ever spoken frightening God has that machine. So there's a real sense in which man's words will be the basis of their judgment because they are the absolutely accurate judge of their soul a man's heart is the storehouse and his words indicate what is stored there.

Proverbs 1528 says the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. So when you give your life to Christ in your life is transformed and you have a new heart.

You have a new vocabulary and certainly that great gift to be cultivated. I believe God gives us a new heart, and with it comes a new tongue, but even that new tongue is the victim of that old fallenness is an so James says control your tongue because it has such potential to condemn. Secondly, it has such power to control not only does it have potential to condemn but it has power to control and this is absolutely fascinating. I hope we can get to this just dramatic spiritual insight everyone sins with the tongue. James says in verse two.

If any one stumbles or offends not in word.

He is a perfect man.

The only people who don't sin with her mouth are perfect people is an interesting sort of debate about what James means here. Does he mean perfect, telling us to be perfect in the sense of absolutely perfect like God, like Christ while he could mean that he could be saying if a man does not ever stumble in his words, or offended his words, he would be an absolutely perfect man that's correct, and if he is saying that, then he is really saying none of you are perfect. So forget the idea that you think you might not stumble with your words because only perfect people don't do that and nobody's perfect.

On the other hand, he may be using the word to Laos to express maturity and what he is saying. Then, in a general sense is if a man does not continue to stumble with his mouth or words. The same is a mature man, that is, he is reached. Spiritual maturity. He is like Christ, though not exactly like Christ.

I don't know that we can be dogmatic as to exactly which one James means, but let's just take them both and let's say that James could be saying if you don't ever do that with your mouth, your perfect and no one can be perfect and if you get control of your tongue you're demonstrating spiritual maturity. I kind of lean toward that view. James is saying only spiritually mature, people are able to control their tongue. The only human being who ever lived who had an absolutely perfect tongue was Jesus Christ, and in John 746 remember what they said no man ever spoke like this man.

He was perfect in his speech, absolutely without error.

Listen to this.

Who did no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth no sin and is why no sin in his mouth, and so we can say then that to the degree that our holiness approaches the holiness of Christ, to that degree.

We are conformed to his image, to that degree. Our speech will be godly and look what he says in verse two. If any man doesn't stumble in word. He is a mature man, and able also to bridle his body to bridle the whole body as well not get this is a tremendously practical spiritual if I don't think I ever really grasped this before. If a person can master his tongue, he can master his his evil tendencies throughout his whole body and that means is person. Now how do you say how you come to that conclusion. James was the tongue because it is the instant expression of the heart because it can sin more readily and more often than any other member of the body just because of circumstances, you can't get in a position to sin in every way with your body, but you're always in a position to sin with your tongue because the tongue can sin so easily because it is such a monitor of depravity.

If you can control the tongue, the greater the greater sinner in your body. Then, by virtue of controlling the greater you have gained control over the lesser you see that the person who controls the tongue will also control the body with all of its other impulses. Since the tongue responds more immediately and more quickly and more easily to sin. If it were controlled.

The slower responding parts would also be controlled because the means of divine grace applied to the greater are then also applied to the lesser one insight you what that says to me that says if I want to focus my Christian life on one thing if I want to get my act together. If I want to bring my whole spiritual life in the control platter work on my what I don't. Well, now we realize that is not fully possible to delete the holy tongue, but to the extent that one controls this time he will control his body. Why, because whatever spiritual dynamics work to control your tongue will therefore work to control the rest of you, but it makes it so simple and so dynamic.

If we can just concentrate on the tone is not practical. I'm just getting down to that focus on your mouth and of the Holy Spirit gets control of the most volatile in the most potent member. The rest we subdue what simplification just concentrate on what you say and whatever means of grace and whatever dynamics of spiritual commitment. Take care of your tongue are going to by virtue of controlling that control the rest of you to help us understand that James gives us two illustrations verse three. Now he says we put bits in the horses mouth that they may obey us and we turned about their whole body there's illustration number one was a first-class illustration to show that if you control the time you control everything uses a horse. How do you control heart you control a horse by controlling his time, you put a piece of metal in the horses mouth. It lays on his tongue and then you put a harness around that global reset take some reason when you pull that you pull that metal bit against the horses tongue so it is a very good illustration by controlling the horses tongue. You control the horses movements horse by the way, to me tell you, Zeus was without that. Did you ever know horse to volunteer to plow a field just show up one day the fire fields are never know. Horse volunteered to pull a wagon about a horse volunteered to carry a writer if the break. The notion you break in with a bit in the mouth and you control the whole body by controlling the tongue.

You can direct the whole body. That's what you just say you control your tongue you could direct your whole body. Everything else comes in the line. What a graphic illustration effect. This is axiomatic enough that it may have been standard stock for writers and wise men in that time and place and James may be borrowing illustration but the point is clear by controlling the tongue the whole life is directed to a useful purpose without the control of the time the horses absolutely useless. You are not something an unbroken unbridled horse is absolutely good for nothing. Just run around another illustration he gives in verse four, behold, he said there's another one. The ships though they are so great and driven by strong winds, yet they turned about with a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires or wherever the impulse of the pilot desires.

That's another very graphic illustration huge ship and you say will they were so big and that they well the one the next 27. If I remember right, had 276 passengers on it.

That's a pretty good size ship driven in tremendous Yurok live in Europe Willow that nor'easter and wind that came of that great ship driven across the Mediterranean. Of course, was out of control and asked 27 but under control was guided totally by the rudder that small little rudder moves that massive ship. That's what James says if you can just get control of the little tongue you can move everything else. The idea is this. Listen to power applied at the right point is efficient to control the whole vessel and power applied at the right point being the mouth is sufficient to control the whole person and that's the second point James says control your tongue because of its power to control you. Its power to control you speak only gracious words cannot be real practical and speak only gracious words speak only kind words speak only loving words, true words, thoughtful words only words sensitive words, edifying words speak only gentle words, comforting words.

Words of blessing. Words of humility, words of wisdom, words of thanksgiving speak only on selfish words and peaceful words and if you do that you control every other part of your life, because the only way you can do all of that is being under the power of the spirit of God, but the focal point is to concentrate on the control of your tongue what is that simplify things conceptually. Your tongue is like a master switch. One commentator writes, if our tongue were so well under control that it refused to formulate the words of self-pity. The images of blissfulness. The thoughts of anger and resentment, then these things are cut down before they have a chance to live the master switch has deprived them of any power to switch on that side of our lives. The control of the tongue is more than an evidence of spiritual maturity is also the means to it. The master switch with an idea. Your tongue is the master switch throw that thing off the nothing else can function every other thing becomes inconsequential and he sums it up in verse five. Even so the tongue is a little member but boasts great things stop there. What is he mean it's a braggart. It boasts great things, you know why it can do great things. Boy it's potent.

It is proud of its power to control and it can really do it is a powerful instrument. It can tear down people it can tear down churches. It can destroy relationships, it can wreck a marriage it can devastate a family it can rip up a nation. It can lead to murder. It can lead to war. On the other hand, can build up they can create love, enthusiasm, encouragement, comfort and peace, joy, powerful, powerful thing is the tongue and if we get a hold of it and control it. It can control all the rest of us.

So James is look at your speech. Is it the speech of living faith and apply yourself to control your tongue because of its power to condemn you and its power to control you. What a practical word that is for us, but spray father. We do ask you that you would give us the grace by your spirit to control our tongue forgive us, forgive us Lord for the violations of speech so frequent and sanctify our mounds and so our whole bodies for your glory in Christ's name name. This is grace to you with John MacArthur. Thanks for being with us.

John is Chancellor of the Masters University and seminary in Southern California today. He continued his study titled taming the tongue well with everything were seeing about the dangers of not controlling what comes out of our mouths. Maybe find yourself wondering what about the other ways that people communicate today, text messages, social media posts things like that so what about that John. How readily do the principles we're seeing in Colossians and James apply to those non-spoken forms of communication. Of course they apply directly to those you have to guard your tongue, not only in what is spoken audibly but you have to guard your writing because you know that the Bible is very clear out of the mouth. The heart speaks well. It's also true that out of the mouth. The heart writes so you want to always have speech that is uplifting that ministers grace to the hearers. That is God honoring Christ exalting that is virtuous and righteous and pure and never unkind or unclean. That's just their way of life that's in anything you say that's in anything you write. But what controls both your speaking and your writing is what's in your mind so your minds should be pure to the pure all things are pure. If your mind is pure your speech is pure your texts are pure, your social media posts are pure everything is pure if your heart is pure.

We would see someone who spoke one way and wrote another way, if the two were not the same as a hypocrite. You can't feel like you want to be kind when you speak or righteous when you speak with you can be wretched when you write something on social media, that's just hypocrisy so covers everything.

All of our communication should be honoring to the Lord. Thanks, John, and friend. Of course, nothing will keep your heart and mind pure like the word of God. So I encourage you to pick up the MacArthur study Bible with 25,000 footnotes. The study Bible will help you interpret and apply virtually every passage of God's word purchase your copy today to order call our toll-free number 855 grace or you can order from our website Jide TY.org the MacArthur study Bible is available in the new King James new American Standard and English standard version.

It's also available in several non-English translations including Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Chinese see all the options available and are now at TTY.or call us at 855 grace and be sure to visit our website often TTY.org. There you can listen to all of John's verse by verse teaching you'll find 3500 of his sermons available as MP3s and transcripts free of charge. You can search by topic a specific verse or book of the Bible. And if you're not sure where to start. Log on to Grace Street it's always on continuously erring John sermons from the New Testament in sequential order so we reset it about every two months. You'll find great stream@tty.org. That's our website one more time.

TTY.org now for John MacArthur. I'm Phil Johnson reminding you to watch grace to you television this Sunday then be here next week when John continues his study taming the tongue with another 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on