By Kyle Beshears
Associate Dean and Assistant Professor of Christian Studies, University of Mobile
With Control
James 3:1–12
When Teaching the Truth (1–2)
Teachers of God’s word are given an incredibly important task. As stewards of hearts and minds, they prayerfully pull together study, wisdom, counsel and pastoral insight to expound on the living word of God, the Bible, for the purpose of calling the lost, rebuking the wayward and encouraging the saints of God.
For this reason James cautions any would-be teachers to think twice about desiring the office. This warning is not meant as a discouragement, for as Paul says, “If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble work” (1 Tim. 3:1). Rather James is clearly highlighting the weighty responsibility of teaching, which requires use of the tongue. We know from the Lord Jesus that “the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart” (Matt. 12:34).
In other words, the teacher is someone whose heart is constantly displayed before the people. The people will follow the teacher wherever his heart leads.
So, teacher, is your heart oriented to our true north — Christ?
When Influencing Others (3–6)
James reminds us that we all stumble because of our speech. This is especially true in our digital age when so much of our teaching is recorded, distributed globally and added to a permanent record on the internet. (We might even build on James’ teaching to say that our thumbs are small members, yet they boast of great things.)
For this reason James does not caution merely teachers to watch their tongues (or any means of communication). He cautions the same for all believers as well.
He gives two analogies, bits and rudders, to show how small parts play significant roles in controlling the destination of things much larger, for both the ship and horse are used for transportation.
Notice that in both analogies, with the horse and the ship, there are actually three elements: the mode of transportation, the small steering device and the person in charge, i.e., the horse rider and ship’s captain.
This leads us to reflect: Who is in control of us and where are we headed?
When Offering Praise (7–12)
The tongue is a powerful thing. It is the conduit that brings what lurks in our hearts out into the open. As the people of God who have been given a new heart by faith in Christ, our tongues should bring blessings to people. After all, James argues, how can springs and trees produce water and fruit of other kinds? Dogs don’t give birth to cats; that would be unnatural.
This is precisely James’ point. It should be unnatural for a Christian’s tongue to produce anything other than blessing, for as Paul proclaimed, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come” (2 Cor. 5:17). So often though curses that echo from our old hearts come rushing to our tongues. Worse yet we then praise God with the same tongue.
Because people are made in the likeness of God (Gen 1:26), any time we curse them, we are in a roundabout way actually cursing God Himself. How then can we praise God while cursing God’s image bearers? Christians ought to act according to their new nature in Christ, not their old nature in death.
True faith synchronizes our beliefs and behavior, changing what it means for us to act “by nature.” By faith, our new “natural” is love toward both God and neighbor, fulfilling the greatest commandment (Matt. 22:36–40).
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