About a month ago, I read through the book of James. God spoke to my heart from this passage. Since then, I have been waiting for the holiday to end so that I could share the message we will look at this evening.

Read James 3:1-12. What is the theme of this section? It is obviously the tongue.

Transition

Our focus this evening will be on James 3:2. In this verse, I find four realities that we need to face and address in our personal lives.

The first reality that we need to face and address is

All of us frequently stumble.

  1. To offend is to stumble.
    1. The phrase literally says, “For in many things we all stumble.”
    2. To stumble is to trip, to err, make a mistake, to sin. It can mean to cause others to stumble, but the main idea here seems to be that we stumble.
    3. Have you ever been walking along and suddenly caught your toe on something. Next thing you knew, you were lying on the ground groaning. What happened? You tripped or stumbled.
    4. James is using this to illustrate something that often happens in each of our spiritual lives. None of us is exempt. We all trip and fall spiritually.
    5. When we trip physically, it is suddenly and unexpectedly. The same is usually true when we trip spiritually. It was not a planned event!
  2. We stumble in many things.
    1. When we trip, it is never a pleasant experience. As in a physical stumble, we may hurt ourselves, hurt our reputation, and even hurt others.
    2. We may stumble in our thoughts.
    3. We may trip in our actions.
    4. Some Christians even trip in their doctrine.
    5. However, James identifies a common tripper.
      The second reality that we need to face and address is

We often stumble in word.

  1. Our tongue is often quick to trip.
    1. Yes, our thoughts trip and our actions trip, but even more frequently, our tongue trips.
    2. It happens so quickly and unexpectedly. Someone says something that ignites our fuse and our tongue shoots off its fireworks.
    3. It happens most often when we are not watching our step. You are not as likely to trip physically if you know the path has obstacles in it, and you are carefully watching your step. The same is true spiritually. When we get careless, we are more likely to stumble.
  2. God knows that the tongue is a big problem.
    1. That is why He dedicated James 3:1-12 to the topic.
      (a) As masters or leaders (husbands, parents, pastors, teachers, etc.), if we struggle with our words, God says we then have the greater judgment (v.1).
      (b) The tongue is small, yet powerful (v.3-4).
      (c) It is like a tiny spark that kindles a huge fire (v.5-6). Every forest fire begins with a single spark.
      (d) The tongue can never be tamed so that we can trust it (v.7-8), but it can be governed (v.9-12).
    2. Bitterness in the heart and an unwillingness to forgive greatly increase the likelihood of tripping with your words.
    3. Note God’s instruction in the book of Proverbs.
      (a) (Proverbs 15:2) “The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.”
      (b) (Proverbs 21:23) “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.”
      The third reality that we need to face and address is

Only perfect people never stumble in word.

  1. No one is that perfect.
    1. To be perfect is to be fully mature, lacking nothing of completeness, or blameless.
    2. We ought to strive for perfection, but this side of heaven, we will never attain it.
    3. As James wrote in 3:8, no one can tame his tongue. No tongue can be fully trusted. That is a reality, but it does not excuse us for not training our tongues.
  2. No one is able to bridle the whole body.
    1. A bridle is the bit placed in a horse’s mouth which motivates him to obey through discomfort. James uses the bridle to illustrate having complete control over our entire body.
    2. Note that he says that if you and I can keep ourselves from ever offending in word, we are not only perfect, but we are able also to control completely our eyes, our mind, our hands, our feet, our actions, and words.
    3. Sadly, that is not possible!
    4. If the exhortation ended with just this verse, we could all walk away comforted knowing that we ALL trip in MANY things, especially in our words. That is just a fact of life. However, God did not end James’ exhortation with verse 2.
      The final reality that we need to face and address is

We each have a duty to restrain our tongue.

  1. These things ought not so to be (v.10).
    1. No Christian’s mouth ought to bless and curse (v.10).
    2. The content of the inside is what comes out in words (v.11-12). When we say things that Christ would not say, it is because we are not walking in the Spirit or we have unconfessed sin, bitterness, or an unforgiving spirit in our hearts.
    3. God warns (Ephesians 4:29-32) “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.“
    4. God also promises, (Galatians 5:16) “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.“
  2. With God’s help, we can rule our tongues.
    1. (Proverbs 25:28) “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.“
    2. (James 4:7-10) “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.“

Conclusion

Remember, we all stumble! You are not alone. However, we dare not use our common fault as an excuse. Just as for direction a horse needs a bridle and a ship needs a rudder, so we too must bridle and rudder our tongues. We dare not let our tongues loose.

If you have not been controlling your tongue, confess it to God, seek the forgiveness of those who heard you, and by depending on God, bridle your tongue.

Song: Teach Me Thy Way, 337
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We All Stumble!
5 January 2025 PM ~ James 3:2