James 3:5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!
How great a fire!
Sticks and stones. Do you remember the children’s rhyme that sung about words not hurting? I would say whoever came up with this rhyme had never had anyone talk bad about him or been a child who was hurt by the words of their parents. We are hurt by the words others say about us. Even if we try to live by the rhymes others make up to encourage us, the tongues of others and the syllables they make up stay with us a long time.
The speech of man can change fortunes of countries. Think of speeches made by world leaders that have shifted their countries’ opinions. Roosevelt changed the minds of millions of Americans after his speech about Pearl Harbor being bombed. Words are powerful, and they can set the world on fire if used for devious purposes.
Set on fire by hell!
James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. The tongue is so powerful because it is powered by the evil that comes out of the heart. The evil spreads out from the heart to the tongue, and then it corrupts the whole body. Then, it sets the course of our lives unless we confess that sin and ask forgiveness from Jesus Christ!
James 3:8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Not only does the tongue corrupt the body, but no man can tame the tongue. Full of deadly poison, it kills. Kills hope. Kills the movement of the Holy Spirit in churches. Gossip from the tongue kills the desire for some to come to church.
Repent and Accept
Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life! He is the great physician. He can heal us from the deadly poison of the tongue and the use of the tongue as a deadly poison. What will you do with Jesus today? Will you choose to continue in the sin and corruption that comes from the heart through the tongue? Or will you follow the path of letting Jesus save you?
Key Takeaways
- Words hold immense power and can deeply hurt people, contrary to the saying ‘sticks and stones’.
- The tongue, fueled by the heart’s evil, corrupts individuals and impacts the course of their lives.
- James 3 highlights the tongue as a dangerous force that no one can tame, capable of causing destruction and spreading poison.
- Jesus offers healing from the toxic effects of the tongue and invites individuals to choose a path of salvation.
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