James 3:8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

Untameable

There is a rare breed of man who lives outside the bounds of society. They take on challenges most would never dream of. Spartacus was an example of this archetype. He led a rebellion against the Roman Empire after serving as a Gladiator. The rebellion began when he and his men used kitchen tools to fight the Romans. This lasted two years, from 73 to 71 BC. We would say he had an untamable spirit.

But the truth is, there is another, more untamable thing: the human tongue. Have you ever thought of something and wanted to say it, but you knew that if you did say it there would be trouble? What usually happens? Of course, you say it because you were unable to tame the tongue. Especially if it was when you were upset. The tongue is full of evil and poison.

Two-sided

James 3:10-11 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? There is a battle inside of you. We call it good versus evil. It is also known as the flesh versus the Holy Spirit. The one that you feed is the one that usually wins. If we wake up and crucify the flesh like Jesus calls, good wins. If we wake up and ignore this command, the flesh wins. The flesh has a strong pull, and it shows itself mostly through our words.

Fresh and salt water do not mix. In the same way, the flesh and the Spirit do not mix. It comes down to making a conscious decision to serve one or the other. Which do you choose? Yes, it is a choice that we make. But knowing what was sacrificed for us to have eternal life, shouldn’t the choice be weighted towards Jesus? I would think so myself, but I also realize how strong the pull towards evil is. That is why we need to rely on what God has provided.

Grace

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. The Word created the world; the Word became a man and walked among us. Jesus is the Word. He came and showed grace to us by sacrificing Himself on the cross and taking our punishment to make it possible for us to be forgiven. Forgiven of the sin that the flesh longs for. Have you chosen this grace?