I’M SAVED, NOW WHAT? (part-28)

I’M SAVED, NOW WHAT?

TAMING THE TONGUE
James reminds us that we have the ability for taming all kinds
of animals, yet we do a lousy job of controlling our own tongues.
    All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures
    are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but
    no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil,
    full of deadly poison. (James 3:7-8)

He says the tongue is a ‘restless evil’. What does he mean by ‘restless’?
Restless can be equated to being a ‘busy body’ – cannot sit still; needs
to be active. James implies the tongue is anxious to do harm. It is bent
in this direction and only a conscious effort can stop it.

He even places it in the category of a venomous snake. As we know, a
snake is coiled and ready to strike at any moment without warning. When
it strikes it releases a deadly poison. Improper use of our words can poison
the lives of others. James is not the only one who refers to the tongue in this
manner.
    They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent’s;
    the poison of vipers is on their lips. (Psalm 140:3)

    Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice
    deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. (Romans 3:13)

    As a side note, the following verses could be used
    in describing a lot of what we see in our world today.
        As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one;
        there is no one who understands; there is no one who
        seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become
        worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.
        Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.
        The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full
        of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood;
        ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they
        do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes.
        (Romans 3:10-18)

Fortunately the Lord changes the lives of those who put their trust in Him.
As James said, we still ‘stumble in many ways’, but our desire (or at least
what should be our desire) is to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. As
we relinquish control of our habits, actions and minds to the Holy Spirit
(who was God’s gift to us when we were saved), our ability to live a life
that pleases the Lord should improve. One of the areas of change should
be how we use our tongues.

The tongue can be one of the most constructive or destructive organs
of the body. James knows this and shows the irony of this organ.
    With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father,
    and with it we curse human beings, who have
    been made in God’s likeness. (James 3:9)

James says that we praise the Lord, but then we curse His creation
out of the same mouth. That would be like saying that we like
someone but hate everything they do. How is that possible? Can
we really dislike everything a person does, but still like the person?
The obvious answer is, “No”. We may dislike a few things that
others do, but if we dislike everything they do, then we dislike the
person. James must have felt this hypocrisy was an important issue
because he repeats it in the very next verse.
    Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.
    My brothers and sisters, this should not be.
    (James 3:10)

Not only does he repeat his point, but he says it should not be this way.
How can people offer sincere praise to God and yet curse His creation?
This would mean that the sincerity of our praise is in question. It is a
good example of hypocrisy in action. If we sincerely love God then we
should praise Him for all He has made. This type of sincere worship will
help us to avoid gossiping, which God hates.

We should look for the good in all that God has created, and not spend
time trying to detect any faults they may have. That doesn’t mean that
we approve of all of the actions of God’s creations. He created us with
the ability to make choices and many of us will make wrong choices at
times. But even with our bad decisions, we are still God’s creation and
should not be cursed by any of His other creations. Some may say,
“I only called him an idiot or an airhead”. Using derogatory names
to describe someone is the same as cursing His creation.

We might think that some action (or actions) of another person is ‘out of
line with normality’, but when we verbalize our thoughts by calling them
some derogatory name, we not only cause others to think less of them, but
at the same time we are showing a condescending attitude that portrays
ourselves as better than them. What does God’s Word tell us?
    for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
    (Romans 3:23)

    Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,
    but only what is helpful for building others up according to
    their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
    (Ephesians 4:29)

Think about this:
    Sometimes others may do the things they do because they are
    ‘crying out’ for some need to be filled. Maybe they need
    encouragement, or a friendship with someone. If that’s the
    case, then our derogatory remarks just add to their misery
    and cause others to look down on them as well. If we obey
    the scriptures, then we should look for the good things in
    their lives and make positive comments to others about them.
    If we don’t, then who will?
    We might say, “If I do that, then others will think I am naïve
    and unaware of their faults”. Doesn’t that sound like selfish
    egotism? Jesus was all about being sensitive, kind and gentle;
    He wanted to ‘build up’ others and as His followers, we should
    do the same.

    Granted it may be difficult to find the ‘good’ in some people, but
    if we can’t find something positive to say about them, then it is
    better to keep our mouths shut, because we know that anything else
    we say will be condescending and violate God’s instructions for
    those who belong to Him.

James continues to show us the irony of using the tongue for both good
and evil. He even provides three different examples to emphasize this irony.
    Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same
    spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives,
    or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce
    fresh water. (James 3:11-12)

He seems to be mystified that those who call themselves Christians
(“my brothers and sisters”) can call themselves ‘followers of Christ’
and at the same time, say derogatory things about God’s creations.
When we say bad things about others, it could be an indication that
we do not have the characteristic of love, which should identify us
as followers of Jesus.

Just as olives do not grow on a fig tree, cursing God’s creations will
not grow out of Christian love. Since fresh water cannot be produced
from a salt spring, cursing what God has created will not be produced
out of a person filled with God’s love. Praise and cursing cannot coexist
in the same person when he or she is a follower of the Lord. Rather than
looking at the fault of others, we should consider how we are falling
short of God’s expectations of believers.

WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING AND HUMILITY
When we hear the word ‘wisdom’ we need to remember that there are two types.
There is a ‘worldly wisdom’, which is logical reasoning and is often referred to
as ‘common sense’. There is also ‘biblical wisdom’, which includes using God’s
Word as an influence when making decisions. When we exercise biblical wisdom,
it indicates we have consulted with God before moving forward. It is an evidence
that we have spent time on our knees expressing our concerns and asking for His
answers. When we are faced with split second decisions, we should whisper a
brief prayer – something like, “Lord help me”.

The word ‘knowledge’ also has two types. ‘Worldly knowledge’ is attained through
education, but ‘biblical knowledge’ is developed through the reading of God’s Word.
Although both can be achieved through reading, studying and meditating, both are
validated when we put into practice what we have learned. For instance, we can
substantiate the worldly definition of gravity by dropping an object and watching
gravity in action. We can also confirm our biblical knowledge when we apply God’s
principles to our lives. When the scriptures say we will be filled if we hunger and
thirst for righteousness, we can prove it to ourselves by developing a sincere desire
to learn more about righteousness.
    Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled. (Matthew 5:6)

How do we show a hunger and thirst for righteousness? We show it through the
reading of God’s Word, meditating on its meaning, and praying for understanding.
We show it by attending bible study classes and worship services. Applying the
principles of the scriptures to our daily lives is additional proof of our desire to
experience righteousness.

James asks an interesting question regarding wisdom and understanding.
    Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them
    show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility
    that comes from wisdom. (James 3:13)

Notice he doesn’t ask, “What is wisdom and understanding”, he asks,
“Who is wise and understanding….” Then he responds to his own
question by challenging those who think they have these qualities, to
prove it through their actions. James doesn’t leave it up to us to figure
out how, but he tells us specifically what to do in order to show that we
possess wisdom and understanding. We show that we have both of them
when we live a good life that includes doing good deeds (with no
expectations of praise), and when we develop a humble spirit.

Humility is the opposite of jealousy, selfish ambition, arrogant pride,
and egotism. When people observe our willingness to help others,
coupled with our lack of selfishness, they see the scriptures alive in us.

It’s important to stress that the ‘deeds’ mentioned in this verse are not
for achieving salvation, but rather to prove our salvation. Paul supports
this line of thinking.
    For it is by grace you have been saved, through
    faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the
    gift of God—not by works, so that no one can
    boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)