grow6
Growing Up Spiritually
Chapter 6 - THE TONGUE
Our tongue is a small member, but is very important in our spiritual
life and growth. In Creation God released His Spirit and His Power by
SPEAKING WORDS, creating by releasing the breath of His mouth. We are
created in the IMAGE OF GOD and through our mouth have the power to
bring forth good things or to destroy our life by bringing forth evil. “Life and death are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:12).
Jesus said: “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth
speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart BRINGS FORTH
GOOD THINGS, and an evil man out of the evil treasure BRINGS FORTH EVIL
THINGS...for every idle word men speak they will give account of it in
the day of judgement. For by your words you will be justified and by
your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:34-37).
Every word has consequences. A bad thought dies unborn if not spoken or
acted upon and you will not be judged for it. A good man (1) by his
MEDITATION in the WORD stores up GOOD TREASURE abundantly in his heart,
and then (2) SPEAKS it out, thus bringing forth and creating good
things in his life. A bad (foolish) man meditates on evil things (fear,
worry, what satan is doing) and it fills his heart and comes out of his
mouth creating the evil he was afraid of (e.g. creating rejection by
saying - 'no one likes me or wants to be with me.')
So the GROWTH OF OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE is greatly determined by our use of our TONGUE. Our
spiritual growth is the increase of how much our reborn spirit-nature
controls our life. It is by our WORDS and actions that this life is
expressed, released and developed in us. Our tongue is hooked up to our
heart and so it has a unique ability to express our spirit. Actions do
also, but words are our primary actions. As we speak out from our
spirit, God's life and love is released and thus it is developed
(perfected) in us.
“With the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10).
There are 2 Stages: (1) At salvation, when you believed you
received eternal life, your spirit was made righteous, you were reborn
and received the LIFE of God in your inner man.
Then (2) As you confess (act and speak out) what God has done on the
inside, the result is salvation (wholeness) - the outward experiential
manifestation of what God has worked within.
This process applies to all our receiving from God (e.g. healing).
First ‘believe you receive’ by faith the answer (the word) into your
spirit (Mark 11:24), and then by speaking it (the word) out, you
declare you have it and you call forth it into your life. Thus you
bring it forth into manifestation, for ‘you will have what you say’ if
you believe what you say will come to pass (Mark 11:23). Thus in
Genesis 1, God brought (called) forth into manifestation what He
already had in His Spirit by saying: “LIGHT BE..” When we know we have received something from God, we can then bring it forth by our corresponding words and actions.
In the BAPTISM IN HOLY SPIRIT we (1) receive the fullness
of the Spirit within, and then (2) release the power that is now in our
spirit by speaking with tongues: “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4).
Speaking in tongues is a God-given way we can yield our tongues to God
everyday to speak and pray out His will. If we consistently pray in
tongues it will greatly enhance our spiritual growth: “He who speaks in a tongue EDIFIES himself (BUILDS himself up spiritually)” (1Corinthians 14:4). “But you, beloved, BUILDING yourselves UP on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 20).
JAMES is a book of practical Christianity written to Christians (1:2) with the aim of bringing SPIRITUAL GROWTH (1:4).
“Receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to SAVE your souls” (1:21).
All spiritual growth comes through the WORD. Our spirit was saved
(reborn) by the Word planted in us and as we keep receiving the Word,
that new life grows and fills us, saving our souls (bringing all of
God's fullness into our lives). “Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourself (that
you are growing)” (v22). The Word has the ability to save (make whole)
the life (character), but it must be acted on (this means first of all
'confessed' verbally).
James is thinking of Jesus' Parable of the 2 house-builders in Matthew
7. One heard the Word only, but did not act on it. He produced no
character, strength or real spiritual growth as the storm later
revealed. He looked at his house and was deceived into thinking it was
something when it was not.
The other heard and acted on the Word - he based his life on the word.
As he heard and did the Word (spoke it and applied it) he was building
his spiritual life and character with the Word of God as the material.
Every time he believed and acted on the Word (LOVE) another brick was
established in his character. His house grew and was perfected and
stood the test because it was built of the indestructible eternal Word
of God.
Another illustration of these 2 kinds of believers is in James 1:23-25: “If anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a Mirror (the WORD) - he observes himself (who he is in Christ, who Christ is in him, his relationship to God) goes away and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks (intently) into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it (see also John 8:31,32) and is not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in his doing (as he does it).”
One of them does not store good treasure up and so does not bring it
forth. The other looks diligently (meditates) in the Word and so builds
it up in his heart. Then he brings it forth by saying and doing it, and
so he is blessed, saved, perfected (Joshua 1:8).
Spiritual Growth comes by hearing and doing the Word!
What kind of actions bring forth true spiritual growth ?
(1) “If anyone among you thinks he is religious (a good Christian) and does not bridle (take strong control of) his TONGUE but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is useless (unproductive)”
(v26). The tongue is the primary way we act on the Word. Not only
speaking in line with the Word, but refusing to contradict it. Often it
wants to speak evil and to be doers of word we must bridle it like we
would a wild horse. If we don’t, we are deceived if we think we are
growing or mature.
(2) “Pure and undefiled religion before God is to visit orphans
and widows in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the
world” (v27). Walking in LOVE (loving and showing mercy to the
needy) is also a key action. Be careful not to pick up the world's
apathy toward them (James 2:1-13 gives specific examples of this).
James 2:14-26 argues that although we are saved by faith alone, we only grow spiritually when we put our faith into action. “Faith by itself, if it does not have works is dead (unfruitful, inactive)” (v17,21). “Faith without works is dead (useless)” (v20,26). When Abraham offered up Isaac (v21) his “faith was working together with his works and by works (acting on the word) his faith was made perfect (developed, grew)” (v22).
James 3 now focuses on the primary action producing (or hindering) growth - THE TONGUE: “Let few become teachers, knowing we will receive stricter judgement” (v1).
If we give account for every word we speak, how much more will teachers be judged strictly. “We all stumble in many things. If any one does not stumble in word he is a perfect (mature) man, able also to bridle the whole body” (v2).
Notice: (1) A mark of maturity is tongue-control and so our
growth is measured by how much we bring our tongue under the control of
our spirit.
(2) The tongue is the control centre of the body. Putting the Word on
our tongue is the first step to doing the Word in our actions. By
bringing the tongue under control we bring our whole body (actions,
life) under the control of the spirit.
So bringing our tongue under the control of the Word and Spirit of God is a major key to our spiritual growth.
ILLUSTRATIONS of how our tongue controls our body,our life, our spiritual growth and destiny (James 3):
1. “We put BITS in HORSES' mouths so they may obey us,
and we turn their whole body” (v3).
It is hard to believe our small tongue has the power to control our
direction in life. A bit is small and weak compared to a horse but
because it is at the control centre (mouth), you can control a big
restless horse with a bit. Likewise although the tongue is small it is
so positioned that you can use it to control your life.
2. “Look at SHIPS, though so large and are driven by fierce winds,
they are turned by a very small RUDDER wherever the pilot desires”
(v4). Our life is like a big ship with winds (wrong ideas and
pressures) that blow on us to try and get us off-course and shipwreck.
The Pilot (our inner-man) can control it with a small rudder (tongue).
Our tongue controls the direction and destiny of our life. You can keep
it on course by speaking God's promises over your life (confess Psalm
23).
3. “Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire (spark)
kindles! 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 (disrupting the orderly cycles of life) and
is set on fire by hell” (v5,6). The tongue's power is seen in its
power to destroy. It is small but has great power. Uncontrolled it will
run rampant destroying your relationships, everything you have built,
your body (evil and bitter words bring sickness) Evil words release
hell-fire into your life and in others.
Thus we must learn to tame it (bring it under control). It is like a
wild animal. It is not easy. It takes a QUALITY DECISION. In fact it is
impossible in the natural:
4. “Every kind of beast ...has been tamed by mankind. But no man can
tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (v7,8).
Willpower alone can not do it. We must trust in the supernatural power
of God, by speaking the Word and speaking in tongues. Only then it can
be done.
5. A PUZZLE: “With it we bless our God and with it we curse
men made in the image of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing
and cursing. Brethren this ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth
fresh water and bitter from the same opening?' (v9,10,11).
“Can a fig tree (dead religion), bear olives (the oil of the Spirit), or a grapevine (grapes/wine of the Spirit) bear figs (death)? neither can a salt spring produce fresh water” (NIV) (v12).
We do not see this in nature, so what is going on? From the same
opening (mouth) we see sometimes the fresh water of the spirit released
(v17,18) and at other times bitter waters (v14-16).
v12 has the answer - there are actually 2 Fountains (sources of life or
spiritual water) in us that want to be expressed, through the same
opening or fountainhead (our tongue).
(1) The Fountain of our flesh wants to be expressed through
the mouth (we all feel its build up of pressure at times).
If we yield to it we will speak wisdom from below (v14-16).
(2) The Fountain of our reborn spirit has waters of love, joy, peace bubbling up, the wisdom from above (v17,18).
One fountain cannot produce two waters - there must be two fountains.
Both fountains push for control. There may be water pressure in your
hose pipe, but you control the nozzle! We control which waters come out
(life or death). No good (life) can come by yielding to the fountain of
the flesh.
James 3:13-18. We need to recognise (taste) what kind of water is wanting to flow: “If bitter envy and self-seeking is in your heart...this wisdom (WORD) is not descended from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic, producing confusion and every evil thing.” If it tastes bad then turn off the nozzle - if you stop meditating on it, it will subside.
Instead start speaking and praying: “wisdom (WORDS) from above-pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and hypocrisy” producing 'the fruit of righteousness and peace' by 'peaceful sowing' of
WORDS. Thus speaking from this fountain (in peace not strife and
anxiety) results in good fruit (outward growth produced from an inward
life). This is character growth in our life and in others. If it tastes
good open your mouth and let living waters flow out. You feel good
after praising God, because you have let waters of life and joy flow
out of your mouth from the good fountain in you (see also Isaiah 12,
John 7:37-39).
The Tongue in TRIALS (James 1:1-20). In trials the greatest
pressure comes on us to yield to the wrong fountain! James starts with
what we should say when things go wrong.
“REJOICE when you fall into various trials (do not just say nothing but start yielding to God's fountain in you to resist evil) Knowing that the testing of your faith (the test is to see what you yield your tongue to) produces (develops) patience (if
you keep confessing the Word).” Trials give us a unique opportunity to
grow for they put a demand on our patience (an important character
quality in our spirit). “Let patience have its perfect work (do not quit speaking from the spirit) that you may be perfect (mature) and complete (in character), lacking nothing” (1:2-4).
By continuing to yield our tongue to God's Word we exercise patience
and it then grows in us with the result that we become mature and as we
let living water flow the blessing (answer) to our trial comes through
and we 'lack nothing' (c.f. v12)
Giving up and yielding our tongue to the negative brings more trouble
to us and we do not grow. Speaking from the wrong fountain hinders our
growth.
One way we do this is by blaming God: “Let no man say when he is tempted (tested, tried) - 'I am tested by God' - for God can not be tested by evil neither does He test anyone”
(v13). Here we are clearly forbidden to say that God brought the test,
trial, trouble, sickness or tribulation upon us. Yet under the pressure
of the tribulation many believers fall for the devil’s deception, that
this is really from God. They are trying to find some peace that
somehow this curse is God’s Sovereign Will, and so in the trial they
disregard God’s Word (James 1:13) and yield their tongue to evil,
slandering God’s good character and so handing satan the victory in the
trial. As a result of yielding their tongue in this way to the pressure
of the trial and to the lie of satan, rather than to God’s Word, they
will remain passive and defeated in the trial and their spiritual
growth will be hindered. But had they dug deeper in prayer, confessed
God’s goodness and rejoiced in the trial, thanking God for working it
all together for good, then their spiritual growth would be accelerated
in the trial and they would come through it victorious.