I’m sure you’ve read the verses in the book of James that talk about the tongue. It is a “restless evil”, says James. He compares the tongue to many things. A tiny ‘spark’ that sets a forest on fire. A small ‘rudder’ that steers a whole ship. A ‘bridal’ in a horses mouth that can be used to guide it around.

James argues that the tongue, although it is small, is the source a great deal of trouble for man.

Every teaching I’ve ever heard on this verse gives a good deal of personal application. Congregations are to control their tongue and this is an excellent argument for that.

But I’m not sure that the congregation is really who James had in mind when he wrote this bit about the tongue.

Possibly for the first time, I noticed that another frequently quoted verse is actually a tiny piece of context that puts a whole new spin on James’ message about the tongue. The very first verses in fact. James 3:1-2:

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.

Why does James go directly from a word on teaching and teachers and the fact that every teacher make’s mistakes in his teaching into a discussion of bridling the tongue? I think it’s because the ‘body’ he talks about throughout the rest of the chapter is not one individual body who is guided by his own tongue, but the whole body of believers who is guided by the tongue of their teacher.

Not many should aspire to be teachers because all teachers make mistakes, and with many, many teachers comes many misconceptions and the church ends up ‘set on fire’.

Of course, I don’t think this is the only viable interpretation of this verse, but I think it makes perfect contextual sense. And perhaps it’s a concept churches who turn teaching authority over to small group ministries should consider.

I’ve been thinking over this verse for a couple of days now. I’m not sure why, I’ve probably read it a hundred times. I guess it’s just resting on me with some fresh reflection. James 1:12:

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Although it’s phrased funny, the verse is in perfect sync with the rest of James’ message, and the whole bible for that matter.

James stresses that faith and works are not mutually exclusive elements, of which a Christian may hold one or the other. Rather, they are two ends of the same thing, which every true Christian will exhibit, if in fact they are true.

What’s so weird about this verse is that it would seem to reverse that message. Saying ‘remain steadfast so that you’ll receive the crown of life’. But James continues, explaining that the ‘crown of life’ is something that has been promised to those who love God.

How could the ‘crown of life’ be a reward for fulfilled duty and promised to those with earnest love for God? Simple, I suppose: Steadfastness is not the condition. Love is the condition for which the promise is given, while steadfastness is the symptom of that love.

I had a long, pointless conversation with a friend this afternoon. It started with his claim that he had most likely grasped a baseball a trillion times throughout his life. I said that I doubted it, so we went to the calculator to crunch some numbers.

It didn’t take long to discover that he definitely hadn’t grasped a baseball a trillion times. But what’s more, we couldn’t really come up with anything that we’d ever done (or ever would do) a trillion times. We went through breaths, heartbeats, footsteps steps.; we even tried thoughts, but couldn’t quantify a thought. All attempts came up several hundred billion short.

I don’t know why, but that’s alarming. There is a number that we’re quite aware of, but in our life cycle, we can’t really touch it. Much like the lost soul, deep down quite aware that he doesn’t measure up, yet he continues to try.

So, the conversation ended up having a point. Somehow it reminded me of the finite nature of life, the urgent need to seek the savior while he can still be found, and the humbling reality that is. Just as James says in James 4:14:

"You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away."

What a shame it is that we won’t have the time to do anyhing a trillion times. But a bigger shame to waste that time trying.

This morning, while studying the Word with a good friend from church, we came upon the encouragement in James 3:17-18:

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.“

Just a few verses earlier, James went through pains to get across to teachers that their motives be weighed carefully, for they will be “judged with greater strictness” (3:1). Then, he goes on to expand on just what happens when that is neglected. He says that a teacher with “selfish ambition” is not practicing the “wisdom that comes down from above,” (3:14-15) but instead is “earthly, unspiritual and demonic”. And what’s worse than that, their fruit will not be “righteousness”, but rather, “disorder and every vile practice” (3:16).

Then, in contrast to these detrimental warnings, James offers his encouragement in 3:17-18.

James is contrasting “selfish ambition” with “true wisdom”. If we understand these terms in a true theological sense, I believe we’ll see that our contrast is not much unlike the contrast between pride and true God centered humility.

In James’ immediate context, he is speaking to teachers. He’s saying that you cannot stand up and teach in the pursuit of your own glory, in a selfishly ambitious (literally: “electioneering for yourself, attempting to put yourself foreword“) heart. When this happens, the result is inevitably “disorder and every vile practice”. Therefore, his inverse message found in 17-18 is that a teacher must pursue the humility (the wisdom from above). Any teacher who hopes to see a “harvest of righteousness” must sow in “peace” (true wisdom).

To be sure, this is a gross oversimplification of these verses. Please, don’t misunderstand what I’ve said as thorough. None the less I believe it does have some important words for our leaders today.

I believe there is a subtle pride that can exist in the church. One where ministers look out at their congregations, not desiring for the congregation to give them glory, but desiring the congregation to give God glory. But, to be the one seen as responsible for this great condition amongst the people. They don’t want the praise, they want to be praised for the praise.

It seems likely to me that this is a pervasive problem in church leaders today. And, it seems that it could easily go unchecked, unnoticed, even. But, if James’ words here are true, then we may be looking at one of the reasons the Church at large is in such a sad state right now.

Is it possible that our teachers, saturated in a world of instant communication and media, have sought their own glory in building a God glorifying church? And, if so, is it possible that this is the reason that there is so much disorder, and among so many churches there can be found “every vile practice”? And, if this is the case, will God hear our prayers for mercy, reveal our sin and return the offenders to their first love?

Yes. Invariably yes.

James 2:14-19:

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

If there’s a set of verses most serious Christians are familiar with, it’s this one. James warning that our faith is not genuine when it doesn’t exhibit faith should be a shrill ring in people’s ear.

The question is often brought up (usually as a means to avoid the scripture) what constitutes "works".

James actually answers that pretty clear in the next couple verses.

James 2:21:

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;

If you remember the story of Abraham offering up his son Isaac, you’ll remember that God commanded Abraham to do that. It was test, and God sent an angel to stop him just before it happened. James’ example of works isn’t one of showing hospitality, or generosity, or mercy. It’s actually simpler. It’s simply of someone obeying God. That was his work.

So, what are "works?" Whatever God has commanded. If you boil it down far enough, we find that James is saying that a Person’s "faith" is not faith at all, unless their lives actually look like Christian lives.

I can remember growing up the devil was mostly a conceptual idea more than an actual being. He also, on some level was something of a scapegoat. Kind of a “the Devil made me do it” attitude, although not quite so foreword with the wording. At the very least, I would think that it wasn’t entirely the sinner’s fault, because he was tempted.

I see now though that that reasoning isn’t correct. People aren’t tempted by what they’re not already inclined to do.

To use an example, I wouldn’t steal a car. I don’t mean to say that I’m superior in some way to folks who would, but that it’s just not part of my natural inclination. There’s other things I’m inclined to do, but stealing a car just isn’t one of them. If the opportunity arose to steal a car, it wouldn’t be much of a temptation because the inclination isn’t really there to begin with.

But, perhaps lying. Give me the right circumstance and the temptation to lie can be a great struggle. Because in a real and relatively active sense, that struggle is alive in me.

It strikes me that most of the time, when the devil tempts people, he does little more than remind them of what they sinfully already desire to do. I think that’s somewhat of James’ thought when he writes this:

James 1:14

… Each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

Granted, James isn’t talking immediately about the devil’s temptation, but he is talking about when we are tempted, regardless of where that temptation itself originates from.

I’m reminded that we have to own our sin. Unless we take full ownership of it, we can never truly repent of it. If we don’t own it, we can never truly appreciate Jesus’ work for us, because on some level, we must believe that we didn’t need it all that badly.

The familiar verse, James 1:2-3, reads:

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”

It’s hard to remember that for Christians, affliction is not God’s disfavor, but his favor. God changes, builds and refines us. One such way is through our trials and difficulties. It’s easy to see in retrospect, but difficult to embrace in the moment.

To that end I think, Thomas Watson wrote this:

“To know that nothing hurts the godly, is a matter of comfort; but to be assured that all things which fall out shall co-operate for their good, that their crosses shall be turned into blessings, that showers of affliction water the withering root of their grace and make it flourish more; this may fill their hearts with joy till they run over.”