Summary
would you open your bibles please with me this morning to james the first chapter for our study if you're using a copy of holy scriptures you'll find in the pew you'll find that on page 202 in the new testament our study today from james the first chapter three sets of numbers the first over a million the second one hundred and seventy thousand the third twenty to thirty thousand explanation it is estimated that there are over 1 million words in the english language it's also estimated that there is currently a hundred and seventy thousand words in usage comment usage it is also estimated that for the average adult the average adult has a vocabulary of 20 to 30 000 words that's a lot of words isn't it let's just take the smallest number our respective vocabularies of twenty to thirty thousand since it's estimated that we'll spend about twenty percent of our lives talking using those twenty to 30 000 words well it begs the question doesn't it how are we to use our speech how are we to talk how are we to use our respective vocabularies of 20 to 30 000 words let's hone the question as we continue today our summer series q a here's the question for today what does the bible mean when it talks about the bridled tongue what does the bible mean when it talks about the bridal tongue or bridled speech we turn to james the first chapter for our study when you turn to the book of james james is not really a doctrinal treatise so often for example you see in the writings of the apostle paul you'll see doctrine laid out and then paul moves into an application of the doctrine james is really more of a focus on practical christian living in fact one of the one of the summary verses of how you are to understand the book of james is the very first verse of our text for today verse 22 but be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves that's practically living out your faith it's one of james's themes and such an interesting word here when he says but be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves that's a word in ancient day that was really associated with mathematics and it had to do with miscalculation it can also be translated as it comes over into english sometimes you'll see in an english translation it'll be translated delude here instead of deceived but it's really a mathematical understanding that if we think that we can we can hear the word of god and not do it that's a miscalculation that's an error that we make he goes on to expound the point for if any are hearers of the word and not doers they're like those who look at themselves in a mirror for they look at themselves and on going away immediately forget what they were like there's a little comedy here that james is interjecting isn't it the word of god functions as that mirror it is revealing of god's ways and so james is saying if we look into the mirror but then not put that to practice well it's like someone who looks in the mirror and forgets what they look like he goes on making the same point verse 25 but those who look the word there in the greek means to observe carefully so it's not a not a casual type of glance like oh i gave that gave that a a look very quickly no this is careful observation but those who look into the perfect law what's the perfect law that's a synonym for holy scripture you see it pop up elsewhere in scripture but those who carefully observe the scriptures looking at that which god speaks to us and then the law of liberty you see god's ways revealed in holy scripture they're not constraining they're free it brings us joy does it not to be in the will of god and in obedience to him that doesn't restrict that freeze those who look carefully into the scriptures the law of liberty scriptures which communicates the freedom of god's will as he communicates his desires and then by god's grace as we live that out and persevere being not hears who forget but doers who act they'll be blessed in their doing god's ways are always best god's ways are freeing god's ways bring joy then to make sure we understand it he applies it he applies this theme here that he is pounding he applies it in two specific applications in the next two verses let's go to verse 27 first here's the application religion interesting word here it means the outward expression of one's faith so he's talking about as a follower of the lord jesus christ how do you express then your faith remember the theme be a doer and not a hear only so he says the expression of faith that is pure and undefiled before god the father is this to care for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world here's an application where he says well this is how this is practically lived out as you're a doer of the word we care for each other we care for each other specifically he highlights here widows and orphans is part of the larger principle that we are in relationship with one another we care for one another then the other application verse 26 if anything fair they are religious the same word again in other words the expression of one's faith so as we're a follower of the lord jesus christ this expression of the faith and do not here it is bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts their religion their expression of faith is worthless it's worthless see if we think that we can express our faith with not having an aspect of that the bridal bridling of the tongue that's deception that's a miscalculation where we're deluding ourselves so we're right back to the original question aren't we what does it mean to bridle the tongue what does it mean to bridle the tongue reminded when i was a boy one of the few times that i went horseback riding i remember we got up on the special steps that they had put there so that we could get on the horse and hardly artfully did i get on that horse that day you know how sometimes you can look into the eyes of an animal and you communicate that that horse looked at me with a look like you're new at this aren't you kid and it was that just patient of once again having a newbie on board well my horse had a bridle so also did all the other horses you know that that harness that goes on the head of the horse the reins attached there to the bridle what's the purpose of the bridle the purpose is to control the horse right what is bridled speech bridled speech is controlled speech controlled speech that call for bridled controlled speech that reverberates in scripture you hear the echoes constantly of it for example proverbs the 10th chapter we read this when words are many transgression is not lacking but the prudent are restrained in speech or proverbs 12. rash words are like sword thrusts but the tongue of the wise brings healing proverbs 13 those who guard their mouths preserve their lives those who open wide their lips come to ruin proverbs 18. the mouths of fools are their ruin and their lips a snare to themselves look at james 1 please verse 19. james writes you must understand this my beloved let everyone be quick to listen slow to speak slow to anger or james the third chapter turn there please james chapter 3 or verse 5. incredible word picture here is painted so also the tongue is a small member yet it boasts of great exploits how great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire and the tongue is a fire the tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity it stains the whole body sets on fire the cycle of nature and is itself set on fire by hell for every species of beast and bird of reptile and sea creature can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species but no one can tame the tongue a restless evil full of deadly poison with it we bless the lord and father and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of god from the same mouth come blessing and cursing my brothers and sisters this ought not to be so beloved we live in a day don't we when controlled communication where controlled communication is profoundly counter cultural words tumble those who disagree are demonized bridled speech replaced with unleashed talk i'm just going to say it i'm just going to say it well when those are the words that preface our comments we probably shouldn't right probably shouldn't i like how one author puts it we are under no compulsion to share every thought that comes into our minds whether it's in person or on line words can damage i think of paul when he writes in colossians the fourth chapter how appealing is this he writes let your speech always be gracious seasoned with salt so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone let your speech always be gracious gracious even with those who perhaps we disagree on a host of subjects and let it be seasoned with salt let it be tasteful tasteful the great reformer john calvin said it's so important for christians to use their words properly he says when when the body of christ doesn't use their words properly he said it leads unbelievers from bad to worse in other words when the body of christ doesn't use the words graciously and tastefully the unbeliever then hears the words and says well if that's christianity if that's a follower of jesus who who needs him calvin was warning that we can with our words turn people away from the very one the lord jesus that we want to introduce them to we all fall short don't we we all fall short there's a host of times and examples in all of our lives when our words have hardly been bridled that's why the words of jesus they can startle us can't they when in matthew the 12th chapter he says i tell you on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter the unbridled speech may appeal to many in our day it does not appeal to god all of us falling short we turn into the perfect word of holy scripture and we hear we hear the call of god's perfect word and we also hear of the one the second member of the trinity the lord jesus christ who is referred to as the word we look into the perfect word and we hear of the word the lord jesus christ who goes to the cross and bears the sin of the world all of our sin all of the thoughts all of the words all of the deeds and the perfect word the lord jesus christ takes all of that sin upon him and then proclaims forgiven forgiven claiming us with his word in the waters of baptism so that when we stand before the lord on the day of judgment as the lord looks at us all the lord will hear is the perfect words that jesus said as he'll look at us as forgiven people through the blood of the lord jesus christ the word the lord jesus christ forgives us for all of the words and then empowers us to the new continually continually raising us up by his word of grace and absolution continually raising us up to the new way to speak on that little horseback riding excursion we got to the end of the trail and all of the horses turned around there was one horse that horse was in the rear the whole time that horse looked like look i've done this for the majority of my life and i'm about ready to just retire and be done with all of this and i'm not giving any more rides it was as if every step of that horse was a painful plotting for that horse but when it got to the turnaround and all of a sudden its head with the bridle on it was headed in the direction of the barn that horse took off like a thoroughbred at the kentucky derby that horse took off like a shot much to the chagrin of the rider the trail boss galloped after that horse and caught up with it and took the reins as he came alongside and pulled on those reins that pulled on that bridle and brought that horse back in control verse 26 again if any think they are religious and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts their religion is worthless worthless so questions to ask ourselves here as we live in the grace of god as we live in the forgiveness that has been one for us in the lord jesus christ questions to ask ourselves each and every day that that function like like range pulling on a horse's bridle questions like will my choice of words reflect poorly on the one that i follow the lord jesus will well my choice of of words will it turn someone off from the redeemer as i represent him will my words build a bridge build a bridge for further talk with someone that maybe we just profoundly disagree but will it build a bridge with that person will my words be gracious tasteful and to this text today we say help don't we say help and god has done what god does bring us to the end of ourselves where we say i hear your call lord help help and help is near as the lord jesus christ touches our tongues anew as we live in his grace and the bridled speech is so appealing to him
Video citations
- "What is Bridled Speech?" 8-1-21 — would you open your bibles please with me this morning to james the first chapter for our study if you're using a copy of holy scriptures you'll find in the pew you'll find that on page 202 in the…