"What is Bridled Speech?" 8-1-21

Overview

What Is Bridled Speech?

The average adult carries a working vocabulary of 20,000–30,000 words and will spend roughly a fifth of life talking. That sheer volume makes the question urgent: how are followers of Christ to use their words? James addresses this directly when he warns, "If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless" James 1:26. A bridle is what controls a horse. Bridled speech, then, is controlled speech—words restrained, weighed, and directed rather than turned loose.

This call sits within James's larger theme of being "doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves" James 1:22. To hear Scripture without practicing it is, in James's language, a miscalculation—like glancing in a mirror and instantly forgetting what you look like. But those who look carefully into "the perfect law, the law of liberty," and persevere in it, are blessed in their doing James 1:25. God's ways are not constraining; they free us and bring joy. James gives two concrete tests of authentic faith: caring for orphans and widows in their distress James 1:27, and bridling the tongue.

The wider witness of Scripture echoes this insistently. "When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but the prudent are restrained in speech" Proverbs 10:19. "Rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing" Proverbs 12:18. James himself urges us to "be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger" James 1:19, and later compares the tongue to a small fire that sets a whole forest ablaze James 3:5-10. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing—"my brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so." Paul adds the positive vision: "Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt" Colossians 4:6. John Calvin warned that when Christians fail to use words graciously, they push unbelievers from bad to worse, turning seekers away from the very Savior we want them to meet.

We live in a culture where unbridled talk is celebrated, where "I'm just going to say it" is treated as a virtue, and where those who disagree are quickly demonized. We are under no compulsion to share every thought that comes into our minds. Jesus' words remain sobering: "On the day of judgment you will have to give account for every careless word you utter" Matthew 12:36. All of us fall short here, and our cry must be, Help, Lord. Help comes in the Word made flesh—Jesus Christ, who bore every careless word at the cross, claims us in baptism, and pronounces us forgiven. By His grace He also empowers a new way to speak. Each day, let these questions function like reins on the bridle: Will my words reflect poorly on the Lord I follow? Will they turn someone away from the Redeemer? Will they build a bridge, even with someone I deeply disagree with? Will they be gracious and tasteful? Bridled speech is not the loss of freedom; it is freedom rightly directed—and it is deeply pleasing to God.

Transcript

Would you open your Bible's place with me this morning to James the first chapter for our study? 1s

If you're using a copy of Holy Scriptures, you'll find in the pew you'll find that on page 7s

200 and 2 in the New Testament. 12s

Our study today from James the first chapter. 16s

Three sets of numbers. 22s

The first, over a million. 25s

The second, 170,000. 28s

The third, 2230,000. 34s

Explonation. 42s

It is estimated that there are over 1 million words in the English language. 44s

It's also estimated that there is currently 170,000 words in usage. 52s

Common usage. 63s

And it's also estimated that for the average adult, the average adult has a vocabulary of 2230,000 words. 66s

That's a lot of words, isn't it? 78s

Let's just take the smallest number our respective vocabulary. 82s

So, 2230,000. 86s

Since it's estimated that we'll spend about 20% of our lives talking, using those 20 to 30,000 words, 90s

well it makes the question, doesn't it? 103s

How are we to use our speech? 107s

How are we to talk? 112s

How are we to use our respective vocabularies of 2230,000 words? 115s

Let's hone the question. 125s

We continue today, our summer series Q and A. Here's the question for today. 128s

What does the Bible mean when it talks about the bridled tongue? 135s

What does the Bible mean when it talks about the bridled tongue or bridled speech? 144s

We turn to James the first chapter for our study. 153s

When you turn to the book of James, James is not really a doctrinal treaties. 157s

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. 163s

James is really more of a focus on practical Christian living. 175s

In fact, 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. 181s

Verse 22, but be doers of the word and not merely hears who deceive themselves. 189s

That's practically living out your faith, it's one of James's themes and such an interesting word here. 200s

What he says, but be doers of the word and not merely hears who deceive themselves. 207s

That's a word in ancient day that was really associated with mathematics. 214s

And it had to do with miscalculation. 218s

It can also be translated. It comes over into English. 221s

Sometimes you'll see in an English translation it'll be translated delude here instead of deceive. 224s

But it's really a mathematical understanding. 230s

That if we think that we can hear the word of God, and not do it, that's a miscalculation. 235s

That's an error that we make. 249s

He goes on to expound the point. 254s

For if any are hears of the word and not doers, they're like those who look at themselves in a mirror. 256s

For they look at themselves and on going away immediately forget what they were like. 263s

It's a little comedy here that James is interjecting, isn't it? 271s

The word of God functions as that mirror. 277s

It is revealing of God's ways. 281s

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 285s

and forgets what they look like. 299s

He goes on making the same point. 304s

Verse 25. 307s

But those who look, the word there in the Greek means to observe carefully. 310s

So it's not a casual type of glance. 316s

Like, oh, I gave that a look. 319s

Very quickly. This is careful observation. 321s

But those who look into the perfect law, what's the perfect law, that's a synonym for holy scripture. 324s

You see it pop up elsewhere in scripture. 333s

But those who carefully observe the scriptures, looking at that, which God speaks to us, 336s

and then the law of liberty, you see God's ways revealed in, 344s

all these scripture they're not constraining their free. 350s

It brings us joy, does it not? 355s

To be in the will of God and an obedience to Him. 359s

That doesn't restrict that freees. 364s

Those who look carefully into the scriptures, the law of liberty, scriptures, which communicates the freedom of God's will 368s

as He communicates His desires and then by God's grace as we live that out and persevere. 378s

Being not hears who forget but doers who act, they'll be blessed in there doing. 387s

God's ways are always. 395s

Best. 400s

God's ways are free. 402s

God's ways bring joy. 406s

Then to make sure we understand it, he applies the steam here that he is pounding. 413s

He applies it in two specific applications in the next two verses. 421s

Let's go to verse 27 first. 425s

Here's the application. 428s

Religion, interesting word here, it means the outward expression of one's faith. 429s

So he's talking about as a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, 436s

how do you express then your faith? 440s

Remember the theme, you doer and not a hear only. 443s

So he says the expression of faith that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this. 448s

To care for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world. 456s

Here's an application where he says, well, this is how this is practically lived out as you're a doer of the word. 467s

We care for each other. 476s

We care for each other. 479s

Specifically, he highlights here, widows in orphans is part of the large, your principle, 481s

that we are in relationship with one another. 490s

We care for one another. 494s

The other application, verse 26. 497s

If anything there, they are religious, the same word again. 502s

In other words, the expression of one's faith. 505s

So as we're a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, this expression of the faith, 509s

and do not, here it is, bridle their tongues, but deceive their hearts. 516s

Their religion, their expression of faith is worthless. 526s

It's worthless. 532s

See if we think that we can express our faith with not having an aspect of that the bridle 535s

bridling of the tongue, that's deception, that's a miscalculation where we're deluding ourselves. 547s

So we're right back for the original question, aren't we? 563s

What does it mean to bridle the tongue? 568s

What does it mean to bridle the tongue? 574s

Remember when I was a boy, one of the few times that I went horseback riding? 580s

I remember we got up on the special steps that they had put there so that we could get on the horse. 589s

And hardly artfully did I get on that horse that day. 596s

You know how, sometimes you can look into the eyes of an animal and you communicate. 602s

That horse looked at me with a look like you're new at this aren't you kid? 608s

And it was that just patient tolerance of once again having a newbie on board. 613s

Well, I horse had a bridle, so also did all the other horses, you know, that harness that goes on the head of the horse. 623s

The reins attached there to the bridle. 634s

What's the purpose of the bridle? 639s

The purpose is to control the horse, right? 642s

What is bridled speech? 651s

bridled speech is controlled speech. 655s

Control speech. 664s

That call for bridled controlled speech that reverberates in scripture. 669s

You hear the echoes constantly of it. 676s

For example, Proverbs 10th chapter, we read this, 680s

When words are many transgression is not lacking, 686s

but the prudent are restrained in speech. 691s

Or, Proverbs 12, 699s

Rashed words are like sword thrusts, 702s

but the tongue of the wise brings healing. 706s

Proverbs 13, 711s

Those who guard their mouths, preserve their lives. 714s

Those who open wide their lips come to ruin. 720s

Proverbs 18, 728s

The mouths of fools are their ruin, 729s

and their lips are snare to themselves. 732s

Look at James 1, please, verse 19. 737s

James writes, 743s

You must understand this, my beloved. 743s

Let everyone be quick to listen, 746s

slow to speak, slow. 752s

To anger. 759s

Or, James, the third chapter, turn there, please. 762s

James chapter 3, verse 5. 766s

Incredible word picture here is painted. 770s

So also the tongue is a small member, 775s

yet at both of great exploits. 777s

How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire, 780s

and the tongue is a fire. 786s

The tongue is placed among our members as a world of inequity. 790s

It stings the whole body, sets on fire, 795s

the cycle of nature, 799s

and is itself set on fire by hell. 800s

For every species of beast and bird of reptile and sea creature 806s

can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, 810s

but no one can tame the tongue a restless evil 815s

full of deadly poison. 820s

With it we bless the Lord and Father, 826s

and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. 829s

From the same mouth, 837s

come blessing and cursing. 839s

My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. 842s

Beloved, we live in a day, don't we? 853s

When controlled communication, 858s

where controlled communication is profoundly countercultural, 862s

words, tumble. 874s

Those who disagree are demonized, 879s

bridled speech, 887s

replaced with unleashed talk. 890s

I'm just going to say it. 898s

I'm just going to say it. 901s

Well, when those are the words that prefaces our comments, 904s

we probably shouldn't. 909s

I like how one author puts it. 911s

We are under no compulsion to share 919s

every thought that comes into our minds. 922s

Whether it's in person or online, words. 929s

Can damage. 941s

I think of Paul when he writes in Colossians the fourth chapter, 946s

how appealing is this? 951s

He writes, let your speech always be gracious, 955s

seasoned with salt, 960s

so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone. 961s

Let your speech always be gracious, 967s

gracious, even with those who perhaps we disagree 974s

on a host of subjects. 981s

And let it be seasoned with salt, let it be tasteful, 988s

the great reformer John Kelvin said. 997s

It's so important for Christians to use their words properly. 1003s

He says when the body of Christ doesn't use their words properly, 1011s

he said, it leads unbelievers from bad to worse. 1016s

In other words, when the body of Christ doesn't use the words graciously 1024s

and tastefully, the unbeliever then hears the words and says, 1030s

will that's Christianity? 1041s

If that's a follower of Jesus, 1045s

who needs him? 1050s

Kelvin was warning that we can with our words turn people away 1055s

from the very one, the Lord Jesus, 1062s

that we want to introduce them to. 1068s

We all fall short, don't we? 1074s

We all fall short. 1076s

There's a host of times in examples in all of our lives 1079s

when our words have hardly been bridled. 1083s

That's why the words of Jesus, they can startle us, can't they? 1088s

When in Matthew the 12th chapter, he says, 1094s

I tell you on the day of judgment, 1097s

you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter. 1099s

The unbridled speech may appeal to many in our day. 1114s

It does not appeal to God. 1126s

All of us falling short, we turn into the perfect word of holy scripture. 1140s

And we hear the call of God's perfect word. 1149s

And we also hear of the one, the second member of the Trinity, 1157s

the Lord Jesus Christ, who is referred to as the word. 1162s

We look into the perfect word, and we hear of the word, 1168s

the Lord Jesus Christ, who goes to the cross 1171s

and bears the sin of the world, all of our sin, all of the thoughts, 1175s

all of the words, all of the deeds. 1184s

And the perfect word, the Lord Jesus Christ, 1194s

takes all of that sin upon him and then proclaims, forgiven, forgiven, 1198s

claiming us with his word in the waters of baptism, 1212s

so that when we stand before the Lord on the day of judgment, 1216s

as the Lord looks at us, all the Lord will hear is the perfect words that Jesus said. 1224s

As he'll look at us as forgiven people through the blood of the Lord, 1240s

Jesus Christ. 1249s

The word, the Lord Jesus Christ, 1253s

forgives us for all of the words, and then empowers us to the new. 1256s

Continually, continually raising us up by his word of grace and 1267s

the solution continually raising us up to the new way to speak. 1273s

On that little horseback riding excursion, 1285s

what we got to the end of the trail, and all of the horses turned around. 1290s

There was one horse. 1296s

That horse was in the rear the whole time. 1299s

That horse looked like, look, I've done this for the majority of my life, 1302s

and I'm about ready to just retire and be done with all of this, 1308s

and I'm not giving any more rides. 1312s

It was as if every step of that horse was a painful plotting for that horse. 1314s

But when it got to the turn around, and all of a sudden, 1321s

it's head with the bridal on it was headed in the direction of the barn. 1326s

That horse took off like a thorough bread at the Kentucky Derby. 1335s

That horse took off like a shot, much to the shagrin of the rider. 1342s

The trail boss galloped after that horse and caught up with it, 1350s

and took the reins as he came alongside and pulled on those reins that pulled on that bridal. 1355s

And brought that horse back in control. 1369s

Verse 26, again. 1378s

If anything, they are religious and do not bridal their tongues, 1384s

but to see if their hearts, their religion is worthless. 1388s

Worthless. 1397s

So questions to ask ourselves here. 1401s

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. 1403s

Questions to ask ourselves each and every day that function like reins pulling on a horse's bridal. 1411s

Questions like, 1422s

will my choice of words reflect poorly on the one that I follow the Lord Jesus? 1425s

Will my choice of words? 1437s

Will it turn someone off from the redeemer as I represent him? 1444s

Will my words build a bridge? 1456s

Will the bridge for further talk with someone that maybe we just profoundly disagree? 1461s

Will it build a bridge with that person? 1473s

Will my words be gracious? 1482s

Tasteful. 1490s

And to this text today, we say, help, don't we? 1495s

Say, help. 1502s

And God has done what God does. 1504s

Bring us to the end of ourselves where we say, I hear your call, Lord, help. 1508s

Help. 1517s

And help is near as the Lord Jesus Christ. 1520s

Touches our tongues a new. 1529s

As we live in His grace. 1534s

And the bridal speech is so appealing to Him. 1542s