James 1:26 - Don't Deceive Yourself (11-25-11)

James 1:26 - " If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless."

The Bible has a lot to say in regard to the things that we say. According to this verse, if you think that you are religious, but you don't control your speech, you are deceiving yourself and your religion is worthless. The proof and quality of what we believe is directly tied to our speech. We learn in James chapter three about the power of the tongue and the difficulty to bridle it. James 3:1-12 says - "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh." It's easy to control your tongue when your in church. So many 'Christians' will go to church on Sundays and praise the Lord and lift their hands and close their eyes and act all spiritual, but when they go to work the next day their speech is exactly the same as the lost who they work with. They'll bless God at one minute, then with the same mouth they curse men who are made in God's image. From the same mouth comes both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way!

We read in James 1:19-20 - "This you know, my beloved brethren. But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God." We need to be slow to speak. The tongue is a powerful thing, and once you say something you can never take it back. You can apologize for it, but those words can never go away. We need to be slow to speak, and we need to think carefully about what to say before we say it. Jesus said in Matthew 12:36 - "But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment." Proverbs 10:19 says - "When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise." It is essential to our faith that we watch what we say. Especially with our families. It's easy for me to speak pleasant words when I'm at church, or really anywhere in public, but when I'm at home with just my family, my words tend to be less than savory. Ephesians 4:29 says - "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear." Ephesians 5:4 says - "and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks." Colossians 4:6 - "Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person."
 
According to James, if we think that we are religious but we don't bridle our tongues, we are deceiving ourselves and our religion is worthless. We need to pray daily what the psalmist prayed in Psalm 141:3 - "Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips." 

1 Peter 3:8-10 - "To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. For, "The one who desires life, to love and see good days, Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.""