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“If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.” (James 1:26 NKJV)
One of God’s standards for measuring your spirituality or maturity in the faith is your ability to bridle, tame, or control your tongue. How you use and manage your tongue speaks volumes about your faith and spiritual maturity.
According to God’s Word, a perfect man does not stumble in words but bridles, tames, or controls his tongue.
James writes, “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.” (Jam. 3:2 NKJV).
You are spiritually immature when you don’t bridle or tame your tongue!
The Scripture warns that we deceive ourselves if we claim to be religious or spiritual without bridling our tongues.
James states, “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.” (Jam. 1:26 NKJV).
Your religion or faith is completely worthless when you fail to bridle your tongue. Therefore, you must know how to bridle, tame, or control your tongue.
Although the tongue is a small member of the human body, it wields tremendous power and influence on the entire body. Anyone who can bridle or control his tongue can control his whole body.
Just as a tiny bit can control a strong horse and a small rudder can control a large ship, so can your tongue, though a little member of your body affects, controls, or influences your whole body (James 3:3-6).
Unfortunately, no natural man, human wisdom, technique, or discipline can successfully and efficiently bridle, tame, or control the tongue. That is the first fact or truth that anyone seeking to bridle or tame his tongue must acknowledge.
James clearly states this truth in his epistle.
James 3:7-8 – NKJV
7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.
8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
But why is it impossible for any man to perfectly bridle or tame his little tongue?
If no man can bridle his tongue, why and how does God expect us to bridle our tongues?
Let us explore the Scripture for correct answers.
Because of the fall of man, the tongue has become naturally evil, unruly, restless, ungovernable, or uncontrollable. The Scripture describes the human tongue as “an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” (Jam. 3:7-8 NKJV).
The Scripture further reveals that “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; and it is set on fire by hell.” (Jam. 3:6 NKJV).
As a result of the first man’s disobedience, the entire human race has become sinful and corrupt. Sin corrupted our whole being—spirit, soul, and body. No member of our human body is spared from the corruption or poison of sin.
Paul amply attests to the truth of our total corruption or bankruptcy due to Adam’s sin in his epistles.
Romans 7:18 – NKJV
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.
That is true of every one of us. Nothing good dwells in our flesh!
Just as no man can save, redeem, or deliver himself from the bondage or dominion of sin by his effort, work, or performance, so also no one can deliver and cleanse his tongue from its inherent evil, deadly poison, or corruption by his own effort, work, or performance.
Only the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse your tongue from its innate evil, deadly poison, or corruption. The divine power and wisdom to bridle, tame, or control your tongue is only available in “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Cor. 1:24 NKJV).
Therefore, it is impossible for anyone who is not genuinely born-again or spiritually regenerated by the Spirit and Word of God to bridle his tongue. Only the new creation in Christ has the divine capacity or power to bridle, tame, or control his tongue.
Until you receive a new and divine life and nature through the new birth, your tongue remains a fire, a world of iniquity, evil, corrupt, unruly, and deadly poison.
Friend, until you become born-again through faith in Christ, all your self-efforts to bridle, tame, or control your tongue will always end in futility, failure, and frustration because “no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” (Jam. 3:8 NKJV).
How can the born-again believers appropriate or harness the divine power and wisdom in Christ to bridle, tame, or control his tongue?
Find out in the second part of this piece!
Preserving the Faith of the Apostolic Generation.
Eniyekpemi Fidelis O.
AWH, Blogs
Prayer:
My Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for redeeming my tongue from its inbred or innate evil, deadly poison, and corruption through the New Birth, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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