James
Chapter 3
Vs. 1 James told the believers: Don’t be trying to be a “leader:. Don’t make that your goal to do.
The King James Version says “masters”.
Leaders have much responsibility. God will hold them to answer for what they say and do and how they have taught the people.
Leaders have more to answer for than people who sit and listen.
Being a leader is a responsible place. If you are a leader, be careful, do right, be sure you are teaching what is right and true. God will made you answer some day.
Vs. 2 We have to be careful that we do not “offend” people. The word “offend” is hard to explain. It means to say something or do something that hurts someone.
Sometimes we use the word “offend” and we mean that we have hurt someone’s feelings and made them feel bad, or feel sad, or feel insulted, or feel hurt in some way.
We can not tell people the truth and think that some of them will not have their feelings hurt. If you tell someone they are a sinner because they sin—-they probably will not like it.
When the Bible uses the word “offend” it is talking about a deeper kind of hurt.
James is talking about to “offend” or hurt in a deeper more important way. Not just
Hurting someone’s feelings, but hurting them by not telling them the truth. Hurting their soul and spirit.
If we do not tell people the truth about their sin and wrong doing they will never understand that they need to be forgiven.
They need to feel and see their need for God to forgive them. They need to understand that only Jesus is the One who can forgive them.
If we do not tell them they will never know and they will go to hell in their sin. That would really hurt them!
We do not want to hurt people’s feelings. That is not helpful.
But we must tell them the truth that God has given in the Bible.
If that truth hurts their feelings, there is not much we can do about that. We do not want to be “careless” in what we say and foolish in what we say. We do not try to hurt people’s feelings.
We want to be wise and give thought about the words we say.
James says if we control our tongue that we can control our whole body.
James talks about putting a bit in a horse’s mouth to control the whole body of the horse.
A ship is turned in the water by a small board under the ship called a rudder. The rudder is turned and it makes the whole ship turn.
Vs. 5 And so our tongue is small. But it can say great things and our words can cause people to do things. Great leaders of the world used their tongues words to change the way men thought and made they do things.
Our tongue can start a “big fire”. A few words can make big problems. Saying something about someone can go from person to person and make a lot of trouble.
Our tongue and words can make our whole person “dirty” or “defiled”.
The Holy Spirit lives in us but speaking angry mean dirty hateful words can hurt the Holy Spirit in us. The Holy Spirit in us is “holy” “pure” “clean”. What we do and say needs to show we care about the Holy Spirit in us.
Vs. 7, 8, 9. 10, 11 , 12 All kinds of animals and birds have been made tame by men. But men do not “tame” their tongue.
We bring our bodies under control by exercise, and diet, but we do not control our tongue. We let it be full of evil, and our words can be like “poison”.
Words are remembered for years in a person’s mind. They can never forget some words that were said to them. It “poisons” their mind and heart for years.
Children especially remember words that are said to them. Those words stay with them all their life.
We bless God with our tongue. And we curse and swear against God with our tongue.
Can a fountain send out sweet water and bitter water at the same time?
Can a fig tree grow olives? Can a vine grow figs?
If we have the Holy Spirit in us we are clean can we speak out dirty, swear words, or curse someone?
Vs. 13 A wise man a person with knowledge shows with what he says his words
that he is humble and meek and wise.
Vs. 14 But if in your heart you speak and show bitterness, and are jealous, and angry,
And your words make people get angry do not be proud of yourself. Do not lie to yourself. This is not right and you know it.
Vs. 15, 16 This kind of talk and “wisdom” is not of God. It is of the earth, it is of the flesh, and the way we feel in the flesh. It is of the devil.
Where there is anger and fighting and jealousy, this brings confusion and every evil work.
Vs. 17 Wisdom that is from above God is pure, clean, good. It is peaceable, it is gentle, it is easy and open for people to come and ask questions and discuss the ideas.
It is full of mercy. It does not show more respect for one person and not another.
It is not saying something that is not true or does not match the person’s life.
The King James Version uses the word Hypocrite or hypocrisy meaning to pretend you are something you are not. Example: A leader may talk like they are so holy but their life what they do away from church is not holy.
Vs. 18 The fruit of righteousness grows from peace from them who plant peace.