Only Such A Word

Your tongue has a ministry. It serves powerfully for building people up or for doing damage. The earliest book of the New Testament has some very strong words concerning the power and influence of the tongue.

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.

James 3:3-8: Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they may obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Behold, 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. Behold, 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.

The solution for this problem James puts forth is the wisdom for above.

The passage before us in Ephesians 4 is a practical application of God’s wisdom for the use of your tongue. A dramatic way to demonstrate the power of God to change your life is to bring your speech under His control. The new man allows God to control his or her tongue by:

1. Speaking Edification (29)
2. Stopping Grief (30-31)