Words

 “If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body.” (Jas. 3:2). 

As much as I would like to, this is a measuring standard I cannot argue with, nor can I replace with any other.  I have recently had to repent for using words that are hurtful to others.  The realization that I could react that way under pressure is a great disappointment.  As I think about it, there are other times that I have used words in a manner that is not Christ-like.  Whenever I have, it has been to protect myself, or to manage my circumstances.  In either case, I must admit that it is not representative of the surrendered life I desire to walk in.  How should I respond to my lack of maturity?  Of course I must repent, and I have, but how do I change?  Is it even possible?  James tells us that if we control our words, we control our walk, but then he also says, “But no man can tame the tongue.  It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” (Jas. 3:8).  Should I just thank God for His forgiveness and accept the state of my soul as that of the man Paul described in Romans chapter 7?  “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” (Rom. 7:19).  This is a serious question we must all settle within ourselves.  Many false doctrines have resulted from misinterpretations of scriptures like this one.  As Peter warned, we must not twist these scriptures to our own destruction (2Pe. 3:16).  Taming the tongue may not be possible for man, but with God, all things are possible (Mark 10:27).

Let me tell you, then, how I respond to failures.  First, I am disappointed in myself and grieved for the harm I have caused others and God.  (Ps. 51:4).  Then, I resist the temptation to judge myself, and I submit to the discipline of the Lord (1Cor. 4:3,4).  I have learned to discern the difference between the two.  If I judge myself, I come under condemnation, which results in despair.  If I trust in God, however, I have hope.  I believe He can cleanse me and cause me to walk in a manner pleasing to Him, because of His Spirit within me (Ps. 51:7-13).  I realize that the root cause of my sin is that I walk in the flesh and not the Spirit.  This is quite apparent because my behaviour is not the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:16-23). 

Even this realization can lead to discouragement, but the Lord has taught me that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Rom. 8:28).  I reassure myself that God can cause good to come out of even my defeats.  God can lead me in triumph in Christ as He helps me to learn from my failure (2Cor. 5:14).  To gain the victory, I must not only repent for having sinned, but I must discern and repent for the root sin.  Those who are mature have learned by practice to discern between good and evil (Heb. 4:16).  Discernment is the first real step to victory.  Then comes repentance and faith.

Instead of Christ being my life in this situation, I resorted to selfishness. The cause of this selfishness is fear, which is rooted in pride.  Under pressure, when things were not going the way I was comfortable with, I resorted to taking over my life rather than letting Christ be my life (Gal. 2:20).  To gain control over my tongue, I need to understand what led to this so that I do not repeat it.  The Scriptures are clear that the problem is in my thinking.  “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.  For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Rom. 8:5,6).  The Spirit of God helps me with this.  He shows me the thoughts that need to be brought into obedience to Christ (2Cor. 10:4,5), and He teaches me by His Word the thoughts I should possess.  As I meditate and believe His instructions, my mind is renewed and I walk in the acceptable and perfect will of God (Rom. 12:1,2).  It is my choice to change how I think.  Like Paul exhorted us, we must “set our minds on things above, not on things on the earth” because we have died, and our life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Col. 3:2,3).

The discernment I receive helps me to repent in the truest sense, which is to change direction.  But to walk in the right direction, I need grace, which is obtained by faith (Rom. 5:2).  The only way to victory is faith.  I must identify by faith with the death and resurrection of Christ.  “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.  For he who has died has been freed from sin.” (Rom. 6:5,6).  I choose to “reckon myself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (Rom. 6:11), and to walk by faith in the Spirit.  The result is more of the fruit of the Spirit in my life.

The experience I have shared has resulted in some growth, but it has also shown me that there is a limit to my surrender.  I think that is why Paul calls it a “living sacrifice” (Rom. 12:1).  I must continually offer myself to God and submit to the process of transformation through the renewing of my mind.  I don’t like the circumstances that cause the fleshly behaviour to surface, but I realize that without them I would not know about the weaknesses in my character.  So, I welcome trials because tribulations produce perseverance (Rom. 5:3,4), which provides good soil for the seed of the Word to bear the fruit of Christ-like character in me (Lu. 8:15).