Test 4: The Tongue Test

1. The first characteristic of a test-failing tongue is that it is condemning. (1-2)
2. The second characteristic of a test-failing tongue is that it is controlling (3-5a)
3. The third characteristic of a test-failing tongue is that it is consuming (5b-6)
4. The fourth characteristic of a test-failing tongue is that it is corrupting (7-8)
5. The fifth characteristic of a test-failing tongue is that it is compromising (9-12)

JAMES 3:8

At 29:45 past 5 AM on July 16, 1945, something spectacular happened. In northern New Mexico, the still dark early morning sky became as bright as the noonday sun. In that one blinding flash, the Atomic Age had begun. The atomic fireball shot upwards at 360 feet per second. First pulsating orange, then bright red, then dark red, then black and rolling. The characteristic mushroom cloud formed at 30,000 feet. All that remained on the ground at the blast site were chunks of green radioactive glass that had been created by the incredible heat of the explosion. What power. What awesome, unbelievably destructive power was unleashed that day. Just 21 days later, that horribly destructive power was brought to bear on our enemy as one of our B29 Superfortress bombers dropped an atomic bomb named “Little Boy” on Hiroshima, Japan. As he looked down at the explosion, Robert Lewis, the co-pilot of the Enola Gay said, “What have we done?” On December 20, 1951, something else spectacular happened. In Arco, Idaho, the still dark sky was brightened with light as well. Not nearly as bright as the New Mexico sky was 6 years before. But it was brightened just the same. It was brightened by light bulbs powered by the first electricity produced from nuclear energy. Today, 1/5 of America’s electricity comes from nuclear energy. Electricity that powers homes, businesses, schools, hospitals and churches. The uranium that is used in the nuclear reactor that produces that electricity, is the same uranium that is used in the atomic bomb. The exact same science is used in the reactor and the bomb. The exact same atoms and electrons and reactions and physics are used in each. So what’s the difference? It’s how they’re used. When used one way, atomic energy produces tremendous good. But when used another way, it produces the most terrible destruction imaginable. In our passage this morning, James talks about another extremely powerful object—the tongue. Like atomic energy, the tongue is capable of wonderfully beneficial things. But it is also capable of some of the most destructive things you can imagine. That’s why it is such an accurate test of our faith. An object as powerful as the tongue can only be controlled by the most powerful being in the universe—the Holy Spirit of God. When left to our control, the results can only be disastrous. On more than one occasion, Jesus said that what is in a person’s heart inevitably comes out of his mouth. Just like water flowing from a well, the words that come out of your mouth accurately reveal the purity of the source. If the source is the Holy Spirit, the words will be pure. If the source is a sinful heart—they will be impure. Understanding that, it only makes sense that James would make the “tongue test” one of his tests of true faith. Over the last few weeks, we have seen that if your faith is genuine, you will pass the Bible test, the preference test,