The gift of Gab is not in the Gospel!

Sunday, October 9, 2022

“The gift of Gab in not Gospel!”

James 3:1-10

This is my favorite book of the New Testament.

Is a guide to practical Christianity a map directing a Christian slide and how we are to live it out?

James covers many aspects of life, such as faith, temptation, patience, wisdom, lust, wrath., liberty, pure religion social status blasphemy, respect, adultery, mercy, peace, vanity, works, friends’ justification, envy, righteousness, prayer, grace, submission, affliction, mourning, humility, trust, corruption, pleasure and condemnation, patient, happiness, oath taking, healings, and confession.

So, does all that indicate and cover most aspects of our lives as a believer?

Yes, I think it does.

There is one part of the human anatomy that very wound may have the most influence over the vast aspects of our Christian lives.

It is not a major organ like our brains, lungs, liver, bladder, kidneys, heart, stomach, and intestines, which are all very specific jobs to do in our bodily function. It is through a muscle organ and a digestive organ also.

The tongue has several roles to undertake and aid in chewing, speaking, and breathing.

Our other organs are what keep us living. When one or a combination of them begins to shut down, then we begin the process of physical death if the organs don't rally from the illness, etc.

Our tongue can actually live without our, in fact, sometimes it would be to our benefit, and others too. If we didn't have it.

James hit upon this topic early in the book too. 

James 1:26: If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

So, controlling our tongues is quite important to a Christian, isn't it?

In fact, it may be the underlying thing that can make or break our testimonies and our witnessing abilities to both St and Sinner alike.

James again brooches this in chapter three from which our morning's text is derived.

In verse 2 James related that. A strong believer should be able to bridle or control their entire being, heart, mind, spirit, and body. Easily said harder to do.

He then references object examples of control.

A bit is part of the horse tack those fits into the horse’s mouth. It also is called a mullen.

Why is the bit used?

To control the animal through its obedience to the bit and the riders’ commands.

James then uses the anode of a rudder on a boat.

This is Small in comparison to the size of the vessel; it is located at the stern or the back rear of the boat.

Why is the rudder used?

To guide in control the direction of the ship with or against the winds.

A bit controls the horse, and A rudder controls a ship, both are small, yet yield and hold great power and authority.

According to James, the Tongue is a little organ compared to our major organs, yet it can have great power and authority.

James wrote exactly how uncontrollable it can be.

It will boast great things, it can be an out-of-control fire that can dominate our Bodily organs.

Not bridal, can turn our lives upside down, if left unchecked, it can become an equal iniquity in God site.

In US seven. We are shown that even 2000 years ago that the human race tamed all types of beasts, flies, serpents, and sea creatures.

Yet we couldn't and still can't bring our tongues into submission.

If not. Tamed it will become, as James wrote, an unruly evil and a deadly poison.

He said that we in vanity praise God with it and then Kurzman with it. Out of the same mouth comes forth, both blessings and curses, James said. For the Christian, this should not be.

In World War Two, the Navy had a saying. Loose lips sink ships.

This sounds coy, but frankly, it was a matter of life or death for many seamen.

People needed to keep their mouths and tongues bridled.

Is this something that you struggle with,

If so, let me offer some advice.

First - Always make sure that your brain is engaged before your mouth and tongue is put into gear. 

Second - choosing to open your mouth and use your tongue is up to you, It's your choice to use it as fire or a bomb.

Third -  If you don't have anything good to say, then Simply put. Keep your mouth shut.

Fourth -  Consider the golden rule You want to others as you would have them do unto you, in this case, speak about others as you would have them speak about you!

Fifth -  Remember. That some like to say that chatty people have been given a gift of gab.

If that proverbial gift (Funny, I’ve not read the Scripture list of Spirit-given gifts.) This gift of gab, anyway, if it's not bridled, will become the fire and poison that James said it could be.

The gift of gab is not the gift of gossip, it is not a license to lie, it is not. To be used as a weapon, to cut, hurt destroy people’s lives, reputations and characters.

Do you or would you want someone else doing that to you?

If used properly in bridle our tongues will be glory to God, our words will. Back our testimonies and mission, our reputations, and our character will be solidified with the Saints and sinners alike.

If used improperly and kept unbridled, it will ring designer to God, our speech used to gossip, to lie, to demean will eventually harm our testimonies, our faith, our test worthiness, and our relationship with others. With God.

The gift of gab is not the gift of gossip, of lying, of demeaning.