Let not many of you become teachers

I think too often all of us (you, me, all), don’t give a lot of conscious thought to the collateral damage our own personal sin causes. For instance, for years now there has been much frenzied hoopla about second hand smoking. Now certainly, breathing in someone else’s cigarette smoke doesn’t do us any good.

If nothing else it’s rude, annoying and certainly a health irritant. But the hard, conclusive science on it doesn’t come close to the wild claims of mortal danger. Yet we’re hyper focused on it to the point our state just banned smoking even in bars. Just what we need in this economy, one more law to further depress businesses.

This is a typical example of human’s mis-focused priorities. We do what Zig Ziglar called “majoring on the minors.” We’ve glorified promiscuity both hetero and homosexually, behavior which in both cases has ravaged and buried countless people way before their golden years, and yet we’re all concerned about the alcoholic in the corner of the bar getting a smoker’s cough from someone else’s lit cigarette!

Are we really this foolish? Is mankind truly that upside down in their thinking? Sadly, yes. It’s a wonder God doesn’t look down at our incomprehensible behavior, toss up His hands and say, “Why do I even bother!”

Sin kills us forever if we don’t latch onto Christ. And we can’t just accept Jesus in theory and go on sinning with reckless abandon. Sin kills. It maims, it damages, it ravages. Our sin hurts those around us. People we love. It can hurt some we love more than we love ourselves. Like our kids. The collateral damage from sin far outweighs the irritant of second hand smoke.

Of the Christians all passionate about purging the world of cigarettes (not that a world without cigarettes would be a bad thing. It would be great), how many of those Christians are as passionate about ridding their own lives of sin? How conscious are they on the collateral damage of their second hand sins?

Even if your neighbor did die from your second hand smoke (and I don’t know of a single documented, conclusive case of that ever happening - lung cancer can be caused by a list of commonly found things as long as your arm including exhaust from cars. Who hasn’t inhaled that?), if that neighbor was right with God when he died, he will rise again and live forever in the coming kingdom.

BUT, if we help cause the spiritual destruction of that same neighbor with the ramifications and reverberations of our second hand sins, THEN that person is lost forever! Think about that.

We’re a great country, but sometimes we are a very silly people given the things we prioritize and get worked up about. “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.” What we say and do has great reverberations. We will be judged.

So the point of James’ statement is not to hide from teaching, but rather to realize the consequences of our influence, good and bad. None of us will be sin free and totally selfless this side of the Kingdom. We will sin and do something foolish in our lives no matter how long we live or how righteous we become in our behavior. But James wants us to appreciate the result of our actions. We are all teachers.

In fact he says exactly that in verse 2. “For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.”

None of us are perfect and none completely bridle their tongue. But that’s no reason not to try to keep ourselves reigned in as much as possible. But again, is James asking us to keep quiet and never speak out lest we risk condemnation from on High? No.

We need to bridle our tongues, not remove them from our mouths. Big difference. There are times when it is appropriate to speak out.

Let’s read verses 3-5.

It’s really not the tongue at all but our minds directing our tongue. We need to assure there is a buffer zone there between the thought and the articulation of it. Kind of like they have on live radio: an eight second delay. That way the sound guy can hit the mute button to save the talk show host when he puts his or her foot in the mouth.

Little words can be so healing or so destructive. Sometimes things left unsaid can also be harmful. A godly conscience is a wonderful thing both for ourselves and others in our sphere of influence.

James continues in verse 6:

How much heartache is caused by what comes out of our mouths? As new Christians, probably the first thing we altered were our actions. And that’s a good thing. But our tongue is a longer term project. And after the tongue is tamed at least to a large degree, then our entire persona changes for the better.

When I was first a pastor, my actions had already long changed for the better. My words were largely improved. But I must have still had the stench of the world on me because ungodly people still felt comfortable acting and speaking in greatly sinful ways around me.

I didn’t go to bad places with them or participate in their unholy talk, yet they still assumed I’d be okay with their in-your-face unrighteousness. Clearly it didn’t speak highly of them, but it also reflected poorly on me. Evidently my image was not reflecting what it should have been.

Little things cause big problems. That’s James’ point. And the tongue, directed by a fertile mind, is the nastiest of problem causers. We bridle it or beware.

Man is powerful and capable of rule. Genesis 1:28 God commanded man to subdue and rule over everything. We are designed for this thing. And yet while we rule the earth we many times allow ourselves to run reckless. James is showing our potential juxtaposed with our priorities. It’s a wake up call.

A bridled tongue isn’t a matter of ability, rather it’s a matter of willingness. We have what it takes. We choose what we do.

Verse 13. “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.”

God is not impressed with religious jewelry, bumper stickers, or giant neon sign declaring the Great High Priest Pastor Tom presides over the United by Faith Christian Church. He wants quiet submission to His will. And for our benefit. He wants the walk that demonstrates the talk.

Now James breaks it down. Verse 14 says: But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.

These things are not of God. To the extent we have bitter jealousy or selfish ambition we are not of God. We are not Christian. To that extent. It doesn’t matter how well versed we are. The Pharisees knew Scripture. It doesn’t matter if we confess we know Christ. The demons knew Christ and shuttered. Godly people are ruled by God and motivated by a sincere desire to be so ruled.

Verse 15: This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.

The mother of us all back in Eden: She’s holding that luscious piece of fruit. The snake’s sinister grin reflecting off its shine. “But Mr. Serpent,” she says, “I know it looks really yummy but God said it would kill me if I ate it.”

“Oh Eve, you silly little lady. You’re so literal. You surely will NOT die,” he slithered. “But in the day you eat of it you will become wise like God Himself.”

Questioning God is demonic. No doubt about it. We don’t have to be a demon to act demonic. Pretty strong words James uses.

When someone does us or our loved ones wrong, our natural reaction is often to want revenge even if we don’t act on it or even speak it. But shouldn’t we rather (while removing ourselves from harm’s way), privately desire repentance and renewal to God from the offending person? Wouldn’t that be a much better thing in the long run for everyone?

Isn’t it far more satisfying to have kindred spirits around, making and keeping good and godly friends than it is to seek and watch the destruction of another person? Justice is needed and good. But ultimate restoration and reconciliation with God is better. It’s perfect.

We can’t force peace and repentance. We must be cautious and wise and discerning. But we can always pray for changed hearts in the world around us. And we should hope that people pray for our changed hearts when we do evil things.

The first 3 verses of chapter four explain the cause and effect of things. Let’s look at that.

Think about what James says. He’s right isn’t he? The source of our quarrels are often two heads butting together. We each want our way on something. We dig in our heels. We are guarding our own desires.

And we pile sin upon sin. He gives an example. We lust and don’t have so we commit murder. David did that with Bathsheba’s husband. The lust was bad, but he could have shut it off. And in his world he could have called for a concubine. We have to exercise more restraint than he does.

But he didn’t control his thoughts so he upped the ante to adultery - possibly rape. Was Bathsheba a passionately willing participant? We don’t know. She and her part in the actions is not spoken against in Scripture so we’re left to assume that she was probably essentially directed to submit to the King…or else.

A lustful thought grew. Perhaps that first thought wasn’t even his fault. He may have been innocently enjoying the day out on his balcony not looking for anything when Bathsheba happened into his view. She was beautiful. He’s human.

Okay, he’s attracted. No sin. No foul. But it needed to end there. Or, if he didn’t know she was married, it was okay to send someone to check out if she was available and interested in tea with the King.

But innocent attraction is not what motivated him. It was straight up lust. Nothing holy about it. He had the power and he exercised it, no matter what it cost. Lust turned into adultery, possibly rape and definitely murder.