As a fire the tongue is not only vast like a world in its spread of evil - the evil fire, by its substance, expresses a world of iniquity, or "unrighteousness" that is, the world in its fallen state, opposed to God and His kingdom. Until we were born again we could not even see the kingdom of God (John 3:3 ). We lived our life in that unrighteous world, and that world was lived out by us.

Ephesians 2:2 "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:"

The uncontrolled, evil tongue expresses the ways of the world, the opinions that are ungodly - the filth of the works of the flesh - the rebellion of the ruler of the kingdom of darkness and flaunted obedience to righteousness. Mature believers have learned to keep their tongue under the control of the Holy Spirit and practice, in the Holy Spirit, bringing,

2 Corinthians 10:5 "... bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"

The unrestrained tongue becomes the instrument to inflame to unrighteousness because it passionately expresses a "world of iniquity."

James 3:6 "... so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, ..."

This statement goes further than the uncontrolled tongue speaking the unrighteousness of the world. It shows the speaking is thrown up from the fallen nature inside the person. What is meant by the tongue of fire being "so ... among our members" is that it has its roots in the human being. So the world of unrighteousness is spoken out from the heart condition of the person. Therefore the tongue of fire is speaking from internal incitement, not from external influence. To excuse foul language or filthy jest, on one's surroundings, or responding to the expectations of the company present is unacceptable because the spilt out filth comes out of an unclean heart condition. The teaching of Jesus is clear on this point (Mark 7:20-23 ).

The motivation for the evil action of the tongue are the evil desires within, which readily succumb to Satan's temptations (Jeremiah 17:9,10 ). Everyone will reap "man according to his works" (Matthew 16:27 KJV; Matthew 12:36 ). The immediate consequence of the exploding tongue is the "fall out" in the defilement of the "whole body". Not only is the tongue dirty, the filth is spread as a stain throughout the whole body, probably body in the sense of corrupting the whole person.

All that has been said is true of the unregenerated person who is ruled by his sinful instincts (2 Peter 2:12 ), and is slave to body passions (Ephesians 2:3 ). In the born again person the sinful nature can never be made good - it must be put to death by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:13 ), living daily as the crucified to the flesh and its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24 ), taking each victorious life step in the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:25 ).

James 3:6 "... and it is set on fire of hell."

All evil desire, passion, wicked speech, has a hellish source - the news media leaves this in no doubt. James takes the word used for hell, "Gehenna" straight from the teaching of Jesus (Mark 9:43-48 ). The fire of hell is the originating source of the sinful tongue on fire and is also its destiny.

Mark 9:44 "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."

The sin of the hand, foot, eye and tongue, set on fire of hell, can be cut off at Calvary (1 Peter 2:24 ). In daily experience we can know what it is to be freed from sin and have dominion over sin (Revelation 1:5; Romans 6:14 ).

James 3:7 "For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:"

The gift of dominion that God gave to mankind, over animals, has been exercised, is still in evidence and is continuous.

Genesis 1:28 "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

To insist from a scientific point of view that not every kind of creature has been tamed, or actually domesticated, is to miss James' argument and application. Man has, does, and will subdue every kind of wild creature because, given the opportunity and the time, humankind have the God-given ability and authority to exactly do just that. The problem with man's dominion is that being sinful - greedy - selfish - careless and uncaring, he has abused his privilege, and renegued on his stewardship to God. The hope for creatures and creation will become actual in fulfilment with the return of Christ Jesus the Lord, and the revealing of the sons of God (Romans 8:18-22 ).

Mankind's fallen state has brought sighing, sobbing and suffering to creation and creatures. When redeemed man reigns with Christ there will be regeneration for earth and its creatures (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:28,29; Romans 8:17 ). Meanwhile, as the redeemed of the Lord we can fulfill our stewardship in accordance with our calling and ability, so that in our practical caring for the created, we show our love for the Almighty Creator.

James 3:8 "But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison."

James makes a sweeping contrast - man can tame the wild beast, but cannot tame his own tongue. There is not one reader who does not wish they had not said something that having been said if it were in their power they would erase. The tragedy about the rash words that tumble from the unsubdued tongue is that its words are at the time unstoppable, and once spoken become irrevocable and deadly, like a serpent injecting venom into its victim.

The tongue can be educated - trained - reformed - refined - yet remain untamed, because none of these things are capable of changing the nature or reaching the inner recesses of the heart. Only God can tame the tongue. He accomplishes this by supernatural re-creation and Holy Spirit control of the renewed person.

A multitude of the redeemed, though formerly wild and wicked persons, witness to having been changed by His mighty power through receiving Christ (John 1:12 ) and continue to experience deliverance through continually being under the control of the Holy Spirit fulness (Ephesians 5:18 ). Formerly their bondage was manifest in unruly, evil tongues of fire - now their freedom is manifest in fiery tongues of Holy Spirit utterance (Acts 2:4; 11:15; 19:6 ).

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QUESTIONS FOR GROUP INTERACTION

Knowing your own inability to tame your tongue, how does the Lord do it? (James 3:7-8; Ephesians 5:18 ).