James 3:11-12—Fresh or bitter water?

Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh. James 3:11-12

James wrote in verse 10, “from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing”; he wrote in verse 9 that we use our mouths to bless God and to curse men. He was undeniably clear: these things ought not to be this way.

Much is said about the way we use our tongues against others. Even though such teaching makes many of us squirm uncomfortably, we all know it is true. However, if you turn the tables a bit and teach about the tongue’s effect on your own life, then claws and teeth are likely to come out.

“You’re one of those—a ‘name it and claim it’ person!” someone may snarl and then blacklist you for life. “You think you are God! You think you can speak whatever you want into existence! I know your type!”

After a diatribe such as this—denouncing the motives, faith, and relationship with Christ of anyone who warns against using words unwisely concerning one’s own life—such “heresy hunters” have themselves become guilty of James 3:9-10: “With [the tongue] we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.”

Look, I understand that “positive confession” teaching drives a lot of Christians crazy. And like you, I’ve heard a bit of kookiness and excessiveness taught as sound doctrine on the subject. This, however, does not relieve you of your responsibility as a child of God to speak of others—and yourself—with a pure, guarded tongue, saturated with and trained by the Word of God.

James asked, “Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?” You know that if you bless the Lord and curse man, that’s a contaminating mixture, polluting the good with evil. However, have you also considered that no matter how thoughtfully you may speak about the lives of others, if you curse your own life with ugly, demeaning words of false humility, self-pity, or self-loathing, you have created just as toxic a concoction? Check your words. Are you sending out fresh water about others but bitter water about yourself? This is just as poisonous as speaking well of yourself and evil of others.

James asks another question: “Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs?” The answer is Of course not! You, the planting of the Lord (see Isaiah 61:3), are called to produce fruit that is consistent with the righteousness that has been granted you in Christ. This fruit certainly involves your works (see James 2), but here, more precisely, James is referring to your words.

Think about the fruit of your lips. Do you speak kindly about others on one hand, but harshly when talking about your own life? Your fruit is inconsistent. Are you guarded in speaking about yourself, but unrestrained in discussing others? Your fruit is also inconsistent and exposes some hypocrisy.

Jesus said, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit” (Matthew 12:33).

Jesus is funny about consistency and being all-in or all-out. Didn’t He tell a certain church, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth”? (Revelation 3:15-16.)

James concluded his thought on this topic by stating that salt water cannot produce fresh. To think that you can speak good or ill, blessing or cursing—up one day and down the next—without repercussion is either utter foolishness or willful blindness.

Jesus reminded us, “For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil” (Matthew 12:34b-35). If you will cast aside fear of becoming a “positive confession” proponent for a minute and just listen to your words, according to the Lord Himself you will get a ringside seat where you can view the contents of your heart. Listen carefully and look closely. Are your words consistently honoring to God and helpful to both yourself and others? Or—do you need some “mouth work” done?

Listen to Jesus further. “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37). Not a one of us will be exempt from this reckoning—each of us will be accountable before the Lord on that Day for the words of our mouths.

Understand this: it is impossible to tame the tongue. However, the Word of God grants you insight into its operation and how to maintain control over it. Listen often to your language; work on your words; exert consistency in conversing, whether about God, yourself, or others.

And as you pursue the Lord and submit yourself to His Word, you will grow in steadiness and the ability to manage your untamable tongue.

Dorothy