James 3:9-12 (NKJV) With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.
In the above Scripture, James argued that fresh and salt or bitter water should not be flowing out of the same spring. He said with conviction that out of the same mouth must not come blessing and curse at the same time. He said that these things ought not be so. Earlier in v. 3-8, he established that nobody could tame the tongue and he now uses the word “spring” to represent our heart. The “spring” is the key to having a transformed life and breaking away from an untamed tongue.
Living in a culture where one feels entitled to say what they want completely free from any accountability, responsibility, or repercussions, we will need to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit to help us go through the closet of our mouths and discard ratty, old words that should not be in our vocabulary, because we will reap what we sow with our words, especially in our relationships. Too many marriages, and friendships have been strained or destroyed because people could not control their tongue. Secondly, we need to renew our mind that we can have self-control and live out a redeemed personality.
Bitter water represents words that come out of those who are living in bitterness, and have strong unrelenting hostility or resentment. They may have been rejected or misunderstood; they are prickly, moody, negative, and never a good company to be with. Whenever you mention a certain person, company, or event, they will go off the same old rant about how they were mistreated. They carry a baggage because of certain experiences or encounters in life. Therefore, the spring in these people is flowing with bitter water because of all their experiences and the sin nature that is working in their hearts.
Do you have salt and fresh water springing out of our mouths? How can we turn this around? We need to be intentional in making changes to our speech by speaking life and blessings. The transformed life is living from the inside out, and allowing the new creation or inner man to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to bridle our tongue and reign in the flesh.
Sermon Series: Cell Group Campaign ( Session 4)
咸水和甜水
雅各书3:9-12 我们用舌头颂赞那为主、为父的，又用舌头咒诅那照着神形象被造的人。颂赞和咒诅从一个口里出来，我的弟兄们，这是不应当的！ 泉源从一个眼里能发出甜苦两样的水吗？ 我的弟兄们，无花果树能生橄榄吗？葡萄树能结无花果吗？咸水里也不能发出甜水来。
在上面的经文中，雅各强调甜水、咸水或苦水不应该从同一个泉源发出。他坚定地说，颂赞和咒诅决不能同时从一个口里出来。他说这是不应该的。之前在第3-8节，雅各确立没有人能制伏舌头，现在他用“泉源”这个词来代表我们的心。“泉源”是拥有更新而变化的生命和摆脱不能被制伏的舌头之关键。
我们活在这样一种文化中，人们觉得他们有权说自己想说的话，完全不需要被约束、承担责任或后果，我们需要依靠圣灵的力量来帮助我们约束口，除去不应该出现在我们词汇中的脏话，因为我们的话语会收割所栽种的，尤其是在我们的关系中。太多的婚姻和友谊因为人们无法控制自己的舌头而变得紧张或被毁。第二，我们需要更新我们的思想，使我们能够自我约束，活出被赎者该有的品格。
苦水就是那些活在苦毒中，并有着强烈又持续的敌意或怨恨的人口中所说出的话。他们可能遭到拒绝或误解；他们易怒、情绪化、消极，从来都不是一个好伙伴。每当你提到某个人、某公司或某件事时，他们都会用同样的方式抱怨自己如何受到苦待。他们因为生活中的某些经历或遭遇而背负着包袱。所以这些人的泉源流出的是苦水，因着他们所经历的一切和在他们心中运行的罪性。
你有咸和甜水从口里发出吗？我们怎样才能扭转这种局面？我们需要有意识地改变我们的说话方式，说造就生命和祝福的话。更新而变化后的生活是由内而外的，允许新造的人或和内在的人被圣灵赋予能力来掌管肉体，勒住我们的舌头。
讲章系列：细胞小组活动（第四部分）
Image Source：pixabay.com