The Test of Spiritual Strength
I believe James 3:2 gives us a test, so that we can know how we are doing spiritually. The purpose of our salvation is not only to have our sins forgiven, but to become like Jesus. The Bible calls that being holy, or set apart from the world for His service. A spiritually mature person is making good progress in staying away from sins and in doing the right things. This test shows us if we have the spiritual power to become mature Christians.
The test is the tongue. Can you bridle your tongue? Yes, I know that we can't bridle our own tongues, but we can if we depend on the Lord. The Holy Spirit can bridle our tongues. The test is this: if we can allow the Holy Spirit to bridle our tongue, then, we have the power to bridle our whole body. Why is this true? It is very difficult to bridle the tongue. What is in our heart comes out of our mouths. We see our maturity by what we say. The word "perfect" in this verse means mature. It does not mean totally without sin. It means that we are accomplishing God's purpose for us to be like Jesus. Therefore, if we pass the spiritual maturity test of being able to control our tongues by the power of God, we can do it in every area of our lives.
So, how are you doing? Take the James 3:2 test. Be honest with yourself and with God. If you are failing the tongue test, ask God what you need to do to be filled with His Spirit, so that you can control your tongue. Then, do it every day. You will see results in your speech and also in the other areas of your life, because your spiritual power will grow and grow,
Tomorrow, I intend to read James 5 and I Peter 1-2.
The test is the tongue. Can you bridle your tongue? Yes, I know that we can't bridle our own tongues, but we can if we depend on the Lord. The Holy Spirit can bridle our tongues. The test is this: if we can allow the Holy Spirit to bridle our tongue, then, we have the power to bridle our whole body. Why is this true? It is very difficult to bridle the tongue. What is in our heart comes out of our mouths. We see our maturity by what we say. The word "perfect" in this verse means mature. It does not mean totally without sin. It means that we are accomplishing God's purpose for us to be like Jesus. Therefore, if we pass the spiritual maturity test of being able to control our tongues by the power of God, we can do it in every area of our lives.
So, how are you doing? Take the James 3:2 test. Be honest with yourself and with God. If you are failing the tongue test, ask God what you need to do to be filled with His Spirit, so that you can control your tongue. Then, do it every day. You will see results in your speech and also in the other areas of your life, because your spiritual power will grow and grow,
Tomorrow, I intend to read James 5 and I Peter 1-2.