Top 5 Bible Verses About Taming The Tongue

Here are my top five Bible verses about taming the tongue.

James 1:26 “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.”

A lot of people say that they’re spiritual or religious but God doesn’t want any more religious people, He wants disciples after Jesus’ own heart. Those disciples have an easier time bridling or taming their tongue. If someone doesn’t tame their tongue, then their “religion is worthless” because it’s not about religion but about a relationship and the person who can’t check his or her tongue has a religion that is worthless to God. The Apostle John writes “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1st John 4:20).

Romans 3:13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.”

This is a very strong indictment against those who use their tongues to deceive people. Maybe this makes you think about one of those prosperity preachers. They gather huge followings, sell lots of books, and basically lead the blind by the blind. Their poison is worse venom than a snake because their audience unknowingly swallows their lies. Their tongue is used for profit which makes them a sort of prophet for profit.

James 3:6 “And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.”

The old Navy saying that loose lips sink ships shows you the power of the tongue. A rumor can spread like wildfire in a congregation and set ablaze all sorts of trouble. A gossiping tongue can wreck a marriage, it can get someone fired, and separate the best of friends as Solomon wrote “A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends” (Prov 16:28). Sometimes keeping our mouths closed can be the best possible solution since “Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends” (Prov 17:9). We can stop the rumor or gossip dead in its tracks when passed on to us and simply “cover an offense” or a rumored one by keeping our mouths shut. James is spot on where he writes “So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire” (James 3:5).

Proverbs 15:4 “A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.”

There are always two ways to look a Scripture; one is what happens if I do this but also what doesn’t happen if I don’t do that; what Scripture says to do and the consequences of disobedience to the Scripture. Solomon wisely wrote that “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Prov 15:1) but looking at it from the other perspective, a harsh answer turns toward wrath. The person with the gentle tongue is going to fare much better in their relationships than one who is perverse in their language. The tongue can be gentle and life giving or it can break the spirit, either way, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits” (Prov 18:21).

James 3:8 “but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”

The truth is “no human being can tame the tongue” because it can build up or it can tear down. It’s like a runaway stallion with no bridle, not saddle, and no chance on taming It, so the truth is, we need a new heart; a heart transplant so to speak, and God will do just that for those who repent and trust in Christ. Just as God promised Israel someday, He says to us, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezk 36:26). You can’t obey on your own or in your own strength. You need God’s Spirit working in you and through you to take care of that tongue and bridle it some.

Conclusion

I needed a heart transplant because mine is deceitfully wicked and who can know it but God (Jer 17::9)? Having a new heart is essential so “that [we] may walk in [His] statutes and keep [His] rules and obey them. And [we too] shall be [God’s] people, and [He] will be [our] God” (Ezk 11:19-20). Eventually, “every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:11). They’ll either do it willingly, having already confessed it or they’ll confess it to their utter horror (Rev 20:12-15). I pray that they would rather do it willing, today, while it’s still called today (Heb 3:13) than after Christ returns when it will be far too late (Rev 21:8).

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.