Tuesday: “Little” Things Are the Big Things
Read James 3:3-5. What do the two illustrations have in common, and how do they relate to the tongue?
Image © Jeff Preston from GoodSalt.com
Both the bit in a horse’s mouth and the rudder of a ship are very small compared to what they control. Yet, with a slight movement of the hand, the horse’s or the ship’s direction can be completely changed. By the same token, even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things
(vs. 5, NKJV). In other words, a word or even a look or a gesture might seem small, but each can change a friend into an enemy or transform a bad situation into something good. A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger
(Prov. 15:1). Imagine a horse galloping at full speed and a ship slicing through the water at full throttle but both headed in the wrong direction. The faster something goes, the farther away it gets from its destination. The best course then is to stop and turn around as soon as possible. The same is true of our words. If a conversation is going from bad to worse, the sooner we stop the better.
Read Luke 9:51-56. What was Jesus’ response to the suggestion of the disciples? What was the result, and what lessons might this story have for us?
Although the disciples had a biblical precedent for their suggestion (2 Kings 1:10, 2 Kings 1:12), Jesus rejected the suggestion. His rebuke dramatically altered the situation. The story ends simply by indicating that they went to another village
(Luke 9:56). Jesus turned His rejection by a Samaritan village into a learning experience for His followers. In the heat of the moment, when feelings rise up and clamor for us to defend ourselves, we can remember the example of Jesus and, figuratively speaking, move on to another village.
As drops of water make the river, so little things make up life. Life is a river, peaceful, calm, and enjoyable, or it is a troubled river, always casting up mire and dirt.
-Ellen G. White, That I May Know Him, p. 209.
What are some little
things in your life that, as you dwell further on them, might not be solittle
after all?
(21)
The Power of the Tongue ~ Proverbs 18:21
“The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.”(NLT); “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (NIV); “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” (KJV)
The power of the tongue towards us: Our words can influence the way we act or feel. The power of the tongue towards others: Our words can uplift or discourage, bless or curse, tear down or breakdown. Many children will admit that their future has been influenced by exactly what their parents told them they were!
We understand no unpardoned idle word escapes judgment (Ecclesiastes 12:14), and so we need to seek forgiveness for same and pray that we will avoid same by the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.
Still, why do little things matter so much? Why did Jesus, the Righteous Judge say, “That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment,” (Matthew 12:36) when as Savior He covers us through faith? Why did He connect justification to our words (a form of works) in Matthew 12:37 (Memory text) when we are saved by His Righteousness?
Perhaps Jesus wished to make clear salvation involves more than pardon, which is the necessary first step in the process. Almost everyone desires to escape the penalty of sin and so a pardon is always welcome. Yet Jesus points to the ultimate purpose of salvation, which is the restoration of the image or character of God in us. A pardon is of little value without this.
The redeemed are not permitted to engage in idle talk in Heaven for it is unlike the character of God (Ephesians 5:4-5). As we are educated to live the sanctified life and begin to experience what it means to live in Heaven, even now we may also learn to love it.
Yes Hugh, we are only saved by His Righteousness IF it is implanted in us.(Isa 54:17, Jer 23:6) This is the white robe of the saints; the righteousness of Christ, Bible sanctification.
Notice that some will take Jesus' name but not his robe (Isa 4:1). Like the Joshua (Zech 3) and the prodigal (Luke 15), we must surrender our tattered rags for the "best robe" (after a cleansing bath) to find acceptance to dwell among sinless beings forever. If the prodigal had remained unwashed and unchanged, the sight and smell would have marred the celebration in honor of his return home.
Satan fell to harboring sin from a perfect state, so we cannot hope to dwell in a perfect state if still harboring a sin. God's remnant people are shown to have no "spot or wrinkle, or any such thing" when Jesus appears. (Zeph 3:13, Eph 5:26,27, Rev 7:14; 14:4,5, Jude 24, etc)
This will be the result of true faith in God's promises(2 Pe 1:4), made possible in Christ. This is the result of receiving the Gospel.
Robert, I would like you to clarify what you mean in your first sentence:
Are you meaning to say that we are saved by our sanctification, that is the work of Christ in us, rather than His work for us? That would appear to mean that we are saved by works.
Or are you meaning to say that we are saved by His work in (sanctification) us as well as His work for us (justification)? This would appear to mean that we are saved by faith and works.
I have to take issue here with both Hugh and Robert.
First, Hugh misreads rather broadly Ephesians 5:4,5. The issue here is a particular kind of light talking. This is not a condemnation of casual parlance and a demand that we speak only of "serious" things. As always in reading the Bible we need to consider the context. The context here is fornication and whoremongering. In that context the Greek translated as "jesting" (KJV) can better be redd as "telling dirty jokes."
Second, we do wrong in defining salvation as a process. Salvation is granted on the basis of belief (John 3:16) What comes after is better defined as "growing in Grace." A person who has lived a conspicuously evil life and dies at the moment he comes into belief is just much saved as the perfected saint who over years of loving the Lord has grown like him in thought and deed. Jesus' parable of the laborers hired to work in a vineyard (Matt. 20 1-16) is a direct illustration of this.
And I think Robert mixes apples and oranges here. It is true that no one can be ultimately saved while living in a state of continuing disobedience, nor can anyone be rewarded at last with eternal life who refuses to wear the wedding garment, regardless of anything he might otherwise have done in his life. (cf. Jesus' parable of the wedding garment (Matt. 22:8-14). But the garment itself is not the issue; rather, the refusal to wear it -- that is, to persist in rebellion. It is the Christian's duty to wage his own personal war against uncleanness, but that is after salvation has already been granted because of his belief. God's response to an erring believer is not one of rejection and punishment, rather one of reclaiming and nurturing back to spiritual health (all of 1 John).
I agree. God does not condemn a sense of humor. He condemns humor that brings down sexual content to a level of sensuality and foul or off color defilement.
I think the majority of Eph 5:3-5 is indeed talking about moral issues but not all. My NKJV has two verbal prohibitions in verse 4 "foolish talking" and "coarse jesting." While I certainly recognize the second as a moral imperative the first one is not for it is basically a direct translation of the Greek word morologia which is a compound word from moros and lego. Moros is always translated as foolish (7), fool (5), foolishness (1) where the number in parenthesis is the number of times it is translated that way in the New Testament (KJV). Lego simply means to "1) to say, to speak 1a) affirm over, maintain 1b) to teach 1c) to exhort, advise, to command, direct 1d) to point out with words, intend, mean, mean to say 1e) to call by name, to call, name 1f) to speak out, speak of, mention" (Strong's data in BibleWorks). This would then account for Christ's statement, "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment" (Matt. 12:36 NKJV).
Furthermore, other things besides sexual issues are mentioned. Verse 3 lists covetousness and verse 5 adds idolater. So I think we need to broaden out what is included in Paul's admonition to the Ephesians just a bit.
Ben I think you have brought out some informative points that I agree with. The basis for the discussion about idle words is from the memory verse text in Matt 12:36. I wanted to know what the definition of an "idle" word was and why Jesus would use it. We , I , need to look at the context when there is a question. First of all who was Jesus talking to? Verse 38 tells us. The scribes and Pharisees.
Why did He say what He did in verse 36? Verse 34 explains it pretty well. So what does idle mean in verse 36? It doesn't mean what some have described. The Greek definition per Strongs is,- inactive, unemployed, lazy, useless, barren, slow. Definitions that fit what the Pharisees were occupying there time with. Jesus called them useless, barren snakes. Verse 37 Jesus tells them, what will be the result of the words and lies that they, the Pharisees where using to condemn Him to death.
The text in Ecclesiastes 12:14 uses the words "work and "thing" in the NKJV, and I view those as all encompassing not specific. Activities of many description. Words are not a secret unless they are unspoken. That would be a thought wouldn't it? Jesus said in Matt 5:37, let your yes be yes and your no, no. The Psalmist said in Ps 19:14, a text that many of us new from early childhood, and is a declaration of our will. "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight. O Lord my strength and my redeemer"
Yes Paul, the context is important.
While it is important that the Christian watch the impact of everything that he/she does--I don't think this is what the text is trying to say in context (particularly because of the word "but").
Neither can we pull it out of context and apply what we think "idle words" are to its original meaning.
I agree with you.
I think in context it refers specifically to the unpardonable sin--which is to attribute the work of God to the devil.
God wanted them to consider the effect of their rebellious musings on their character--since word would give rise to actions (it later did) and ultimately come back to bring judgement on themselves.
Their talk about how Jesus was working through the power of the enemy was nonsense (demonstrably)--and therefore idle talk.
So does "foolish jesting," mean that there is no room for a sense of humor in a child of God?
It is sometimes said that God himself has a sense of humor -- for proof, look at the duck-billed platypus.
The duck-billed platypus is no joke! I have just been out in the bush looking for them. Very difficult to find, even when you know where they an be found. A treat of bubbles and a dark shape on the water's surface is all you are likely to see. Yes, I found one.
Here is where, as always, I think we should be guided by the Holy Spirit.
As you do His work in reaching out to others with compassion, your mind will be closer and closer to His mind and then you'll be able to act in season and out of season.
I've learned to avoid discussions about what is or is not "foolish jesting" (or any other such phrase for that matter).
Many people do religion by feel--and there is a range of internal feelings on any matter that appears to many people to be the voice of God to them--since they feel it so strongly and they experience it "deep down".
That gets in the way of objectivity in my opinion.
No.we can still have the humor but avoiding foolish speaking. Yet so hard, God can always provide us a way through '
Little things?
I find in my life and also those around me the 'little thing' that seems to set us off is injustice. This really gets people so upset when it happens or is perceived to have happened. For instance an extremely hard working person who was 45 min late for work was given a warning when another person who was not so hard working had been late on several occasions but had not been given a warning. Then everyone feels justified in saying unkind things about the boss. When do we have the right to be mean to others?
We do not have the right to be mean to others, it is for God to show vengeance in the judgement days.
Forgiveness is greater than vengeance, and compassion more powerful than anger (from the movie "Joseph" and somewhere in proverbs/ God's word.)
Injustice is not a "little thing." We read in Micah 6:8 that to "do justly" is one of the three foundation stones of a godly life. We NEVER have the right to be mean to others, regardless of how much we feel we have been treated unjustly.
Thank you Brigette & Ben, yes I agree no matter what happens it doesn't justify us lowering ourselves to their level.
"By the tongue, we bless a family, a nation, by the tongue, we curse a life."
Out of the issues of the heart the mouth speaks, consequently we should dwell on whatsoever things are pure, and, whatsover things are of good report.If we make this a habit, The HOLY SPIRIT will speak for us at the right time, every time.
"LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU WHICH IS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS"
So true the fruit of the Spirit my Dear! As drops of water make a river, so little things make up life. Amen love your comment.
"Self control is the highest evidence of nobility in a christian. He that stand unmoved amid a storm of abuse is one of Gods heroes" E.G White, Messages to young people, p134.
We as Christians have to guard our minds, thoughts,and how we speak to one another. We must be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove. The words that we speak could do one of two things:hurt or heal. Let us be like our Father,not only did He love but he healed and gave words of wisdom and encouragement.
The actions of our Father Jesus Christ should be the prime example of the renewed christian.not do as i say,but do as Christ lived,being a living testimony of the work Christ is doing in our lives,too an unbelieving world.
Its often that we dont take caution, but people like to act according to what is said or worse still get so influenced with what is said by others. In some instances, what has been said has no direct influence on us but by magnifying it out of proportion, we end up getting influenced. Talk of making even the simplest of statements matters of concern and strife against our neighbours. How i wish the spirit could help us discern our actions and indeed teach us to turn the so called bad situations and bad words into learning platforms for us and for others.
I think Jesus showed here, clearly, what the character of God is like.
Luke 9
I also like that the author pointed out that the disciples reached for what they thought was a biblical precedent. I think the disciples read into the Bible narrative their own feelings and thoughts about God.
Jesus came to set them straight about who God is.
We are saved neither by faith nor by works. Rather through faith we recieve the grace of God. Faith is not our Saviour. Faith earns us nothing.
You might ask how are we saved? We are saved by laying a firm grip upon Christ, and appropriating His merits, the remedy for sin. Is there energy expended(work) by keeping a firm grip on Christ, absolutly not. Read on.
We behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world. John 1:19.
The light shining from the cross reveals the love of God. His love is drawing us to Himself. If we do not resist this drawing, we shall be led to the foot of the cross in repentance for the sins that have crucified the Saviour. Then the Spirit of God through faith produces a new life in the soul. The thoughts and desires are brought into obedience to the will of Christ. The heart, the mind, are created anew in the image of Him who works in us to subdue all things to Himself. Then the law of God is written in the mind and heart, and we can say with Christ, "I delight to do Thy will, O my God." Ps. 40:8.
This is the Good News, The Gospel message.
Now when it comes to sanctification I like this text.
"And in accordance with this will [of God], we have been made holy (consecrated and sanctified) through the offering made once for all of the body of Jesus Christ (the Anointed One)." Hebrews 10:10
May God bless your efforts to make these Sabbath lessons and comments. I can't wait to get home and start reading as much as I can all these posted comments. I can't tell you how much I have been learning, going through these comments.One of the things that we Adventists should be proud of is the Sabbath school lessons. May God be more and more glorified through this wonderful task that you are doing.