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"Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter..."

Text: James 3:11

ILLUSTRATIONS FROM NATURE

James sought to complete his argument that the tongue cannot be used to bless God and to curse men! He used illustrations from nature to bring home an important truth!

“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.”
James 3:11-12

1. First illustration

a) A rhetorical question was raised.

b) Does a spring send forth fresh and bitter water?

c) The answer was obvious!

2. Second illustration

a) Can a fig tree bear olives?

b) Another rhetorical question that does not require an answer.

3. Third illustration

a) Can a grapevine bear figs?

b) We have another rhetorical question raised up.

4. Thus no spring yields both

a) Salt water

b) And fresh.

AN IMPORTANT TRUTH THAT NEEDED TO BE BROUGHT ACROSS

It is important to note why James wrote so strongly against the abuse of the tongue! He probably sought to address the following problems: –

1. The problem of ignorance about the general danger of the abuse of the tongue.

2. The problem of indifference about how the tongue was being used.

3. The problem of the hardness of heart of some who were abusing the use of the tongue.

4. The problem of no conviction that the abuse of the tongue was gravely sinful.

5. The problem of a lack of discipline with reference to how the tongue should be employed.

6. The problem of a lack of accountability concerning the abuse of the tongue.

7. The lack of conscious awareness of how much damage the abuse of the tongue had caused.