Jas. 3:10 ... "From the same mouth come both blessing and cursing, My brethren, these things ought not to be this way."
The story is told that during World War II in France a staff officer entered the tent of a prominent general to deliver a message. To his surprise, he found the man on his knees by the cot with his head bowed. Never having seen this highly aggressive, self-assertive commander in such an humble posture, he asked, "General, what are you doing?" Looking upward, but without rising, he replied with a blasphemous oath, "----!!! What does it look like I'm doing? ----!!! I'm praying!"
Such contradictions, though perhaps not so dramatic, are not rare in the lives of many who consider themselves, and are also esteemed by others, to be religious. We exalt the apostles of Christ, who in Eph. 2:19-20 are called "the foundation ... of God's household (the church) ... Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone." We especially admire Peter, who made the great confession to Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God," (Mat. 16:16). The same Peter, however, on the night Jesus was arrested, denied Him three times. The third time he even "began to curse and swear, 'I do not know the man!'" (Mat. 26:74). In his confession this apostle blessed Jesus as God's annointed Son, but when accused of being His disciple, when it looked dangerous to be so, he cursed and swore his denial. Out of the same mouth came forth both blessing and cursing, to Peter's shame and humiliation. Since he was basically a sensitive and conscientious man, "he went out and wept bitterly."
This is not a rare problem peculiar to Peter and a few others, but one which occurs frequently and to which any of us may easily fall victim. Let us not say, "Had I been in Peter's place, I would not have done it!" An inspired writer has stated, "If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless," (Jas. 1:26). One wonders about the conscience of a person who can speak to God in an humble spirit, with gracious speech and in imploring tones, only to arise and address his fellow man in the spirit of harshness, with rough words and terrible imprecations and curses. The idea of some sort of schizophrenia is strong, but Jas. 1:26 labels it "self-deception" as indicated by the phrase," but deceives his own heart." However the state of such a conscience is to be analyzed and labeled, the just-quoted verse declares that "this man's religion is worthless." In other words, the blessing is canceled by the cursing issuing from the same mouth.
Nature suggests the absurdity of extracting a valid blessing from the very mouth that acidly spews forth cursing. Can you expect sweet water to bubble out of a bitter spring? or a fig tree to bear olives? or a grape vine to produce figs? The mouth that utters harsh speech and curses betrays a venomous spirit within, for Jesus said in Mat. 12:34, "The mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart." When someone who projects himself as religious also resorts to harsh, censorious, vindictive speech toward others, it is proper and just to mark him as being mentally corrupt, self-deceived, and vain in his religion, if he really has any. Though he must be treated with politeness and kindness, no quarter should be given him within the fellowship of the church.
At the same time, every Christian should always be guarding himself lest he fall into this very practice, being guided by the direction of Col. 4:6, "Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person." Just as we apply salt to food to make it pleasant and palatable, we should apply grace to our speech to make it pleasant, pure, and wholesome to any who hear it.
