These things ought not so to be

Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? – James 3v10-11

First of all, I just like the sound of the phrase, ‘these things ought not so to be,’ so I would probably have included it just for that. But the truth behind it is so important that we simply cannot neglect it.

It is easy enough most of the time to praise, bless, and glorify God with our mouths. That is, after all, the right thing to do. We come to church full of ‘amens,’ ‘praise the Lords,’ ‘hallelujahs,’ and ‘bless Gods.’ We look like we are spiritual and God focused. And yet, at the same time and maybe even in the same building we will gossip, back bite, lie about, and falsely accuse brothers and sisters in Christ. Even worse we may have just come from a family row at home or on the way to church, then walk in with our ‘praise the Lords.’

Indeed, out of the same mouth proceed both blessings and cursings. This makes no more sense that the same spring giving sweet water and bitter water at the same time or a fig tree giving olives or a grapevine giving figs. These things truly ‘ought now so to be.’

It is the epitome of hypocrisy when our words claim that we love God then the same mouth spews out words of hatred against our fellow man. We cannot love God and hate the brethren – when we do this our words give evidence that we do just that.

These things certainly ought not so to be.