BOOK OF JAMES
STUDY PART 19 - SINNING THROUGH NEGLECT
James 4:13-17 (13) Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” (14) Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (15) Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” (16) As it is, you boat and brag. All such boasting is evil. (17) Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.
Intro- The Word of God clearly condemns practical atheism or presuming upon our future without taking God into consideration. James has been dealing with the arrogant heart in three main areas in Chapter 4. 1) Arrogant grasping after the pleasures, honors, and riches of the world, in preference to the love of God. 2) Arrogant judging of others in defiance of the Devine law of love. 3) Now, arrogant trust in the security of human undertakings, without consideration of God’s will. The future is God’s, not ours, just as to judge mankind belongs to Him, and not us.
I) “Seeking the Future Without God” (vs. 13) (13) Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”- “Now listen” or KJ “Go to now, ye that say”- In all the New Testament, this phrase is used only here. It is a term designated to get the readers attention much like we might say, “Now, Please listen to me”. James is about to give some important teaching and wants their undivided attention to what he is about to say. Next part of vs. 13 “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money”- First, these men were planning on the future. The cleverest minds of humans predict with accuracy the future (Prov 27:1). There attitude was they had carefully laid plans for the future and they would come to pass (Ps. 49:11). James here IS NOT condemning the careful planning of the future. We need more careful planning and good business sense in our churches. God reminds us, “Not to be slothful or wasteful in business”- Rom 12:11. As a church, we should remain above reproach in our business dealings and decisions. What James is concerned about here are those who are planning the future without taking God into consideration or into their planning. Notice the people’s decisions James is addressing in this verse. They had chosen the city where they were going. Many Christians fail to take the place where God wants them and chose there own area. They had chosen the length of time to spend there at that city as if they could count on being alive and being in good health. “carrying on our business” in vs. 13 never thinking about those things which alter our lives like death or sickness. “Make money” in verse 13. This is the theme of the person who forgets God. There is nothing wrong in making money, but when it becomes the theme of my existence, God is NOT in it.
II) “What is Your Life?” (vs. 14) (14) Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.- here in this verse we all must remember we have not guarantee on tomorrow. We have no lease on life that assures us we shall be among the living tomorrow. Remember what we just read from Prov. 27:1 “Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth”. Isn’t this true? Many days end different than we expected it to. Christians are not to be anxious about tomorrow. “Be not therefore anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.”-Mat 6:34. Vs. 14. “Life is like a vapor/mist”- our lives are like the morning mist that appears for a few moments and then vanishes. It’s like the steam that comes out of a tea kettle. Yet, so many people, even Christians, refuse to admit they soon might be gone, but every day we hear of some who are ushered into eternity suddenly. Death is one thing that is sure and certain for each of us if Christ does not come first (Heb. 9:27). Our Lord spoke some stern words to a man who planned his future without God. Of the rich man He said, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?”-Luke 12:20. This man Jesus was speaking to may have been a wise planner in the eyes of men, but God said he was a fool.
III) (15) Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” (16) As it is, you boat and brag. All such boasting is evil. Our lives should be based on the Lord’s will for those who know Christ as Savior (vs. 15-16). Our attitude should be, if the Lord’s will, I will do this or that.(I Corith. 4:19). By placing ourselves under His guidance, we save ourselves much worry. The secret of victorious living as Christians is doing the will of God. The businessmen in vs. 13, 14 were seeking success, what is success? ANSWER: Knowing the will of God and doing it. “The world passeth away and the lust thereof, but He that doeth the will of God abideth forever.- I John 2:17. Boasting of tomorrow is inspired of Satan in vs. 16. Not only were they making plans without God, they were boasting of what they were going to do and what they were going to make. A Christian is reminded in I Corith. 4:7, “What hast thou that thou didst not receive. May we carefully guard our lips against such folly (John 15:5)(Phil. 4:13)
IV) “The Sin of Omission” (vs. 17) (17) Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.- “Anyone, then, who knows the good or KJ “To him that knoweth to do good”- Knowledge brings responsibility.(John 15:22). To do wrong and not know it is still wrong. But to do wrong, knowingly, makes it much more serious. (Luke 12:47). “he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins” or KJ “And doeth it not, to him it is sin.” James has warned us against side-stepping God’s will while planning our future. As of right now, if never before, we now know that such action is sin in God’s eyes. We must not only cease to do evil, but STRIVE to do what we know is right (Titus 2:11-13)(John 13:17). Some know you should support the church by service, but don’t do it. Some know you should read the Bible daily, but don’t do it. Some know you should give more of your heart to the Lord instead of self, but don’t do it. Some know you should help spread the gospel, but don’t do it. From this passage, we can now quote “To him that koweth to do good and doeth it not, to Him it is sin. Before you can do anything as a person, you must first know Christ. As Christians, our Lord and Father will help us to resist evil and do that which is right. May we each hear those words from our Lord “Well done, thou good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” –Matt. 25:21.
CONCLUSION: So, what are you planning in the future now without God?