Do you ever think that you have all the
time in the world with your life? None
of us knows whether today will be our last or if we have the next 70 years to
live. James compares our life as a puff
of smoke, or a vapor that quickly vanishes away. This should create urgency and intentionality
in the way that we live our lives! Let’s
dig into James 4 together and diligently seek to learn God’s Truth together.
As
you read this week's passage, look for these words or phrases: speak, against, judge, Lawgiver,
life, vapor, boast, sin.
Passage for the
week: James 4:11-17 (NASB)
11 Do
not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or
judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you
judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it.
12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the
One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your
neighbor?
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such
and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a
profit.”
14 Yet you do not know what
your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes
away.
15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord
wills, we will live and also do this or that.”
16 But as it is, you boast in
your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.
17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not
do it, to him it is sin.
Questions for thought: Take a few moments to
answer these questions before you go on to the next section.
· What is
the command in verse 11? What are some
ways that we can violate this command?
· Who is
the Lawgiver and the Judge in verse 12? What
is He able to do according to this verse?
· In
light of God being the ONLY Lawgiver and Judge, how should we treat others?
· What
does James have to say about the man who is banking on tomorrow?
· According
to these verses, are we guaranteed that we will be able to do what we planned
on doing tomorrow? Explain how this
should change our perspective on life.
· From
these verses, it is evident that our lives are but vapors of smoke. What does Job 7:7 and Psalm 39:5-6 say about
our lives?
· According
to verse 15, what should be our approach to the future? How is this perspective different from the
man who thinks he is in control of what will happen tomorrow?
· Have
you boasted about what you think that you are going to accomplish in the future? What does James this kind of boasting in
verse 16?
· This
kind of boasting is also found in other passages of Scripture. Read 2 Timothy 3:2-5 and 1 John 2:16. In both of these passages, where does this
boasting and arrogance come from?
· List
all of the things that you plan on doing today and tomorrow. Then, pray that list back to God and ask Him
to give you His perspective on those events.
Pray by saying, “If the Lord wills, I will do this or that.” This will increase your dependence on God and
help you to realize that your life is not just about what you have to do today,
but rather it is about God’s plan for your life.
MeDITATE on this:
The first group addressed consists of wealthier
Christians. Their plans are normal plans: travel to a certain city, sell the
goods they brought with them and perhaps purchase others, and make money. Is
this not the way business is done? James’s
criticism is that they are in fact carrying on their lives and businesses just
the way every other worldly person does. As Christians, they should be well
aware of not only how uncertain the future may be, but also Who actually
controls the future.
The picture James paints for us is that our lives
are like a puff of smoke from a camp fire.
It appears over the fire for a few seconds, but then it disappears. We learn from this picture that the idea of
planning without taking God’s values into account is foolishness. James’s point
is not simply that we ought to just merely say, “If the Lord wills,” before we
carry out our plans. This would a lip-service to God,
without it being genuine. Instead, James
is trying to tell us that we need to seek God’s plan and follow God’s will in
their use of our time and the things God has given us. This is a contrast of boasting or bragging. What type of pride is this? 1 John 2:16 uses
the same term for the boasting of (or pride in) what a person has and does. When we have this kind of pride, we think that
we are laying plans that God did not make and claiming an ability to control our
lives (which God actually controls!), and boasting about all the things we are
going to accomplish.
When we choose to live in our pride and refuse to
live according to the Scriptures, then it is sin! Many of us know these things, but we
sometimes do not live this way. Why not
consult God and ask Him what ought to be done with our time and possessions? Let’s remember to acknowledge God everyday
and to seek to follow His will!
Praying for that you would Love Christ
PASSIONATELY, Know Christ DEEPLY, and Enjoy Christ FULLY!!!
Pastor Stephen
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