Lesson 66, December 26

 

4:13-17 Strong Rebuke here for Presumptuous Planning

- This is another example of the attitude of worldliness that was a problem for some in these assemblies James is writing to.

In this section  there are three mental attitudes expressed towards the will of God.

#1 - Ignoring the will of God - vs:13,14,16  (don't consider it at all)

#2 - Disobeying the will of God - vs:17 (expresses the sinfulness of their present attitude).

#3 - Obeying God's will - proper attitude for the Believer - vs:15

 

4:13  First a Statement of the prevailing attitude

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit."

 

- "today or tomorrow"   idiom expressing that sometimes what they are planning is for today, sometimes for the immediate future (here defined as up to a year)

 

- there is a presumption made that they will have a whole year at their disposal to use as they decide.

 

- The picture here is of the industrious and ambitious businessmen & merchants of the day always looking for new ideas - new products and a place to market them.

 

4:13  Come now, you who keep saying, "Today or  tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit."

 

Summary 4:13

1. In this section we have a specific example of one of the consequences of worldliness, planning their life,  their business pursuits in total disregard of God's will.

 

2. The activity described here is making a living and getting ahead financially.

 

3. There is nothing evil in pursuing a business career - having a successful business - all quite legitimate.

 

4. But for some there was a trend among them to pursue business success  at the expense of their spiritual priorities. 

 

5. "Come Now" - is James' way of chiding them and shows his disapproval of their activity.

 

6. Those he addresses saw an opportunity to make a profit in another locale, intending to return.  

- Their statement (vs:13) reflects:

#1 - a fully developed plan

#2 - indicates assurance and self-confidence - have a whole year at their disposal

#3 - no consideration of whether it is God's will.

 

7. The indefinite "such and such a city" indicates the goal or place where financial opportunity exists.

 

8. A year separated from BD and the encouragement of other bel's and being in constant association w/negative volition will take its toll in ones life.

 

9. Whenever you abandon MPR to get ahead even for a short time you have violated God's will in a major way.

 

10. We are free to live wherever we desire as long as we are able to get face to face teaching in a local church where Christ is the center and His thinking, the Word is honored.

 

11. James does not condemn trade or making a profit but their misplaced priorities.

 

12. You cannot promote yourself ahead of the Plan of God.  Ps 127:1-2

 

13. Put God first - establish your MPR - and He will provide for you. Ps 37:3-5

 

14. The fatal defect as James sees it is not making a profit (as the socialist today harps on) but in their disregard of God's will.

 

4:14 The Presumption in their attitude is next noted

Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.

 

 

- What they were doing is disregarding the point of  made in Prov 27:1

 

** A living faith faces the unknown future with calm dependence upon God as the True source of security concerning tomorrow - which is the unknown.

 

** Only as we live in the will of God can we realize confidence about tomorrow.

 

 

The Brevity of Life

You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

 

- To us life seems long and we measure it in years; but in comparison to eternity, life is but a vapor.

 

** Life is transitory in nature and should be viewed as such.

 

** For the believer the thought of eternity should provide maximum stimulation to live each day for the Lord.

 

** That is to live our life in the light of eternity.

 

4:14  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.

 

Summary  4:14

1. James exposes two fallacies in their presumptive planning.

 

2. The 1st is that no one can absolutely predict what tomorrow will bring.

 

3. Only God knows what tomorrow holds. So we should commit our tomorrows to Him knowing that He will never do wrong by us or forsake us.

 

4. There is no place for boasting on the one hand  or worry on the other hand. (both demo maladjustment)

 

5. The 2nd thing is that they were disregarding the uncertainty of life.

- Some figures used in scripture to depict life's transitoriness.

a. a receding shadow - Ps 102:11 (& grass)

b. grass  - Ps 103:15

c. a breath - Job 7:7

d. grass/flowers cp to the Word  Isa. 40:6-8

 

6. Because of the transitory nature of life why would any "advancing believer" remove themselves for however a brief time, from that which gives life meaning and purpose and has impact for eternity?

 

7. Why risk your great reward that is eternal on temporal fleeting things?

 

8. Don't separate yourself from the Word of God and face to face teaching to gain some apparent advantage in the cosmos.