This last section of James 4 warns against such self-centered planning. Worldly living does not always show itself in hatred for God. Sometimes it appears in the form of disregarding God as we plan life’s daily activities.
Finally, in verse 15, we hear the proper attitude. We are to seek the will of God in all our plans. Doing the will of God demands an active listening for God’s goals and plans. We must plan for the future, but we must plan with a deliberate seeking of the will of God.
Verses 16 and 17 reveal our disobedient attitude and rebuke our proud, boastful spirit. They call us to a humble dependence on God rather than priding ourselves on our independence.
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. (NASB)
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- God wants His people to live with a conscious commitment to follow the will of God.
- Seeking the will of God must be the goal of our personal planning.
- Be concerned not only about what you do but also about what you fail to do.
CLOSER LOOK:
Verse 15: The key to avoiding boasting is to maintain a godly perspective. Instead of making big plans on the human plane, one must expand their view to include God in the picture. In place of vain boasting one should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” These are not so much words to be used like some charm but a realistic attitude that affects all of one’s being and behavior.
The instruction does not mean to keep adding the phrase, “If the Lord wills,” to everything a person says. To do such could become another form of pride. At the same time a person’s behavior and plans should consistently demonstrate dependence upon the Lord. He may determine that at the present time patience through tribulation (Rom 5:3) is a greater need than attaining our goals.
As we discuss the will of God, we must not let His will become a strictly formal expression which lacks any spiritual meaning for us. We must remain spiritually alive to the necessity of building our plans around His desires. We must also avoid legalizing our own will under the disguise of seeking God’s will.
Verse 16: To make sure his readers understood, James reiterated that boasting and arrogance “is evil.” Self-centered bragging must be replaced by God-honoring trust. “Boast” could be translated “rejoice.”[1] The noun, “boasting” connotes vain pretensions. A person who brags about future plans while ignoring God’s sovereignty is foolish, but more than that their attitude is evil. The extent of this marks the depravity of contemporary society. We cannot control future events. We neither have the wisdom to see the future nor the power to control the future. For us to boast is sin; it is making ourselves God.
Verse 17: It is likely that chapter 4‘s concluding sentence, “to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin,” is related not only to the matter of boasting but also to all the advice given thus far in the epistle.[2] “Therefore” supports this contention. James’ readers could not plead ignorance. The letter abounds with exhortations to do good. Failing to comply is clearly sin. Also, the “therefore” reference is not to people in general but to a particular merchant who made his plans without God.[3] Apparently the merchant succeeded in making money, which they assumed came as a result of their own ingenuity and not as a gift from God. The idea is that the merchant determined to make money and then spend it on themselves. James summarizes what has already been said for every reader of his epistle: it is sin to doubt whether an action is right and yet go ahead and do it; it is also a sin to know what is right and yet not do it (Rom 14:23). This is a stern warning against the sins of omission (Lk 16:19-31 for an example of neglecting to do what is right).
Why do people who know the will of God deliberately disobey it? One reason James points out is pride. Another reason is our ignorance of the nature of God’s will. We acts as though the will of God is something we can accept or reject. In reality, the will of God is not an option; it is an obligation. We cannot “take it or leave it.” Because He is the Creator and we are the creatures, we must obey Him. Because He is the Savior and Lord, and we are His children and servants, we must obey Him. To treat the will of God lightly is to invite the chastening of God in our lives.[4]
Many people have the mistaken idea that the will of God is a formula for misery. Just the opposite is true! It is disobeying the Lord’s will that leads to misery. The Bible, and human experience, are both witnesses to this truth. And even if a disobedient Christian seems to escape difficulty in this life, what will that person say when they face the Lord? “And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” (Luke 12:47–48).
God’s discipline is an evidence of His love, not His hatred. Just as we earthly parents discipline our children to help them respect our will and obey, so our Heavenly Father disciplines His own. Though discipline is hard to take, it has a comforting truth of belonging to God’s family with it.
Verse 17 states a specific principle applied to presumptuous planning about the future. It can also serve as a general principle applying to all areas of the Christian life: It is sin to know what is right and to fail to do it. These sins of omission refuse to make a right response to God. A sin of omission displeases God just as much as a sin of commission, that is, a blatant act against God’s will. We know to make our plans in reliance on God’s will. When we fail to follow this knowledge, we commit a sin of omission. God holds us accountable for more than merely knowing the right. He wants us to do the right.
Disobeying God’s will today may not seem a serious thing, but it will appear very serious when the Lord returns and examines our works (Col. 3:22–25).
To attain spiritual maturity a believer must do the good they now know. They must stand confidently on God’s Word even in trials and temptations. They must compassionately serve their brethren without prejudicial favoritism but with practical faith. They must speak carefully with a controlled tongue and wise, cultivated thought. They must submit in contrition to their all-powerful Father, Law-giver, and Judge with a humble spirit, just action, and a trusting heart. They must be what God wants them to be, do what God wants them to do, speak as God wants them to speak, and sense what God wants them to sense.
[1] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald B. Allen, H. Wayne House, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: Nelson, 1999), 1670. BDAG – “to take pride in something, boast, glory, pride oneself, brag.” Strong’s 2744. DBL – “boast, brag about, rejoice in, glory in.”
[2] J. Ronald Blue, “James,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 830.
[3] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald B. Allen, H. Wayne House, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: Nelson, 1999), 1670.
[4] Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1996),n.p.