Jul. 23, 2025

“ENCOUNTERS WITH GOD”

“PLANNING AHEAD”

JAMES 4:11-17

Psalm 33:11 “The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The plans of His heart to all generations.”

James pointed out three attitudes toward the will of God. Of course, only one of them is the correct one, the one that every Christian ought to cultivate.

1.   Ignoring God's Will (4:11-14, 16)

James 4:11-12 “Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?”

We are not to judge our brethren in Christ, vengeance is mine says the Lord.

But James presented four arguments that revealed the foolishness of ignoring the will of God.

* The Complexity of Life (4:13) 

James 4:13 “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit.”

• The Uncertainty of Life (4:14a)

James 4:14 “whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”

This statement is based on Proverbs 27:1"Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.”

Their attitude reminds us of the farmer in the parable of Jesus:

Luke 12:16-21

"And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry'" (v. 19).

What was God's reply to this man's boasting?

vs.20 ”Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee" 

Life is not uncertain to God, but it is uncertain to us. Only when we are in His will can we be confident of tomorrow, for we know that He is leading us.

*The Brevity of Life (4:14b) 

James 4:14 “whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”

James borrowed that figure from the Book of Job where you find many pictures of the brevity of life.

Job 7:6 "My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And are spent without hope.”

Job 7:9 "As the cloud disappears and vanishes away,
So he who goes down to the grave does not come up."

Job 8:9 "For we were born yesterday, and know nothing,
Because our days on earth are a shadow.”

Job 9:25-26 “Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good. 26They pass by like swift ships,
Like an eagle swooping on its prey.” 

This is referring to the royal couriers that hastened in their missions.

Job 14:1-2 “Man who is born of woman Is of few days and full of trouble. 2He comes forth like a flower and fades away; He flees like a shadow and does not continue.”

Ps. 90:12 “So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Knowing and obeying the Word of God is the surest way to success 

Joshua 1:8 “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

Psalm 1:3 “He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.”

*The Frailty of Man (4:16)

James 4:16 “But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” 

Man's boasting only covers up man's weakness.

Prov. 16:33 “The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord.” 

2.   Disobeying God's Will (4:17)

James 4:17 “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

2 Peter 2:21 “For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.”

Why do people who know the will of God deliberately disobey it?

Luke 12:47-48 “And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.”

What happens to Christians who deliberately disobey the known will of God? (Heb. 12:5-11)

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 

Colossians 3:22-25

3.   Obeying God's Will (4:15)

James 4:15 “Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 

John 4:34 “Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.”

To be sure, there are some things that must be true of all Christians. It is God's will that we yield ourselves to Him (2 Cor. 8:5). It is God's will that we avoid sexual immorality (1 Thes. 4:3). All Christians should rejoice, pray, and thank God (1 Thes. 5:16-18). 

The will of God is "tailor-made" for each of us!

*God wants us to understand His will 

Ephesians 5:17 “Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

We must also prove God's will (Rom. 12:2). The Greek verb means "to prove by experience." We learn to determine the will of God by working at it.

People who keep asking, "How do I determine God's will for my life?”

The secret of a happy life is to delight in duty. When duty becomes delight, then burdens become blessings. 

"Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage" (Ps. 119:54). 

What are the benefits of doing the will of God?

The Christian who knows, loves, and obeys the will of God will enjoy God's blessing. His life may not be easier, but it will be holier and happier.

His very food will be the will of God (John 4:34); it will be the joy and delight of his heart (Ps. 40:8).