Life is a vapour, Part 2

James 4:14-17

“MOM!!! he’s bugging me!!” “I didn’t touch him.” “He’s waving his hand in my face.” “But I didn’t touch him” (said in a sing-song voice).

The old game of putting your hand in someone’s face without actually touching them has been a patented go-to move for big brothers, little sisters and insurance agents for years. Not actually harming the intended victim, but certainly not helping them either.

This type of wrong philosophy of “If I’m not doing bad, I’m OK” isn’t just stuck on eight-year-old boys and five-year-old girls, it’s prevalent throughout the fabric of our society.

God, however, looks on far more than just the external actions; he also looks on the hearts and the motives.

Because life is so short and transitory, the wrong attitude would be to live for oneself without any thought to God’s will or direction for my life.

James now gets to the right attitude.

(Jas 4:15) For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

Our life ought to be characterized by a desire to do the Lord’s will.

This phrase, ‘Lord’s will,’ or the concept ‘will of the Lord,’ is nowhere found in the OT, but is used several times in the NT. That’s interesting and I believe it has a direct connection to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our lives upon our conversion.

Unfortunately, this saying can become a cliché, and that is what we want to avoid.

This proper attitude is contrasted with the wrong but socially acceptable attitude of independence from God, and boasting about it.

(Jas 4:16) But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

James ends his thought with a warning.

(Jas 4:17) Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

This is a funny verse, and it doesn’t seem to fit, but James has a reason for putting it here. With life so short...

With an attitude of others and God rather than oneself...

We ought not to neglect taking an opportunity for good.

Sometimes we just think doing BAD is sin, James wants us to know, NOT doing GOOD is sin as well.

This means that our faith needs to be characterized not by just what we don’t do.

Many Christians are quite proud of the fact that they don’t drink, smoke or chew, or run with the girls that do.

But, actively sacrificing themselves to show love and help to others is not high on their priority list. And by ignoring others, they are just as in danger as living for self as the hedonist we described last time.

Solomon in the book of Proverbs put it this way;

(Pro 3:27-28) Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.