September 1, 2014
I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU JUST DID THAT! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!?!
James 4:11–17
Byron Gossett
Central Truth
Some say that the Book of James is the "New Testament version of Proverbs," in that it can be seen as the "operating manual" for living life. James, the half-brother of Jesus, is very straightforward in his questions to his fellow believers.
Key Verse | James 4:11–12
Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? (James 4:11-12)
James 4:11–17
11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. 1 4:11 Or brothers and sisters The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
Boasting About Tomorrow
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
Dive Deeper | James 4:11–17
James grew up in the same household as his half-brother, Jesus. Scholars tell us that James became a believer AFTER Jesus was resurrected. Can you imagine how confusing it was to live life in the same household as God incarnate and to not realize who He was? What was modeled to James regarding "speaking evil against one another" by his older brother? The perspective that James writes about in his epistle regarding man's tendency toward strife and conflict was undoubtedly formed by his interaction with and observation of everyone else he was related to, EXCEPT for his brother. In verses 11-12, James points to man's tendency toward speaking ill of and judging one another. And this was written to James' believing friends!
So, have things gotten better with time? Take a look at cable news or your local newspaper to see if conflict is on the decline in our world. James seems to have captured a basic reality about man and his tendencies toward conflict. What solutions does he offer?
In James 4:7-8, James spells out the steps toward freedom from the hold of relational conflict: 1) Humble ourselves before God, 2) Resist the devil so that he will flee from us, and 3) Wash our hands and purify our hearts. Verse 10 captures it simply by encouraging us to "[h]umble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." And, then in our passage for today, James gives additional examples of areas in which we need to resolve relational conflict. And he concludes in verse 17 that it is sin for one to know the right thing to do and fail to do it.
So how does that work in 2014? For me, I first have to come to terms with my motives. Do I "want what I do not have," as James suggests in verse 2? Regrettably, I often do. Recognizing this fact is the place to start. I really do need to "own" my faults. Further, I must admit to God that I seek to be changed -- to become humble, with His help, as James suggests. That happens in prayer. Also, the Holy Spirit is our incredible source of personal insight and change! Finally, our personal accountability to fellow believers on ALL that we wrestle with is essential. At Watermark, we call this "community." James gives us encouragement and direction! But knowing the right thing to do is not enough. With God's help and the encouragement of our community, we must also do it.
Discussion Questions
1. Is anyone fully exempt from the condition that James describes in James 4:11?
2. Does this nature of man shed light on conflicts in families, neighborhoods, cities, nations, and the entire world?
3. Has James given the reader a practical set of steps to follow in preventing and resolving conflict?
4. BONUS: What would it have been like to be the younger brother of Jesus?