At the end of chapter 1, James set out three tests of sincere Christian faith: keeping a tight rein on our tongue, looking after the poor and vulnerable, and thirdly keeping ourselves from being polluted by the behaviour and the values of the world. In the proceeding chapters James has looked at each of these three tests in detail.
In our passage today, James is concluding his teaching on how believers can be polluted by the sinful world around us. The call at the heart of chapter 4 is the call for believers to humble themselves before the Lord. James follows this call to humility with a strongly worded warning against the sin of human pride and arrogance that contradicts gospel humility. That warning first of all addresses how we go about making plans in our day to day lives.
Praise:
Application Questions:
- Are there ways in which your plans before lockdown haven’t really reflected God’s will? What needs to change?
- Why is it such good news that God is in control of the future?
- Are there ways in which you aim to have things for yourself, rather than use things for others? If so how do you now have an opportunity to change your attitude and actions?