James 4:17 KJV [17] “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”     Here we have one of the Bible’s definitions of sin. Whenever we think of sin, we often think of doing something wrong. James tells us that sin is also when we know to do good and fail to do it. That is called a sin of omission. Once we have received the light of truth in a matter, God expects us to respond to it. He expects us to apply what we know to our daily lives. To …

 James 4:16 [16] “But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.”      James is thinking about those who trust their ability alone to plan their future. The sin in this verse is rejoicing in our own abilities or accomplishments. We often hear and see this in our society today. To place confidence in ourselves is both deceptive and destructive. It reminds me of what the songwriter said when he wrote these words, “The arm of flesh will surely fail you, ye dare not trust your own”.      We are to rejoice in what the Lord is …

James 4:15 KJV [15] “For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.”      James gives us a great principle to live by every day of our lives. He reminds us to make no plans without acknowledging the Almighty. The sovereignty and will of God should rule our speech and daily decisions. We must exalt the Lord in even the most mundane events of life. Here are a few reasons we should always say, “If the Lord will”.      The first reason is that He deserves to be acknowledged. The Lord …

James 4:14 KJV  [14] “whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”      James asks an important question in this verse about life. He wants us to consider life on a personal level. It is a question that every man must ask, and the Bible must answer. What is your life? That is a personal question that demands a Bible answer. Dear friend, you and I cannot properly answer that question alone. I’m so glad the same verse …

James 4:13 KJV [13] “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:”      When you read this verse, think about the plan being considered. Think with me about a couple planning a trip and deciding to take a journey to a certain city. They have already mapped out the route and made accommodations to live there for a year.      This journey is not a vacation but a business venture to buy and sell. I can imagine the …

James 4:12 KJV [12] “There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?”     We have no right to judge people by our standards because our standards are good for nothing. The standard of man could never measure up to the standard of God. Therefore, we must remember that He is the author and judge of the Bible. God is the lawgiver, and He is the judge of this earth. When we stand before Him, the question that will make the difference is, “Do you know the Judge?” Do you have …

James 4:11 KJV [11] “Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.”      James has a lot to say in this epistle about the tongue. He condemns the sins of backbiting, gossiping, and a judgmental attitude. It is shocking that God’s children would even need such a rebuke. You would expect the world to bite and devour each other but never the bride of …

James 4:10 KJV [10] “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”      We cannot say enough about the subject of humility. It is something that we all must be mindful of daily. God expects us to practice humility in every aspect of life. He wants us to be careful that we don’t think highly of ourselves. That is a great temptation in the world we live in today because it is so easy to build a platform for yourself. Many get caught up in self-promotion, and it is acceptable in society. There will …

James 4:9 KJV [9] “Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.”      The Lord wants our lives to be full of joy and laughter. However, there is a time to mourn and a time to weep. We must weep over sin. There should always be an affliction of the soul when we stray from God. That is what James is telling us in this verse. To experience the joy of the Lord, we must repent of our sins.      When I read this verse, it reminds me of the …

James 4:8 KJV [8] “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”      The devil wants us to think that we cannot be close to God. He wants us to believe that it is difficult to have fellowship with Him. The devil is a liar, and we must not listen to his lies. We must trust what God says rather than what Satan tries to put in our minds.      Here we have a clear invitation to draw closer to God. It is such a …