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Showing posts from June, 2010

Forward planning and the will of God

James 4:13-17 The book of James is so practical. And these verses are particularly practical. They are verses which sum up the section that begins in James 3:13 .   It is a section which challenges our arrogance and rebukes us for our refusal to put God first. We saw last week, when James says ( James 4:5 ) that we cannot be both friends of the world and friends of God. Someone asked me, ā€˜Does that mean I canā€™t like the world or care for the world or buy nice clothes?ā€™ No, but it does mean that we must not make this world our reference point; we must put our desire for God before our desires for the things of this world. It is about submission before God, ā€˜Submit yourselves therefore to Godā€™ ( James 4:7 ). And in particular James challenges our boasting.   In 3:14, he says, ā€˜But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truthā€™. And now, he writes, ā€˜As it is you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.ā€™( Ja...