Gospel Light Christian Church Thru-The-Bible Series (31.5)

The General Epistle of James

James Chapter 4:15-17 - Read this Bible passage once through before referring to the notes below.

v15.     What about those that plan as if they will never fail in their plans?  Listen to what the Bible has to say about this: For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another (Ps 75:6-7).

Long ago, Solomon wrote under inspiration: To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace (Eccl 3:1-8).  This simply goes to show that man is not in control of himself.  God is sovereign, and He rules and overrules in the affairs of men.

If that is the case, then what should we do?  James says: For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.  That is perfectly sound advice, and that is what we should do. In essence therefore, James is saying that we must consider the fragility of human life, and the fact that we live and move only at the permission of God.  Lest it be misunderstood, we should note that James is not discouraging us from planning and doing, only from planning and doing apart from a reliance on God.

v16.     But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.  It is nothing but sheer arrogance that makes us think that we can live and move and have our being independent of God; this boastful arrogance is the essence of sin: a prideful independence, the root of all sin (as was the case with Lucifer (Isa 14:12-15) and Adam (Gen 3:5-7).

Since we are referring to Isa 14:12, let’s take a look at how the NIV Bible deals with this verse.

The KJV on Isa 14:12 reads: How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

The NIV on Isa 14:12 reads: How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!

Now ask yourself this question:  Who has been cast down from heaven?  The KJV says it is Lucifer (the pre-fall name of Satan).  The NIV says it is the morning star.  The question then becomes, Who is the Morning Star according to the Bible?  Is Lucifer another name for the morning star?  Let the Bible answer this!

The KJV on Rev 22:16 says: I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

The NIV on Rev 22:16 says: I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.

So both the KJV and the NIV agree on Rev 22:16 that our Lord Jesus Christ is the morning star.   Therefore the name morning star is not another name for Lucifer!  The NIV rendering of Isa 14:12 would therefore mean that it was Jesus Christ (the morning star) who was cast out of heaven.  This is blasphemous!  Be careful therefore on which Bible version you use in your devotion! 

v17.             Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.  James knows that it is far easier to think about and talk about humility and dependence on God than it is to live it; yet he makes the mind of God plain: as we know these things, we are accountable to do them. 

Knowledge without practice is imputed to a man as great and presumptuous sin. James reverts to the principle with which he started. Nothing more injures the soul than wasted impressions. Feelings exhaust themselves and evaporate, if not embodied in practice. As we will not act except we feel, so if we will not act out our feelings, we shall soon cease to feel.