How to Always do What is Right (Part 1 of 2)

Context from James 4:13-17

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.” 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. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Connecting to Previous Themes of Pride and Humility

We've been studying the book of James, looking last week at concepts related to conflict resolution. James provided wonderful instruction on resolving conflict. We saw from Matthew 5 that unresolved conflict equates to murder in the heart. Jesus taught that if your brother has something against you, leave your gift at the altar, go be reconciled, then return to offer your sacrifice.

One key issue in conflict resolution is pride versus humility. Our actions reveal the degree of pride or humility in our lives. James continues this theme of pride and selfish ambition—the same ambition that fuels conflict and resists resolution. Tonight, he addresses the utter necessity of humility in a peculiar passage.

Verse 17 is often quoted in isolation: "Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." But it's tied to the context with "so" or "therefore." It's not just a Good Samaritan application, though that's valid—if you know you should help a brother in need and have the means but don't, it's sin.

James takes surface applications deeper. Here, knowing the right thing means not boasting. From this foundation, we see why boasting must be excluded and humility embraced. This isn't merely social justice; it's a spiritual issue. James provides the foundation to always do what's right—not just in specific cases, but a framework for every circumstance: relationships, work, school, family, church.

Isn't that advantageous? A principle to discern the right thing in any situation, if we embrace James 4:13-17.

The Destructive Boasting of Autonomous Planning

James addresses those who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town, spend a year there, trade, and make a profit." We may not say those exact words, but it's the attitude of planning life autonomously—five-year plans, ten-year plans, job interview answers like "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

This is someone in the congregation boasting about the future, determining their life apart from God's sovereignty: "I call the shots. I'm captain of my ship." All such boasting is evil. This attitude sets you up for wrong decisions, excluding God's control, leading to spiritual failure—unable to rejoice in trials, grow to maturity, or please God.

Step 1: Stop the Destructive Boasting

To always do what's right, first stop this destructive boasting. It's evil because it's arrogant autonomy from God—not submitting to His authority, like the dead faith in James 2 that acknowledges God but lacks works and submission.

This boasting assumes success apart from God's benevolence. Contrast with James 1: every good and perfect gift is from above. The James 1 person counts trials as joy, has living faith (James 2), heavenly wisdom (James 3), and recognizes all good comes from God. The boaster seeks good apart from Him.

James asks, "What is your life?" For the autonomous planner, it's a mist that appears briefly then vanishes. You don't know what tomorrow brings. Recognize your insignificance compared to God's eternity—your life is vapor, lacking omniscience about the future.

Consider a young man who loved the Lord but struggled with disabilities. He snuck out, drove, and died in a wreck. No one knew tomorrow would bring such loss. Life changes on a dime. Correct pride by pitting your vapor-like life against God's sovereignty. This leads to hopefulness: God controls your life for your good and His glory.

Step 2: Embrace Submission to God's Will

Next, embrace a new attitude: "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." It's not about verbally adding "if the Lord wills" to every plan—like going to Chick-fil-A or church. It's the heart attitude acknowledging God's control, even over your next breath.

This is total abandonment of autonomy. Every moment of life is "if the Lord wills." With this foundation—stopping boastful autonomy and submitting fully—you gain the template to always know and do what's right.