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JAMES: LESSON 9
IX. PRACTICAL FAITH: REFRAINS FROM PRESUMPTUOS JUDGING AND PLANNING (4:11-
A. Speak not against or judge a brother (4:11-
1. Presumptuous judging speaks against and judges law.
2. Presumptuous judging manifests one as judge instead of doer of law.
3. Presumptuous judging places one in position of dethroning God.
a. Only God is lawgiver and judge.
b. Only God is able to save and destroy
c. Who are you that judges neighbor?
B. Plan not your activities without consciousness of God (4:13-
1. Planning – Today or tomorrow travel to city – spend year – get gain.
a. Presumptuous – “We will”.
2. Presumptuous planning does not consider man’s limitations.
a. Man does not know what shall be on the morrow.
b. Man’s life is a vapor – appears for a little time then vanishes away.
3. We ought to consider God in our plans.
a. We should say, “if the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that.”
4. Presumptuous planning can be both sin of commission and omission.
a. Boasting (without God) of what one will do is evil.
b. Knowing to do good (include God in plans), and doing it not is sin.
QUESTIONS:
1. Does the condemnation of judging a brother mean that a Christian must not speak against a sin that a brother has committed? Explain your answer.
2. Why is judging a brother the same as speaking against or judging the law?
3. In presumptuously judging our brother, what do we foolishly ignore?
4. Does God condemn future planning for our lives? Explain your answer.
5. What two facts about life should never be ignored? What blessings come when not ignored?
6. What ought we to say in regard to our plans? Is it necessary to say these exact words? Explain your answer.
7. Do men sin by only “doing” evil?
Explain your answer.
JAMES – LESSON 10
X. PRACTICAL FAITH: SEEING THE END WITH PATIENCE; SPEAKING THE TRUTH (5:1-
A. The corruption of the wicked rich (5:1-
1. Their wretched state:
a. Riches are corrupted or rotten.
b. Garments are moth-
c. Gold and silver are rusted.
d. Corruption is a testimony against them and their final treasure.
2. Their ungodly actions:
a. Defrauded their hired laborers.
b. Lived the soft life while condemning the righteous in the courts and killing the unresisting righteous.
B. The patience of the righteous unto the coming of the Lord in judgment (5:7-
1. Like a farmer who waits for the maturing of a precious crop.
2. Establishes heart without murmuring knowing that the Lord is near standing at the doors.
3. Follows the examples of patie nce:
a. True prophets who were patient in suffering
b. Job who was patient in suffering.
(1). Blessed in the end.
C. The word of the righteous is their bond (5:12).
1. Avoid allowing oaths to be the basis for fulfilling promises.
2. “But let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay.”
3. Avoid the condemnation of God by fulfilling promises.
QUESTIONS:
1. How does James’ condemnation of the rich relate to the brethren?
2. What proper perspective of riches do you have reading this portion of James?
3. The riches of the wicked were a _________________________ against them. (Explain how this is so)
4. What wickedness brought the rich under condemnation?
5. What characteristic of patience should brethren have?
6. What encouragement does James give those who would be patient?
7. What should we NOT do in our patience?
8. What are two great examples of patience in suffering?
9. Why should these examples be encouraging unto us?
10. What facet of our speech would involve oaths?
11. What does “let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay” mean?
12. What happens if “your yea is not yea”?
13. Does 5:12 prohibit swearing an oath in a court of