Study 7 from “The Work of Faith” Study on James: James 4:11-17
“Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee,
swift and beautiful for thee.”
- Francis Ridley Havergal (1874), from “Take My Life, and Let It Be”
Questions for initial thought: What does it mean to be “humble” before the LORD? How should humility play out in my daily life, practically speaking? What should it *not* look like? How can I know if I am growing in Gospel-humility?
What keeps us from doing the work of faith, and especially, from serving others? James has spent the first two chapters of his letter making a case for being “doers” of the Word, and allowing faith to be shown through action. If we have indeed received “the implanted word,” then the LORD is at work, giving us all the wisdom needed to act in faith to bear fruit as He has purposed! But as James moves into the “doing” section of his letter, we may be surprised to find that such fruit first looks like “taming the tongue” and “controlling worldly passions” rather than simply doing what we might consider “good works.” And this calling is harder, because James is showing us that the fruit of faith does not come from a need to earn our standing before God, but from an inward heart-examination, as we let the LORD transform our hearts, and then our actions, by His gospel truth.
So James calls his readers to heart examination, to confession of sin before the LORD, and to humility before His throne. It is this humility, as we will see, that frees us from the constraints of our own plans, and allows us to love and serve our neighbor, as the Spirit softens our hearts to hear His voice. James shows us that humility serves as the antidote to “works-paralysis” as it triumphs over judgment, over boasting, and prompts us to action as we consider others better than ourselves (cf. Phil 2:3).
Humility or Judgment? (vv.11-12)
Ask Yourself: How is “speaking evil against one another” related to learning humility (as in v.10)? How is it related to taming the tongue? Why do you think James would give this “growth-check”? Where have we heard these themes previously in James?
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you,” James writes, as he urges his readers to control worldly passions (Js 4:10). But how does it affect our lives and witness as Christians when we fail to practice humility? How does a lack of humility lead to a “works-paralysis” and hamper our witness? James is going to answer those questions in these next verses, because learning humility before the LORD is not just about our own lives, but about the growth of the church!
On the one hand, a lack of humility means we are on a quest to “exalt ourselves,” whatever the cost. If we neglect to view ourselves in the mirror of His perfect law and His perfect grace, we forget the beauty of His promise to make us sons and daughters and heirs. We seek our pleasures and affirmation in worldly treasures and passions. And this search for self-exaltation often comes at the expense of others. So James offers his readers a “growth-check.” If we are willing to “speak evil against one another” (Js 4:11) or bring judgement in order to try and make ourselves look good, we need to return to the mirror of His law and grace.
Perhaps “speaking evil” sounds too strong to be something we might find in our lives and churches. But it creeps in subtly! James says that it is happening even among the church, as he addresses the “brothers”! Perhaps it looks like gossip, or like a “gentle” whisper about “how she dresses” or “what he does in his spare time.” It flows out of a desire for making oneself appear better or more righteous in light of the sins or misfortunes of another. It is an outworking of the sin of partiality, of misplaced passions, and of an untamed tongue.
To put it in another way, James says that “speaking evil” against another is a form of judgment. As such, it comes from a heart that is not humble before the Lord, and a life that has forgotten the Law of Liberty. “The one who speaks evil against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law” (Js 4:11). If we are quick to speak evil against a brother or sister in Christ, James is cautioning us to think about what it means to focus first on the plank that is in our own eye, before trying to remove the speck in someone else’s (cf. Matt 7:3-5). Yes, “speaking evil” means that we have become simply “hearers” of the Word, rather than “doers”. Like we have seen over and over again in James, knowledge and words are not enough. If I am not convinced of my own need for God’s grace and truth in my life, how will I be able to speak and show His grace to those around me?
Rather than self-exaltation at the expense of our brothers and sisters, humility looks in the mirror and sees a man or woman who has been judged under the “law of liberty.” It recognizes that “There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and destroy” (Js 4:12). Humility frees us to focus on doing the Royal Law through Christ the Savior’s strength, instead of judging by it. Humility frees us from our works-paralysis to serve others from a heart that knows His grace, because Jesus is the Judge who offers life and grace under His law of liberty.
Humility or Boasting? (vv.13-16)
Ask yourself: What are we to do with our earthly passions? How do we control them? And how is this related to our works?
But sometimes a lack of humility and works-paralysis appears not as we judge others, but as we become so caught up in our own plans and achievements that we completely ignore anyone (or anything) else! “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” James warns (Js 4:13-14a). James is not saying that making business plans is wrong. But the problem is when those plans are not submitted before the LORD. They become the reason for boasting, for looking good in the eyes of others. The problem is when human plans become more important than God’s plans; when they stand in the way of serving others; when they replace humility.
In this sense, James’ context was not so different from our own. Making a profit and being successful in business were valued, and a sign of achievement and status. And yet, James echoes the words of Proverbs, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring” (Prov 27:1). When human plans (for business or just for daily life) become our reason for boasting, we place all our focus into achieving them, forgetting that it is the LORD who holds the future. When we are so certain that we must achieve a certain goal, we will not and cannot go out of our way to care for someone that the LORD is placing in our path, because it would ruin our own plans. It is the opposite of humility, before God and before others.
So James reminds us, “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (Js 4:14b). These words purposefully echo the introduction of his letter, where he urged the rich to boast “in his humiliation, because like the flower of the grass, he will pass away” (1:10). Instead of relying on human plans and wisdom, humility before the LORD boasts in HIS plans and wisdom. It recognizes that it is the LORD who clothes the flowers of the field and the birds of the air; and He will care for His children, as they seek to serve Him above all else (cf. Matt 6:25-34).
As James points out, humility says “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that” (Js 4:15). Humility focuses on His provision, and His purposes. It frees us to see our own humanity in light of His sustaining grace. Humility means that, rather than vainly boasting in human plans, we can become instruments of His grace for others. It allows us to “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Phil 2:3), because we have the implanted word at work in our lives! Yes, as James says, boasting in arrogance “is evil” (Js 4:16). But he invites us to boast rather in the LORD, and what He has done for us (cf. 1:9-10). Human boasting will fail; but boasting in Him points ourselves and others to the greatest hope and assurance.
Humility or Inaction? (v.17)
Ask yourself: How can we do the “work” of leaving behind earthly passions? What does it look like to find joy and fulfillment in Jesus instead? How can we train our hearts?
The result of a lack of humility – be it through judging others, or through boasting, or both – is that we become paralyzed to the work of faith and service to which James (and the Gospel) calls us. So James closes this section on learning the work of humility with a warning: “whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (Js 4:17). These may seem like strong words, and yet this is the work of faith and God’s implanted word within us! In Christ Jesus, we are under the law of liberty, and we can and must act as He leads, in a response of faith and humility. He is at work.
It is little wonder, then, that James does not give a checklist of things to do here. Rather, the work of faith, as he has been describing it, looks less like lists, and more like yielding to the wisdom and pricking of the Spirit at work within us. “The right thing to do” becomes clear as we see Jesus, humbling Himself for us, giving up everything, that we might have it all. “The right thing to do” is evident as we humble ourselves before the Savior who loves us, and seek the wisdom that He gives freely and without reproach. The particular actions may look different for everyone, but work from the heart is the same. It means speaking, serving, loving others in humility, out of reliance on His grace and promise to work in and through our actions.
Yes, as we learn to humble ourselves before the LORD and trust His exaltation over our own prejudices or pride, He shows us what it means to serve and reflect Him with good and right actions. It is Christ alone, who gave up everything to serve, who frees us from our works-paralysis, and allows us to entrust our feeble work of responding to His prompting in faith and action. We will not do it perfectly, but He is at work, and submitting to Him means getting to see good fruit of His Spirit in and through us. May we learn more and more to humble ourselves before His throne, and find the joy He offers in serving Him!
Questions for reflection and prayer:
How does today’s study challenge or encourage you? In what areas are we tempted to “speak evil against one another”? How does this reflect a heart that is not humble? How do such words dissuade us from “doing the right thing” before the LORD? In what areas are you tempted to boast, or cling to your own plans over the LORD’s plans for you? How have you seen your own plans get in the way of listening to the voice of the Spirit in your life? What does it look like to learn “the right thing to do”? Where do you need to repent of your work-paralysis, and return to His throne of grace in humility? How does James as a whole offer hope for growth in humility and action together?
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