R. C. Sproul opens his book The Consequences of Ideas by recounting an episode from his life in the summer of 1959. This particular summer followed the completion of his sophomore year in college where he was majoring in philosophy. But the main thing on his mind as the semester drew to an end was not what philosophers he might read over the summer but how he might make some money by getting a summer job.
He notes that several of his engineering friends found pretty lucrative summer jobs, but that he never saw an ad in the newspaper calling for philosophy majors to apply. The market was bleak for one whose skill was found in being able to recount and analyze the teaching of Descartes, Plato, or Kant. But ultimately, he landed a job sweeping floors and parking lots at the local hospital. Sproul humorously notes that when the foreman heard he was a philosophy major, he handed him a broom and said, “Here, you can think all you want while you’re leaning on the broom.”1
One day while he was sweeping the parking lot, however, Sproul had a conversation that stuck in his mind. He was sweeping up to the boundary of the parking area when he saw an older man sweeping in the adjacent parking lot. They greeted one another, talked a bit, and finally the man asked Sproul what he was studying in college. When the man heard that it was philosophy, his eyes lit up. He began throwing out questions to Sproul concerning a number of philosophers to the point that Sproul was astonished and realized that this man knew much more about philosophy than he did.
Of course the reality that a man whose occupation was sweeping parking lots knew so much about philosophy piqued Sproul’s curiosity, and so he asked him how he knew so much. The man then went on to tell the sad story about how he had been a philosophy professor in Germany when Hitler had risen to power. Seeing the danger of Hitler’s thoughts, this man began to teach and speak out against the “values” of the Nazi regime when Hitler had the man’s wife and all but one of his children arrested and executed. He had been able to escape to the United States with only his young daughter. Now, he was distancing himself as far from philosophy as he could, noting that it had cost him so much, and he had settled on sweeping parking lots in order to provide and care for his young daughter.
After noting some thoughts on the effect of World War II, Sproul writes, “I mused on something else that morning, which is why I am recounting the tale here. I was pushing a broom because I lived in a culture that sees little value in philosophy and gives scant esteem to those who pursue it. My friend was pushing a broom, on the other hand, because he came from a culture that gave great weight to philosophy. His family was destroyed because Hitler understood that ideas where dangerous. Hitler so feared the consequences of my friend’s ideas that he did everything possible to eliminate him—and his ideas.”2
I thought of that story this week because the text we’re looking at this morning begins by focusing on and condemning wrong thinking. You see, the Bible reveals clearly the power of ideas and attitudes. Scripture does not just condemn wrong living but reveals the wrong thinking and attitudes that underlie those actions. In fact, when the author of Hebrews wanted to show the power of the Word of God, he did not declare that it will reveals the evil or righteous nature of our actions—though it does that. He noted that it reveals the “thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb 4:12). And when we come to James 4:13-5:6, James reveals two ways of thinking or attitudes that are destructive for the believer. These two attitudes or mindsets are those of self-reliance and self-indulgence. Therefore, I have two main points to the sermon this morning: 1) a mindset of self-reliance is destructive for the Christian and 2) a mindset of self-indulgence is destructive for the Christian. We see the first of these in 4:13-17.
James writes in these verses, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into 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.”
Now, your immediate thought might be to ask, “What exactly is James condemning here?” After all, since we are in a university town, it is probably common to ask and answer the question, “What will you do after graduation?” What’s wrong with answering, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and make a profit”? The answer, according to verse 16, is that it is arrogant. James says, “As it is [that is, saying this as you say it], you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” But why is it arrogant? James shows us a few things.
First, it fails to admit our limited knowledge.
James tells us in verse 14, “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.” You see, James points out here that such a statement reveals too high an estimation of ourselves. By saying confidently that we are going to do something in the future seems to suggest that we know what tomorrow holds, when the reality is that we do not. The economy takes turns we don’t expect, we have issues with health, and unexpected events happen. So, first, speaking positively about future events fails to recognize our limited knowledge.
Second, this statement is arrogant because it fails to acknowledge our fragile and temporary nature.
James not only points out that we do not know what tomorrow will bring but he also points out that our life is passing. He writes, “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (v. 14).
I’ve referenced a story before where Dad and I were emptying a storage shed of all these items that belonged to his grandparents and great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents. He’d kept them in a storage shed for years, and finally recognized that they were more fit for a landfill (and that it was financially wise to get rid of them). And as we were tossing things into this ravine that would be covered up by dirt, Dad said to me, “One day people will be throwing my junk away too.”
And I found myself wanting to say, “No, that’s not true.” But in that moment I realized how true it is. If the Lord tarries one day people won’t know who I am, and my life will not affect their day-to-day life. Again, if the Lord tarries, I’m going to die one day and a generation will come along that doesn’t even know me. As evidence of that, when Dad was telling me whose chair it was we were throwing into the landfill, I had no idea who he was talking about. Those names had just been reduced to a name on a family tree. Even going on generation back, I didn’t even know my mom’s dad because he died when I was only three.
Our lives are like a mist. Just like the fog is around for a bit in the morning and then is gone with the rising of the sun, so our lives are fleeting. We feel like they’re long. We think and often live in such a way that we think everyone else’s life and the future of the world is really wrapped up in us. But the reality is that our life is like a mist, James says, that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Thus, James tells us that we must not fail to recognize that we have very limited knowledge about future events and that our lives are fragile and temporary. Instead, James tells us, we can plan to do things and particularly plan on doing things while we’re living, but we need to acknowledge that God is the one in control of these things. He says, “Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that’” (v. 15). Instead, we should acknowledge, if it’s in God’s purposes, I will live. And if it’s in God’s will, I’ll do this or that. We must acknowledge God’s control and sovereignty in carrying out his purposes and plans and the fact that we are subservient to that.
Now, let’s take a step back from this for a second. Is James’ big contention here that we say, “If the Lord wills” before saying anything so that if someone asks you where you’re going to have lunch today you should not say, “We’re all going to Chili’s if you’d like to join us” but “If the Lord wills, we’re all going to Chili’s if you’d like to join us”? I don’t think that’s the sum of what James is getting at, though it is good and right to acknowledge the Lord’s control in our language. I think the main thing James is condemning here, though, is an arrogance that fails to recognize who we are and who God is that comes out in our speech.
You see, Jesus tells us that out of our heart our mouths speak. So, when we fail to acknowledge our frail and temporary nature and our limited knowledge while also failing to acknowledge God’s control, it very likely reveals that we do not think of that reality in our hearts. Our hearts and minds are not filled with the recognition that we are small, temporary, ignorant, and subservient to God’s plans. And James reminds us in verse 17 that because we know we must think this way, it is sin not to do so.
But, someone might ask, “Why is that such an important issue that we think about those things?” The answer is because ideas have consequences. Simply put, unless we are the kind of people who consider our own ignorance and frailty while also considering God’s control of this world, we will not be the kind of people who exude humility and are therefore given grace by God. Considering who we are and who God is humbles us, allows us to become recipients of God’s grace, and therefore allows us to used by God to bring honor to himself. If we do not think the kinds of thoughts that humble us, then we will be arrogant, and God must oppose us.
Again, as we saw last week, the reason we disobey God’s commands and sin is because we esteem ourselves as being wiser than God. We think of ourselves as able to determine what is okay and acceptable in our lives despite what God says. So, we think or say, “I know there shouldn’t be a hint of sexual immorality, but looking at this image on the computer isn’t really damaging to my soul.” Or we think or say, “I know gossip is forbidden but it isn’t really a big deal to gossip about this person concerning his issue.” And we could go on and on, couldn’t we? And I’m not suggesting that we consciously think or say these thoughts when we sin. I’m simply acknowledging from our text last week that these are the kinds of thoughts that we reveal when we sin.
So, on the one hand, it is only the person who thinks rightly of himself and of God who will flee from sin, recognizing his own ignorance and submitting to God’s wisdom. And it is only the person who thinks rightly of himself and of God who will run toward righteous deeds, even when they seem crazy, because he recognizes his own ignorance and God’s wisdom. So, let us be the kind of people who recognize our ignorance and frailty, who acknowledge our subservience to God’s wisdom and plans, and who therefore are recipients of God’s grace through whom God can honor himself. Instead of living with a mindset of self-reliance, let us live a life in full acknowledgment of our absolute dependence on God. And, now we come to our second point.
Just as James condemns a mindset of self-reliance, so he condemns a mindset and lifestyle of self-indulgence. We see it in 5:1-6. In these verses, there is debate concerning whether James is talking to Christians or non-Christians. Now, there are good arguments for either. Those suggesting that James addresses non-Christians here note that James clearly sees condemnation in their future. That is, James is basically saying to them that they’re on their way to hell. And, if you ask, “Why would James write a letter to the church and address non-Christians?” the answer would be that James is doing two things by this. One, he is encouraging the church who might be persecuted by these individuals. By declaring their judgment, James encourages those who suffer at their hands. Second, by declaring the judgment of those non-Christians who reveal their corrupt hearts through their self-indulgence, James provides a warning for those in the church not to follow a similar path.
Those who think this is addressing professing believers note that this is a letter written to professing believers, so it makes no sense for James to decide to talk to another group. And if you ask why James then speaks as if they’re awaiting condemnation, the suggestion would come back that James speaks this way because those whose lives are wrapped up in self-indulgence will indeed be condemned, even if they profess that they know Christ. That is, they may say one thing with their mouths, but their lifestyle will show they do not know Christ. Therefore, the subtle note here is that the one who lives like this should repent.
Now, I want to recognize that each of these suggestions see the benefit for the believer in this text is to warn them against living this way. That is, though commentators might disagree on whether believers or non-believers are the primary audience, they both agree that this text should serve to warn professing believers who are tempted by or are living in a lifestyle of self-indulgence. That is, James is showing the destruction of a mindset of self-indulgence.
Just as 4:16 showed us that the focus of 4:13-17 was that of arrogance and self-reliance, so 5:5 shows us that the focus of 5:1-6 is self-indulgence. There, James writes, “You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence.” That is, James is condemning them because their mindset was simply one of what they might gain in life. This focus of indulging their selfish desires led them to gather more and more for themselves, but all for not. James writes, Come now, you rich, weep and how for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.”
These individuals have gathered and gathered all the things they wanted, and in the end, their stuff will corrode. They will have nothing to show of lasting value. In fact, all that stuff, James says, will serve as evidence against them. What have they done with their lives? They have gathered stuff that is rotted, moth-eaten, and corroded. They have gathered up stuff as if they and their belongings would be around forever, and now it condemns them.
Further, James shows us that their self-indulgent attitude did not stop with gathering for themselves. It actually led to their abuse of others. He writes, “Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned; you have murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you” (vv. 4-6).
Their desire to gain for themselves led them to cheat those working for them. They withheld their earnings. And the Lord has seen it. By noting that they have condemned the righteous person, James probably means that in court settings, they have overcome the poor, whom they have wronged and basically left him to die (I think that’s what he means by “murdered the righteous person”). This attitude of self-indulgence has led them to focus on themselves and getting all they could while destroying others. And I think this is a warning to us as well.
A mindset of self-indulgence, a mindset that says, “Let me see what I can get for myself,” is a mindset that leads to great evil. And James isn’t alone in showing this. Paul writes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:17-19, “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty [because we can become arrogant when we have riches], nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches [because we can become self-reliant when we have riches], but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”
Do you see here the complete contrast of that pictured by James? When we have an attitude of self-indulgence, we do evil and not good to others, we keep for ourselves and do not share, we gather treasures that are not lasting but will rot and corrode in the last day, and ultimately will be condemned. On the other hand, when we have a heart that sets our hopes on God and longs to obey him, we are ready and eager to be generous and share, we do good to others, we store up treasures in heaven that are lasting, and we will we live a life that shows that we are truly believers and know eternal life.
So, let me ask us this morning as well, “Is our mindset one of generosity and being ready to share that which we have so that others may be blessed and we may have treasure in heaven or is our mindset one of self-indulgence, that looks first to see how we may benefit ourselves and store up treasures that will rot and corrode?”
This is not simply a question that focuses on whether or not we have riches now. This is a question that says, “Where is your heart and mind?” Is your mindset one of generosity or self-indulgence? And if we ask, “Why does it matter?” we will be reminded again that ideas have consequences. The one whose rotting riches serve as evidence in his condemnation held an idea of the good in getting and gaining. And we live in a world that encourages this mindset, don’t we?
It is dangerous to be surrounded by lives of self-indulgence because it’s appealing to us. In fact, sometimes the reasons that we find ourselves reacting so violently to other’s self-indulgence is because we hate the fact that we struggle with it. So, what I want to encourage us to do is to remember our ignorance, temporary nature, and subservience to God’s commands as we seek to develop a mindset toward riches. I’m not going to list off a number of items that we shouldn’t own, or certain models of cars, or the like because that would be irresponsible and careless. But I do want to say, I don’t think that in eternity there will be any regrets over having a mindset that sought to be generous in this life. I don’t think there will be anyone who will say, “I wish I had gained more in my life, lived more luxuriously, and indulged myself a bit more.” The reason no one will regret living generously in this life is because Christ tells us that in doing so, we will store up for ourselves treasures in heaven.
So, instead of laying down rules, this morning, let me ask you what you desire. Do you want to be someone upon whom the Lord lavishes grace and for whom the Lord sets aside eternal treasure? If you do, develop a mindset of recognizing your frailty, ignorance, temporary nature, and subservience to God’s control in this world. That kind of mindset will lead to humility which will cause you to be a recipient of the Lord’s grace. And develop a mindset that says, “I want to be generous and see how the Lord might utilize what I have to fulfill his purposes.” That kind of mindset will lead will lead to a life of good works and sharing that will end in eternal blessings.
It’s easy for us at times to focus on actions, isn’t it? What should I say in this instance? What should I buy or not buy? This text doesn’t answer that question. It rather points us to the attitudes and mindsets that must not govern our lives – self-reliance and self-indulgence – and the kind of hearts must have – humble and generous.
James reminds his congregation in these verses that it is not enough to focus on our behavior but also on our hearts and minds, thoughts and attitudes. Ideas have consequences; thoughts will determine how we live. Therefore, whereas we have no doubt spent time as we’ve gone through this book repenting of our actions, let us repent this morning of wrong mindsets and attitudes, of self-reliance and self-indulgence. And let us pray that God might humble our hearts and give us generous spirits.
And if we want a good model of this, consider Christ, who humbled himself and took on flesh, taking on the form of a servant so that he might die for us. He who created everything that is allowed himself to be hungry and the one who gave every living thing life allowed himself to be killed. The one who was perfectly righteous bore the wrath of God for guilty sinners. The one who owned the cattle on a thousand hills lived without a place to lay his head. But death wasn’t his end; rather, God raised him from the dead and exalted him. Therefore, let us follow in his path, have the same mind among ourselves, and live in a way that seeks the Lord’s blessing. If we do have this mindset, then it will change how we talk, interact, and live as a community. Our biblical ideas and mindset will have the most blessed consequences. Amen.