James 4:11-17
The Mechanism of Faith

Takeaway: Real faith functions in humility—submitting to God’s authority, not seizing His throne.

Introduction: “When We Forget Our Place”
Illustration:
A pilot once shared that the most dangerous moment in aviation isn’t when a storm hits—it’s when
the autopilot fails and the pilot forgets who’s in control. Many spiritual crashes happen the same
way. We forget who sits on the throne.
Transition:
James calls us to remember that faith is not just belief in God—it is submission to His rule. In
this passage, he shows us two ways we try to take God’s place:
1. When we judge others.
2. When we plan proudly without Him.
TRANSITION
Pride is a funny thing. We can easily spot it in others, but we can’t see it in ourselves. Some of the
proudest people I have ever met thought of themselves as being very humble and were very critical
of pride in others. Most of us are a lot prouder than we would like to believe. 1

Major Point 1: God Alone Sits on the Throne (James 4:11–12)
“There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, He who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to
judge your neighbor?”
A. God’s Throne Is Not for Sharing
 God delegates work—but never His throne.
 From that throne comes the Law.
 From that throne comes righteous judgment.
 He alone saves and destroys.
Cross-reference: 1 Corinthians 6:2–3 — Saints will one day judge the world and angels, but only
under His authority, never above it.
Even then, our authority will be delegated, not divine.

1 Roger Ellsworth, Opening up James, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2009), 138.

Quote: Curtis Vaughan — “He may delegate various functions and responsibilities to human
representatives, but He permits no man to share His judgment seat, or to cancel or modify His
laws.”

B. What It Means to Speak Evil
“Speaking evil” (Greek katalaleō) means to speak against, slander, or run down others.
“Curtis Vaughan writes, ‘To “speak evil” … of a person is to find fault with him, to speak
disparagingly of him, to gossip maliciously about him.’ Some people think fault-finding is their
spiritual gift!” 2
Illustration:
Imagine a man standing before the judge in court and suddenly walking up to sit in the judge’s chair.
He might even say, “I was just trying to help.” The bailiff would say otherwise. That’s exactly what
happens when we take God’s place in judging others.
C. The Price Tag of Judging Others
 When we speak evil of others, we set ourselves above the law (v.11).
 “Law works that way,” says Gordon Keddie: “you either submit to it or set yourself above it.”
 The Christian’s goal is not condemnation but restoration.
Scriptural Support:
 Romans 8:1–2 — “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus…”
→ Our goal is to see our fellow believers free from sin’s rule, not chained by our judgment.
 John 8:10–11 — Jesus to the woman caught in adultery: “Neither do I condemn you; go, and
sin no more.”
→ Every true Christian shares this story—saved from condemnation to walk in freedom.
Illustration:
A lighthouse doesn’t criticize the ship for straying; it just shines the light to guide it home. That’s the
mechanism of faith—it restores, it doesn’t condemn.
Transition:
When we try to sit on God’s throne, we fall into pride. But James isn’t done—he now shows how
pride also creeps into our plans.

2 Roger Ellsworth, Opening up James, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2009), 139.

Major Point 2: Life Is a Mist—Plan with Humility (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…”
A. The Problem Is Not Planning—It’s Presumption
 Planning is wise.
 Presuming on tomorrow is pride.
 These believers were boasting in their plans and anticipated success—leaving God out of the
equation.
Illustration:
In 1912, the Titanic was launched with the words, “Even God Himself cannot sink this ship.” Yet, hours
into its maiden voyage, the “unsinkable” ship sank. The issue wasn’t engineering—it was arrogance.
Truth:
When we boast about our control, we forget our contingency: life is a mist.
B. What Is Your Life?
 James 4:14 — “You are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”
 We can measure our days by clocks and calendars, but only God measures them by purpose
and eternity.
 Faith’s mechanism works through dependence, not self-confidence.
Illustration:
Morning fog looks thick at dawn, but by midmorning, it’s gone. That’s our life. The proud man
builds as if fog is stone; the wise man builds with eternity in mind.

C. The Right Posture: “If the Lord Wills” (v.15–17)
 True faith plans, but submits plans to God’s will.
 “If the Lord wills” is not superstition—it’s surrender.
 Faith acts boldly, but humbly.
Application:
 When was the last time you made a plan and truly sought God’s will first?
 Do your words about others reflect your submission to His law?
 Is your schedule built around your will or His?

Conclusion:

Faith is the engine that runs on humility and dependence.
When we:
1. Judge others, we hijack God’s seat.
2. Plan proudly, we hijack His sovereignty.
But when we walk humbly, our faith engages properly.

NOTES:
Christians attacking one another! We have a tendency to dismiss it as a trivial thing. James refuses to
do so. He wants his readers to stare this ugly thing in the face. He begins by telling them that such
evil-speaking means setting themselves above the law. 3
Gordon Keddie notes, ‘Law works that way: you either submit to it or set yourself above it!’ 4
12  There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? 5
— James 4:12
When we judge other Christians without love and mercy, we are making ourselves lawgivers; and
God is the only Lawgiver. 6
- The goal of a Christian is restoration, not condemnation.
o If a brother or sister is found in some sort of sin (keyword found, not assumed), then
the mission is to restore, not condemn.
o Romans 8:1-2
 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2  For the law of
the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 7
 The point is to see our fellow Jesus kingdom villagers free from the rule of
sin.
 The danger that James is exposing is: We see our fellow Jesus kingdom
villagers taken captive, and we decide, the reason, the course followed for
that person to have been ambushed by a capture.
 The point is to see them set free!

o John 8:10-11
 10  Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one
condemned you?” 11  She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I
condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” ]] 8
 The woman was saved from condemnation.
 This is the story of every true Christian

3 Roger Ellsworth, Opening up James, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2009), 139.
4 Roger Ellsworth, Opening up James, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2009), 140.
5 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jas 4:12.
6 Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1992), 732.
7 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ro 8:1–2.
8 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jn 8:10–11.

13  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”— 14  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. 9 — James 4:13-14
- “But these believers were boasting of their plans and anticipated success.” 10
= It isn’t so much the plan but the lack of consideration of the bigger picture.