Sermon Scripture: James 4:13-17
Sermon Title: Looking Ahead without Prideful Presumption
Sermon Outline:
- 4:13: The Extent of Presumption
- 4:14: The Problem with Presumption
- 4:15-16: The Path from Presumption
- 4:17: The Solution to Presumption
If you’re like me, you like to plan.
I would actually go so far as to say that planning is a large part of living. I suspect that many here would at least on the surface agree with that statement. That is to say, most of us appreciate planning at some level.
However, my goal this morning is not so much to talk about planning, although I will to some degree, but instead to show from the book of James that if we’re not careful, we can easily slip into planning without God–something we call PRESUMPTION.
AND SO, my goal this morning is to help us look ahead to our future without presumption.
To do this, we’ll ask and answer three questions:
- What is presumption?
- Why is presumption such a big deal?
- How do we live free of presumption?
Repeat…
Now, to start, let’s set things up logically.
At a practical level, we would likely agree that planning is a good thing when done well, but when done poorly, it creates problems.
Now, what I mean by “good” is that planning done well helps us navigate a quite chaotic and confusing world. Think about navigation. Think about retirement. Yard work. Blueprints for a house. Renovation. Think about education. School and sports schedules. And so much more. So, on the one hand, planning is helpful and necessary in a crazy world.
Yet, we would also agree that it is possible to plan poorly. We’ve all experienced an adventure full of hope and excitement gone awry, haphazard vacation plans ending in disappointment and more than planned for expenses, camping trips coming to a close in rain-soaked sleeping bags and gear, and so much more.
This happened to my brothers and me one spring break. There we were, tents up, one day of fishing behind us, and then the rain hit in the middle of the night. The wind blew our tents over on top of us, and we got soaked. A trip that began with hope ended not only with us getting miserably wet but also with our boat barely being saved from sinking, as it had been tied up incorrectly at the dock during the storm. Ugh. Poor planning caught up with us on that trip!
But plans coming to fruition are equally satisfying, as poor plans are profoundly painful. In other words, sometimes plans succeed, and we enjoy that, don’t we?
Can y’all relate?
Now, to make this more relevant to us today, what do failed and successful plans reveal about our hearts…our desires? How do you respond after your plans failed? Do you resign yourself to fate? Do you ratchet up your grip on your future plans? Is it possible to live with a low-grade anxiety when you look ahead?
On the other hand, what about when our plans succeed? When you hit the mark. When your gut happens to guide you correctly, was it a coincidence? Should we assume “our gut” will guide us once again? How do we respond to a plan that succeeds? Are we to assume you know best, like last time?
The Bible teaches that, whether success or failure, we must look ahead and rest in God’s providence, committing ourselves to do the next best thing. We must plan, but with God’s Word as our Guide.
What I’m really hoping to get at this morning is this: How do we look at our future with(out) an expectation or assumption that oversteps our authority or power to bring those plans to fruition? To put it another way, how do we NOT presume upon our future–good or bad, success or failure–insofar as we assume the outcome before it occurs?
To put it theologically, how do we plan for our future without removing God?
That’s really the heart of our time together. You’re likely realizing by now that what I’m focusing on this morning is much deeper than planning vacations, retirement, or school schedules. I want us to see, from God’s Word, an insight that reaches into our hearts and touches the nerve of our trust in God. I want us to look at our future with a mindset fixed on God’s glory. I want us to peer down our particular paths of life, guided by God’s Word and in submission to His will, not by our own self-sufficiency, and certainly not in anxiety.
Therefore, despite how well we plan, the fact of the matter and reality is that our lives depend entirely on God. And the book of James helps us to trust God without resignation to fate on the one hand, and without presumption on the other.
Indeed, here in James 4:13-17, James helps us understand that a right perspective does not presume upon God or our future, but acts faithfully in the present. With the right perspectives, we’re able to be faithful.
Let’s read our text this morning: James 4:13-17…
Now, how does this text fit into the book of James? What is the message of the book of James?
James wrote his letter to Christians scattered throughout the Mediterranean and Asia Minor. This letter was not written to a single church but as a circular letter to all Christian congregations. Churches were being planted in the midst of hostile territory as they spread out from Jerusalem. The Spirit of God had been poured out in Acts 2, and the Word of God was sweeping through cities and villages, drawing people to a reconciled relationship with God. In the meantime, the governing authorities were not keen on any new religions that might threaten their grip on power in their regions. Rome was in control, and no group would undermine its rule.
Meanwhile, it was not only Rome, but persecution and threats of persecution also came from the Jewish religious leaders. Reluctant to budge from their positions of influence in Rome, Jewish leaders maintained control over their sacred synagogues and much of the Jewish social life in and around this region.
And so, James’s message was written to guide these Christians and us today to have the right perspective–a godly perspective in a world full of trials and in a hostile environment. Notice how he opens his letter in James 1:2-4…
Thus, having a godly perspective would enable these Christians to live faithfully in the present. In other words, James wanted to separate those who live in alignment with God and those who were merely Christians in name only.
In chapter 2, James explicitly states that there are two kinds of faith: one that works and another that talks. The faith that works, or is expressed, in everyday life is saving faith, and the other faith that does not work itself out in life is the faith of the demonic realm. And so, the book of James is keenly interested in distinguishing between real and false faith.
Put simply, James wrote this letter to equip believers in Christ to endure trials with joy. In other words, there is a direct relationship between a Christian understanding of trials and their joy. To the extent a Christian sees trials as means to mature them, that Christian will “consider” trials with joy and live a life of faith and trust. The opposite is true for those who buckle under trial, becoming prideful, bitter, and antagonistic, or even apathetic.
In chapter 3, James warns teachers and clarifies the kind of wisdom needed to rightly see trials. It’s the wisdom from above. Notice how he describes this wisdom: James 3:17-18.
This leads into James 4, where James offers the key to addressing the problem of perspective. The chapter opens by revealing the source of our troubles and then moves on to share the only biblical response: humility. Indeed, humility manifests itself in many ways, and James wants his readers to understand certain aspects of humility’s expression.
It’s important to note that pride is not necessarily the opposite of humility. Instead, pride is the manifestation of atheism. Pride says, “I do it my way…without God.” At the heart of pride is self-sufficiency. Humility, on the other hand, is one of the many attributes that flow out of saving faith. Indeed, humility is accompanied by gratitude, love, and, really, what Paul describes as the fruit of the Spirit.
Now, let me back up and restate what we’re focusing on this morning. Our aim is to look toward our future with trust rather than pride or presumption. As we get closer to mining how we do this, let me make one key point that James follows throughout his letter. It would be easy to overlook this, and so I want to make this point clear.
When it comes to our alignment with and our relationship to God, there is no middle ground. We are either children of God or we are not. There is the transcendent, and there is the immanent. There is heaven, and there is hell. There is saved, and there is unsaved. And, for us today, there is trust or presumption. There is either dependence on God or dependence on self. Scriptures do not provide a middle way. In logic, we would call this the law of the excluded middle.
And so, here in this section, James gives us two types of speech, two types of knowledge, and two types of actions or behaviors. Each set of two contains both a biblical and an unbiblical expression. One is rooted in humility and faith, and the other is rooted in self-sufficiency and pride. Pride, in this particular context, is marked by presumption. There is no partial presumption. No partial pride. Either we are trusting God, or we are not. To be sure, we’re complex in our emotions, but that offers us no justification for presuming upon God.
Let’s look at the text:
- Speech: vs. 13: You who say… and vs. 15: You ought to say…
- Knowledge: vs. 14: You do not know… and vs. 17: to the one who knows…
- Actions: vs. 17: doing the right thing… and does not do the right thing… (sin of omission)
Now, to the first question:
What is presumption?
Have you ever thought about why we plan? I mean, have you ever really sat down and mapped out your need to put things down on paper? For most of us, we plan because we desire things to be a certain way, and at one level, that can’t be a bad thing, can it? Unless, of course, our plans become a priority. What do I mean?
Let’s look at it this way: Is it ever possible to find ourselves prioritizing our plans over everything else? Is it possible for plans to become too much of a priority? Are there ever times when our plans become the most important thing, ultimately crowding out humility (fear and pride) and, eventually, God? Now we’re getting to the heart of this message today.
Indeed, we all face the same temptation when it comes to looking ahead–to planning for the future. Every one of us, at some level, faces the same problem regarding our future. What do I mean? While planning is part of life, there is a more profound and visceral desire in every person not only to make and implement plans for the future but also to control them. That’s it. That’s the crux of the problem. We are daily tempted with strong desires to control, are we not? We don’t want wet tents, nor do we want to rely only on our gut as we look ahead.
However, that doesn’t deal with the issue. We want to control because we don’t like waiting or the unknown. Indeed, deep down, I believe that every person, at varying levels, desires to control and orchestrate outcomes not only in their own lives but also in the lives of others, especially those we love. And, we do this because we love to control our unknowns. And we love control because we struggle with self-sufficiency. And the heart of self-sufficiency is pride. To put it in a word, we are prideful, and our pride causes us to presume upon our future.
How do we resolve this problem–this problem of planning with presumption? What is the solution to looking ahead with a smile, full of peace, trust, and rest in God?
Back to defining presumption.
What is presumption?
We might technically define presumption as a belief or action marked by assuming (expecting) an outcome without sufficient evidence or authority. Another way to look at this is from a theological perspective. In that case, we might define presumption as planning without God. In other words, presumption has two dimensions. The first concerns an overestimation of ourselves, and the second an underestimation of God.
Planning with unwarranted assumptions and planning without God.
This kind of planning has lost sight of biblical wisdom–it lacks trust in God’s sovereign rule and ultimately in His goodness. Indeed, it’s forgetting the truth, as we see it in Proverbs 16:9: “Many are the plans in the mind of man, but it is the Lord that directs his steps.” Or, the warning in Proverbs 27:1, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.”
So what is presumption? Planning without God.
Let’s look at it in the text: 4:13 “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’”
What do we see here? We see the…
(Point 1) 4:13: The Extent of Presumption
Notice two things: 1. how this verse starts: speech–what we “say”, and 2. how far presumption reaches. Look at the breadth of presumption:
- We presume upon Time (When): Today or tomorrow…
- We presume upon Others: We will go…
- We presume upon Destinations: To such and such city…
- We presume upon Duration: Spend a year there…
- We presume upon Activities: Engage in business…
- We presume upon Outcomes: Make a profit…
At face value, this verse seems to show helpful tendencies toward planning. Think about how you plan anything. Don’t you usually set the time, location, how long you’ll be there, what you plan to do, and whether you hope to make a profit (if it’s a business-related activity)?
However, it’s at the end of this verse that we observe the problem.
What do I mean? Up to the final aspect of this verse, we’re seeing what appears to be good planning. But then the final phrase comes in: make a profit. What is the shift? What is revealed in this statement? Pride. James lays down the essential aspect of presumption implicitly, addressing it explicitly in verse 16.
In his book The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis presents a character named Edmund who is a lot like this planner James is referencing. The scene where Edmund’s pride and ultimately presumption are prominently displayed when the White Witch promises to make him a king, conditioned upon his bringing his siblings back to her.
Now, Lewis’ masterful work presents the heart of pride. Edmund presumed, with limited knowledge and understanding of Jadis’s authority, that he would have his prided desire met. He made plans accordingly and ultimately suffered grave consequences that extended beyond even himself. Indeed, Edmund’s presumption impacted Tumnus, the beaver, and even Aslan, the great Lion.
The heart of Edmund is no different than the heart of everyone who looks ahead with presumption. What is it?
Pride and desire to control based upon our own standards. But we all know it is futile, so do we still struggle? We forget that we’re dependent and limited, as we shall soon see.
And so, what is presumption? Presumption is planning without God.
Now, in verse 14, James reveals why presumption is pointless. He shows us clearly the problem with presumption. Let’s take a look at our second question:
Why is presumption such a big deal?
“Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”
(Point 2) 4:14: The Problem with Presumption
Let’s start by looking at two problems with presumption:
- Our knowledge is limited and finite.
- Our lives are momentary and fragile.
What does it mean to have limited and finite knowledge? “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.”
What does James mean by knowledge? The word he uses is the word that means experiential knowledge. And this word is different than the more common word for knowledge, ginōskō, which is used 252x. Ginōskō “refers to having knowledge or understanding regarding a subject” (Garrett, LTW). James does not use this word here. Instead, he uses the Greek word epistamai.
Why does this matter?
One commentator put it this way: “When used in subtle contrast with γινώσκω (ginōskō), epistamai connotes having experiential knowledge of one person (e.g., Paul) while recognizing the authority of another (e.g., Jesus; Acts 19:15). Experiential knowledge may come from hardship (Acts 19:25; 22:19) or by shared circumstance (Acts 20:18; 24:10)” (Garrett, LTW). James is saying that this person is limited by their experiential knowledge of the future. They just plain have not lived it yet.
Now, it’s also important to point out that the second time James uses “knowing” is in verse 17, which is different even from “knowing” here. We’ll see in verse 17 that James uses the Greek word oida, which means “to know/understand how” (BDAG, 694).
Furthermore, there are at least three other practical things about knowledge that are implicit: (1) our circumstances limit this kind of experiential knowledge, (2) our individual capacity, and (3) the willingness of others to be known, in a relational context.
Think about our own circumstances and capacities for knowledge.
We all know our circumstances dictate our experiential knowledge. Some of us grew up hunting and fishing, while others grew up playing sports and instruments. Some know how to cook well, and others do not. Thus, my experience growing up varies vastly from many of yours: my family heritage, and so much more.
Regarding our capacities, we can all acknowledge that our individual intelligence limits our knowledge, however it is measured. Consider the grade you did not make in school, but would like to have made. What did grades show us? Limited knowledge. Consider the books you have not read. Think about the subjects, topics, matters in things like politics, science, history, philosophy, theology, and so much more that you know very little about.
Third, also consider how our relational knowledge. This is limited by others being willing to be known. In other words, as JI Packer, in his book, Knowing God, shares: “the quality and extent of our knowledge of other people depends more on them than on us. Our knowing them is more directly the result of their allowing us to know them than of our attempting to get to know them” (Packer, 35).
Now, we’ve just examined our limited and finite knowledge in our worldly material sphere. What about when we consider our limited knowledge of God and the mystery surrounding the celestial sphere? The sphere of angels, demons, heaven, and hell. We are baffled by simply looking at the stars. Consider the maker of the stars. Simply think about aspects of God’s nature. The mysteries of providence and His eternal and infinite nature. Ponder God’s omniscience, His omnipotence, and so much more.
It does not take long to show that our knowledge is limited by our own circumstances, capacity, the willingness of others to be known, and God’s transcendence.
In the end, what is James teaching us about knowledge? That we are dependent, therefore, we ought to live that way.
Second, our lives are momentary and fragile.
What does James mean by momentary and fragile? “You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”
The word James uses for vapor is used here and in Acts 2:19. It’s a word that means vapor or mist. It is the word we use for our atmosphere. The point could not be clearer: Our lives are short and brief, and we are easily overtaken by sickness and more. Here one second, like steam from coffee, and then gone as it is whisped away by a breeze into the air.
Therefore, our human limitations and fragile lives ought to make us entirely dependent on God. They ought to push us from trusting ourselves to trusting God. From pride to humility. From self-sufficiency to God-centeredness.
Indeed, we are comprehensively dependent on God. Yet, we presume upon our future as if we had control. Why?
Why do we do this? Again, James gives us an explicit answer, but I want to look directly at the heart of the problem. Listen to this in Genesis 3:6a: “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise…” There it is. The issue of presumption is rooted in the pride of self-sufficiency. “The master of our fate, the captain of our ship.”
Presumption reveals our self-sufficiency–we think we have wisdom apart from God. Why do we persist? At least two reasons: 1. That we rely too much on ourselves, and 2. We rely too little on God.
What does this reveal about us? It reveals that we say a lot. We say, “We’ll do this”, and we say, “We’ll do that,” only revealing our self-sufficiency and our lack of faith. What does this outward expression reveal? It reveals our pride, our self-sufficiency.
To put it another way, presumption reveals an inflated sense of self and a deflated sense of God. God becomes small, and we become great when we fall into presumption.
The primary focus, as we shall soon see, is to do the best with the knowledge you have and to trust God to develop that knowledge, primarily knowledge of Him, as you walk in obedience to His will in His way.
This is the end of pride. This is the decimation of pride.
Again, why is presumption a problem? Our knowledge is limited and finite, and our lives are momentary and fragile.
What’s the way forward? This leads to our third question:
How do we live free of presumption?
The first way is to submit to God, and the second is to do the next right thing. Let’s look at the verses:
(Point 3) 4:15-16: The Path from Presumption
4:15-16: “Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.’ But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.’”
The first way to live free of presumption is to submit to God, and submission is more about the heart than it is about our words–it puts us on the path from presumption.
Notice what he says, “You ought to say…” The Bible does not give you commands with vision. This is the second time James addresses our speech. The first time was incorrect, and this one is correct. James wants Christians to speak in a way that aligns with God’s way.
This is why he directs our speech accordingly: “If the Lord wills…” What does he mean by “If the Lord wills…?”
Note what it cannot mean:
- James does not give us a formula (or prescription) to rehearse before making decisions, “Lord willing…” Although that’s fine if we do, it’s still just talk. It’s speech.
- Nor does James offer us a guarantee that by saying “Lord willing…” we will get what we want. God is not a genie.
So, what is James saying? This is a heart disposition. James is getting at the desire behind the desire. He’s getting at the very heart of our rebellion or submission. Do we trust God entirely? Completely? Do we submit to His will? Do we trust that He is sovereign? In all things?
Can you say, like my friends who said, after losing their daughter to cancer, “God redeems what He allows”?
Our hearts must be aligned with God’s will, entrusting our closest things and people to His care. Does that mean we cannot plan? Of course not, but it means we plan with His will at the center.And so, the first way we live free of presumption is by submitting to the will of God.
What is the second way to live free of presumption? Do the next right thing.
(Point 4) 4:17: The Solution to Presumption
“Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
What is James saying here? Two things:
- You have sufficient knowledge…therefore,
- Do the next right thing with the knowledge you have.
What do I mean by sufficient knowledge? As previously mentioned, James uses the Greek word oida, which means “to know/understand how” (BDAG, 694). One commentator put it this way: “Oida often connotes not only having knowledge but also being able to understand that knowledge” (Garrett, 2014).
In other words, you have the right amount of knowledge to act faithfully.
KEY POINT: Note clearly, the difference between limited knowledge that keeps you dependent on God for the future, and sufficient knowledge that enables you to obey God faithfully in the present.
God has created us for both: our knowledge is limited, implying our dependence on God, yet He has given us sufficient knowledge to walk faithfully and in alignment with His will and His way.
James does not let us presume upon tomorrow, but he guides us, by the Holy Spirit, to do our duty in the present moment. Thus, we replace anxiety with faithfulness; fear with trust; and the spinning of the wheels of our minds with rest in God’s providence, rooted in the goodness of God. It goes something like this, “If God is the Creator and Sustainer, then I can trust Him with my future.”
Os Guinness, in his book The Call, tells a story about his great-great-grandmother, depressed, about to throw herself into the river. However, looking up and seeing a man plowing faithfully and joyfully in the field, and just his work ethic, and his excellence in the present moment, welled up in the strength that inspired her, encouraged her, and recalibrated her perspective on life. In other words, because of this man’s faithful life in the present, she realized that her life had value, and she could do the next-best thing, too. She saw the man in the field simply doing what he knew best. Never underestimate the power of faithfulness in the present.
Conclusion
How do we apply this to our lives today?
In the end, where does presumption ultimately end? We presume upon heaven. At the end of John Bunyan’s book, Ignorance is standing before the entrance to the Celestial City, outlining his reasons for being there and why he should be let in. However, he is refused. He presumed upon his relationship with God, bypassing God’s will and a life of faith. In the end, what’s the way forward for us today?
- Submit to God’s will.
- Seek God’s will
- By seeing Christ submitting and seeking God’s will.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, in an act of submission, Christ bowed His head in prayer to the Father, seeking that His will be done: “If it be Thy will…Thy will be done.” Why did Christ have to do this? Why couldn’t God just let us off the hook?
Christ had to submit to and seek God’s will because we never did, do, or will. Every human has presumed upon God, sought their own will, and has justly borne their consequences. No matter how good, no matter how eloquent, no matter. Everyone has gone astray.
Saying is not enough. Anyone can say, just like anyone can plan. It’s the actions. That proves the nature or the disposition, or the faith. Cross-reference James. Anyone can say your plan, what they think ought to happen, or what they think should happen. It’s always an issue of what is your responsibility? What is your responsibility? Your responsibility is to be faithful with what you have in front of you. Doesn’t mean you can’t plan, but you must be faithful with what’s around you.
Therefore, prioritizing your responsibilities, period. Application. Take some time this week. to map out your responsibilities. Your spheres of responsibility. And ask this question: Which of these are priorities? Or what are the priorities of each of these? And place them. Then, consider what faithful behavior honors God in these areas?
Conclusion on gospel appeal: Hebrews 9.27. It is given for a man once to die and then to face judgment. God’s judgment is just. God will not look past, turn His head away, or wink at our sin.
Perhaps you’re here today. Sin has become like a tamed cobra or a tamed lion, and at some point, it acts out and ravages you, but you tame it again, put it back in its box, and put it back in its cage. Satan’s devices and his ability to torment you pale in comparison to the righteous wrath that God has on all sinners. We don’t coddle our sin. We don’t control our sin. We confess, we submit. We surrender. We repent. We turn away, and we go to the cross. And only then do we find our sin dealt with.
There’s a story in John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. where lions are present, but they have a leash. Have you confessed? Have you repented? Or are you coddling sin? Are you holding a secret sin? Are you keeping it back?
One day, all our words, Jesus tells us, will be exposed. before the King and His judgment, His pure judgment. There’s no partiality. And He will not relent in pouring out His wrath on wickedness. The only way is for you to accept the gift of salvation that He gives you in Jesus Christ.
How is that possible, you might ask? God poured out His unrelenting wrath on His Son. God cursed His Son so that you would receive the blessing. Christ did all your work for you, taking the penalty of your sin, so that He might give you all the blessings of His work. He took the curse of your work, and He gives you the blessing of His work. And it is grace that you see this. Your eyes are open. And you cling to Him, and you receive salvation by confessing your sin, laying it at the altar, turning away from it, and giving it to our Lord.
— May 14, 2026