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Published: March 30, 2023, 7 a.m.

Welcome to Day 2128 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom James – Wisdom is Faith in Action 10 – The Perils of Playing God – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church message – 11/14/2021 James: Wisdom is Faith In Action – The Perils of Playing God We are continuing our series today on the Proverbs of the New Testament, better known as the letter of James.  Last week we focused on what causes quarrels and fights between people, specifically between Christians. It stems from insisting that we have our way. We also learned how to avoid conflicts, by being content and allowing God’s Spirit to control our lives.  James continues with this theme of self-desire and self-reliance in our passage for today.  If we insist on controlling our lives instead of allowing God to guide us, we fall into The Perils of Playing God.  Playing God is split into two sections: Warnings against Judging Others and Warnings About Self-Confidence. So join me on page 1884 in the pew bibles as I read the Scripture for today. I would recommend keeping this passage open as we go throughout the message today: James 4:11-17 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.  There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

• Boasting About Tomorrow

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”  As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.  If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.   Without question, Jesus Christ best demonstrates true humility. He voluntarily gave up His heavenly position and came into the world, became a blue-collar laborer, lived in perfect obedience to God and the Law, and willingly sacrificed His life on the cross for all sins (Philippians 2:6-8). This perfect humility of God the Son becomes a model for us to follow in our pursuit of humility. Paul said in Philippians 2:5, “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” If we back up two verses, Paul warned the Philippians against the same egocentric arrogance that James is focused on. Paul writes in Philippians 2:3-4 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.   In the broader section of his letter (3:13-5:6), James develops the theme that real faith produces genuine humility. He illustrates this cardinal virtue of the Christian faith with powerful words and compelling images. We’ve already seen how he contrasted those wise in their own eyes with those with humble wisdom from God (3:13-18)....