Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

All Such Boasting is Evil

James.4:13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow let's go into this city, and spend a year there, trade, and make a profit." 4:14 Whereas you don't know what your life will be like tomorrow. For what is your life? For you are a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. 4:15 For you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will both live, and do this or that." 4:16 But now you glory in your boasting. All such boasting is evil. 4:17 To him therefore who knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

The words of James the half brother of Christ above are often ignored by Christian's feeling they are outdated for our times, and/or not possible to do; that James overstated himself, but actually they fit right into what Christ taught and his apostles.

Matt.6:20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don't break through and steal; 6:21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 6:22 "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. 6:23 But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 6:24 "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can't serve both God and Mammon. 6:25 Therefore, I tell you, don't be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn't life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
6:26 See the birds of the sky, that they don't sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you of much more value than they? 6:27 "Which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment{literally, cubit} to his lifespan? 6:28 Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don't toil, neither do they spin, 6:29 yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. 6:30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won't he much more clothe you, you of little faith? 6:31 "Therefore don't be anxious, saying, 'What will we eat?', 'What will we drink?' or, 'With what will we be clothed?' 6:32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 6:33 But seek first God's Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. 6:34 Therefore don't be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day's own evil is sufficient.

Lets start here with basic truth of Christ. Christ made it clear that those coming to him, that is, through him to the Father would be born again. This was something new, not thought of, or known before Christ. What is a new birth, being born again? Well, according to the holy scriptures, it means the death of our old birth from the sinful flesh (from Adam) and being made new, put into a new life, that is, Christ life. The old life buried, gone, and birthed into a new life of Christ, not the old life, or the fleshly life, nor the will of the old fleshly life, which old will is also dead in Christ Jesus the new life.

John. 3:3 Jesus answered him, "Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew,{The word translated "anew" here and in John 3:7 (anothen) also means "again" and "from above".} he can't see the Kingdom of God." 3:4 Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" 3:5 Jesus answered, "Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can't enter into the Kingdom of God! 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 3:7 Don't marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born anew.'

They were given a new spirit life, with a new mind of the new body they were birthed into, Christ. So What is the mind that now direct their new life by Spirit? Chirst! This is James point; which mind does one listen too? The old mind of flesh; the bible calls the fleshly mind, and/or instead the mind of Christ God the Father has given him as a gift of Holy Spirit? Is the body of Christ, (spirit body) concerned with making a living? Is it concerned with making a name on earth? Is the mind of Christ anxious about tomorrow, or if its going to die from lack of material things? Does the will of the body of Christ worry about planning carefully for its retirement? Does the mind which is the will of the body live in fear of the things coming upon this earth?

1 John 4:9 By this God's love was revealed in us, that God has sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Be perfected, be comforted, be of the same mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

2 Corinthians 5:15 He died for all, that those who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who for their sakes died and rose again.

2 Corinthians 4:11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh.

1 Corinthians 8:6 yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we live through him.

1 Corinthians 2:16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him?"{Isaiah 40:13} But we have Christ's mind.

So in context, why are these brothers judging other brothers and sisters so strongly in their flesh, dead to God, and Christ, when they cannot do the least thing in their own flesh? Can any ones flesh stop being anxious about tomorrow or planning ahead for work? No! Then why boast in something good in our flesh, which is corrupted so it cannot stop doing what God tells it not to? It is something none of us can bring under control by God's laws? The flesh is not to be anxious according to God word, what person would say they can get that done? When the truth says, all we can do in state such an untruth making ourselves a liar?

Romans 8:6 For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace;

Romans 8:7 because the mind of the flesh is hostile towards God; for it is not subject to God's law, neither indeed can it be.

Romans 8:27 He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit's mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God.

Clearly, these brothers and sister weren't being honest with themselves or each other they were planning ahead each day for the will of the flesh, lying against the real truth in being in Christ, but still that did not humble them, putting themelves into consternation over their flesh rebelling constantly against the Spirit. Wherein such a battle they should learn mercy, kindness, and truly come to love undeserved kindness, by knowing the truth of the flesh not in Christ.

James. 4:4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 4:5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously"? 4:6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."{Proverbs 3:34} 4:7 Be subject therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 4:9 Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloom. 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you. 4:11 Don't speak against one another, brothers. He who speaks against a brother and judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge.

The wars they had against their brothers and sisters in flesh by its judgments, was in their own flesh, the very hostility God removed for them by not looking at what is dead to him by the law of love. God was faithful, he hadn't gone back on His word, he had not become fleshly like them, that is, taking up their evil arguments of the flesh justifying its planning ahead to do business. No! God had long ago dealt with the evil, the problem that could not be reformed, he buried it once for all times, it was themselves who were unable to love the truth of the Spirit, they could not stop judging just like they could not stop planning ahead for tomorrow.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2 Timothy 2:13 If we are faithless, he remains faithful. He can't deny himself."

2 Timothy 2:11 This saying is faithful: "For if we died with him, we will also live with him.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you, and guard you from the evil one.

They such actions condemned them in their flesh, surprised? So why resurrect it then boast that their flesh had good motives, or it was better flesh than other with less corruption? Why paint a desert into to lust green garden only to deceive others of its true condition? They were to love truth, what truth? The Christ, the body their were in, which body is where the glory of God dwelt, not in their flesh. When one says otherwise, building up the things of flesh as glorified in Christ they are condemned by the Spirit of truth, just as Adam and Eve were in their sinful flesh.

James.3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don't boast and don't lie against the truth. 3:15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. 3:16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed. 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 3:18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Galatians 2:18 For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a law-breaker.

Colossians 2:12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 2:13 You were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.