JAMES 4:13\u201317<\/b><\/p>\n
Instead you ought to say, \u201cIf it is the Lord\u2019s will, we will live and do this or that\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
(James 4:15).<\/i><\/p>\n
James 4:15 says that we should always have the attitude about our plans that we will do this or that \u201cif the Lord wills.\u201d In Latin, this phrase is Deo volente<\/i> (day-oh vo-len-tay), \u201cGod willing.\u201d There was a time in the history of the church that Christians were so conscious of this fact that they reminded themselves of it all the time by sprinkling this Latin phrase throughout their writings, letters, wills, contracts, and so forth. So common was the practice that often the initials of this phrase, D.V., were used as an abbreviation. In conversation, people would add \u201cGod willing\u201d to their statements, as in \u201cI\u2019ll see you tomorrow, God willing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course, it is possible for such a phrase to become hackneyed and routine, but we have lost something by seldom using it at all. After all, we see Paul using this phrase in Acts 18:21, Romans 1:10, and 1 Corinthians 4:19. Even if we don\u2019t say it aloud, we should always have Deo volente<\/i> in the back of our minds.<\/p>\n
James says that though we are the images of God, and thus precious to Him, yet in ourselves we are like mere vapors. It only takes the slightest breeze to blow our lives away. If we want our lives to have solidity and substance, we must commit ourselves and our hopes to the Lord, and to Him alone.<\/p>\n
In verse 17, James adds a further thought to his discussion. He tells us that if we know what is right, and don\u2019t do it, we sin. Now, in a larger sense, we sin against God even if we don\u2019t know what He requires, but the Bible takes this into account, distinguishing between high-handed sins and sins of \u201cinadvertency\u201d\u2014sins committed in some kind of state of ignorance.<\/p>\n
James\u2019s audience, however, consists of people who have a Jewish background, like church people today. They knew, and we know, that God is sovereign over all of life. They knew, and we should know, that all plans are at His disposal. They knew, and we must also know, that all our ways must be committed to Him, Deo volente.<\/i> If we know this\u2014and we do\u2014and yet do not live in accordance to this knowledge, then our faith is hollow and vain. It is the false faith James has already criticized so eloquently in chapter 2 of his epistle.<\/p>\n
CORAM DEO<\/b><\/p>\n
Titus<\/p>\n
WEEKEND<\/b><\/p>\n
Hebrews 1\u20137<\/p>\n
Take a ball point pen and write D.V.<\/i> on the back of your right hand if you are right-handed, your left if you are left-handed. Throughout the day, when you see these initials, remember to commit your ways and your plans to God. Begin to cultivate a sense that all your endeavors are at His disposal.<\/p>\n
For further study: Prov. 16:33 \u2022 Isa. 2:22; 14:24\u201327<\/i><\/p>\n
WEEKEND<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
JAMES 4:13\u201317 Instead you ought to say, \u201cIf it is the Lord\u2019s will, we will live and do this or that\u201d (James 4:15). James 4:15 says that we should always have the attitude about our plans that we will do this or that \u201cif the Lord wills.\u201d In Latin, this phrase is Deo volente (day-oh … Continue reading “DEO VOLENTE”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12130"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12130\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}