What if Tomorrow Never Comes?

James 4:13-17

Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one Lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy. And that is God so…who are you to judge another?

Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrowwe will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is like a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, if the Lord wills we shall live and do this or that. But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

I.  The picture James draws.

II. The problem that James detects.                                                                       

1) This man doesn’t understand the uncertainty of life. Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.

2) This man doesn’t understand the brevity of life. What is your life? It is a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.                                                                

III. The procedure James describes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills we shall live and do this or that. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

1) Find the will of God.

2) Follow the will of God.      

a) You can ignore the will of God. Today or tomorrow I’m going to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit.

b) You can reject the will of God “to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

c) You can do the will of God. “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

What if tomorrow never comes? Will you be prepared? Will you have any regrets?