The Book of James

One Lawgiver and Judge

Lesson #9 for November 29, 2014

Scriptures: James 4:11-17; Acts 17:11; Hebrews 4:15-16; 12:13-21; Ecclesiastes 2:15-19; Titus 2:14.[1]

1. What are the relationships among God’s law, our love for God, human laws, and our relationships with other people? This lesson will suggest that being critical of law or being critical of other human beings should not characterize Christians.

2. Have you ever thought that you were above the law? Have you ever wanted to criticize any of God’s laws? What about human laws? Why do societies in our day tend to be so disrespectful toward law enforcement? How should we draw the line between being too rigid and legalistic about keeping the law versus being casual about law-keeping and taking an attitude that it is of little concern to us because God’s forgiveness will take care of every sin?

3. Read James 4:11[2] . What does it mean to slander or judge another Christian? When you do so, are you being critical of the law itself? If you are critical of the law itself, are you implying that you are superior to law and, therefore, do not need to keep it? If we believe that we should “do what is right because it is right,” (Christ’s Object Lessons 97) does that make us above the law? How should God deal with people like those described in Joshua 1:16-18[3] ?

4. Read Matthew 7:1-3[4] . How can we determine if we have a “log” in our own eye? Is there a safe way to develop a wise judgment standard even of ourselves?

5. What is spiritual discernment? Is that somehow related to spiritual maturity? See Ephesians 4:13-16[5] ; and Hebrews 5:11-6:3[6] .

6. What biblical guidance is there regarding spiritual discernment? Read Acts 17:11; 1 Corinthians 6:1-5; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Philippians 1:9; 1 John 4:1; and Galatians 6:1[7] . Are we able to say with certainty that we know the truth because we have investigated it for ourselves? Have we demonstrated wisdom in solving differences within our church? Do we honestly evaluate ourselves on a regular basis to make sure we like the Bereans are part of the solution and not part of the problem? Remember also that our faith must keep growing. A faith that stops growing is dead. Dead faith is no better than an idol. Especially in these last days, we are to test everything. Remember that the Devil is working especially hard in our day. It is a life or death matter for him. But, as we look to others, we must help those who have fallen, and we must constantly beware lest we ourselves fall.

7. When we see someone doing something that we perceive as wrong, do we very carefully evaluate the situation from a biblical perspective before we say anything? Do we clearly understand where the line needs to be drawn between spiritual discernment and judging others?

8. One of the important things that we need to remember is that while there are many laws of varying degrees of importance and application explicitly stated in the Old Testament, every valid law throughout Scripture came from Jesus Himself. Even those laws which are called the laws of Moses (2 Chronicles 33:8; Nehemiah 10:29[8] ) were given by Jesus through Moses. Jesus Himself made it very clear that He was the Leader of Israel in the Old Testament. (1 Corinthians 10:1-4; John 5:39; Luke 24:27,44)[9] Thus, when judgment day comes, each one of us will be judged by the words of Jesus. (John 3:17-21; 12:47-48)[10]

9. Aren’t you glad that Jesus is the Judge? (John 5:22)[11] It is so much better to let Him do the judging because He knows the full details of every case. There really is only one legitimate Lawgiver and Judge. (James 4:12)[12] We could not ask for a more compassionate Judge. (Isaiah 33:22; 11:1-5; Hebrews 4:15-16; Revelation 19:11-16)[13]

1. The Pharisees and the scribes were constantly looking for an opportunity to trap Jesus and to condemn Him based on their interpretations of the laws that–while they did not recognize the fact–were actually given by Jesus Himself in the Old Testament. He broke many of their man-made rules and interpretations of those laws but none of the actual laws that He had given earlier. Why don’t we sacrifice animals? Remember that they had developed 613 laws from the books of Moses. It takes much effort to become a lawyer or to–as many of the Pharisees did–memorize large portions of the Old Testament. But, no matter how well you understand the Old Testament, you cannot possibly understand it better than the One who gave those laws in the first place. When Jesus comes back, we will be judged by the truth.

2. There are some apparently contradictory words about the judgment in the Gospel of John. Read the following paragraphs from Ellen White, and notice carefully the biblical references.

God has committed all judgment unto the Son, [John 5:22] for without controversy He is God manifest in the flesh. [1 Timothy 3:16]

God designed that the Prince of sufferers in humanity should be judge of the whole world. He who came from the heavenly courts to save man from eternal death; He whom men despised, rejected, and upon whom they heaped all the contempt of which human beings, inspired by Satan, are capable; He who submitted to be arraigned before an earthly tribunal, and who suffered the ignominious death of the cross,–He alone is to pronounce the sentence of reward or of punishment. He who submitted to the suffering and humiliation of the cross here, in the counsel of God is to have the fullest compensation, and ascend the throne acknowledged by all the heavenly universe as the King of saints. He has undertaken the work of salvation, and shown before unfallen worlds and the heavenly family that the work He has begun He is able to complete. It is Christ who gives men the grace of repentance; His merits are accepted by the Father in behalf of every soul that will help to compose the family of God.

In that day of final punishment and reward, both saints and sinners will recognize in Him who was crucified the Judge of all living.—Ellen G. White, MS 39, 1898; RH, Nov. 22, 1898; 7ABC 483.2-4; 6BC 1100.6; Mar, p. 341.5; HP 359.4. [Bold type and content in brackets are added.]

1. In your mind do you regard the final judgment of God at the end of this world’s history to be in any sense arbitrary? Is God, or perhaps Jesus, the One who will decide whether or not each person should be rewarded or punished? Read again John 3:17-21; 12:47,48[14] . In the judgment, Jesus simply reveals the truth as to who is safe to admit to the heavenly kingdom! We can be sure that He will take everyone to heaven who is safe to be there.

2. Read James 4:13[15] . Next, James turned his attention to the rich. Is it wrong to plan for your financial future? Of course, in Jesus’s day, there were no retirement plans, 401(k)s, or government pension plans. In order to be certain that one would be cared for in his old age, he might have needed to have a large amount stored away.

3. Read Luke 12:13-21[16] . Was this man, who probably was a hard worker, wrong in trying to secure his future? Doesn’t God want us to have not only short-term but also medium-term and long-term plans for our lives? How do medium-term and long-term plans fit with the fact that we know that one day everything left on this earth will be consumed in the flames? (See 1 Peter 3:10-12[17] .) Are these two concepts diametrical opposed to each other? Someone has suggested that we should “plan as if Christ is not coming for years but live each day as if Christ is coming tomorrow.”

4. What is implied when we make a statement about the future and then say, “The Lord willing”? Do we have any way of knowing for sure if the Lord wills it? Is it reasonable to ask God to show us if our plans are wrong?

5. James went on to point out that for Christians–and especially those who believe in the imminent return of Jesus Christ–storing up more and more supplies for the future is a mistake. In James 4:14[18] , he reminded us that, in fact, our lives are nothing more than a wispy cloud or as Solomon suggested a vapor or a breath of wind. (See Ecclesiastes.) Like Solomon, James reminded us that we can never know for sure what tomorrow will bring.

Beware of procrastination. Do not put off the work of forsaking your sins and seeking purity of heart through Jesus. Here is where thousands upon thousands have erred to their eternal loss. I will not here dwell upon the shortness and uncertainty of life; but there is a terrible danger–a danger not sufficiently understood–in delaying to yield to the pleading voice of God’s Holy Spirit, in choosing to live in sin; for such this delay really is. Sin, however [33] small it may be esteemed, can be indulged in only at the peril of infinite loss. What we do not overcome, will overcome us and work out our destruction.—Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 32.2-33.0.

1. Look at what Solomon said in Ecclesiastes on this subject. Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:15-19; 4:4; 5:10; 9:11-12[19] . Look around our world today, and watch to see what people are striving for. Would it be correct to say with Solomon: “Vanity of vanities; all is vanity”? (Ecclesiastes 1:2[20] , KJV) How should Christians relate to injustice, cruelty, and unfairness that is going on around us all the time?

2. How can we avoid being caught up in all the rat races that consume our world? Have we carefully balanced our Christian concerns and needs with our own financial needs and the needs of our families? If we put Christ first in our lives, could we possibly lose?

3. Read James 4:15-17[21] . What was James trying to tell us? Does this seem like an impossible standard? How much do we owe God for all that He has done for us? Could we ever repay Him? Do we recognize our complete and total dependence on Him?

4. In James 4:17, James introduced a new definition of sin. Sin is not just avoiding doing what is wrong; it also includes failing to do what is right. At first glance, that might seem like an impossible challenge. There must always be more good that one could do. God recognized that even Jesus needed time to rest. (Luke 5:16; Mark 6:31)[22] Jesus was so excited about the possibility of witnessing that even though He was tired and hungry, instead of eating He said to His disciples: “The harvest is large, but there are few workers to gather it in. Pray to the owner of the harvest that he will send out workers to gather in his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38[23] , GNB) Notice that He did not just tell His disciples to work harder.

5. So, what was James implying when he talked about doing the right? In Ephesians 5:8[24] , Paul called us to be “children of the light”; and in Matthew 5:16[25] , Jesus told us to let our light shine before others. So, how can we be “children of the light”? How many Adventists today have any idea about how to do effective witnessing? How well do we know our Bibles? Using the Bible, can we answer questions about our beliefs and answer them in a convincing manner?

6. There is a very big world out there. How can we know where God wants us to go and what He wants us to do? It is so much easier just to do what we feel like doing. But, are our plans better and more rewarding than God’s plans for us? Do we have the courage to step out in faith and do something for God and see what happens? Do you think God would reward such behavior? Is it time for Seventh-day Adventist Christians to stop criticizing their fellow church members and get out into the community and witness? If we were busy witnessing, would we have time to criticize? Notice these comments about criticizing other Christians.

Let no one among you glory any longer against the truth by declaring that this spirit [of discerning the evil motives of others] is a necessary consequence of dealing faithfully with wrongdoers and of standing in defense of the truth. Such wisdom has many admirers, but it is very deceptive and harmful. It does not come from above, but is the fruit of an unregenerated heart. Its originator is Satan himself. Let no accuser of others credit himself with discernment; for in so doing he clothes the attributes of Satan with the garments of righteousness.—RH, March 12, 1895 par. 6; Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, pp. 936.12-937.0. [Content in brackets is added.]

He who is guilty of wrong is the first to suspect wrong. By condemning another he is trying to conceal or excuse the evil of his own heart. It was through sin that men gained the knowledge of evil; no sooner had the first pair sinned than they began to accuse each other; and this is what human nature will inevitably do when uncontrolled by the grace of Christ.—Ellen G. White, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 126.1.

1. However, are there times when we must deal with the sins of church members? In Matthew 18:15-17[26] , Jesus laid out a clear plan for how to do that.

2. Do you know any church members who love to spread gossip? Could you give a clear definition of gossip? What about faultfinding, or just negative criticism? Certainly, we should be able to recognize that gossip is really baseless words, often lies; and it almost never builds up. When we practice gossiping, we are violating the words of James and the words of Jesus as well.

3. When we hear someone telling some juicy bit of gossip, how often do we make an intentional effort to turn the conversation into something positive? We need to remember that the person who is criticizing someone else in our hearing will probably be just as willing to criticize us in that other person’s hearing! Can you remember a recent episode when you heard someone gossiping? What did you do? How can we lead out in a program to inspire action to forward the gospel on the part of church members and minimize idle gossip?

4. Sometimes, we are tempted to say something sarcastic about another church member. Gossip often includes sarcasm. When we are tempted to gossip, we need to remember that the word sarcasm comes from the same Greek root that gives us the word sarcophagus, meaning a coffin. A sarcophagus is a “flesh eater.” Are people who spread sarcastic, gossipy rumors really cannibals in disguise? In effect, when we criticize another church member or even someone in the world, we are sitting as a judge over them. And only God has been given that authority. Do we really believe we are qualified to take God’s place in judging?

5. Where would you place yourself in the parable of the good Samaritan? Are you truly a neighbor to all around you? If we reach out a helping hand to those who are in need, is that not a great opportunity to witness for Jesus Christ? Would it be fair to ask God to help and protect us when we might be in a dangerous situation while trying to help another?

6. In this part of his book, James seemed to be telling us that we do not have time for idle gossip. Our lives are very short, and we need to make the best of the time we have allotted to us. Pursuing a course that might lead to great financial gain cannot be compared to bringing souls into the kingdom of God. Wouldn’t you prefer to have friends in heaven who thank you for helping them get there rather than having your treasure consist of earthly material things that will be consumed in the final flames of this earth’s history?

© 2014, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. Free distribution of all or of a portion of this material such as to a Bible study class is encouraged. Info@theox.org

Last Modified: October 25, 2014

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1. James 4:11 Do not criticize one another, my friends. If you criticize or judge another Christian, you criticize and judge the Law. If you judge the Law, then you are no longer one who obeys the Law, but one who judges it. 12 God is the only lawgiver and judge. He alone can save and destroy. Who do you think you are, to judge someone else? 13 Now listen to me, you that say, "Today or tomorrow we will travel to a certain city, where we will stay a year and go into business and make a lot of money." 14 You don't even know what your life tomorrow will be! You are like a puff of smoke, which appears for a moment and then disappears. 15 What you should say is this: "If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that." 16 But now you are proud, and you boast; all such boasting is wrong. 17 So then, if we do not do the good we know we should do, we are guilty of sin.

Acts 17:11 The people there were more open-minded than the people in Thessalonica. They listened to the message with great eagerness, and every day they studied the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was really true.

Hebrews 4:15 Our High Priest is not one who cannot feel sympathy for our weaknesses. On the contrary, we have a High Priest who was tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin. 16 Let us have confidence, then, and approach God's throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it.

Hebrews 12:13 Keep walking on straight paths, so that the lame foot may not be disabled, but instead be healed. 14 Try to be at peace with everyone, and try to live a holy life, because no one will see the Lord without it. 15 Guard against turning back from the grace of God. Let no one become like a bitter plant that grows up and causes many troubles with its poison. 16 Let no one become immoral or unspiritual like Esau, who for a single meal sold his rights as the older son. 17 Afterward, you know, he wanted to receive his father's blessing; but he was turned back, because he could not find any way to change what he had done, even though in tears he looked for it. 18 You have not come, as the people of Israel came, to what you can feel, to Mount Sinai with its blazing fire, the darkness and the gloom, the storm, 19 the blast of a trumpet, and the sound of a voice. When the people heard the voice, they begged not to hear another word, 20 because they could not bear the order which said, "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death." 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling and afraid!"

Ecclesiastes 2:15 I thought to myself, "What happens to fools is going to happen to me, too. So what have I gained from being so wise?" "Nothing," I answered, "not a thing." 16 No one remembers the wise, and no one remembers fools. In days to come, we will all be forgotten. We must all die - wise and foolish alike. 17 So life came to mean nothing to me, because everything in it had brought me nothing but trouble. It had all been useless; I had been chasing the wind. 18 Nothing that I had worked for and earned meant a thing to me, because I knew that I would have to leave it to my successor, 19 and he might be wise, or he might be foolish - who knows? Yet he will own everything I have worked for, everything my wisdom has earned for me in this world. It is all useless.

Titus 2:14 He gave himself for us, to rescue us from all wickedness and to make us a pure people who belong to him alone and are eager to do good.

2. James 4:11 Do not criticize one another, my friends. If you criticize or judge another Christian, you criticize and judge the Law. If you judge the Law, then you are no longer one who obeys the Law, but one who judges it.

3. Joshua 1:16 They answered Joshua, "We will do everything you have told us and will go anywhere you send us. 17 We will obey you, just as we always obeyed Moses, and may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses! 18 Whoever questions your authority or disobeys any of your orders will be put to death. Be determined and confident!"

4. Matthew 7:1 "Do not judge others, so that God will not judge you, 2 for God will judge you in the same way you judge others, and he will apply to you the same rules you apply to others. 3 Why, then, do you look at the speck in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the log in your own eye?

5. Ephesians 4:13 And so we shall all come together to that oneness in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God; we shall become mature people, reaching to the very height of Christ's full stature. 14 Then we shall no longer be children, carried by the waves and blown about by every shifting wind of the teaching of deceitful people, who lead others into error by the tricks they invent. 15 Instead, by speaking the truth in a spirit of love, we must grow up in every way to Christ, who is the head. 16 Under his control all the different parts of the body fit together, and the whole body is held together by every joint with which it is provided. So when each separate part works as it should, the whole body grows and builds itself up through love.

6. Hebrews 5:11 There is much we have to say about this matter, but it is hard to explain to you, because you are so slow to understand. 12 There has been enough time for you to be teachers - yet you still need someone to teach you the first lessons of God's message. Instead of eating solid food, you still have to drink milk. 13 Anyone who has to drink milk is still a child, without any experience in the matter of right and wrong. 14 Solid food, on the other hand, is for adults, who through practice are able to distinguish between good and evil.

7. Acts 17:11 The people there were more open-minded than the people in Thessalonica. They listened to the message with great eagerness, and every day they studied the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was really true.

1 Corinthians 6:1 If any of you have a dispute with another Christian, how dare you go before heathen judges instead of letting God's people settle the matter? 2 Don't you know that God's people will judge the world? Well, then, if you are to judge the world, aren't you capable of judging small matters? 3 Do you not know that we shall judge the angels? How much more, then, the things of this life! 4 If such matters come up, are you going to take them to be settled by people who have no standing in the church? 5 Shame on you! Surely there is at least one wise person in your fellowship who can settle a dispute between fellow Christians.

2 Corinthians 13:5 Put yourselves to the test and judge yourselves, to find out whether you are living in faith. Surely you know that Christ Jesus is in you? - unless you have completely failed.

Philippians 1:9 I pray that your love will keep on growing more and more, together with true knowledge and perfect judgment,

1 John 4:1 My dear friends, do not believe all who claim to have the Spirit, but test them to find out if the spirit they have comes from God. For many false prophets have gone out everywhere.

Galatians 6:1 My friends, if someone is caught in any kind of wrongdoing, those of you who are spiritual should set him right; but you must do it in a gentle way. And keep an eye on yourselves, so that you will not be tempted, too.

8. 2 Chronicles 33:8 And if the people of Israel will obey all my commands and keep the whole Law that my servant Moses gave them, then I will not allow them to be driven out of the land that I gave to their ancestors."

Nehemiah 10:29 do hereby join with our leaders in an oath, under penalty of a curse if we break it, that we will live according to God's Law, which God gave through his servant Moses; that we will obey all that the Lord, our Lord, commands us; and that we will keep all his laws and requirements.

9. 1 Corinthians 10:1 I want you to remember, my friends, what happened to our ancestors who followed Moses. They were all under the protection of the cloud, and all passed safely through the Red Sea. 2 In the cloud and in the sea they were all baptized as followers of Moses. 3 All ate the same spiritual bread 4 and drank the same spiritual drink. They drank from the spiritual rock that went with them; and that rock was Christ himself.

John 5:39 You study the Scriptures, because you think that in them you will find eternal life. And these very Scriptures speak about me!

Luke 24:27 And Jesus explained to them what was said about himself in all the Scriptures, beginning with the books of Moses and the writings of all the prophets. 44 Then he said to them, "These are the very things I told you about while I was still with you: everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the writings of the prophets, and the Psalms had to come true."

10. John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior. 18 Those who believe in the Son are not judged; but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they have not believed in God's only Son. 19 This is how the judgment works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil. 20 Those who do evil things hate the light and will not come to the light, because they do not want their evil deeds to be shown up. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light in order that the light may show that what they did was in obedience to God.

John 12:47 If people hear my message and do not obey it, I will not judge them. I came, not to judge the world, but to save it. 48 Those who reject me and do not accept my message have one who will judge them. The words I have spoken will be their judge on the last day!

11. John 5:22 Nor does the Father himself judge anyone. He has given his Son the full right to judge,

12. James 4:12 God is the only lawgiver and judge. He alone can save and destroy. Who do you think you are, to judge someone else?

13. Isaiah 33:22 All the rigging on those ships is useless; the sails cannot be spread! We will seize all the wealth of enemy armies, and there will be so much that even the lame can get a share. The Lord himself will be our king; he will rule over us and protect us.

Isaiah 11:1 The royal line of David is like a tree that has been cut down; but just as new branches sprout from a stump, so a new king will arise from among David's descendants. 2 The spirit of the Lord will give him wisdom and the knowledge and skill to rule his people. He will know the Lord's will and honor him, 3 and find pleasure in obeying him. He will not judge by appearance or hearsay; 4 he will judge the poor fairly and defend the rights of the helpless. At his command the people will be punished, and evil persons will die. 5 He will rule his people with justice and integrity.

Hebrews 4:15 Our High Priest is not one who cannot feel sympathy for our weaknesses. On the contrary, we have a High Priest who was tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin. 16 Let us have confidence, then, and approach God's throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it.

Revelation 19:11 Then I saw heaven open, and there was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True; it is with justice that he judges and fights his battles. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and he wore many crowns on his head. He had a name written on him, but no one except himself knows what it is. 13 The robe he wore was covered with blood. His name is "The Word of God." 14 The armies of heaven followed him, riding on white horses and dressed in clean white linen. 15 Out of his mouth came a sharp sword, with which he will defeat the nations. He will rule over them with a rod of iron, and he will trample out the wine in the wine press of the furious anger of the Almighty God. 16 On his robe and on his thigh was written the name: "King of kings and Lord of lords."

14. John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior. 18 Those who believe in the Son are not judged; but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they have not believed in God's only Son. 19 This is how the judgment works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil. 20 Those who do evil things hate the light and will not come to the light, because they do not want their evil deeds to be shown up. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light in order that the light may show that what they did was in obedience to God.

John 12:47 If people hear my message and do not obey it, I will not judge them. I came, not to judge the world, but to save it. 48 Those who reject me and do not accept my message have one who will judge them. The words I have spoken will be their judge on the last day!

15. James 4:13 Now listen to me, you that say, "Today or tomorrow we will travel to a certain city, where we will stay a year and go into business and make a lot of money."

16. Luke 12:13 A man in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide with me the property our father left us." 14 Jesus answered him, "Friend, who gave me the right to judge or to divide the property between you two?" 15 And he went on to say to them all, "Watch out and guard yourselves from every kind of greed; because your true life is not made up of the things you own, no matter how rich you may be." 16 Then Jesus told them this parable: "There was once a rich man who had land which bore good crops. 17 He began to think to himself, "I don't have a place to keep all my crops. What can I do? 18 This is what I will do,' he told himself; "I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, where I will store the grain and all my other goods. 19 Then I will say to myself, Lucky man! You have all the good things you need for many years. Take life easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!' 20 But God said to him, "You fool! This very night you will have to give up your life; then who will get all these things you have kept for yourself?' " 21 And Jesus concluded, "This is how it is with those who pile up riches for themselves but are not rich in God's sight."

17. 1 Peter 3:10 As the scripture says, "If you want to enjoy life and wish to see good times, you must keep from speaking evil and stop telling lies. 11 You must turn away from evil and do good; you must strive for peace with all your heart. 12 For the Lord watches over the righteous and listens to their prayers; but he opposes those who do evil."

18. James 4:14 You don't even know what your life tomorrow will be! You are like a puff of smoke, which appears for a moment and then disappears.

19. Ecclesiastes 1:2 It is useless, useless, said the Philosopher. Life is useless, all useless.

2:15 I thought to myself, "What happens to fools is going to happen to me, too. So what have I gained from being so wise?" "Nothing," I answered, "not a thing." 16 No one remembers the wise, and no one remembers fools. In days to come, we will all be forgotten. We must all die - wise and foolish alike. 17 So life came to mean nothing to me, because everything in it had brought me nothing but trouble. It had all been useless; I had been chasing the wind. 18 Nothing that I had worked for and earned meant a thing to me, because I knew that I would have to leave it to my successor, 19 and he might be wise, or he might be foolish - who knows? Yet he will own everything I have worked for, everything my wisdom has earned for me in this world. It is all useless.

4:4 I have also learned why people work so hard to succeed: it is because they envy the things their neighbors have. But it is useless. It is like chasing the wind.

5:10 If you love money, you will never be satisfied; if you long to be rich, you will never get all you want. It is useless.

9:11 I realized another thing, that in this world fast runners do not always win the races, and the brave do not always win the battles. The wise do not always earn a living, intelligent people do not always get rich, and capable people do not always rise to high positions. Bad luck happens to everyone. 12 You never know when your time is coming. Like birds suddenly caught in a trap, like fish caught in a net, we are trapped at some evil moment when we least expect it.

20. Ecclesiastes 1:2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

21. James 4:15 What you should say is this: "If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that." 16 But now you are proud, and you boast; all such boasting is wrong. 17 So then, if we do not do the good we know we should do, we are guilty of sin.

22. Luke 5:16 But he would go away to lonely places, where he prayed.

Mark 6:31 There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his disciples didn't even have time to eat. So he said to them, "Let us go off by ourselves to some place where we will be alone and you can rest a while."

23. Matthew 9:37 So he said to his disciples, "The harvest is large, but there are few workers to gather it in. 38 Pray to the owner of the harvest that he will send out workers to gather in his harvest."

24. Ephesians 5:8 You yourselves used to be in the darkness, but since you have become the Lord's people, you are in the light. So you must live like people who belong to the light,

25. Matthew 5:16 In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.

26. Matthew 18:15 "If your brother sins against you, go to him and show him his fault. But do it privately, just between yourselves. If he listens to you, you have won your brother back. 16 But if he will not listen to you, take one or two other persons with you, so that "every accusation may be upheld by the testimony of two or more witnesses,' as the scripture says. 17 And if he will not listen to them, then tell the whole thing to the church. Finally, if he will not listen to the church, treat him as though he were a pagan or a tax collector.

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