Thus, my Christian brethren, you ought to speak. First lay the will of God as the foundation and say, "If the Lord wills." Then speak of the deed you intend to do.
For without the will and providence of God, man can neither begin nor complete any good deed.
Therefore Isaiah also said: "Shall the axe boast apart from him who cuts with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself apart from him who draws it?" (Isa 10:15).
In agreement with Isaiah, the book of Job also says: "Does the papyrus grow without water, or does the reed flourish without drink? While it is still on its root, shall it not be cut down? Before watering, does not every plant wither? So shall be the end of all who forget the Lord" (Job 8:11-13).
With these words divine Scripture condemns those people who think they can attain something good without the divine will and help.
Therefore the brother of God here condemns those who abandon God’s help and boast in their arrogance, saying: "But now you boast in your proud pretensions."
He rightly called them proud, because according to Saint Theophylact and Oecumenius, the proud man is named from being "in wandering" or "in derangement," which means living in delusion. Pride is occupation with things that do not exist.
Deluded and occupied with what does not exist are those Christians who place their affairs and undertakings not on the will and power of God, but on their own strength and understanding.
In their foolishness they do not hear Solomon, who says, "Do not be wise in your own eyes" (Prov 3:7). Nor do they hear the Apostle Paul, who casts down such arrogance and boasting.
He rebukes those who think they possess all knowledge and right understanding, saying: "If anyone thinks that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know" (1 Cor 8:2).
Therefore the divine James says next that every such boast is evil and wicked. He added "such boasting," because there is also good boasting.
Of this the prophetess Hannah said: "Let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows the Lord, and does judgment and righteousness in the midst of the earth" (1 Kgs 2:10).
Paul also said: "He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord" (1 Cor 1:31).
So too the Apostle Paul wrote to the Hebrews: "And this we shall do, if God permits" (Heb 6:3). To the Romans he writes: "If by any means I may at last be prospered by the will of God" (Rom 1:10).
Concerning Apollos he wrote to the Corinthians that he had asked him to come to Corinth, but it was not God’s will for him to come: "and it was certainly not his will" (1 Cor 16:12).
In every case, the Apostle always seeks first the will of God in every deed and undertaking. All Christians must imitate him in every deed they do, and in every word they wish to say.
It is also fitting to speak thus: "If it is God’s will, I shall do this deed. If God wills, I shall say this word."
THEOSIS