James 4:15

For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that.

If the Lord will ... "This, it seems, is not an Old Testament expression."[29] It is found, however, a number of times in the New Testament: Acts 18:21; Acts 21:14,1 Corinthians 4:19; 1 Corinthians 16:7, and in Hebrews 6:3. The use of this expression in daily speech was once common among Christians, even their writings frequently carrying it in the form of D.V. ("Deo volente"); but this extensive usage has been discouraged and diminished to the point of its being seldom heard or seen any more. This is deplorable. It is high time that commentators stopped larding their dissertations with the admonition that "This must not be an empty phrase on our lips,"[30] or that "It becomes repellent to hear one use the name of God flippantly and constantly."[31] Our agreement with such comments is by no means total, because such comment tends to the conclusion that Harper gave in connection with his comment, "The thing that matters is for us to have the right attitude toward God, not the chattering of a formula!"[32] This is contrary to what James said. He laid down the law that "Ye ought to say, if the Lord will!" There's not a word in that to the effect that the right attitude is all that matters; that is not all that matters, and it is highly important that Christians witness to their faith in Jesus Christ and to the sovereignty of God by saying, "If the Lord will," not in an irreverent and flippant manner, of course, but sincerely and truly.

In the Arab world, "There is constantly heard the expression, `Imsh' Allah, meaning `If Allah wills.'"[33] It is a beautiful and eloquent testimony of their religious faith and zeal; and a similar witness should not be absent from Christianity.

As Tasker pointed out, the Christian failure to honor James' commandment is not due "to a horror of hypocrisy," but to an unwillingness to honor the "supremacy of God."[34]

[29] J. W. Roberts, op. cit., p. 141.

[30] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 642.

[31] A. F. Harper, op. cit., p. 226.

[32] Ibid.

[33] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 114.

[34] R. V. G. Tasker, op. cit., p. 104.