James 5:4 KJV [4] “Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.” This title for God is used only here and in Romans 9:29. It is used many times in the Old Testament as the “Lord of Hosts” and is primarily a military term. The Lord is going to return in judgment with His armies one day. He has heard the cries of the mistreated, seen every dirty …
“The Witness of Wealth”
James 5:3 KJV [3] “Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.” If your wealth had a voice, what would it say? How would it testify on your behalf? Would it testify for you or against you? Now, you might think you are not a wealthy person, and you are barely getting by from day to day, but dear reader, if you compare your possessions to what others have, you will find …
“Rusty Gold and Tattered Garments”
James 5:2 KJV [2] “Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.” God will not bless someone who tries to gain wealth at the expense of others. Greed has destroyed a lot of men in this world. Some men have gone so far as to sell their souls to the Devil to get rich. Gold fever has brought death and destruction to many good men. Wealth in itself is not sinful. However, when someone tries to obtain wealth by robbing others, that is a sin. Crooked politicians do it daily in our country. They pass laws to …
“The Tears of Rich Men”
James 5:1 KJV [1] “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.” James is not condemning men for being rich. There have been a lot of rich men used in the work of God. Riches in themselves are not sinful, but men allow riches to corrupt them. Being wealthy can cause men to feel self-sufficient. It can also build pride in a man’s heart and make him feel as if he is better than others. Riches can also cause men to be cruel to others, as we have seen in …
“The Definition of Sin”
James 4:17 KJV [17] “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” Here we have one of the Bible’s definitions of sin. Whenever we think of sin, we often think of doing something wrong. James tells us that sin is also when we know to do good and fail to do it. That is called a sin of omission. Once we have received the light of truth in a matter, God expects us to respond to it. He expects us to apply what we know to our daily lives. To …
“The Wrong Kind of Rejoicing”
James 4:16 [16] “But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.” James is thinking about those who trust their ability alone to plan their future. The sin in this verse is rejoicing in our own abilities or accomplishments. We often hear and see this in our society today. To place confidence in ourselves is both deceptive and destructive. It reminds me of what the songwriter said when he wrote these words, “The arm of flesh will surely fail you, ye dare not trust your own”. We are to rejoice in what the Lord is …
“Acknowledging the Almighty”
James 4:15 KJV [15] “For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.” James gives us a great principle to live by every day of our lives. He reminds us to make no plans without acknowledging the Almighty. The sovereignty and will of God should rule our speech and daily decisions. We must exalt the Lord in even the most mundane events of life. Here are a few reasons we should always say, “If the Lord will”. The first reason is that He deserves to be acknowledged. The Lord …
“What is Your Life?”
James 4:14 KJV [14] “whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” James asks an important question in this verse about life. He wants us to consider life on a personal level. It is a question that every man must ask, and the Bible must answer. What is your life? That is a personal question that demands a Bible answer. Dear friend, you and I cannot properly answer that question alone. I’m so glad the same verse …
“The Perfect Plan”
James 4:13 KJV [13] “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:” When you read this verse, think about the plan being considered. Think with me about a couple planning a trip and deciding to take a journey to a certain city. They have already mapped out the route and made accommodations to live there for a year. This journey is not a vacation but a business venture to buy and sell. I can imagine the …
“Do You Know the Judge?”
James 4:12 KJV [12] “There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?” We have no right to judge people by our standards because our standards are good for nothing. The standard of man could never measure up to the standard of God. Therefore, we must remember that He is the author and judge of the Bible. God is the lawgiver, and He is the judge of this earth. When we stand before Him, the question that will make the difference is, “Do you know the Judge?” Do you have …