Hebrews 1:7-9

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7 In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire.” 8 But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” ~ Hebrews 1:7-9

We return today to our study of the book of Hebrews which was written to the Jewish reader proving the Lord Jesus Christ is God. In Hebrews 1:4-14 we learn of the superiority of the Lord Jesus Christ to the created angels. The supreme being in the book of Hebrews is the Lord Jesus Christ, the One who created all things, including the angels.

As we pointed out yesterday, the writer of Hebrews, in this chapter, quotes seven different Old Testament passages to establish the Lord Jesus Christ is greater than the angels. Today, we consider the fourth and fifth of the seven Old Testament passages quoted.

In v.7 of today's text we read, "In speaking of the angels he says, 'He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire.'"

This is a quotation from Psalm 104:4. In this one verse, we see the nature of angels who are flames of fire. This means the angels are God’s executioners. Angels mete out God's judgment on the earth. In Genesis 19, the angels were used of God to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. In Matthew 13:41-42 we learn that certain angels will separate the good seed from the weeds, and they will throw the weeds into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Throughout the Scriptures, we see that angels are spirits that are powerful, swift, and invisible. They are created beings, created by the Lord Jesus Christ, created to be the servants to God. They do not do their own thing, they operate at Christ’s direction. 

In v.8 of today's text we read, "But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom."

This is a quotation from Psalm 45:6-7, and the point? There is a difference between angels and the Son, because, the Son who created the angels, is the eternal God. Many consider today that the Lord Jesus was just a man or He was just one of many angels, or He was one of many prophets of God, or He is one of many gods. The writer of Hebrews clearly is establishing the fact that the Lord Jesus' kingdom will never end and justice will be maintained in eternity.

A scepter is a rod or staff which is adorned with gold and jewels that kings held to indicate they had the authority. The scepter of the Lord Jesus Christ is righteousness, and righteousness is doing what is right, just, honest, pure, kind, and pleasing to God.  The righteousness that Christ loves is defined by His word. "Whoever keeps his word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected... For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments" (1John 2:5 1John 5:3).

In Romans 9:5 we read, "Theirs (Israel) are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen." 

Here the Apostle Paul clearly identifies the Lord Jesus Christ as God. And, the point is: since the Lord Jesus is God, He is greater than the angels and we therefore must be defined by Him.

In v.9 of today's text we read, "You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy."

The Lord Jesus "...loved righteousness and hated wickedness." This means He is perfect for He shuns evil and embraces that which is all together good. Not only is the Lord Jesus God, though, He is also a man. This is so important, because in order to pay the penalty for our sin, He had to be one hundred percent God and one hundred per cent man.

The word "wickedness" is anomia in the Greek, and it means lawlessness. The writer of Hebrews is establishing the fact that Christ was sinless and He was perfect, therefore He is God. Then comes a direct a statement of His superiority to angels, in v.9; "...therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy."

The point that is being made here is the Lord Jesus Christ is greater than angels, and angels were only messengers of God. This was so very important for the writer of Hebrews to establish because some of the Jews to whom he wrote were being tripped up in their worship of God because they were being told to worship the angels.

The reason the Lord Jesus was anointed with joy far above anyone else is because He loved righteousness and He hated wickedness. The love of the Lord Jesus propelled Him to act on the behalf of hopeless mankind. Without His death on the cross, we would all be doomed. His love for righteousness compelled Him to destroy lawlessness in one act on the cross. Then, he freely offered His righteousness to mankind. In 2 Corinthians 5:21 we read, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

The most important reason that Jesus must be God is that, if He is not God, His death would not have been sufficient to pay the penalty for the sins of the world. A created being, which the Lord Jesus would be if He were not God, could not pay the infinite penalty required for sin against an infinite God. Only God could pay such an infinite penalty. Only God could take on the sins of the world, die, and be resurrected, proving His victory over sin and death.

Hebrews 1:4-6

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4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. 5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father”? Or again,“I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”? 6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” ~ Hebrews 1:4-6

The book of Hebrews is extremely deep. It was written to a Jewish audience, and to understand its teaching, we must crawl into that Jewish way of thinking. This book was written to Jewish believers, but, the writer had Jewish unbelievers in mind, as well, as he wrote this. He did so in order to convince them that the Lord Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the old covenant.

In v.4 of today's text we read, "So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs."

The subject of this verse is the Lord Jesus Christ who created all things and sustains all things. In this verse, the unknown writer of this book of Hebrews establishes the idea that the Lord Jesus is greater than the angels. Now, angels are spirit beings who are capable of appearing in a human form. In Hebrews 13:2, we are exhorted to be careful how we treat strangers for we might be entertaining angels unawares. 

In a previous blog, we established that God created all things through the Lord Jesus Christ. So, the Lord Jesus made angels, and thus, He is greater than the angels. Now, there are 108 references in the Old Testament to angels, and 165 in the New Testament. They render intelligent worship and service to God which is why they were created. Angels are intelligent and are capable of emotion. Sometimes they are pictured with wings. In fact, in some cases they have as many as six wings.

According to Mark 13:32 and Jude 6, many angels live in heaven with God. And, there are thousands upon thousands of angelic beings inhabiting this universe, even though, a third of them rebelled against God with Lucifer who has the title of Satan. Some angels are called in the Bible cherubim, and some seraphim. Some have names and certain roles: Michael, for example, is the head of the armies of heaven, and Gabriel is called the mighty one. They are seen in Scripture as spectators at all redemptive events. They minister to God, and they do His bidding.

In the book of Hebrews, God gives us a biblical look at angels. The Jewish people at the time this book was written had  come up with some extra-biblical views of angels, so that when the writer of Hebrews wrote this book, he was correcting their wrong views. The Jews had always esteemed angels as the highest beings next to God. They believed that angels were the mediators between men and God. And, some of them even believed in angels to such a degree that they actually worshipped them. Out of their worship of angels, the Jews developed a heresy known as Gnosticism which reduces the Lord Jesus Christ to an angel. In Colossians 2:18 the Apostle Paul warned his readers not to worship angels.

This was the context that the book of Hebrews was written, and so, the writer of Hebrews was used of God to address proper teaching on the angels. This proper teaching began with proper teaching regarding the Lord Jesus Christ who is God. Here, in Hebrews 1, the writer of Hebrews proves the superiority of Christ over angels by using seven Old Testament passages to verify it. Today, we will consider the first three of these seven that are given in v.5-13.

In v.5-6 of today's text we read, "5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father”? Or again,“I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”? 6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him."

The first Old Testament passage the writer of Hebrews quotes is Psalm 2:7, and the second is 2 Samuel 7:14. The point is while angels are excellent creatures, Christ is more excellent. The Lord Jesus Christ is greater than angels, because He has been given a greater name. God never calls any angel, "Son." And, even though the Lord Jesus humbled Himself, even though He was made for a time lower than the angels, angels, yet, are to worship Him.

In v.6 of today's text, the writer of Hebrews quotes Psalm 97:7 which informs us that angels worshipped the Lord Jesus as God throughout all the time of their existence prior to His incarnation. But they are now to worship Him as Son. This Son, who became a man, has always been higher than the created angels. He is the very God that angels have always worshipped. 

According to v.6, the Lord Jesus is referenced as the "firstborn" which is not a time word, it is a position word. It is not a description word, it is a title word. And when it says that He is first begotten, it’s talking about the fact that He is the chief of everything. He is Sovereign, He is preeminent. The Greek word used for "firstborn" is "prōtotokos" means the One with all the dignity and honor, who is the preeminent One. 

We all believe that we are most happy when we are found at the center of our world. But, we are starved not for more of self. No, we are starved for the One who made us. This is why into the darkness of petty self-preoccupation Christ came to shine God's glory. The point of it all, the point of everything is “the glory of Christ.” In John 17:24, the Lord Jesus asked His Father to enable us to see His glory. This is the greatest thing He can do for us because He is the expressed image of God to man. He is the longing of our parched and weary hearts. He is to be worshipped which is our highest calling and experience.

Hebrews 1:3

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The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. ~ Hebrews 1:3

We return today to our study of the book of Hebrews. Today's verse is one of the clearest declarations of both the humanity and deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is not just man, He is God. He had to be fully human so that He could fully save us from our sin. He was fully human in order to save our bodies, our souls and our spirits from our rebellion against God. And, He did this in order to rescue and capture our hearts. Without taking on a human will, the Lord Jesus could not save our broken and wandering wills.

In addition to being fully man, the Lord Jesus Christ is fully God. The Greek word used here for "radiance" is a contraction of two Greek words: a preposition ἀπο which means "away from", and a Greek verb αὐγὰζω which means "to shine." The Lord Jesus is the shining forth of God's glory. Every time the Lord Jesus performed a miracle, every time He healed someone, and every time He gave sight to the blind, or hearing to the deaf, or every time He forgave sin, He radiated God's glory. 

Just as no one can stare directly into the sun without being impacted by the extreme brightness, in like manner, none can see the Father directly because of His glory. But, as the light of the sun shines forth, the Lord Jesus shines forth as the visible manifestation by which the knowledge of God can be known by us. The Lord Jesus is the light that radiates forth, overcoming every shade of darkness, enabling us to behold God for ourselves.

The Greek word translated "exact representation" literally is a mark that is made by a seal. This one Greek word brings the idea of a copy, or an image to the fore. It means the Lord Jesus Christ is the image of God.  He is the expressed image of God. He is the stamp of God on human flesh.

Although He never sinned, the Lord Jesus came to this earth as a man in order to identify with rebellious man in our sin. He, as God, was able to bare, for sinful mankind, the full weight of the wrath of God upon sin. The Lord Jesus Christ bore the shame and punishment of sin in His human body when He hung on that tree. It was the humanity and deity of the Lord Jesus that made Him uniquely able to save us from our sins.  

As we come back to our verse for today, notice the last part of the first sentence in the verse: "The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word."

In addition to remedying man's sin problem, the Lord Jesus Christ holds all things together. It is He who makes the atom move in its proper orbit. The verb used here translated "sustaining" has to do with supporting present continuous action. The Lord Jesus is the rebar of this world. He continually holds all things together. He is like the glue who holds all things together. If He had not come to this earth, we along with the world would fall apart. Our universe would disintegrate and fly to pieces if it weren’t for His upholding power. 

Think of the design in it all. If the earth’s rotation were to slow down just a little bit, we would alternately freeze and burn. The sun has a surface temperature of 12,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and if it were any closer or further away, we would freeze or burn. This world is tilted at exactly 23 degrees, and if it wasn’t at that exact angle, vapors from the ocean would move north and south and pile up massive continents of ice. If the moon were not to remain at its exact distance from the earth, the ocean tides would inundate the land twice every day. And, if the ocean slipped to just a couple of feet depth further than it is, carbon dioxide and oxygen in the earth’s atmosphere would be completely absorbed and no vegetable life could exist. This is all no accident. The Lord Jesus Christ is the One who provides the design according to today's verse.

The last sentence in today's verse reads, "After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven."

In the Old Testament God gave to Israel an elaborate substitutionary atonement system whereby the Jews would sacrifice an innocent animal for God's forgiveness. He did this so that the innocent would take the penalty for the guilty. But, the animal sacrifices weren't enough. Oh, they were enough to cover man's sin, but they were not enough to remove man's sin permanently. All of the sacrificial animals were a foreshadowing of the Lord Jesus who came on the scene to die a substitutionary death once and for all on the behalf of all who would believe.

Sin had to be dealt with by God. He couldn't just wink at sin and not judge it because, if He did, justice would be undermined. The death of God on the cross provided for man the assurance that our sins were atoned for. And, all we have to do is believe and receive the free gift of forgiveness. Two thousand years ago, on that cross, the Lord Jesus fulfilled the demands of justice, completely. The Creator God became a man so that He could rescue us from our willful rebellion against Him. 

The last phrase of the second sentence in our verse today reads, "...he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven."

At the right hand of God is the place of honor, blessing, and power. And, after the Lord Jesus paid the penalty for our sin, He sat down at the right hand of God. He sat down because the work for our salvation was accomplished. In the Old Testament tabernacle and temple there were no seats because the priest's work was never finished. They never sat down because the atonement through animals was never enough. God had to come and die in order to bring to completion man's sin. The Lord Jesus made one sacrifice, and when it was finished, He sat down. He was seated at the right hand of God because through His sacrifice, the sin of man, once and for all, has been remedied.

Hebrews 1:1-2

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1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. ~ Hebrews 1:1-2

As we begin our study of the book of Hebrews, from the very beginning it is clear that its main subject is the Lord Jesus Christ. As we study this book, it will not be long before we recognize that according to this book, the Lord Jesus is superior to anything and everybody. He has to be, otherwise, the Bible would be less than God words, because the Bible presents Him, the Lord Jesus Christ, as God. And, today, we begin one of the most unusual adventures that we will ever embark upon. The book of Hebrews is a tremendously difficult book, if we lack a good working knowledge of the Old Testament. 

The recipients of the book of Hebrews had a religious background that many of us do not have. They had been raised with a certain history with God. And, as a result, they had been given by God a set of beliefs. But, their beliefs had given way to certain traditions that became something different than what God intended. You see, the Jews had gotten to the point where they had more of a relationship with the symbols than God. God intended the symbols to help them to know Him personally. 

From the third chapter of Genesis, we learn of the introduction of sin into the world. Sin threw a wrench into what God had in mind for His creation. And, after sin marred everything, before man could know God personally, his sin had to be dealt with. This is why God introduced the elaborate system of substitutionary atonement introduced in Genesis 3 and elaborated upon in Leviticus.

Hebrews is a book that has many deep and difficult to understand truths. One might say that to understand the book of Hebrews we must understand the book of Leviticus because the book of Hebrews is largely based upon the principles of the Levitical priesthood. In the book of Leviticus, we learn that God's way of dealing with man's sin is that a substitute take the place of man for the payment for man's sin. The problem is: ONLY GOD CAN PAY THE PENALTY FOR SIN because everyone and everything other than God can not pay the penalty. We just do not have the substance needed to measure up to and to sustain the truth.

In v.1 of today's text we read, "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways."

God supernaturally spoke to man and the result of that communication is what we know as the Bible. Man, himself, could not reach outside the natural world. And, due to man's natural limitations, man could not reach outside into the supernatural realm. So, God had to enter into man's natural world. He did so first by speaking to the prophets of the Old Testament. So, God chose to communicate with man, and He chose to do so through a book, and then, a person. The book is the Bible and the person is His Son.

We would never know about God if He had not spoken. In fact, Christianity is God bursting into man’s world and telling him what He is like. God is not speechless nor is detached from His creation. He has been involved in this world since its beginning. 

In this very first verse of the whole book of Hebrews we discover a play on words by the unknown writer. In the Greek text, the first three words in v.1 literally reads: "many portions," and "many different manners." This means God has spoken to us through thirty-nine different Old Testament books, and He used a variety of methods to get His message across to us. He spoke to men who wrote using visions, parables, types, and symbols. The Bible is the bi-product of God speaking to different people, using all different kinds of ways to reveal Himself to man.

God used forty different writers who all wrote over a period of about sixteen hundred years, in three different languages and on three different continents to bring us the Old and the New Testaments. While some of the Old Testament is history, other portions of it are writing as poetry and prophecy. And, all of it has at its main theme the Lord Jesus Christ who is the revelation of God to man.

This is why in v.2 of today's text we read, "but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe."

This one verse is one of the most important verses in all of the Bible. God first spoke to man through the Old Testament, but, it was not enough. The Old Testament is fragmented and difficult to put together and understand. In the Old Testament, God prepared His people for His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And, as a result, God used those who came into a personal relationship with Him to share their experience with Him with others.

The complete and final revelation of God to man is seen in the Lord Jesus. God, who used to speak in many ways, in many forms, to many people has finally spoken in one way through one individual, Jesus Christ. The gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, all give His story and the epistles all comment on the fact that God came to earth in human form. And, the book of the Revelation tells where and how it will all end. This book, the Bible, is all about the Lord Jesus Christ, all of it, from the beginning to the end.

God made all that has been created through the Lord Jesus Christ. This means the Lord Jesus was there before the world was created. In Colossians 1:17 we learn "The Lord Jesus is before all things, and in him all things hold together." You see, the Lord Jesus is not only God's final and complete word to mankind, He is God. If He is not God, He can not be our Savior for only God can rise to the task of bearing the sin of all mankind.

C.S. Lewis once said, "I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic, on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg, or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."

My friend, have you come to the place where you have truly investigated the claims of the Lord Jesus Christ? If you have, great, I am sure you believe in Him. But, if you haven't, our study of the book of Hebrews will aid you in your investigation. At the end of this study you will discover the Lord Jesus is not only our Savior, He is also our Creator God. It is my prayer that you will see Him as never before and your personal relationship with Him will not only begin, but it will soar to places you never imagined.

James 5:19-20

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19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins. ~ James 5:19-20

Today, we come to the end of this book on faith, wisdom and perseverance. As James closes his letter to those first century Christians who were struggling to walk with God, he ends it with an appeal to his hearers to have a heart for those who continue to have difficulty walking with the Lord.

In Genesis 3, it is implied that the Lord God walked with Adam and Eve during the cool of the day. Suggested is the idea they didn't walk with the Lord on a continual basis. In Genesis 5:24, we are told Enoch walked with God. Noah is also described as "a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God" (Genesis 6:9). 

Micah 6:8 gives us a glimpse into God’s desire for us: "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Walking with God is not an activity reserved for a select few. God desires all believers to walk with Him.

When we walk with someone, we are in close proximity to them. We talk, laugh, listen, and share our hearts. Our attention is focused on this person to the exclusion of almost everything else. Walking with God is like that. When we enter into an intimate heart relationship with God through faith in His Son, He slowly becomes our heart’s greatest desire. Knowing Him, hearing His voice, sharing our hearts with Him, and seeking to please Him become most important to us. Meeting with Him is an everyday activity.

When the Bible speaks of "walking," it often refers to a lifestyle. We can walk in the ways of the world or we can walk in the ways of God. In the New Testament, walking with God is often called "walking in the Spirit." To walk with God means we choose to embrace and be embraced by His culture. In so doing, we seek to eliminate from our lives everything that does not enhance our walk with Him. We seek to live out the message of 1 Corinthians 10:31 which reads, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." God’s ways are reflected in our thoughts, our actions, our motivations, and our life choices because we spend so much time with Him.

In v.19 of our passage for today we read, "My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back."

James turns our attention to believers in Christ who were wandering from the truth. From the word "wander" we get our English word "planet." A planet is literally a wandering star. And, we all wander from the truth. But, for these who were "wandering", their love and commitment to God was waning. James was not saying they had lost their salvation, the Bible is quite clear that cannot happen, but believers can become cold, apathetic, and distant from God. When that happens, we are in need of someone coming along side of us and helping us along.

The word "wander" reveals a form of seduction which happens little by little over time. At one point in his life, the wanderer would have never wandered, but over time the enemy lured him away from God and got him to compromise.

When we wander from the truth in our beliefs, we start to believe things about God, the Lord Jesus, heaven, hell, ourselves and other significant truths that cannot be supported by Scripture. The wanderer wanders from sound teaching.

Wandering from the truth is also seen in how we choose to live our lives. When we start to do things that are not honoring to God, we are not living by the truth. When we wander away from Him and His teachings, we will no longer be on that path of following Him. In this case, we might know the right way to go but we have chosen to be defined by another way. This seduction away from God causes us to become hardened toward prayer, hardened toward worshipping God, hardened toward walking with God.

In v.20 of today's text we read, "...remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins."

The word "sinner" here in v.20 refers to a Christian who is sinning. This is someone who has received forgiveness from God for their sins, when they die they will go to heaven, they are a believer in Christ, they are born again, but they are not being defined by Him. This is not talking about a believer losing their salvation. The Bible is very clear, that cannot happen. Once we are born again, we cannot become unborn again. Once God adopts us into His family, we can not become un-adopted. But the believer can still sin and in some cases wander away from their walk with God.

The word "turns" in v.20 means to "turn around" or to "turn from." When we reach out to those who have wandered away from God and God uses us to bring them back to the right path we save them from a lot of pain. And, when a believer comes back to God he will apologize and confess his sin. There will not be any justification of sin by the believer who returns to his first love.

James is unlike most other New Testament epistles in that it has no formal conclusion. James ended this letter abruptly because he wanted to leave us with a sense of personal urgency as we consider the critical importance of his final exhortation. As we daily do our best to walk with the Lord Jesus, we discover He gradually gives us His heart, and His heart is for people. In giving us His heart, God gives us the ministry of reconciliation which is the desire to see people right with God. When we turn another believer from error, we play a role in them being saved from the destruction of the the sin they are caressing.

We are all prone to wander. And, no one takes giant steps away from God. No, we wander away from Him through a series of small steps. This is why the Lord has placed us in His family, among believers who love us enough to keep us grounded in our walk with the Lord. In fact, we will wander if we are not in relationship with other believers. 

James 5:16-18

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16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. 17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. ~ James 5:16-18

James wrote this epistle, this letter to a group of exiled and persecuted Jews who had received the Lord Jesus as their Messiah. And, due to the fact that the Gospel of the Lord Jesus was not all that popular in the world, these Jewish believers faced trials and stress and hostility and persecution. So, James wrote this letter to them to encourage them in their faith in the Lord Jesus.

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."

The theme of prayer is a major theme in this letter. In fact, we have been instructed on its importance in James 1:5 and James 4:1–5. When life is difficult, highlighted to us is the need for meaningful relationships. 

In today's passage, James stresses the utter necessity of confessing our struggles to one another. And, when we do that, we are better positioned to pray for one another, and then, the Lord will bring about spiritual restoration for those who have been weakened in their faith during the battle. The Lord requires of us to pray so that when He answers, it will be obvious that it was He who intervened.

The word used here for "healed" in v.16 means to lift up or to make whole. The Greek word used here is written in the "subjunctive mode" and in the "passive voice" which literally means "that you all may be made whole." Interestingly, due to the way this verb is written, it is God who performs the action of making us whole after we have been weakened by the battle and we have prayed for His help.

The obvious point here is: prayer works. This is why the struggling believer goes to his brother who is walking with the Lord and seeks the prayer of that individual because, to put it simply, prayer is powerful. James reminds us of that fact, "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." 

The word translated "effective" is the word from which we get the word "energy." The Psalmist reminds us, "When we regard inequity in our heart, the Lord will not hear us." For the believer in Christ who has been born again, this does not mean God will not hear our prayers. This means we will not be given to prayer. It can also mean since we are not walking with the Lord, we will not pray according to His will. But, when we are walking with the Lord, we will pray energized, powerful, earnest prayers according to His will. The key is that we are walking with the Lord and we are closest to His heart. Interestingly, this is why we want those who are spiritually strong praying for us when we are weak in our faith.

In v.17 of today's text we read, "Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years." 

The Old Testament prophet, Elijah, is mentioned thirty times in the New Testament. He was a normal guy, he struggled with his faith just like us, and he knew hunger and pain and fear. Elijah prayed earnestly. He was honest and fervent in his prayers. By the way, we pray earnestly when we pray with great expectations. Elijah prayed that it would not rain, and, it didn’t rain for three years and six months. His prayer was powerful because He honestly prayed to the God of the Bible, and he did it according to God's will.

By the way, Jewish historians attest to a drought that lasted three and a half years at that time. Interestingly, if James were talking about healing physical diseases this would be a pretty obtuse illustration for him to use. If he wanted to illustrate how we could pray and be healed from an illnesses, James would have used a different story to illustrate the point. James chose this story because he was illustrating the power of prayer to restore the freshness of God's influence on our lives and ministries. 

We are wired to focus on the steps we should take for our prayers to be heard by God. We have this bent toward believing that every result is born from method. If something works for somebody, we want to know the particulars that were followed in the prayer, as if certain things make the prayer more effective. While this applies to certain things in life, it doesn’t apply to prayer. The main ingredient in effective prayer is emphatically not us. The focus of effective prayer is God. Prayer has less to do with the specifics of how we say what we say, and more to do with the one to whom we speak. We pray as ordinary people who have an extraordinary God. Prayer is effective, not because of great men who pray, but because of a great God, who, in Christ, graciously hears His people.

In v.18 of today's text we read, "Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops."

According to 1 Kings 18, Elijah's prayer brought rain to the parched soil. This is James' point in James 5:18. Prayer brings spiritual wholeness and productivity to the parched soul. This was the need of those to whom James wrote this letter, and this is our need, as well. Prayer or conversing with God is the lifeblood to the believer's effectiveness in this world which is adverse to the things of God. Investment in prayer is a must if we are to realize God's influence and blessing. I find it quite instructive that James began this letter focusing on the trials of His hearers. And, it is our trials that drive us to pray to God.

James 5:13-15

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13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. ~ James 5:13-15 

Today, our study of the book of James brings us to a passage that has been difficult to understand down through the centuries. The key to the correct interpretation of any passage is always the context. Each section of Scripture must be interpreted in the light of the whole, the whole book, the whole chapter, and in light of the whole paragraph. Context is the environment of thought in which a given passage is contained. 

One of the four half-brothers of the Lord Jesus, James, wrote this letter to a group of Jewish Christians who had been driven from their homes and were being severely persecuted for what they believed. And, through this wonderful epistle, James calls his readers to remain faithful to the Lord Jesus.

In today's text, James focuses us on prayer which is mentioned in every single verse in James 5:13-18. The endurance of the believer in Christ in the faith is dependent upon prayer. At the heart of our faithfulness to the God of the Bible is prayer. And, the primary focus of this passage is clearly the casualties of the battle: those whose faith had been seriously weakened by the trials they were experiencing. 

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise."

In v.13 the word "trouble" means to suffer evil treatment. When we suffer, we must turn to God for help. When we turn to God and we talk with Him, we pray. Prayer to the Christian is like oxygen to the lungs. Corrie ten Boom likened prayer to the steering wheel on a car. 

In v.13, James addresses those who are happy and he exhorts us to sing to God songs of praise. The point is we should be living our lives out of our personal relationship with God, no matter how well or poorly life comes at us. Connection to God is the key to our faith, wisdom and ability to live the life the Lord Jesus died to give us.

In v.14 of today's text we read, "Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord."

James moves, next, to the one who has lost the ability to endure the suffering. Here, James introduces us to the fallen warrior. There are several terms, in the New Testament, that can refer to sickness or disease. The word James used in v.14 means "weak, feeble, or impotent."

In 2 Corinthians 12:10, the Apostle Paul uses this very same word. In context, Paul speaks of his thorn in the flesh which he prayed that God would take away, and He never did. God said, to Paul, according to 2 Corinthians 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for you; My power is perfected in weakness." Then in v.10, Paul wrote, "That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." The very same word James used in James 5:14 translated "sick," Paul uses in 2 Corinthians 12:10 for "weak" or "weakness."

So, the better translation of James 5:14 is: "Is anyone among you weak? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord."

This makes better sense since James has been addressing throughout this book those who are weak in faith rather than those who are sick. Then, James exhorts the weak to call for the elders of the church because they are spiritually strong. They are more likely walking with the Lord and they subsequently are aligned with His will.

The word used here in v.14 translated "anoint" means to rub with oil. This word was used of pouring oil over someone’s head and/or feet, rubbing them with oil. Oil was the base of soap, and it literally could refer to washing someone.

In Luke 10:34, the Good Samaritan put wine and oil on the beaten man. The fermented wine cleansed the man's wounds. So, to say "to anoint with oil" literally meant to pour oil on the wound of the weak believer. 

In that day, when the shepherd would bring the sheep into the fold, he would check each sheep over to see if there were any wounds. And, if a sheep had a wound, the shepherd would pour oil on it and the oil would soothe the sheep. In v.14, James uses the practice of pouring oil onto a wound to describe the ministry of prayer that the elders of a local group of Christians have over believers under their care. 

James exhorts us to pray "in the name of the Lord." That is, pray according to the will of the Lord Jesus, on the basis of His authority and power and in His merit. You see, it is only through Christ that God hears and answers our prayers according to His will.

In v.15 of today's text we read, "And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven."

The word James used here translated "sick" is never used in the scriptures to describe sickness. The word James uses here, κάμνοντα, means "to be weary." This word is only used one other time in the New Testament. It is used in Hebrews 12:3, which reads, "Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." 

Here, κάμνοντα is translated "weary." This word is used by the writer of Hebrews to describe those, who in the midst of persecution, are learning to fix their eyes not on their trouble but on their Savior. This is the importance of prayer which is designed to enable us to focus on the Sovereign of the universe.

These to whom James wrote were struggling to endure because of their trials which had caused them to lose the intense desire that is needed to persevere in the faith. James reminds us the prayers offered in faith by those who persevere in the faith will restore those who are weary and have lost heart. The word "restore" means to deliver or to rescue. When we have lost our perseverance, we will be restored to perseverance through the prayers of faith offered up by godly people on our behalf. The idea here is that we must not suffer in isolation. God has placed us into His family in order to benefit from the spiritual gifts and abilities of one another.

At the end of v.15 we read, "If they have sinned, they will be forgiven." This word translated "forgiven" literally means "to send away." This means that if sin is involved in causing the weakness, whatever it is, it has been sent away and it is gone. The sin is to be sent away, but the sinner is not to be sent away.

James 5:10-12

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10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. 12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned. ~ James 5:10-12

We return to our study of James wherein we have been taught the value of our faith in the God of the Bible. In addition, we have learned the value of acquiring God's wisdom through the trials we face. And, we have learned the importance of our sanctification. 

The flesh, which is the evil desires that are yet within us, has such a way of convincing us that its way is the best for us. In fact, when we feed the flesh, we think it is an okay thing. But then comes the corruption that comes with feeding or giving into the flesh. The accompanying corruption always serves as a reminder that the flesh is not good at all. To give into the desires of the flesh is destructive and could be a sign that we have not entered into a personal relationship with the Lord. This is not to say that the believer will be perfect, but as we grow in our walk with Him and we acquire God's wisdom, we will turn away from sin.

In our last blog and podcast we learned the utter necessity of  being patient in the midst of our trials. James reminds us of the soon appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ and how knowing this will help us to be long-tempered or patient with others, even when they treat us badly. Knowing that Christ will return and take us to the place where there will be no more sorrow, trouble, death, pain, or tears helps us to endure with patience in our trials. Being defined by the One who gave His life for us, results in our ability to resist the flesh and all of its corruption and death.

In v.10-11 of today's text we read, "10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."

We all tend to obey God a little bit easier when we have an "example" to follow. And, here, James directs our attention to the Old Testament prophets and Job who demonstrated patience in the midst of their trials. These two examples suffered greatly. And, both were patient with their circumstances and with the people who treated them badly. In the midst of it all, they spoke the truth, suffered affliction, and did it with patience.

The last sentence in v.11 of today's text reads, "The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."

According to this verse, the Lord is literally "many-boweled." The phrase "full of compassion" is a contraction of two Greek words, "many" and "bowels." This word was coined by James and it had never appeared anywhere else before this. It teaches us that God not only has compassion, but, He has multiplied compassion.

In addition, God is also "full of mercy" which means He is tender and soft-hearted. He bears our pain. He embraces our sorrows and cares. This is why we must, "Cast our cares on Him, for He cares for us." 

In v.12 of today's text we read, "Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned."

We always think of bargaining with God when life goes wrong. We have all said to Him, "God, if you will do this, I will do that." God doesn't want our relationship with Him to be a bargaining tool, it is so much more than that. It is a father son relationship where the heart must be engaged. Otherwise, it lacks authenticity, and the lack of authenticity stunts the relationship and stunts the message that God wants to speak through our lives.

True believers in the Lord Jesus are proven to be such through the words we say. The words that we say give us an indication of our spiritual maturity. When we speak the truth, we will be set apart from the world, and the world will know our integrity. And, perhaps, they might listen to our message more readily.

If our lives are consistently marked by that which is in direct opposition to God, we do well to make sure that we have believed on the Lord Jesus and we have received Him into our lives as our Savior. When the Lord Jesus Christ comes into a life, His presence should be increasingly obvious in and through that life. This does not mean we will ever be perfect this side of heaven, but He will express Himself through us. And, if He never expresses Himself through us, we should check to see if we are really saved.

When we suffer and we live in concert with our faith in the Lord Jesus, God will use that in the lives of unbelievers. The world anxiously looks to us to be the billboards of His compassion and mercy. And, when we live consistently resisting the flesh and being defined by God, well, others will see it and some will be impacted for eternity.

James 5:7-9

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7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! ~ James 5:7-9

Today, we return to our study of James 5 where James shows us the value of God's wisdom in our lives. We are involved in a tremendously big battle between good and evil, and it is God's wisdom that enables us to recognize the fine details involved. This wisdom is garnered by us from God as we go through our trials which are designed to show us how to be dependent upon the God of the Bible.

In v.7 of today's text we read, "Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains."

Patience in the midst of trials is of utmost importance if we are to gain a transcendent view of life from God. We only triumph as we are given the ability to evaluate time through the lens of eternity. Foolishness is the result of viewing eternity through the lens of time only.

The group to whom James wrote were Jews who converted to Christ. These believers in Christ who were scattered from their homes were facing various intense trials. They faced afflictions and persecutions which required patience. They needed to learn patience which is one of the designs of our trials. Patience is needed because the Lord's timetable is not like ours.

The word "patient" here means longsuffering with adverse people. This is yet another test of the faith that has as its object the God of the Bible. This word in the Greek, makrothumeō, means "long-tempered." It means to have a long fuse with someone or something that is trying our patience. Patience is enduring someone who is mistreating us, and not being angry with them and resisting treating them as they do us. It is being slow to anger. Just as God is long-tempered and very patient with us, so we should be with others. 

The first sentence in this verse reads, "Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming." 

It helps us to be long-tempered when we are anticipating the Lord’s coming. When we live as if today is the day of His return, we will gain His patience. And, when we are persecuted even more, we will live in the light of the Lord's coming. On the other hand, when we are comfortable and problem-free, we are less mindful of our need for His return. If we are going to endure whatever suffering comes, we must fix our eyes on the the next arrival of the Lord Jesus. Interestingly, one out of every thirteen verses in the New Testament makes a reference to the arrival of the Lord Jesus. His coming is soon.

In order to help us understand and to live accordingly, James gives us this illustration of the farmer who waits on the process of growth. The farmer waits. That’s how it is if you’re a farmer: you plant, and then you wait. And that conveys the idea of looking expectantly for something outside oneself. The harvest, frankly, depends on the providence of God. It depends on God bringing together all of the right components to make a good crop.

The farmer waits "for the land to yield its valuable crop." "Valuable" here means precious. It’s precious to him because it takes a long, long time to get the harvest. It is precious because he depends on the long-awaited harvest for his existence. He demonstrates long-tempered patience as he long awaits the crops arrival. He waits through the autumn and spring rains. The first rain softens the land and the latter rain yields the harvest. What a picture of God's work in our hearts. He has to break our hearts or to allow them to be broken, in order to heal our hearts.

Now in Israel the rains come twice a year. We plant in the fall and the rain comes in the season of planting in October and November, that’s the autumn rain. Then, the spring rain comes in March and April, right before the harvest. And so we have to wait for the process which takes time, lots of time. So, in the same way a farmer is patient until the season passes and the crop grows to maturity, so must the believer must be patient awaiting God's precious arrival.

In v.8 of today's text we read, "You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near."

To "stand firm" means for our hearts to be strengthened. This same word is used in Luke 9:51, where we learn that the Lord Jesus set His face to go to Jerusalem. The root of this word literally means "to prop yourself up." When we are about to collapse under persecution, we must prop ourselves up with the hope of the soon return of the Lord Jesus. This is a word of resoluteness, a word of firm courage. It’s an attitude of commitment, that no matter what the trial we confidently move ahead.

In v.9 of today's text we read, "Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!"

James reminds us here to resist being defined by the flesh. We must recognize that persecution is our friend. While it can create all kinds of frustration, it could be our servant, reminding us to be defined by the Lord. But, when we are not defined by the Lord, frustration gets the best of us and we allow it to usher in sin, sins like bitterness and revenge and rejection of others. This is not the Lord's desire and way.

The Greek word used here translated "grumble" is found six times in the New Testament. It means to sigh, to groan, or to murmur, and can even be used of inaudible prayer. In this case, grumbling is a mark of impatience and is an indication that faith has failed, so that what was meant for a test has become a temptation. Grumbling against others is a sin that occurs whenever we lapse into thinking that the world is not fully under God’s control. It shows a lack of self-control in the face of suffering, and it is fueled by frustration, hurt, and anger. Grumbling is an attempt to defend our interests, or to get back at those whom we perceive to have wronged us. And, the key component in resisting this temptation is patience.

The judgment here is not the judgment of hell for the believer in Christ. Remember, James wrote to Christians who knew the forgiveness of their sin. But, could there have been unbelievers in their ranks? Of course! And, for those the judgment was the judgment of hell. And, we, as believers in Christ, factor into this process. When we demonstrate God's wisdom and patience, we are used of God to provide and example to unbelievers of what it looks like to have a personal relationship with God. And, God wants to use our lives as a billboard in the lives of those who are yet to believe in Him.

James 5:4-6

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4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you. ~ James 5:4-6

Today, we come back to the final chapter of the epistle written by James. As we considered in our last blog and podcast, in this passage, James provides for us, yet another test which enables us to know that we have faith in the God of the Bible, and through our faith we have accessed His wisdom. And, necessary for our faith to grow, we must go through difficult times. No one would prescribe trials for ourselves, that is until we recognize the connection between our trials and our ability to access God's wisdom. This test centers around how we handle the wealth God has given us.

In v.4 of today's passage we read, "Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty."

Among the scattered and persecuted Jewish Christians to whom James wrote this letter were those who appeared to love money more than God. These, instead of being generous with the poor, they exploited them. Instead of giving to the poor, they withheld from them. Instead of giving them the small wage that they had earned, they kept it back. 

In biblical days there were people who every morning would go to the marketplace, hoping that someone would come to hire them for the day. They would work for whatever agreed upon wage they could get. And, at the end of the day, they were paid.

The phrase "The wages you failed to pay" is one word in the Greek and it means "to withhold by fraud." They weren't guilty of delaying their pay, they refused to pay. They didn’t pay them what they were due. And so, the rich then had money hoarded that they unjustly gained. And the cries of those who were treated wrongly were being heard by the Almighty God. Just as parents hear the slightest sigh of their children, God hears the cries of the hurting.

In v.5 of today's text we read, "You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter."

The phrase "You have lived on earth in luxury" literally means, "You have lived in softness." When we gather unto ourselves much money at the expense of others, making them poor, we are guilty of idolatry, and the idol is ourselves. And, a life style of indulgence follows. The downward spiral never ends, making us more and more numb to God and that which is really real.

Luxury most often leads us to the vice of comfort. We start living the soft life, and it takes us over. Once consumed with our own pleasure, we  find ourselves desiring all sorts of pleasures, and luxury turns out to be our vice. At the root of it all is covetousness which is desiring more and more of what belongs to someone else. It is at this point that we find ourselves living a life without self-control and self-restraint. A man with wealth who closes his eyes to the needs of others, closes his eyes to the work of God.

The result of it all, as indicated by the last sentence in v.5, like the fattened calf, we find ourselves prepared for the slaughter of our own flesh. Even though our sins are forgiven in Christ and we are headed to heaven, we can lessen the quality of our lives here on this earth. And, God is very clear that when we feed the flesh, it brings with it, corruption and destruction.

In v.6 of today's text we read, "You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you."

When we are defined by the things of this world we are blinded and numbed to what is substantive and worthy of our investment. But, when we are defined by God, we will have His heart for others, especially for those who are most needy. 

I close with a great quote from C.S. Lewis that sums up today's passage well. "Enemy-occupied territory---that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us to take part in a great campaign of sabotage."

James 5:1-3

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1 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. ~ James 5:1-3

Today, we enter into the final chapter of this book which has as its main theme: the maturation of the faith of the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. In this letter, we have learned the utter importance of gaining the wisdom of God which enables us to navigate our sanctification. We have also learned that the goal of our sanctification is that others might benefit from our better quality of life which is a biproduct of having the God of the Bible define us on a daily basis.

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are all tempted by the opulence and materialism of this world. In fact, we have all chased what is known as the American Dream which is not necessarily consistent with God's definition of the way our lives should be lived. This is, of course, the reason James highlights the various tests that God allows and causes to prove that our faith in Him is being strengthened. 

The theme of today's passage is how the believer in Christ is supposed to handle our material wealth in this world. One of the four half-brothers of the Lord Jesus, James, here is obviously speaking to people who though on the outside may have affirmed faith in Christ and love for God, obviously struggled with their love for money. And so, their spiritual state was revealed in the matter of their relationship to riches.

In Matthew 6:19-21 the Lord Jesus said, "19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Along with the Lord Jesus, James calls us to evaluate the state of our hearts by how we handle our wealth, because our hearts will always be invested in those places that we invest our wealth. And, in today's passage, James gives the most blistering denunciation against those who trust in their wealth. We prostitute the goodness and generosity of God when we base our daily choices on the basis of our wealth rather than on the will of the One who laid down His life for us.

Wealth in itself is not sinful. It is not wrong to possess wealth, it is wrong to be possessed by wealth. And, the more wealth we have, the greater will be the potential for us to be guilty of the love of money which is the root of all evil. When our hearts are greedy for money and therefore controlled by it, all kinds of evil is possible for us. If we serve money, we have a very difficult time serving God at the same time.

In v.1 of today's text we read, "Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you."

We are rich when we have more than we need. If we have money beyond the meeting of our needs, we’re in the category of the rich. Those to whom James wrote abused their God-given resources by hoarding them. The word "weep" means "to sob out loud." This word is used in other places in the Bible to describe those who "hysterically cry for the dead." This uncontrollable response to greed is the bi-product of gaining God's wisdom. This response is uncontrollable because of the horror of realizing that we are found in the clutches of the evil one himself. And, this viewpoint leads us to the lament of repentance where God's grace is quick to comfort. 

The word "misery" is connected to our sinful wretchedness. It has to do with the overwhelming trouble that creates incredible distress in us. This misery is present in our lives because sin is out to destroy us. 

In v.2-3 in today's text we read, "2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days."

Trusting in our riches is a damning thing. Again, money is not the issue, it is how we relate to money. Money is, in and of itself, amoral. What we do with our money is what makes it moral or immoral. And, when we hoard our wealth, we sin. From the word translated "hoarded" in v.3 we get our word "thesaurus" which means storehouse or treasury. And, when we storehouse our wealth we are not putting it to its proper use, which is to advance the kingdom of God in this world.

Obviously, God provides for us so that we might provide for our families, and, when we do not do that, God says in 1 Timothy 5, we are worse than unbelievers. We are to take care of our families, of those in the extended family, of the widowed and the orphaned among us. God gives us wealth so that we can be an extension of His grace in this sad world. We are defined by His culture when we obey His word.

All material things, not invested in the eternal, will end up useless and will decay. When we recognize that we are not investing in His culture, we should wail. We should wail because, if we have only invested our wealth in the temporal, we have nothing to show for God and others in the end. In eternity, if we have lived as if this world was all there is, we will be rather poor in comparison to those who were motivated by God's heart. In the end, our gold and silver will be useless. How foolish are we when we hoard the money of this world, because it will not follow us into eternity. 

The only acceptable way to live in the light of the soon coming of Christ is to live holding everything loosely. This includes all of the blessings that God gives us, our wealth, especially. It doesn't take us too long to discover that the tighter we grip it, the less we will have for His glory. This is one of the great litmus tests to our faith in the here and now.

James 4:13-17

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13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. ~ James 4:13-17

Today, we find ourselves at the end of James 4 which deals with the will of God for our lives. In Psalm 40:8 we read, "I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart." There is nothing more characteristic of a believer in Christ than our desire to do His will. This does not mean we will always do it, but the desire is there; and when we fail to do it, there’s a sense of failure.

In v.13-14 of today's passage we read, "13 Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money. 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."' 

In these two verses, James quotes those who do not live their everyday life from the stand point of those who are gaining God's wisdom, and, as a result, they are not being defined by God. These are those who live as if this world is all there is to it. They are not cognizant of eternity, and they are not known to operate in this life out of a personal relationship with God. 

This person runs his own life foolishly ignoring God and showing utter disrespect for His sovereignty. His fatal flaw is the presumption that God's will is not paramount. When we plan as if we know everything, and we have no need for God's omniscience, omnipotents, we are more vulnerable of the enemy who wants to undermine God in our lives.

In Proverbs 27:1 we read, "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring." Life is too complicated to live it without God in the equation. When we live a day void of our awareness of God, we are in greater danger of being taken over by arrogance. When we ignore God on a given day, we not only ignore the existence of God’s will, but we also miss out on the benefit of it. 

We gain great confidence when the sovereign God who knows all things is at the helm of our lives. This is why God gave us Proverbs 3:5-6 which reads, "5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." 

In v.15 of today's passage we read, "Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.'"

Life boils down to one simple phrase: The Will of God, which is that we grow in an intimate relationship with Him, and that through our lives He expresses Himself for the benefit of others. To know Him and to make Him known is truly the crux of His will for all of us. Knowing Him and making Him know provides the ripple effect in and through our lives which results in us realizing God's best in all areas of our lives because it is from this approach to life that we gain His wisdom.

In v.16-17 of today's passage we read, "16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them."

To "boast" literally means "to arrogantly brag." This word was used of people who, in a public place, peddled their phony goods. It was used in James day of charlatans who duped people into buying their products. At the end of v.16, James wrote: "All such boasting is wicked." 

This word is also used of Satan, the original sinner who sought to replace God. It is not until we see the wickedness and utter dangerousness of ignoring God that we will repent of its complete foolishness. In fact, it is when our lives goes bad in some way that we really get serious in following God. The better part of wisdom is to follow Him as best we can at all times.

It is most alarming when we agree that God exists, and we agree that God’s will is best for our lives, but we just flatly don’t yield to the will of God. This is James' point in v.17. When we know the will of God and we do not bend our will to it, it is in opposition of God. 

The true believer lives out his life with a plan that has God at the center. The true believer is the one who seeks God. The true believer is the one who has a heart to obey God. And sure, there are times of disobedience, but down deep in our heart is that longing to do that which His will dictates. Submission to His will is basic to living the life the Lord Jesus died to give us. This is yet another test of living faith. To desire to do God's will is a good sign that we are His children.

James 4:11-12

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11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? ~ James 4:11-12

We return to James 4 where the half brother of the Lord Jesus instructs us on the importance of the development of our faith in the God of Bible through our trials and temptations. The testing of our faith results in the acquisition of God's wisdom which enables us to increasingly see the diabolical nature of sin, and, it enables us to recognize the goodness of God. Essential to all of this is being led by God's indwelling Holy Spirit and learning from Him through His word. In today's text, James instructs us on the importance of extending the very same grace that God has extended to us to others.

In v.11 of today's text we read, "Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it."

When we are walking with the Lord, we will be humble because when we truly get to know God, we will see how wretched we truly are. And, when we walk with the Lord, we will treat others with the very same grace we have received from Him. The sign of authenticity of a true believer in Christ is humility and grace. 

The word "slander" in James 4:11 literally means "to speak against." It can also mean "to gossip". It describes careless babble that runs people down. It is the defaming of a person who is not in the position to defend himself. This is the word from which we get our English word "backbiting." We bite them in the back, and they can’t even see what’s going on, and they’re not even able to defend themselves. 

God, in the Old Testament, dealt with slander more than any other sin. Slander is very destructive to us because it ushers us down the road of the evil one who is out to destroy us. He tempts us most often with slander because it is easy for him to lead us away from the wisdom of God which is what we need to see the diabolical nature of wickedness.

In addition, James admonishes us to not "judge" which means to "condemn" someone. When we give safe haven to a critical attitude we reject God the most. This sin is so destructive and is so easy to do because we can always find someone to criticize, whether the criticism is true or not. James notes this is defiance against God and His Word! When we pass judgment on another believer, we are actively trying to usurp God.

It is no secret that God hates a lying tongue and He hates it when we sow discord among the brethren. Three of the seven things that God hates have to do with how we speak about other people. God hates the sins that destroy personal relationships. Throughout His word, God reminds us it is characteristic of wicked people to slander. In fact, God says slander is satanic.

In v.12 of today's text we read, "There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?"

The sin of slander reveals our opinion of not only others, but also, of God. James 4:12 reveals there can only be one person who can sit in the judgment seat. And, when we slander, we put ourselves above God's law, and, subsequently we put ourselves above God.

The word "Lawgiver" means the one who puts the law in place. This is the only place in the New Testament this word is used. The judge is the one who applies the law. Satan sought the place of God when he decided to rebel against God. He removed himself from under the authority of God, and in so doing, he brought the wickedness of sin into being. When we seek to push God off His throne, we fall into the trap of the one who opposes God. All sin asserts that the sinner is above the law, and therefore strikes a murderous blow at God Himself. All sin says, in effect, I want God dead and I want to be in charge.

When we sin, we try to rise to the point of deposing God. And that’s why sin is so hateful to Him and should be to us. Sin taunts the power of God and even despises His grace and mercy. We despise Him and His benevolence by abusing the fact that He is forgiving. This is why we must resist judging and slandering others for it abuses God and it prevents us from having His wisdom.