The Triumph of Faith

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The Condition of the Rich

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Again James seeks to get their attention. "LISTEN, YOU RICH PEOPLE." These people were the object of the scorn and condemnation of James. "Weep and wail for the miseries that are coming upon you." Your riches will corrode you. Your garments will become moth eaten. Your gold and silver will rust and eat your flesh like fire. Like metals that loose their luster, the poison of greed will eat up your soul. Greed and lust for wealth will only add fuel to the fire that will consume the lost.

Notice, it is not the wealth itself that condemns them, it is their attitude toward it. Their greed was evidenced by the labor wages that they kept from their workers by fraud and the oppression that they imposed upon them. James says, "God is not deaf, He hears the cries of injustice." James even condemns them for their evil influence in the secular world. "You have condemned and killed the righteous man." These rich Jews used their influence in the courts of law to bring condemnation and even death to innocent men. There men, even though they were not guilty, offered no resistance because they would not condemn a brother. What began as a means of livelihood, ended as insensitivity to murder and justice.

The Patience of the Faithful

Patience is something that does not seem to come natural, but James is telling these Jews, and us, in no uncertain terms, that it is necessary for the Christian. Notice the areas where patience is needed. First, we need to be patient in waiting on the coming of the Lord. Secondly, we need to be patient with each other. James gives some examples of past Saints who demonstrated patience. The Prophets demonstrated patience with the Lord and with the people. Job demonstrated patience with his afflictions, while not understanding his condition, he believed that the Lord had a purpose for it. James says that Faith demonstrates patience.

The Prayers of the Faithful

The second triumph of faith is prayer. How much faith do we have in prayer? How much faith do we demonstrate when we pray? What do we expect when we pray? James says, "The prayer of a righteous man had great power in its effect." Notice in this instance, James is not talking about the physically sick, he is talking about praying for the spiritually sick. Spiritual sickness was plaguing the churches as was obvious from the preceding chapters.

Sin causes suffering. If a person is suffering from sin, James says, call for the Elders of the church, those men who are "Spirit led". Let them pray for that person, anointing him with the oil of forgiveness, in the name of the Lord. The Lord, will then, raise him up and forgive his sins. The prayer of faith will save the spiritually sick man, according to James. I believe we must caution and add, if it is God's will.

The Comforts of the Faithful

The thought continues on in these verses of supporting and comforting one another. James appeals to these people to demonstrate tenderness and concern for each other. He is speaking here to both sides, to those who had shown tenderness and sought to help others, but now had grown weary, he urges them to return to their good work. To those who had fallen by the way side, strayed from the truth, he urges the brethren to seek after these people.

These are the "spiritually sick" members of the family of God. They have wondered away like the prodigal son and were wallowing in their sins, not hopeless loss to Christ, but loss to sanctification or any further spiritual growth. They needed to be restored to the fellowship and the joy of their salvation. This work is not evangelical but restoration. Revival not redemption. It is the work that few are willing or even qualified to do.

This letter from James has given clear instructions on how to achieve practical holiness and spiritual maturity. It is designed to pain the conscience, stir the soul and he says to these fellow Jews, stand with confidence, serve with compassion, speak with care, submit with contrition and share with concern. It should be a challenge for us as well as for those First Century Jewish Christians.

Thus we end a book that has caused much disagreement and confusion for years amongst the believers. I believe that James was trying to stir up these back sliden people to renew their dedication to the work of the Lord, that he was telling these people that their faith was dead, not their salvation.

THUS ENDS THE BOOK OF JAMES

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