The Book of James - 8
An Up-to-date Warning - Chapter 5, Verses 1 - 6
Although James wrote his letter a long time ago, it has been of great value to every generation, as has the whole of the Bible. In the passage that we looking at now he gives us a warning which is still very up-to-date.
One temptation which comes easily to us all is to put our trust in material things to the exclusion of confidence in God alone. Wealth is so powerful in the world that it easily blinds us to real values, and can bring about all sorts of wrong desires. In these verses there is set before us some of the awful consequences of misplaced trust.
(v.1-6) "Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 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. Look! The wages you failed to pay to the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you."
These are very strong words indeed, but they still reflect what we see in the world around us in our day. It is so easy to go on greedily gaining wealth as a kind of insurance against the future, and in the course of doing this, moral values and honesty are swept aside. The welfare of others is ignored in the rush to pile wealth upon wealth. Here is a strong warning to those who are rich in material wealth. A warning not to be deceived in this way.
It is not that money itself is evil, but it IS evil to make it the main object of our lives. It is the LOVE of money that is evil. In Psalm 62 v. 10, David sets out God's standard with regard to riches:
"Though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them".
This is not an isolated piece of advice, for the same theme is repeated several times in the New Testament. In the Lord's parable of the sower, one of the things that can so easily come into the life and choke the development of a godly life, is the deceitfulness of riches.
Mark 4 v.19: "But the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for others things, come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful."
In Mark chapter 10 there is the story of the rich young man who came to the Lord Jesus Christ seeking to follow Him. But it was his riches that were the hindrance which prevented him from trusting the Lord. See what Jesus said in v.23:
"Jesus looked around and said, 'How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!'"
Note that the Lord did not say it was impossible for the rich to enter, but that it was HARD. Hard because sinful man finds it easier to trust in wealth than to trust in God. Those who have been entrusted with material riches are accountable to the Lord for the ways in which they use it.
Paul wrote in a similar way in 1 Timothy chapter 6 v.17-19:
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, Who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."
"Uncertain riches", they are called here, and they are just that! No one can be absolutely certain of security in riches. There are countless stories of some who have had great wealth but who through their own foolishness, or through circumstances beyond their control, have overnight been reduced to poverty. It is much more certain to put one's hope in God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the latter part of these verses we see the tragic result of being greedy for wealth in the way it so often affects the lives of others adversely. Some are defrauded of their proper wages so that the rich can become richer. This is a great injustice, and must never be permitted in the life of any Christian. It is breaking the second commandment that we should love our neighbour as ourselves.
The inordinate love of wealth has even led some to unjustly condemn and murder innocent people, says James. This reveals the awful extent to which the desire for riches can go in those who are without Christ. All this is another very strong warning to the Christian never to allow the love of riches to take control of him.
James also talks of people living in luxury and self-indulgence. This, too, should be abhorrent to the Christian. We must take notice of those who are in deep need. Remember how this practical out-working of Christian faith was expressed in James chapter 2 v. 14-17. The Christian faith must always be expressed in loving action.
No Christian ever loses by being generous towards others. In Paul's letter to the Philippians chapter 4 v.14-19 he talks about their goodness in helping to supply his deep need, and how grateful he is for this. He then says, in v.19:
"And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus."
We are reminded of something that Paul wrote to the Corinthians concerning our Saviour, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich." (2 Corinthians 8 v.9) The more we get to know and love HIM so the more we shall value Him, all He has done for us. This in turn should motivate us in our liberality towards those in need.
So, from this warning passage of James' Letter, we must always be on the look out for anything which begins to take our eyes of the Lord Himself. It need not be riches. It could be anything in which we put our trust, even for a short while. It could be in some other person whom we admire. It could be in some great plan we have for our lives.
The practising Christian must keep looking to Jesus and to Him alone for all the strength and guidance he needs. So we must put our entire trust in Him and not in uncertain riches or indeed in anything else.