Written ~ 12-06-2024
Read James Chapter Five
James 5
In this last chapter of the Book of James we will learn why the need for riches can turn our hearts away from the Lord and lessen the desire to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. We will learn about the patience we need in waiting for Christ’s return. Lastly, we will learn about the power of prayer. This chapter will end with us, hopefully, thinking even more about how we are living for the Lord. My prayer, as we read through these final thoughts from James is that we all would be convicted of any behaviors that do not belong in our lives as believers.
Let’s begin…
James 5:1-6…
1 “Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. 2 Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. 4 For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 5 You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you.”
In 1 Timothy 6:10 it says, “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.” When the pursuit of wealth becomes the only thing that matters, when it becomes the “thing” you desire more than anything else, James says that what lies ahead are “terrible troubles.” And Paul says in 1 Timothy that many sorrows will come to them. Is there a fine line to obtaining wealth and still follow the heart of the Lord? I believe so. Jesus did not come to this earth to become wealthy and pursue earthly treasures. Now, on the surface, wealth is not the problem, there are plenty of believers who have managed to balance the wealth they have here on earth with the pursuit of following Christ in everything they do. But what is the turning point? When does earthly wealth become the substance that causes terrible troubles and sorrows? It’s when the heart of the person decides that what they want in life is more important than what God wants. Can you pinpoint something in your own life that you want more than anything else – houses, cars, mounds of cash saved in the bank? How do these things reflect the heart of Jesus within you? Are we depending on the Lord to supply us with the abundance of His provision? Or is there a part of us that doesn’t trust His provision and we feel the need to put all of our pursuits on what we can get here on earth to make sure we are secure. In James 5:1-6, we learn that those pursuits won’t amount to much when we come to the day of judgment. God is not impressed by our earthly wealth, He wants to see how we treated others, how we planted seeds of righteousness, how we brought people into a relationship with Christ and how we pursued the things of Heaven. Romans 12:1-2 says, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
We are not to be like the rich who trample over everyone else to get what we want, no matter who it hurts. We are to look to Heaven first, for everything. Are we looking around to help those in need? Do we see those who suffer in their poverty, but turn a blind eye as we pursue earthly wealth? We must reflect the attitude of Christ in everything, including how we handle our “earthly treasures.” Verse 5:3b says, “This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgement.” These first few verses of chapter five should compel us to check our hearts. We must see if the “love of money” has corrupted us in any way and allowed a root of evil to spring up from within. Check the motives of your heart to the things you pursue. Check to see if it is Christ’s heart you are emulating. Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” We need to listen to the voice of Jesus.
Our work for the Lord never ends. While we wait for His return, we must work hard to fill His Kingdom with souls! Sometimes it may seem, the waiting will never end, but that can’t give us reason not to pursue the things of Heaven.
James 5:7-9…
7 “Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. 8 You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.
9 Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look – the Judge is standing at the door!”
The example James gives us is about farmers who must wait for rain in order for their crops to yield fruit… so we must wait with anticipation for the Lord’s return. If the farmer didn’t plant his fields and continue his pursuit to yield a valuable harvest, he would lose everything. Even when the farmer doesn’t see any sign of rain, he still carries on and waits patiently for the rain to come. It is the same for the believer, even though we don’t know when Christ will return, that does not mean we kick back and wait idly for Him to make an appearance. No, in this time of waiting we are to be busier than ever to get the Word of God out to all people! Do you have family members who need the Lord? Do you have close friends who need the Lord? Do you have neighbors or coworkers who need the Lord? Even if you answered with a hesitant yes, guess what? Your calling has only just begun!
This is not the time to complain to each other about all the things going wrong in the world or in our daily lives… it is time to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and get moving, get out there and spread the Gospel message in whatever way the Lord has placed on our hearts to do! There is coming a time when we will account for all we did or did not do for Christ. “The Judge is standing at the door!”
James 5:10-11…
10 “For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.”
While we wait for the Lord’s return and continue in the work of bringing the lost to Jesus, just like prophets of old we will need to endure persecution from those who do not want to listen to our message about Christ. We have countless examples of men and women who came before us with the Gospel Message and their pursuit for reaching souls did not end with them. That torch has been passed on to every believer in every generation past, present and future. We must have steadfast endurance to reach as many people as possible with the message of Salvation.
James 5:12…
12 “But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.”
As believers, our credibility is of the upmost importance. We should not make promises or oaths that we cannot keep. We mustn’t exaggerate or lie, falsities like that will create an untrustworthiness in our character that we need to rid ourselves of. Instead, in everything we involve ourselves in our “Yes” needs to mean “Yes” and our “No” needs to mean “No,” especially when we are representing Jesus in everything we do.
James 5:13-16…
13 Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. 14 Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.
16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
I believe with all my heart that, as believers, when we come together and pray for one another, awesome things can and will happen! It says in Matthew 18:20 – Amplified Version (AMP)…
20 “For where two or three are gathered in My Name [meeting together as My followers], I am there among them.”
Jesus promises He will be among us as we pray, so as we gather together in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ His Holy Spirit is present, and He has the power of Heaven with Him. When we pray in the Name of Jesus, powerful things will happen. In John 14:13-14 (AMP) it says…
13 “And I will do whatever you ask in My Name (***as My representative), this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified and celebrated in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My Name (***as My representative), I will do it.”
(***In the Amplified Study Bible footnotes it says, “Acting as Jesus’ representative means that the person calling on His Name is in a close relationship with Him and wants what He wants.”)
Sometimes our human brains can’t comprehend the healing power of the Holy Spirit. We see sickness and death in the world, some get healed, some don’t. Maybe that has caused our faith to waver just a little bit. But the verses we are reading today, don’t give room for doubt and unbelief. James 5:15 makes it very clear that “Jesus will.” So why is it that we come to the throne of God, praying in the Name of Jesus but have a hint of doubt within that prayer? Maybe we have been conditioned through our own life struggles that we shouldn’t really expect any change when we pray, and with that attitude we don’t know how to pray with the assertiveness these verses in chapter five are talking about! Quite honestly, I know I have been guilty of that very thing! In the Book of Mark Chapter 9, there is a story of a father who brings his demon possessed boy to Jesus, this is what transpired in verses 9:22-24…
22 “…Have mercy on us and help us, if You can.” 23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” 24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”
So when you read James 5:13-16 and it says the following, do you believe it? And are you doing it?
- Suffering any hardships? Pray.
- Are any of you sick? Pray.
- Anoint with oil.
- Pray in the Name of Jesus.
- The Lord will.
Verse 5:16b says…
16b “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”
The word “earnest” is used as a descriptive word to describe how we should pray… Let’s look at how the dictionary defines the word “earnest” and think about this definition as it applies to prayer:
- characterized by or proceeding from an intense and serious state of mind
- a serious and intent mental state
- a considerable or impressive degree or amount
Are we truly coming to the Lord in prayer for one another with earnest prayer? When we are praying for one another, those prayers need to be brought to the Lord with a serious and intense state of mind. Our hearts are leaning in, our minds are cleared with the only intent to bring these requests to the Father with His Will in mind as the only solution. Are we trying to tackle our life challenges all on our own? Do you sit in your quiet place praying, but don’t see any changes in your situation? Do you suffer alone? Well, it’s pretty clear in our verses today that we need to talk with like-minded believers and ask for prayer.
- You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you.
- Confess your sins (your offenses) to each other.
- Pray for each other so that you may be healed.
Nowhere in our verses today say to handle your pain, your sickness, your struggles all on your own. We must open our hearts to seek the support of other believers. If you don’t have anybody like that in your life, you need to find someone! It may be that if you haven’t gone to church in a while, it might be time to go back, you need to surround yourself with other believers! Seek out those who can offer the type of prayer described above. Don’t remain in your suffering, alone and defeated.
Praying with Power. Praying in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ is going to “produce wonderful results!”
Let’s not overlook verse 5:13b…
13b “Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.”
If you are in a season of joy, of happiness and cheer, if you are not suffering or sick, then bring those praises to the Father! Praise the Name of Jesus! Praying for others in a state of praise can be a powerful thing! If you are not suffering or sick then use your praise in your prayers for the sick, use that unwavering praise for those who are struggling! Let’s see what can happen when we pray with the Power of the Holy Spirit and ask Jesus in His Name to heal the sick and to make a way for hardships to be lessened. In John 10:10 we see that we do have an enemy who wants to keep us in a state of despair, when we pray in the Name of Jesus, the enemy must flee.
10 “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life and have it in abundance.”
Keeping our eyes on Jesus, praying in His Name, promises the Power of the Holy Spirit will produce wonderful results.
Do not waver in your prayers. Gather the two or three believers together to Pray in the Name of Jesus.
James 5:17-18…
17 “Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.”
Here is just one example of a faithful man who prayed with earnest. When the Lord answered, it didn’t rain for 3 ½ years! What is it that you need the Lord’s hand to move in? Salvation for a family member? Healing in your body? To be freed from guilt and shame of your past? To create boldness and confidence in your stand for Christ? “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” Did you know that if you are a Born-Again believer you fall within the category of a “righteous person?” Yes! You can go to the Lord with your earnest prayer. We must come to the Lord with earnest faith that He can do the Will of the Father in your life.
(If you are interested in learning more about Elijah, his story can be found in 1 Kings 17:1-2 Kings 2:11)
James 5:19-20…
19 “My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 20 you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.”
These verses are specific to the believer who has fallen away from the Lord. A couple of terms you might be familiar with are that a believer has backslidden or has become a prodigal.
I find it interesting that James chose to close his letter in this way. There isn’t any kind of thanks or greetings to other believers, there isn’t a powerful last few words of encouragement… No, there is a charge for every believer to make sure that any believer who has fallen away from the Lord needs be brought back to the Lord, that plea from the heart of James is an urgent one. As time draws closer to the Lord’s return, it is our duty that if we know of a believer who is not on fire for the Lord that we bring them back into fellowship with their Savior.
The entire Book of James teaches us how our faith must be put into action. We can’t sit idly by and wait for the Lord’s return. If anything is causing you to be less than enthusiastic about walking in close communion with the Lord… I challenge you to get on your knees and cry out to your Savior and ask Him to bring you close. Ask the Lord to renew your mind, create a freshness within your heart and begin serving Him with everything you’ve got!
~AMEN~