Act Justly

⁴ Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of armies. ⁵ You have lived for pleasure on the earth and lived luxuriously; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned and put to death the righteous person; he offers you no resistance.

James 5:4-6

God condemns those who oppress the poor. The workers were being deprived of their wages and James calls them to account in these verses. The Apostles message declares that the employer should treat the employees fairly and justly. Failure to do so brought disgrace on the gospel of Christ.

Pleasure and luxury are never to be the ultimate goal of the Believer. It is true that God may bless someone with wealth. However, the Christian with means should realize that they have been entrusted with wealthy in order to advance the Kingdom of God. The Believer should not be concerned primarily with their own kingdom. Instead, may all of God’s people focus on bringing people to Jesus no matter their station in this life.

Tony French