mrtonyfrench

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

¹⁶ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

James 4:16-17

Failure to do good when given the opportunity is a sin for the Believer. That is the message of James 4:16-17 and it is our message for today.  Those who cease to do good when they know they should be helpful are committing an act of treason against the Lord.

Sin is not simply trespass, falling short, lawlessness, or transgressing God’s law. It is all those things. But, sin is also eschewing the chances that God gives us to do good things for others. Let us not be guilty of this transgression. May we always be looking to fulfill good for those around us. And may God bless us in this endeavor.

Tony French

¹³ Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” ¹⁴ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away.

James 4:13-14

Life on this planet is brief and uncertain. We can make our plans and preparations and there is wisdom in doing so. However, our path can be changed in an instant. Nothing is guaranteed in this life and we must acknowledge that fact.

Life is short and no one is promised tomorrow. James tells us that our lives are like a vapor, a cloud. We appear for a short while and then we are gone. The words of the Apostle are true and faithful.

As a result of this, let us live our lives in a way that honors and pleases God. May we, as the Lord’s people, be faithful to His Word, His will, and His ways. Only one life will soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Tony French