James has words of wisdom, rebuke, and edification, concerning stinginess as unloving behavior.
Oppression from the Self Satisfied will be Rewarded with Punishment
James 5:1-6
Pastor Kerry Kinchen, Bridgeway Bible Church
Please turn to James 5:1-6. We are continuing with our verse by verse exposition of this wonderful letter that James wrote by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. As you are turning there, I want to point out some interesting things about that statement that I just made. We recognize that the Bible writers were men, but we also know that according to 1 Peter 1:20-21 that they were men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. We also know that all Scripture is inspired by God, according to 2 Timothy 3:16. We know these things, and we also know that the original men who wrote the New Testament wrote for various reasons under various circumstances, and in various contexts of their day. We know this, and so it should not be surprising to us to recognize that the original audiences easily understood the fundamental points that were addressed to them in their generation. Thinking about all these things--God's inspiration, contextual relevance, and subsequent understanding of the original recipients--we sometimes want to think that we can simply open our Bibles, read each passage and we immediately understand it the way the original writer meant. We expect to naturally, or supernaturally, understand it in the manner that the recipients understood it to mean. We want to think that we can just look at it and we will know the way God wanted us to comprehend it. This seems like the way things should be. In fact, we even want to come up with reasons why everyone does not see the same Scriptures the same way, or interpret the statements the same way. The great reformed theologian, RC Sproul commented recently in a podcast message on the question of false doctrine being sin. He asked,
"Why do Christians differ as to what proper doctrine is? Is it because the word of God is so obscure that no virtuous person can sort it out? Or is it because when we come to the biblical texts we come with our prejudices, biases, slothfully, and not diligently."--RC Sproul
Unfortunately, the answer is that we don't have to be prejudiced, biased, slothful, or lack diligence. The reality is that many so called, virtuous persons can not always sort it out. Sometimes we run into a passage today, and it is puzzling. There are translation difficulties with taking the Hebrew, or the Greek over to English. Sometimes when this is done, some of the nuance is missing from the original languages. Sometimes there is simply a difficulty in figuring out the right way to render the Hebrew, or Greek over into English, or any other language for that matter. There are also things like cultural manners, subject familiarity, and idiomatic expressions that we don't readily understand. So, sometimes we have some real puzzles on our hands. In fact, some of the puzzles are so difficult to nail down an understanding with, that try as we might, we can not make a solid determination about it without creeping into that dangerous realm of speculation. Let me tell you about that dangerous realm; it is a realm that virtuous persons creep into all the time. It is where they sincerely think that they know that they know, but they really don't know. This morning we have arrived at such a passage. Please read James 5:1-6 with me at this time and I will explain what I am talking about as we move along. James says,
"1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! 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 hosts. 5 You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you." James 5:1-6
Please prepare your hearts for the sacred preaching of God's word, in this sermon titled,
Oppression from the Self Satisfied will be Rewarded with Punishment
[prayer]
Without speculation, there is definitely a general overarching theme that can be identified as a principle that runs through this section. I have tried to state it as succinctly as possible in the title of this sermon. The essence is that certain people called rich, which are people who are self satisfied in rewarding themselves, are not considering God and others who are less fortunate according to the great royal law, which is the Law of love, and so in their temporal earthly riches, and lack of love, they are oppressing others, and because of their oppression they will bring punishment upon themselves. With this in mind, let's look at the main interpretational puzzle that I referred to in the introduction to this sermon. What we will do is look at the puzzle for a bit, and then we will see how the overarching theme I have presented can be applied from the two popular views that seek to piece the puzzle together. I think I need to do this because of the nature of the text, otherwise I would just blaze along with preaching one of the views; but I do not think that would be fair to you. What I want to show from what I believe is the fairest stance to take, is that virtuous persons really do not know for sure what kind of subject audience James is addressing for making this point at this particular place in his letter. At least the arguments given for each view seem to be so compelling that people think they know, but just because they think they know, does not mean that they are correct. So, with that in mind, let me state the problem this way by asking two questions:
1) Is James talking to, or about, rich people who are not saved?;
or
2) Is James talking to, or about, rich people who are saved?
That is all there is to it. Figure out who James is talking about in his thrust, and you have the puzzle pretty much worked out. Now this sounds easy, but before we pat ourselves on the back in self assured confidence that we have the answer, let us look at the details. As we look at what James is saying, we will touch upon the two views of this passage while gleaning an important principle for our own lives. In verse one, James says,
"1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you."
Immediately we notice that James is talking to, "you rich." He does not say whether they are Christians or non-Christians. He just says, "you rich." Looking at this, we know that not all rich people are in a state of misery. We also know that it is not a sin to be wealthy. So, then, we must deduce that this describes a certain rich person, or maybe it is more accurate to say that this describes a certain kind of rich person.
One view suggests that James has not changed his audience from the 12 Israelite tribals that are truly saved brothers in Christ. So, James is talking to rich, but oppressive, Christians. One of the arguments used by some people for this, is that it is asserted that the New Testament writers do not change their statements from addressing the saved, and then over to referring to the unsaved in the third person in their epistles. But to suggest this is only a theory, and is really an unprovable presupposition that is merely asserted as if it is a fact by some dogmatic folks. Hebrews is an epistle that characteristically addresses unsaved Israelites as well as saved Israelites as I point out in detailed and consistent exegesis in my book Defending Biblical Salvation. Nevertheless, there is something here that James is saying by way of address that tends to suggest that he has the same category of people in mind that he just had beforehand, which are Christians. Those who think that James is addressing rich Christians who are oppressive and in need of rebuke and repentance, point out that in this context, James starts out his statement with a calling out of "Come now, you" which is like saying, "Listen up, you" or "Harken to my words, you" or "Look here, you"--all of which give the sense that James has something important to say to a certain "you." Remember, James says,
"1 Come now, you rich, ..."
The reason why this is important is because James only does this in one other place, and that other place is directly before this point. It is in 4:13. It is where James is instructing Christians who would have the spiritual life to both understand, and apply his teaching. He says there,
"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. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, ...
[Because they are spiritually alive as children of God in salvation, they can say what comes next, which is,]
... 'If the Lord determines, we will live and also do this or that.' 16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do ...
[being, in fact a description of saved people enabled by the Holy Spirit in regeneration]
... and does not do it, to him it is sin."
[Whereas all is sin to the unsaved in their unregenerate hearts]
What we see is that James uses the pronoun "you" here in his previous usage of "Come now, you." This suggests that in the same flow of thought in his following verses (which is our passage under study this morning) that James is still speaking to the same Christians that he has been addressing from the beginning of the epistle. Further, along this line, it is pointed out that there is no reason for James to switch the application of warnings to the rich here to mean unbelievers, because to do so takes the cutting edge off the sharpness of a warning meant to strongly chastise God's children who need to repent. After all, unbelievers are already known to be condemned to hell no matter how they treat anyone, or how they think about God in His sovereignty over human events. Keeping this in mind, we must also recognize that James has already shown that it is his practice to address both the poor, and the wealthy Christians in this epistle. He did this in 1:9-11;
"9 But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; 10 and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away." James 1:9-11
James reminds rich Christians that they lose their wealth in the temporal pursuits of this world, and so they are encouraged to glory in their humiliation, which is to be recognizing that temporality is inferior to the eternal realm they will inherit. All of these things are important, but this still does not make this easy. You see, by the same token, the unsaved rich are also referred to in other parts of James. In fact, in 2:6, James refers to the unsaved rich in such a manner as being another group aside from the church. Further, the unsaved rich are described as being oppressive, where we read,
"5 Listen, my beloved brothers: did not God elect the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? 7 Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?" James 2:5-7
So, in our text that we are learning from this morning, James is addressing the rich among the churches, and contextually, it is argued that they may be rich agricultural land owning Christians, but it is also argued that they may be rich lost people referred to in the third person, as "you" to make a categorical point of distinction between the 12 tribes of Christians, and those wealthy tyrants who are oppressing them. Both views can be argued, at least to some extent, from the rest of the epistle.
As a biblical principle, when we, as God's children, do not have a proper attitude toward money, then we may be acting like sinful lost people; and such behavior is horrendous behavior--period. If we Christians do this, and are acting like it is okay for us to be this way, we should really be weeping and howling because of our improper attitude toward money. But the principle out of James becomes one that is doubly important for you if you are stingy with your money, or if you seek to justify treating others who are less fortunate than you are as if they are inferiors to you, and so in a kind of smug self satisfied contempt, they are treated in an oppressive way. This reminds me of a time when I went to a restaurant with a Large church group. It was a Friday evening. When we arrived, they had to put two long tables together because there were so many of us. I remember at the time that there were more than a few of the group that were treating the waitress like she was an inferior. Love was not the word that comes to my mind. Rude is the word that comes to my mind, and I could tell it was on her mind too. I tried to treat her extra nicely, (seeing how she was being treated so badly by some of God's children.) I found out that she was a Christian, and over the course of the night our group started to dwindle down as people began to leave. Some of us remaining Christians had struck up some friendly conversation with the waitress as we were trying to get a tip together. As this was going on, we realized that over half the group had left without paying a tip, including the people who were being rude. Then I remember what one of my friends said. She was a young lady who used to be a waitress in a similar restaurant. She told me that when it comes to church groups, stinginess, and snootiness is a common event. She said that where she worked as a waitress, that when a Christian group would come in, nobody wanted to be their help. Instantly, they expected the group to be hypocrites because they typically had the rudest people. They generally came across as the most selfish people, and they were the worst tippers. This unfortunate attribute that is so often witnessed in a micro cultural restaurant situation, is brought to the table of our whole Christian lives when we do not consistently operate in the royal law of love everywhere we go and in every pocket of our lives, which means the pocketbooks that we keep our money. It is sad. And anyone who is a stingy Christian who oppresses others in any way, (no matter how small and insignificant we think it is) should weep and howl for their miseries that are coming upon them, because God will not allow you to go through life in consistent transgression of the law of love. We read of the consistent biblical principle in Galatians 6 in respect to sharing with our teachers. Paul says,
"7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap." Galatians 6:7
In the context, Paul is talking about giving to the work of the ministry, and reaping eternal life things in the process, versus sowing to temporary, selfish, carnal endeavors that pass away. This is a biblical principle that is leveled directly at Christians. You reap what you sow, and if you sow that which will bring future reward then you can rejoice. Otherwise, though you may be doing well financially right now, you will reap weeping and howling for your miseries which you have brought upon yourself in transgression of the law of love. Turn to 2 Corinthians 9, because we should make no mistake about it, this is a biblical principle that is woven all throughout the Bible. We read it in a broader teaching out of 2 Corinthians 9. It is there that Paul explains the principle of sowing and reaping to the Christians there in Corinth. If you have found it, please read along with me, starting in verse 5,
"5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers that they would go on ahead to you ...
[the Corinthian Christians]
... and arrange beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift, ...
[money collected to be given to those in need]
... so that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift and not affected by covetousness. ...
[Then Paul presses the principle]
... 6 Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ...
[It is the same principle of Galatians 6--you reap what you sow. Same language--same Paul--same subject--Paul goes on,]
... 7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, ...
[Why?]
... because God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; ...
[In other words, you not only reap what you sow, but, the more you sow the more you reap because God will make sure you always have all sufficiency in everything to have abundance for giving for every good work. Paul continues,]
... 9 as it is written, 'He scattered abroad, He gave to the poor, His righteousness endures forever.' 10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; 11 you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. ...
[This folks is the huge principle that reflects the law of love in our actions, and it produces blessing instead of weeping and howling. But notice what Paul says next. This not only provides for needs, but it does much more,]
... 12 For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the set apart ones, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God." 2 Corinthians 9:5-11
This summary statement is the big illuminating motivation. This is what we want to do. We want overflow, don't we?--overflow through many thanksgivings to God. We do not want to be stingy. We do not want to be oppressive Christians who reap the sour fruit of sowing stinginess and acting oppressively toward others. That's the overflow of unrighteousness. We are different than those who are unsaved.
Considering those who are not saved, they should weep and howl because their temporary riches are all they have. Their lives are just a flash in the pan, and then comes the judgment where they will be cast away from the presence of the Lord forever. With these things in mind, we continue to analyze the text for growth from God's word. Next we see that James says,
"2 Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!" James 5:2-3
Certainly there is a broad principle in all of this, but let's continue to examine the two views. Those who see this as applying to rich but oppressive Christians, see James as strongly rebuking God's children for finding contentment and safety in their riches, when in actuality their security is a sinful diversion from the things that have true importance, which is eternal importance. I'm talking about the overflow in respect to God. Consequently, the fading disintegration of their riches, and selfishness is the witness against them, especially in the last days. "The last days" for Christians are said to be either the days of that generation where Christ was expected to come and destroy Jerusalem at any moment, which happened about two decades later, or it is said to be the last days of their lives, which in futile pursuit, are lives that are going to end with nothing but their last breath and oppressiveness that will be left behind as their sinful legacy of their selfish obsession.
On the other hand, those who see this as a warning toward non-Christians who would have either crept in among the congregations, or the reference of "you" as a literary device in a third person pronoun identification of apostate wealthy Jews who are oppressive, see the reference to the last days as being the soon coming of Christ in judgment on them as the rest of the contextual flow deals with in chapter 5, and so the riches will be simply part of the apostate's condemning witness in their spiritual death that they exist in anyway. The possession of this wealth in the Day of Judgment will testify evidentially to the self centered, sinful lives of the oppressive rich. In other words, the lost Jews possess what they think is perceived blessing in their apostasy, but they are about to find out otherwise, like when Israel is humbled two decades later in that same generation in AD 70.
As a principle for us, this reminds us of the cliche' that is truer than many Christians act like is true. Essentially, you can't take it with you. All the riches we amass mean nothing if we aren't using it in a way to glorify God. Further, when we are oppressive, and stingy, then our riches become a curse to us. I'm not talking about some kind of mystical hex curse. I'm talking about becoming something that is bad for us--a curse. For the non-Christian today, riches matter very little in this life in light of eternity. What does it matter if a man gains the whole world but he lose his own soul? He may save, and save, and save, and he may spend, and spend, and spend on his own pleasures, but in the end he is lost, and he loses everything he acquired. This leads to what James says next,
"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 hosts." James 5:4
Those who believe that this is a rebuke of Christians suggest that James is using hyperbole. Hyperbole is a fancy word that simply means exaggeration for effect. So, it is said that James is using exaggerated language to explain that these rich farm owning Christians have wronged others in their business actions. The workers who cry out would be Christians who have been wronged by their brothers, and in their crying out, the Lord has heard them and is not pleased with the stingy, oppressive Christians who are transgressing the royal law of Christ. It is a transgression of the Law of love in loving one's neighbor as Christ loves the church. On the other hand, those who see this as a directive to the unsaved oppressive rich, see that the oppression is just more of the evidence mounted against the unsaved in their lostness.
A huge principle we can glean out of this for ourselves is that we should never be deceived about how much God sees, and cares about every single action that people do. God even knows, and cares, about the motives behind our actions. If you wrong someone, God knows it. If you cheat someone, God knows it. Your cheating and wronging cries out against you. You are exposed before your holy God, and He is not pleased with your sin. What is the remedy? To repent, and act in love, which is a fruit of the Spirit, and we do love according to the word of God. Certainly we abide in God's grace in salvation through faith alone in Christ's work alone. But we also repent from wronging, and cheating others with stingy oppressive actions. For the unsaved though, all their sins are recorded. All their sins are a witness against themselves as part of the testimony of their lostness. The cries that go out to the Holy God of the universe are part of the damning evidence of their dark spiritual state, and in the end the Lord of hosts will condemn them to eternal destruction. James goes on,
"5 You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; [ESV--self indulgence] you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter."
Again, those who see that James is speaking to Christian rich people who need to be rebuked, see that James reminds the carnal Christian rich that they have lived sinfully in reliance upon their wealth and all the pleasures that they can afford. In their riches they have indulged themselves, and so they have fattened their hearts, but little do they realize that their accomplishments are really curses upon themselves--curses in the same manner as fattening themselves like an animal that is fed in preparation for slaughter at the height of its fatness. It is content. It is satisfied, and it thinks it is doing very well, but the reality of its life is that it is being fattened to lose its life.
For those who see James as talking about unsaved people in the third person, using "you" as the pronoun reference, they think that James is making reference to apostate Jews who rejected Messiah in that generation. The unsaved rich apostate Israelites are broadly represented as those who thought they did well in luxurious and wanton living based upon their riches. They might say, I've got my big house; I've got my big property; I've got a huge crop, and it has been harvested; I've go lots and lots of money; I'm an Israelite--I'm on of God's elect, blessed, privileged people. But the reality is that they are deceived in their riches. Their demise is coming, where they will find that they will be judged for rejecting Messiah. Then they will realize that their riches were meaningless.
For us children of God, the principle is that it is very easy to get wrapped up in temporal pleasures, because, after all, it is in our natures to avoid pain and seek luxury. How many Christians do we know who get wrapped up in chasing the dollar? The only reason why they want to make money is because they want to spend it on their temporal pleasures? In fact, a lot of Christians think that because they are rich, then what that fact must mean, is that they are in God's favor, and must be doing His will. This reminds me of a woman who claims, unbiblically, that she is a pastor of the church. She has an organization based out of Florida and she is a big media speaker who preaches the wealth and prosperity heresy. She just divorced her husband who also claims to be a pastor. Recently she defended her business by saying that the fact that she makes the millions of dollars that she does off her so called ministry is proof that God has shown His approval of her work. Most everything about what she does is in blatant rejection of clear Scriptural truths, and yet she seeks to justify her activities because of living luxuriously on the earth. God is not pleased with this kind of thing, and though it looks like the machinery is running well, and it appears like God is in the work, God is not pleased. Hearts are being unrighteously fattened, and somehow, someway there will be some kind of higher price to pay for what is being sown in this way. God wants a pure church.
On the other hand, when it comes to the unsaved who are destined to perish, living luxuriously on earth is the only heaven they will ever experience. But things change if they become saved. In salvation, the old self (old man) is crucified with Christ, and they are regenerated into newness of life in Christ. That, folks is true everlasting riches. Finally we look at verse 6,
"6 You have condemned and put to death [ESV--murdered] the righteous man; he does not resist you." James 5:6
Those who see this as a warning toward rich oppressive Christians who need to repent, point out that we must consider that James categorically uses exaggerated language in a bombastic manner throughout the whole letter. To speak of murdering someone here is said to be another example of the way James goes to great poetic heights in explaining how they are transgressing the great royal law of their King, which is the law of love. For example, earlier James speaks of the life cycle of sin; lust conceives, then it gives birth to sin, and then the end of the life cycle is death. But we know that this is exaggerated, metaphoric language. Sin is not a baby. All sin does not lead to actual physical death. James also speaks in metaphoric terms of the tongue being set on fire by hell, and setting on fire a great forest, and all of this kind of thing. With this in mind, we must remember that James also uses the murder metaphor throughout the rest of the epistle. This is important because in 4:2 James speaks of committing murder in respect to lusting after material things. He says,
"1 What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You desire and do not have; so you commit murder. You covet and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel." James 4:1-2
The Christians, of course, do not really go around and commit murders. James is using hyperbole to get his point across. With this consistent practice of James in mind, then, what is suggested that James means here in the next chapter in our passage is an intentional usage of exaggerated language to point a finger at certain Christians to convict them of the seriousness of breaking the law of love in pursuing selfish lusts. They put to death the righteous man, like an unjust act of killing through their actions in their wealth in their selfishly oppressive ambition. James points out this transgression of the law of love further along in 4:1-12. James indicates that to transgress only one point of the royal law of liberty, is to transgress all of it, like for example if you commit adultery, then you may have just as well committed murder in respect to what is considered a break of the law of love. Why? Because to break the law of love anywhere, and in anyway, is to break the law of love itself. Both adultery and murder are transgressions of the royal law. In this respect, then, oppressive Christian businessmen cause other Christians great harm by being stingy with their only means of making a living. To get underpaid, or not paid, in that culture, especially for field laborers, meant that you would suffer badly. Though the selfish Christians may have not actually killed anyone, to be wealthy, and treat others with such selfish insensitivity to them, which is to act in such a manner that grieves the Holy Spirit in all matters of life, including business, invites this kind of strong language from James that he has been using all throughout the rest of his epistle.
On the other hand, those who see this as a rebuke of the unsaved rich who oppress in their lostness, see the unsaved rich as those who drag the true Christians to court in 2:6 as the same condemners and murderers here where murder is an actual scenario. The intentional reference to "the righteous man" that James uses to identify those Christians being put to death, is said to be a direct contrast to these rich unrighteous apostates who should weep and howl in the last days of their dooming slaughter. This seems to be an evident usage of the third person, "you" here that condemns and puts to death the righteous man. The contrast would be with he who is called the righteous in the clear statement,
"... he ...
[being the righteous Christian man]
... does not resist you ...
[being the condemner and murderer who is not in the category of righteous man, made righteous in Christ]
Something else of consideration for the view that James has started speaking of the unsaved who are oppressive by using the third person "you," is that in the next section, starting in verse 7, James continues the point with saying, "Therefor." Essentially, after making this warning of rebuke and impending doom to the, "you who are rich" James immediately says,
"7 Therefore be patient, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. 8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near." James 5:7-8
The expression, "therefore" is one that points to what has just been said, and then indicates the following comments are related to the previous ones. In the prior comments the unrighteous rich kills he that is the righteous. Then immediately, in respect to that bold statement, the Christian brothers are told to be patient because the Lord is coming. When there is no rain, there must be patience and faith because there is a lengthy time of drought before the two seasons of rain come. This particular point lends toward an understanding that James is concerned with the difference of the lost who have a life of pleasure and riches now at the expense of God's children, but nevertheless, in the soon coming end, they will face judgment at Christ's coming. At the same time, the Christians, who in all things are to be patient and persevere, (even in poverty and oppression), need to do so knowing that they will ultimately be rewarded. We find in the Old Testament prophecies concerning the day of judgment on Israel that this same kind of language is used in places like Jeremiah 11-12, Isaiah, Malachi and so forth. For example, in Isaiah 10, we read of a prophecy concerning God using Assiria to annihilate apostate Israel. It is a prophecy that eschatology scholars believe extends to the time of James' generation and the subsequent destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. When we read the prophecy, we instantly notice that it parallels the language of James,
"1 Woe to those who enact evil statutes and to those who constantly record unjust decisions, 2 So as to deprive the needy of justice and rob the poor of My people of their rights, so that widows may be their spoil and that they may plunder the orphans. 3 Now what will you do in the day of punishment, and in the devastation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your wealth? 4 Nothing remains but to crouch among the captives, or fall among the slain ... 20 Now in that day the remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel." Isaiah 10:1-4
Then later we read of the direct prophecy that both John the baptist, and Jesus cited concerning Israel of the time of James. It is the prophecy that concerns the coming of John the baptist and his warning of apostate Israel to turn to God through the promised Messiah. As I read it from Malachi, we notice that the message seems very similar to the one that James is making,
"1 Behold, I am going to send My messenger, [John the baptist] and he will clear the way before Me and the Lord, whom you seek [Christ Jesus], will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming," says Yahweh of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. 3 He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to Yahweh offerings in righteousness. 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to Yahweh as in the days of old and as in former years. 5 Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the priests of false religion, and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me," says Yahweh of hosts." Malachi 3
With these things in mind, those who believe that James is now speaking of the unsaved apostate wealthy Jews, see it as a clear cut fact. On the other hand, everything I have shared concerning the information supporting the belief that James is still talking to Christians, is believed to be a clear cut fact to that group. Though the word of God may seem obscure to the rest of the virtuous people in their attempts to sort it all out, (considering RC Sproul's comments earlier) I want us to move on to the principle that the rest of us who have been made virtuous in Christ can sort out and learn for our own lives.
The essential principle we need to glean is that rich people, who are people who are self satisfied in rewarding themselves, are not considering God and others who are less fortunate according to the great royal law, which is the Law of love, and so in their temporal earthly riches, and lack of love, they are oppressing others, and because of their oppression, they will bring due consequence upon themselves. Thus, the title of this sermon, Oppression from the Self Satisfied will be Rewarded with Punishment.
I encourage you to search out your own heart in respect to this. It does not matter where you are on the financial scale. What does matter is: Are you being oppressive to someone somewhere, somehow? Are you being financially oppressive to your spouse? Are you being financially oppressive to your children? Are you being financially oppressive to your church? Not everyone is going to literally cry out against you, but the Lord knows who you are. He knows your heart. God knows which part of the great royal law you want to hold there, and which part you do not. You may be the greatest prayer warrior in the world, or the greatest evangelist, or the greatest Bible trivia mind in the world, but where is your Christianity when it comes to
A) Money,
and
B) Your oppression of others in your self satisfaction?
Which is it?--You love yourself like you love yourself?; or, You love others like Christ loves you? I urge you to repent from your self absorbed, self satisfaction. Look at your brothers and sisters as better than yourself. It was the attitude, and example of your Lord. Consider that you really can not take your money, or your self satisfied sin with you into heavenly glory. But also consider that you can share a little heavenly glory with those around you by giving some of the blessing that you never owned in the first place. I urge all of us here, including myself; let's be considerate, compassionate, and let's be diligent to seek fair and righteous ways to build up those who have needs--both spiritual and physical needs--amen?
