HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 1495
JAM ES 5
page 1125
the spirit he has placed within us should be
faithful to him.* 6 And he gives grace generously.
As the Scriptures say,
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”*
7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the
devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to
God, and God will come close to you. Wash your
hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your
loyalty is divided between God and the world.
9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let
there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of
joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and
he will lift you up in honor.
Warning against Judging Others
11 Don’t speak evil against each other, dear
brothers and sisters.* If you criticize and judge
each other, then you are criticizing and judging
God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not
to judge whether it applies to you. 12 God alone,
who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the
power to save or to destroy. So what right do you
have to judge your neighbor?
Warning about Self-Confidence
13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow
we are going to a certain town and will stay
there a year. We will do business there and
make a profit.” 14 How do you know what your
life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the
morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s
gone. 15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord
wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”
16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own
pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil.
17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought
to do and then not do it.
Warning to the Rich
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
5
4:5 Or They say that the spirit God has placed within us is
filled with envy; or They say that the Holy Spirit, whom God
has placed within us, opposes our envy. 4:6 Prov 3:34 (Greek
version). 4:11 Greek brothers. 5:6a Or killed the Righteous
One. 5:6b Or Don’t they resist you? or Doesn’t God oppose
you? or Aren’t they now accusing you before God? 5:7 Greek
brothers; also in 5:9, 10, 12, 19.
yourselves for the day of slaughter. 6 You have
condemned and killed innocent people,* who
do not resist you.*
Patience and Endurance
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!
10 For examples of patience in suffering, dear
brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who
• Encouragement
JA M E S 4:10
To whom did you turn the last time you
were discouraged? Sometimes we think
people are our best encouragers because
we can see them and touch them. But
the most sure and lasting encouragement
comes from God, because he sees the
future and how we fit into it. He knows
our needs, and unlike people, he can love
us perfectly, exactly as we need to be
loved. We should seek encouragement
through prayer because God promises to
hear and comfort us, and he lifts us up.
• Vulnerability
JA M E S 5:16
We often think of the church as a place
where we have to wear our best clothes,
put on our happiest faces, and appear to
have no problems or struggles. What a
shame that the community most capable
of supernatural love instead encourages
dishonesty and a numb existence hidden
behind a cheerful facade. James encourages us not only to confess our sins
before God but also to confess them to
each other as well. Until we are willing to
be honest, we will not experience the true
fellowship possible among God’s people.
Is there anyone with whom you can be
truly vulnerable? Would others consider
you trustworthy enough to express to you
their deepest needs? Pray that the Lord
will use you to make your church a caring
fellowship where people are accepted as
they are and encouraged toward spiritual
growth.