April 1-15
Daily Devotionals
by Pastor Larry Wilson
Are You For Real?: Meditations in the Epistle of James
April 1
Are You For Real? (James 5:1–6)
Scripture for Day 91—James 5:1–6
1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned; you have murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.
Devotional:
We've already seen that this was a temptation for the congregation James originally addressed to envy the wicked rich. See James 2:1–7. And it's just as much a temptation for us! But if you do envy the wicked rich, what are you envying? "Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days" (vv. 1–3).
Before he knows it, the rich sinner will be in hell! Jesus told a story in Luke 16:19–26 — "There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.' "
Why did the rich man go to hell? It wasn't because he was rich. Wealth itself is not a sin. Sin doesn't come from things; it comes from hearts. Sin comes in how you get your wealth—do you get it at the expense of your neighbor or in a godly, productive way? Sin comes in your heart-attitude toward wealth—do you love and trust the Lord or do you love and trust that worldly wealth? Sin comes in what you do with your wealth—do you dedicate it to the glory of God and the service of others or do you dedicate it to the exaltation of self?
Wealth itself is not a sin. At the same time, it is often an occasion for sin. There is nothing like wealth to make it hard to enter the kingdom of God. It dulls your sense of spiritual urgency. It makes you forget the reality of divine judgment. I believe that this is one of our great problems in the church here in the U.S.A. God has blessed us so tremendously. But our sin is such that we tend to grasp the gifts and forsake the Giver. This is sin! And our Lord warns that eternal condemnation in hell awaits those who worship and serve mammon rather than God!
April 2
Are You For Real? (James 5:1–6)
Scripture for Day 92—James 5:1–6
1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned; you have murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.
Devotional:
When you're tempted to envy the wicked rich, meditate on Psalm 73. God inspired Asaph to record his spiritual crisis for our benefit. First he affirmed the great theological truth:
1Truly God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
But he admitted that he had problems applying it.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
my steps had nearly slipped.
His problems began with his envying the wicked rich.
3 For I was envious of the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For they have no pangs until death;
their bodies are fat and sleek.
5 They are not in trouble as others are;
they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
violence covers them as a garment.
7 Their eyes swell out through fatness;
their hearts overflow with follies.
8 They scoff and speak with malice;
loftily they threaten oppression.
9 They set their mouths against the heavens,
and their tongue struts through the earth.
10 Therefore his people turn back to them,
and find no fault in them.
11 And they say, "How can God know?
Is there knowledge in the Most High?"
12 Behold, these are the wicked;
always at ease, they increase in riches.
His envy of the wicked occasioned his backsliding into self-pity.
13 All in vain have I kept my heart clean
and washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all the day long I have been stricken
and rebuked every morning.
It was only his concern not to stumble God's redeemed people that kept him from saying aloud what he was wrestling with.
15 If I had said, "I will speak thus,"
I would have betrayed the generation of your children.
Still he sunk deeper and deeper into his crisis.
16 But when I thought how to understand this,
it seemed to me a wearisome task…
But then there was a turning point.
17 …until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I discerned their end.
This was the turning point for Asaph—he went into the sanctuary of God. He experienced the truth of James 4:8—"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you." From that point, he began to view things in light of eternity.
18 Truly you set them in slippery places;
you make them fall to ruin.
19 How they are destroyed in a moment,
swept away utterly by terrors!
20 Like a dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.
21 When my soul was embittered,
when I was pricked in heart,
22 I was brutish and ignorant;
I was like a beast toward you.
And so he had moved from envy ("they, they, they") to self-pity ("me, me, me"). But now God graciously restored his heart and he moved to worship ("you, you, you").
23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
28 But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works.
Amen and amen!
April 3
Are You For Real? (James 5:1–6)
Scripture for Day 93—James 5:1–6
1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned; you have murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.
Devotional:
Instead of putting your hope in the uncertain riches of this present evil age, put your hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. Make sure that you are in Christ. Only Jesus can save you from the guilt and power of sin. There is safety in Christ. "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life" (John 3:36a). But apart from Jesus, there is no safety whatsoever. "…but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him" (John 3:36b).
Look closely at v. 6—"You have condemned and murdered the righteous man. He does not resist you (or, Does he not oppose you?)" "The righteous man" or "the righteous one" is singular. In this verse, God identifies a singular victim. Ultimately, the Lord Jesus Christ is the only truly innocent victim in all of human history. The good news for you and me is that he volunteered for that victim status. Why? In order to pay the debt that sinners owe, to satisfy God's justice and quench his wrath. Having accomplished that great end, it was impossible for death to hold him. He was resurrected and exalted to the highest place. Now, the exalted Christ identifies himself with his suffering people. When Saul of Tarsus was persecuting the church, the exalted Christ confronted him and asked, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" (Acts 9:4).
In terms of grammar, verse 6b can be translated either "He does not resist you" or "Does he not resist you?" But the context leads me to prefer the latter. James 4:6 states that "God opposes [the very same word is translated "resist" in James 5:6] the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Both grammatically and contextually, it makes sense to me that now he says, in effect, "You rich are proud. Does God not oppose (resist) you?"
Therefore, "as for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life." (1 Tim. 6:17–19).
April 4
Are You For Real? (James 5:1–6)
Scripture for Day 94—James 5:1–6
1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned; you have murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.
Devotional:
Our Lord Jesus commands—Matthew 6:19–21—"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." It's not that wealth is wrong. It's that now is not the time to try to accumulate it. We are in the last days. Time is running out and there's an urgency about getting the gospel to the ends of the earth. So seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. John Wesley is said to have advised,
"Make as much as you can, save as much as you can, give as much as you can."
Why? "For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come" (Heb. 13:14). Therefore, set your hope on the glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Know that the victory he was won through his death and resurrection is an assured reality. Therefore, "the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us"
(Rom. 8:18). For—if you are in Christ—you have "an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you" (1 Pet. 1:4). Orient your priorities toward the glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The fact is, you are laying up treasure in the last days. It's inescapable. The question is—are you putting all your eggs into the basket of this earth which is passing away? Or are you putting all your eggs into the basket of heaven where they will be safe forever and ever?
April 5
Are You For Real? (James 5:7–12)
Scripture for Day 95—James 5:7–12
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. 12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
Devotional:
"Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord" (v. 7). The obvious question is, what is the "therefore" there for? We know that James has said a lot about trials. He's said a lot about practical Christian living.
But having gone through James, we also see that the epistle advocates the simplicity of salvation by God's grace alone. It's impossible to explain this letter and the ways it expresses itself unless behind it all there is a salvation that depends 100% on God, that cannot be gotten by human merit or effort, and that comes to the individual through bare reliance on the Lord Jesus Christ (i.e., through faith alone).
It completely twists the epistle of James to imagine that it makes salvation depend on your works. Instead, like Paul, James advocates working out what God works in you. He's no moralist who says, "Follow these steps and pick yourself up by your own bootstraps." No, he's a preacher of free grace who says that the God who freely saves you also fully saves you. God does not save you just from punishment. God also saves you from sin. God not only gives you a new record, but he also gives you a new heart.
In fact, that's where James starts, with the new birth—"Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures…" (1:18). Out of this, God through James insists that there will be practical, visible evidence when a person is a genuine child of God. When God gives you a new heart, it makes a difference. Therefore, God insists through James on what he also says through Peter—"be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure…" (2 Pet. 1:10).
In James, he especially hones in on three specific earmarks of a new heart—"If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world" (1:26–26). You control your tongue. You care for the needy. You cleanse yourself from worldliness.
Then he expounds on these in turn. Chapter 2 focuses on care for the needy. Chapter 3 focuses on control of the tongue. Chapter 4 focuses on cleansing yourself from worldliness.
In James, he explains that his purpose in sending trials is to set apart and purify those who truly belong to him. And so—what is the "therefore" there for? This begins the conclusion of the epistle. The focus now shifts not just to the new record you have in the righteousness of Christ, not just to the new heart you have by the Spirit of Christ, but now to the new hope that you have in the second coming of Christ.
April 6
Are You For Real? (James 5:7–12)
Scripture for Day 96—James 5:7–12
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. 12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
Devotional:
Our glorious hope is that our Lord Jesus Christ is returning in power and in glory.
"Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord … the coming of the Lord is at hand" (vv. 7–8). The return of Christ is the finish line for your patient endurance. After he comes again to receive you to himself, then you won't have to wait any longer. From then on, you will enjoy the full reality of your salvation. There will be nothing left to wait for!
God's Word frequently points our hope to the coming of the Lord. There are over 300 references to it in the New Testament. That's about one in every 13 verses.
So, James didn't need to go into a lot of detail. He especially honed in on our Lord's teaching that we must be watchful and prepared. Jesus told a parable of ten virgins—five had oil in their lamps and were ready for the bridegroom's appearing; five had no oil in their lamps and were not ready and so were shut out.
This does not mean that we should speculate about the timing of our Lord's return. In fact, James put his finger on the main Scriptural emphases concerning the coming of the Lord. First, his return is at hand. It has been so since the days of the apostles. The return of Christ was then at hand. It is now at hand. We live in the last days, the days of his imminent return. He can return at any time. Second, the pressure of that return upon us is not to promote curiosity and speculation as to the date and circumstances. It is to promote a life of holiness and fruitfulness, so that we may be ready to meet the Lord.
Our Lord Jesus is coming again to judge the living and the dead. "Behold, the Judge is standing at the door" (v. 9). At that point, he will settle all accounts and set all things straight. If you are resting in Jesus as your Savior—if you have oil in your lamp—then at that point he will openly vindicate you as perfectly righteous in his sight, and as one of his redeemed children.
April 7
Are You For Real? (James 5:7–12)
Scripture for Day 97—James 5:7–12
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. 12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
Devotional:
If you are forgiven and going to heaven, then why does God make you endure trials? Wouldn't it be better if he just "beamed you up"?
A first reason is because he is working out your sanctification. The Lord does not only save you from the punishment due you for your sins; but also he saves you from your sins. He does so in real life. He saves you by changing you, and that takes time. The fruit of the Holy Spirit's working in your heart grows and ripens gradually, and trials are one of the instruments he uses for this aspect of your salvation. "See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains" (v. 7).
A second reason is because he is concerned about your witness. Job is famous for undergoing such severe trials. "You have heard of the steadfastness of Job…" (v. 11b). Not only have you heard about it; most people have heard about it. God has powerfully used and is still using Job as a witness. It made a profound statement that, when the chips were down, Job valued the Lord more than he valued his possessions, his loved ones, even his own health and life. Some seem to think that the ability to get "health and wealth" by faith is the most powerful witness to the world; God seems to think that your valuing him more than all those things is a much more powerful witness.
God uses your response to your trials as a witness as well. A witness to what? Above all, a witness to his love. This is a third reason why God makes his redeemed children endure trials. "You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful" (v. 11b). "The Lord is compassionate and merciful"! You might not understand why the Lord is causing you to undergo your specific trials, but you know the Lord. You know what he is like. You know that he "is compassionate and merciful." You know that the compassionate and merciful God is sovereign and that he causes all things to work together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28). So whatever God's specific design for your trials, if you are in Christ, then you know that he is using them as instruments of his compassion and mercy. Does that put your trials in a different light?
As the gospel song puts it, "I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds tomorrow."
April 8
Are You For Real? (James 5:7–12)
Scripture for Day 98—James 5:7–12
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. 12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
Devotional:
"Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord" (v. 7). What will such Christian patience look like?
First, you will wait for the Lord. "Be patient, therefore, brothers … You also, be patient" (v. 7, 8a). Second, you will stand firm for the Lord. "Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand" (v. 8b). Third, you will press on in your Christian walk. "Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast" (v. 11). Fourth, you will be kind. Christian patience will come to expression in your words. On the one hand, you will abstain from complaining. "Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door" (v. 9). On the other hand, you will pursue truthfulness and trustworthiness. "But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation" (v. 12).
Taken together, these cover the gamut of Christian patience—wait, stand firm, press on, be kind. Start right now by acknowledging that God sovereignly ordains the times and seasons of your life. You will either die at just the right time or else Jesus will return at just the right time, whichever comes first. Your duty is to wait on the Lord. Then, add to godly waiting a sturdy resolve to pursue heaven and heavenly things. Fix your aim on glory. Don't settle for anything less. Endure through trials and temptations, pressing on toward your heavenly goal, the celestial city. All the while, use your words to build up and edify, not to tear down or destroy.
Remember what our Lord Jesus said, "the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matt. 7:14). So, as a Christian, settle in for the long haul. There's no "celestial railroad" to heaven (Nathaniel Hawthorne).
You have to cope with all of life's difficulties. But if you are resting in Jesus as your Savior, then he will never leave you nor forsake you. "In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
April 9
Are You For Real? (James 5:7–8)
Scripture for Day 99—James 5:7–8
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Devotional:
"Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord." Consider the farmer. "See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains." (v. 7). The farmer perseveres in plowing and sowing and cultivating. But at the end of the day, he has to wait upon God for the rain that's necessary for a harvest.
"You also, be patient. Establish your hearts…" (v. 8a). Why are we to be patient and establish our hearts? Because "the coming of the Lord is at hand" (v. 8b). What does that mean? It means that when our Lord came the first time, he launched "the last days." This present evil age has already begun to come to an end. The age to come has already begun. It will be perfected and consummated at just the right time when our Lord returns in power and glory.
We pray, "Thy kingdom come." But how can we know when the kingdom comes? The key is to watch the King! The kingdom comes when the King comes! The kingdom came in humiliation and grace when the King came the first time. The kingdom will come in power and glory when the King comes back the second time.
The second coming of the Lord is at hand—it can happen any time now—and there will be a sure and certain harvest when it does. Therefore, "be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand" (v.8).
April 10
Are You For Real? (James 5:7–10)
Scripture for Day 100—James 5:7–10
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Devotional:
"Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord" (v. 7). Yesterday we considered the example of the farmer. Today, think of the prophets. "As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord" (v. 10). Those godly men suffered at the hands of the wicked. Why? Because they bore witness in word and deed to God's righteousness and judgment.
Ahab and Jezebel persecuted Elijah because God used him to bring the curse of drought upon the northern kingdom for worshipping Baal. The leaders of Judah threw Jeremiah in prison because he said that the Lord would destroy Jerusalem and send his people into exile. Daniel was thrown into a lion's den because his integrity pricked the guilty consciences of ungodly idolaters. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into a fiery furnace for the same reason.
"Time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth" (Heb. 11:32-38).
In our day, unbelievers persecute faithful Christians and churches because they bear witness to God's righteousness and the coming judgment. But like the prophets, we must patiently endure until the coming of the Lord. Then the Lord will vindicate us and the truth we stand for.
April 11
Are You For Real? (James 5:7–11)
Scripture for Day 101—James 5:7–11
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
Devotional:
"Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord" (v. 7). We considered the examples of the farmer (v. 7) and of the prophets (v. 10). Third, ponder the example of Job. "Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful" (v. 11). Job seems like a bad example, doesn't he? He suffered terrible trials. He complained against the Lord when he felt his sufferings weren't fair. He fell into depression and doubt. Nevertheless, whether firmly or weakly, he kept trusting the Lord. And when the Lord finally confronted him, Job humbled himself and repented before God. Most of the time, genuine believers have to say, "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief." But thank God, our hope is not in the strength of our faith; it is in the strength of the object of our faith, our living Lord.
And through it all, the Lord proved himself to be "compassionate and merciful." The Lord not only restored Job so that his end was greater than his beginning, but also Job knew God so much better in the end than he did in the beginning. Do you ever feel like giving up? Our Lord uses Job to dramatize how he will bring his redeemed children from suffering to glory when he returns and raises you up and grants you eternal glory with him in the new heavens and new earth. Our Lord knows that you are weak. He knows that you sometimes break under pressure. But he is "compassionate and merciful." See Psalm 103:8–14. And when he returns he will graciously give you more than you can possibly ask or think—not on the basis of your faithfulness, but of Christ's.
"Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord." Each of God's redeemed children is suffering through various trials right now. Maybe your trials are so heavy that you can barely keep going. What does our Lord say to you? Wait on the Lord. Be patient. Stand firm. Persevere. Be kind. Our Lord has not forgotten you. Our Lord is returning in power and glory! Then you will see his compassion and his wisdom in each and every one of your trials. And you will be amazed and overwhelmed with gratitude and love. Be patient until the coming of the Lord.
"When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine."
April 12
Are You For Real? (James 5:12)
Scripture for Day 102—James 5:12
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
Devotional:
This seems so abrupt. What does God's Word teach about oaths and swearing?
What are oaths and vows? Look at the Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 22. The Bible scholars and theologians who drafted the Confession tried to take the whole of the Bible's clear teaching on topics and summarize it. Notice:
1. A lawful oath is a part of religious worship, wherein, upon just occasion, the person swearing solemnly calleth God to witness what he asserteth, or promiseth, and to judge him according to the truth or falsehood of what he sweareth.
5. A vow is of the like nature with a promissory oath, and ought to be made with the like religious care, and to be performed with the like faithfulness.
Oaths and vows are common in our land on certain occasions. For example, the oath of office when a civil authority is inaugurated; wedding vows when a couple marries; membership vows when someone joins a church; being "sworn in" to testify in court; oaths upon joining the military or the police. What does it mean? To swear is to solemnly invoke God to be your witness or judge that what you say is true or that what you promise, you will do.
What does swearing do? Hebrews 6:16 answers, "people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation." On the one hand, swearing reminds us of the supreme greatness of God—"…people swear by something greater than themselves…" On the other hand, it encourages truth and keeping commitments—"…in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation."
Why is there such a thing as oaths and swearing? There are two main reasons.
On the one hand, we humans swear because we are naturally liars. If divorce is because of human hardheartedness, swearing is because of human deceitfulness. Our need to take or hear oaths is one more evidence that we are sinners who need a Savior.
On the other hand, God swears because we are naturally unbelievers. In this way, he assures us; he strengthens our faith. "When God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us" (Heb. 6:17–18).
April 13
Are You For Real? (James 5:12)
Scripture for Day 103—James 5:12
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
Devotional:
Is it ever right to swear? Clearly, James was meditating on the teaching of his older brother Jesus—"Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply "Yes" or "No"; anything more than this comes from evil" (Matt. 5:33–37).
Some believers take these verses to mean that Christians may never take oaths or vows. Should Christians refuse ever to give evidence under oath in a court of law? Should they refuse ever to swear an oath for any purpose? The Anabaptists took that line in the sixteenth century and most Quakers still do today.
But consider several things.
First, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus clearly insists that he did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them (Matt. 5:17).
Second, God himself swears oaths. In fact that's what a covenant is—an oath-bound relationship. For example, Genesis 22, Isaiah 45, and Hebrews 6 remind us that God swore by himself.
Third, God gives commands concerning oaths and vows in the Old Testament. To conclude that Christians may never swear, you need to demonstrate that Old Testament oath-taking was a feature of the old covenant that is now clearly done away in the new covenant—something like circumcision or the dietary laws or the seventh day Sabbath. But what you find instead is that our Lord Jesus used oaths and vows which went far beyond a simple yes or no. When Caiaphas commanded him—" 'I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God,' then Jesus answered and said, 'Yes, it is as you say' " (Matt. 26:63). Whenever Jesus said things like, "Verily, verily I say unto you" or "I tell you the truth" and how often he used the word "Amen," he was swearing oaths. The apostle Paul also swore oaths—"I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie" (Gal. 1:20) and "I call God as my witness…" (2 Cor. 1:23). In Revelation 10:5–7, we even read of an angel who lifted up his hand and swore an oath to God.
So in light of the rest of Scripture, whatever God is saying through James 5:12, he is not teaching that any and every swearing of an oath is prohibited. But for a godly person, it should not usually be necessary. Oath or not, your "yes" should always mean "yes," and your "no" should always mean "no."
April 14
Are You For Real? (James 5:12)
Scripture for Day 104—James 5:12
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
Devotional:
In light of the rest of Scripture, whatever God is saying through James 5:12, he is not teaching that any and every swearing of an oath is prohibited. What is he saying then? He is saying that you must avoid trying to manipulate God or people by your pious sounding words.
First, compare James 5:12 to Matthew 5:33–37. James was clearly meditating on the teaching of his older brother Jesus.
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Matthew 5:33–37 33 Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply "Yes" or "No"; anything more than this comes from evil.
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James 5:12 12 But above all,my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
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Clearly, the main point is that you should be absolutely trustworthy. When I was a child, one of my favorite books was Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss. Horton made a promise that turned out to be to his own hurt but he would not renege (cf. Ps 15:4). He kept insisting, "I meant what I said and I said what I meant, an elephant's faithful one-hundred per cent." That's the attitude that Jesus and James commend.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was exposing and condemning Pharasaic deceitfulness and word-splitting. Maybe the most infamous modern example is, "That depends on what 'is' means." Jesus says, "Don't play games with words. Let your "Yes" mean Yes and your "No" mean No."
April 15
Are You For Real? (James 5:12)
Scripture for Day 105—James 5:12
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
Devotional:
How does James 5:12 fit into the flow of thought in James? Throughout the epistle, God has encouraged patient endurance in the midst of trials. In this immediate context, he has just reminded you of the Second Coming to encourage you to patiently endure and persevere. He warns that suffering can occasion the temptation to compromise and so become polluted by the world. In the very next verse, he says that the right response in such circumstances is prayer. "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise" (v. 13).
And so, the context shows a likely reason for Christians to be swearing oaths. In times of trial, you will be tempted to try to strike bargains with God, swearing to do one thing or other if only God will deliver you. We even have a name for this—"foxhole religion." The unconverted young Martin Luther, for example, vowed to become a monk when a bolt of lightning struck near him in 1505.
God has been saying, "Be patient in your suffering. Remember that the Lord is returning. Remember the example of the prophets. Remember the perseverance of Job. Remember the Lord is full of compassion and mercy." Now he says, "Above all, don't fall into swearing as if you can manipulate God by your oaths. Instead, speak honestly and directly, and rely on God in prayer."
In other words, it again boils down to the issue of faith. In times of trial, will you trust and follow God? Will you lose your life for his sake? Or will you try to save yourself by making promises to God in order to get him to do what you want? It's unbelief to distrust God's compassion and mercy and so want to strike bargains. And that contradicts the gospel—to try to strike a bargain with God is to put your trust in your doing rather than resting only in the perfect doing and dying of Jesus Christ.
How then does James 5:12 apply? It has to mean more than don't ever say bad words; don't ever use oaths or vows; don't ever tell lies; always keep your word. Of course, all of these are true. And all of these are important. But here God cuts to the heart of an even deeper issue—the difference between genuine faith and counterfeit faith.
He is saying, "Don't let suffering pressure you into unbelief." Don't try to impress God or others or manipulate God or others as if what really counts is what you do. If you are resting in God's free grace in Christ, then you don't need to impress anybody, and you can be completely honest and transparent. Christians should be marked by integrity. You should be the same person on the inside and the outside, no matter whom you are with. Integrity flows from wholehearted reliance on grace. Unbelief shows itself in bargaining, manipulating, and trying to impress.
Instead of swearing, pray! That's what faith does. And that leads naturally to v. 13—"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray."
