James 5:1 KJV [1] “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.” James is not condemning men for being rich. There have been a lot of rich men used in the work of God. Riches in themselves are not sinful, but men allow riches to corrupt them. Being wealthy can cause men to feel self-sufficient. It can also build pride in a man’s heart and make him feel as if he is better than others. Riches can also cause men to be cruel to others, as we have seen in …
“The Definition of Sin”
James 4:17 KJV [17] “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” Here we have one of the Bible’s definitions of sin. Whenever we think of sin, we often think of doing something wrong. James tells us that sin is also when we know to do good and fail to do it. That is called a sin of omission. Once we have received the light of truth in a matter, God expects us to respond to it. He expects us to apply what we know to our daily lives. To …
“The Wrong Kind of Rejoicing”
James 4:16 [16] “But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.” James is thinking about those who trust their ability alone to plan their future. The sin in this verse is rejoicing in our own abilities or accomplishments. We often hear and see this in our society today. To place confidence in ourselves is both deceptive and destructive. It reminds me of what the songwriter said when he wrote these words, “The arm of flesh will surely fail you, ye dare not trust your own”. We are to rejoice in what the Lord is …
“Acknowledging the Almighty”
James 4:15 KJV [15] “For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.” James gives us a great principle to live by every day of our lives. He reminds us to make no plans without acknowledging the Almighty. The sovereignty and will of God should rule our speech and daily decisions. We must exalt the Lord in even the most mundane events of life. Here are a few reasons we should always say, “If the Lord will”. The first reason is that He deserves to be acknowledged. The Lord …