A Living Faith (James 5: 1-6)

The book of James is powerful. I mentioned last week that I am glad there are only FIVE chapters, because each week there is a new challenge to us. I hope you are engaging with the sermon, reflecting on the Word, and discerning how it can truly change the way you live out your faith in Christ. 

James ‘feels’ like an Old Testament letter. It’s very ‘proverb-esque’ with its quippy statements that can be chewed up and digested in various ways. This week James goes very Old Testament on us. 

If you saw our passage today and paused to read James 5:1-6, you would be reminded of the Old Testament prophets, who called out the surrounding countries with clear warnings! What caused this dramatic heel-turn of prose? In stark contrast with the humble submission to God we saw as a theme in James chapter 4, we now see a vivid warning given to those who look only after themselves. 

This section of scripture is powerful for us today.

In our context (our place in history, our geographic location in the world, our geographic location in the U.S.A., our hope in Christ) we can read this passage of scripture and literally feel the warning given. It points me inward, to look at what I do with the blessings God has given me. After reading this passage, we begin to feel that we should live differently. That we don’t need to hoard, be extravagant, or take advantage of others BECAUSE we know there is a future home in heaven.

So…don’t miss out on this exhortation found in James 5. It’s a sobering adjustment to how we can have a living faith.