The book of James

Study 16

Chapter 5 Verses 8-11

Welcome back to this week's study in the book of James.

Last week we ended with verse 8
This week's study continues of from this verse

  • James 5:8-9 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!


    • James tells us to be patient and not to grumble against or about one another.
    Have you ever had someone make you so mad that you could explode? You try to be nice and kind and even loving but it seems no matter what they get on your nerves and you want to explode and even lash our at him or her.

    James says: James 5:8 You, too, must be patient. And take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.

    Not very comforting words? If you read them carefully they really are. James says to establish your hearts or take courage, and how do we do this, in the Lord of course.
    What do I mean, or what does James mean?

  • 1 Cor 13:4(NLT) Love is patient and kind.


  • 1 Cor 13:7 (NLT) Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.


    • "Yea Steve, I do try to love them and be kind but it's just so hard"
    I know what you mean, but I also know what God's word says.

  • Eph 4:2 (NLT) Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love.


    • Sometimes it takes the kind of love and empowerment from the Holy Spirit that these earthly vessels of ours just can not have on it's own.

  • Gal 5:22-23 (NLT) 22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.


    • I would encourage you to pray to the Lord and let Him know how you feel about this person. Ask the Lord to give you an extra dose (so to speak) of the Holy Spirit and to fill you with His love towards that person. Ask the Lord to deal with you personally with things that may be affecting the way you feel about that person. Finally, pray for that person. You will find when you pray for someone, it's hard to be angry with him or her!

    James also adds: for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!

    Think about it, why are you grumbling about that person anyway? Now you can make up all kinds of excuses for doing it, but are they really good and honest excuses?
    What if the Lord came back in the middle of your grumbling about that person?
    As you are caught up in the air coming face to face with Jesus, would you tell Jesus how bad that person is?
    I know sometimes we would like to, but we must remember that we are not to judge someone just because we don't get along with him or her. After all, who are we to judge someone whom Jesus died for?

    James next talks about those in the Old Testament who suffered, and even names one, who is Job.

  • James 5:10-11 10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.


    • If you have ever read the book of Job, you know that Job had three friends who were suppose to there to comfort Job in his time of affliction. But instead they just ripped into Job, condemning him. But in the end God comes to job's aid (or rescue).

  • Job 42:7-8 7 And so it was, after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. 8 "Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has."


    • If you do what is right and just, the Lord will be on your side (so to speak) and will protect you as he did with Job. But if not then you may end up like Job's friends, finding out that you were wrong and the other person was right or just in their actions.

    If we all stopped and really thought about an argument that may be starting and seeking the Lord and His wisdom, we would find that there would be less arguments and backbiting because we would not be able to really justify ourselves.

    Maybe there is no person who seems to be attacking you, maybe you are attacked by satan as Job was. You seem to try to do everything right. You get to work on time, maybe even early, you leave after it's time to go and not before like some of your co-workers. You come home and try to be a good husband or wife, but it seems they just want to look down on all you do.
    Maybe you have lost your job for no good reason or your car was stolen. Maybe you have gotten sick just out of the blue, you eat right and exercise but the Dr has said that you have this terminal illness.
    We could go on and on, but the fact is that we are all attacked by satan and his fallen angels.

    So what do we do, do we just stand there and take it or fight back? The answer is both.
    We stand there and take it because we know it will and does happen, but that doesn't mean that we accept it. And how do we fight back? With God's word!

  • Eph 6:12-18 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.


    • To learn more about using God's armor and the sword of the Spirit go to the study titled "Use the Sword 101"

    But James says: Indeed we count them blessed who endure.

    How do we endure? The answer is in Eph 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.

    So how does prayer help us endure? When we pray we realize that our battle is not against flesh and blood and we cannot win on our own. But we also know that we have God on our side and that the battle is already won by Jesus on the cross.

  • 1 John 2:14 14 I have written to you, fathers,
    Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
    I have written to you, young men,
    Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you,
    And you have overcome the wicked one.


    • Is the word of God abiding in you or living in your heart as the NLT says?
    If it is not then you are trying to battle satan by your own fleshly means.

    Next week we will finish the book of James (The Lord willing) and for those who have been wondering what book we will study next. The answer is (drum role please).
    The book of John!
    I would encourage you to start reading it now and be prepared for an awesome study as we look at our Savior Jesus.

    May God richly bless you in His love grace and mercy!
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