The wicked use their money like a bully club to abuse the poor. Yet, they shall pay. James 5:1-6, “Come now, you rich people! Weep and wail over the miseries that are coming on you. Your wealth is ruined and your clothes are moth-eaten. Your silver and gold are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You stored up treasure in the last days! Look! The pay that you withheld from the workers who reaped your fields cries out, and the outcry of the harvesters has reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts. You have lived luxuriously on the land and have indulged yourselves. You have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter. You have condemned—you have murdered—the righteous man; he does not resist you.”

God sees. Humans may oppress each other with impunity on earth; they may bribe judges, pay off the police, and exploit unjust laws. They exploit the weak and hold back wages, paying them unfairly, and oppressing them with evil conditions, but God sees the evil and the good. He will reward the believer who waits patiently, even though no deliverance comes in the earth. He will reward the evil doer with hell!

Their silver and gold is corrupted! They’ve lived for things that don’t last. Like the Rich Man, they’ll beg for a drop of water in hell, but it will be denied!

Secondly, be patient. James 5:7-8, “Therefore, brothers, be patient until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.” Don’t think that everything will be right now, but in due time, it will work out. Police brutality, unjust accusations, and all evil will be answered by the Mighty God, and we’ll have all of eternity to bask in His glory. No one gets away with anything. Look at the coming inheritance, and wait. You are justified to fight for good while preaching the gospel, but don’t swerve from your message. The kingdom is not of this world, and the King is coming.

Remember, the Lord is gracious and kind. James 5:9-11, “Brothers, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door! Brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name as an example of suffering and patience. See, we count as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”

The Prophets have shown us. You’ve seen the end of the Lord, how He rewarded Job double. Suffer for a little while. Lovingly bear with faulty brethren and hypocrites. In due time, your love will pay off. Keep a good attitude!

Thirdly, saints, be honest! James 5:12, “Now above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. Your ‘yes’ must be ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ must be ‘no,’ so that you won’t fall under judgment.”

Don’t deceive with your tongue. We ought always speak the truth as Christians. Our word must be bond. Count on God and not the ability to deceive your neighbor. Count on His mercy and the advance of truth. Count on faithfulness and honesty, and advance your character. We are all born sinners so lying is easy, but God makes us upright. We don’t want to preach Christ and lie about anything. If you know it’s not true, then don’t say it!

Fourthly, the best way to translate this word “sick” in James 5:14 is “weak.” James 5:14, “Is anyone among you sick [weak]? He should call for the elders of the church, and they should pray over him after anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.” The word is used 16 times in the Epistles. 12 times it’s “weak,” like “weaker brother,” or, “weak in the faith.” If you are weak, then you will be healed by the prayer of faith. James 5:15, “The prayer of faith will save the sick [weary] person, and the Lord will restore him to health; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” [This word “sick” in vs15 is used twice in the new testament. Once it is “weary.”]

Call the elders, if you need help. Their prayer anoints you with oil. If you are sick, go see a doctor and pray for the medication and the wisdom of the physician. Do not use this text to avoid the doctor, and then wonder why you weren’t healed. God never promised that every elder could do miracles, even in the days of the Apostles. They laid hands on certain people who could work miracles, like Philip, but everyone else could not.

The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect. James 5:16-18, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The urgent request of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours; yet he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land. Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit.”

We have a PRAYER HEARING GOD! Oh, this is the greatness of prayer, so stick at it. Elijah had to go seven times before his prayer was answered [1 Kings 18:41-44]. Sometimes, in battling sin, temptation, or difficulty, we must go to the Master repeatedly, but victory will come. If we have sinned, then God will forgive us. If we need to obey, then He’ll give it!

Finally, here’s what we’re after: the salvation of souls. James 5:19-20, “My brothers, if any among you strays from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his life from death and cover a multitude of sins.”

James has healed us and recovered us. He’s given us good words. He’s shown us how to do what he’s exhorting. He preached the truth in love and showed us that CHARACTER reveals our faith: What we do shows what we know and how much we believe God.