Gospel Light Christian Church Thru-The-Bible Series (32.2)

The General Epistle of James

James Chapter 5:5-7 - Read this Bible passage once through before referring to the notes below.

v5.       The second reason for God’s anger is now stated. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton.  God does not forbid us to use pleasure; but we must be careful not to live in pleasure as if we lived for nothing else.  Doing so is a very provoking sin; and to do this on the Earth, where we are strangers and pilgrims preparing for eternity— this is what God is angry about.  This reminds us of the prodigal son:  And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living (Lk 15:12-13).  Wasted his substance with riotous living is exactly what James calls one who lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton.

This verse goes on to say that ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.  This is a picture of someone who lived as if every day is a festival, a time of feasting.  To such people, it is like their hearts are fattened and nourished to stupidity, dullness, pride, and an insensibility to the wants and afflictions of others.  This is likened to animals that are fattened with food before being slaughtered without knowing it.

v6.       Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.  So far we have seen that the rich men oppressed and acted very unjustly to get more assets.  When they had unjustly acquired them, they lived a life of luxury and sensuality, till they had lost all sense and feeling of the wants or afflictions of others.  This in turn will lead them to persecute and kill without remorse. Interestingly, to soothe their conscience, they pretend to act legally. Indeed, they condemn before they kill. Now the just may be condemned and killed, and they may suffer and yield without resistance to the unjust sentence of oppressors, but God takes note of such oppressions and will deal with the oppressors in time to come.

Patience under oppression

v7.       The first 6 verses of this chapter were directed to the unbelieving Jews.  Now James turns his direction to the believers.  Here he calls for patient endurance in the light of the coming judgment.  James has earlier brought the issue of the ultimate judgment before us in his remarks about the ungodly rich and their destiny; now he calls on the believers) to patiently endure hardships until the coming of the Lord.

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.  Notice that James now addresses the brethren, or the believers among the scattered Jews.  The exhortation is to be patient. This Christian patience is a humble acquiescence in the wisdom and will of God, with an eye to a future glorious reward.  How long should this patience last?  Until the coming of the Lord! 

The second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is a major doctrine of the Bible.  It is mentioned more than 300 times in the New Testament, or on the average, once in every twenty five verses.

There are more than 50 references to the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in all of the Apostle Paul’s epistles.  In terms of relativity, there are eight times more verses concerning the second coming of the Lord than there are concerning His first coming.  In fact, the Bible devotes whole books (1 and 2 Thessalonians, Revelation), and whole chapters (Matthew 24,25; Mark 13; Luke 21) to this subject.  Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself often referred to His coming again and urged His followers to watch and to he ready. In fact, about fifty times in the New Testament believers are urged to be ready for the Lord to come again.  The question now is, are you ready for the Lord’s return?  When the Lord returns, the trial of your patience shall cease.

Here is an example of patience. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.  A farmer does not give up when his crop does not come to harvest immediately. He keeps on working even when the crop cannot be seen at all.  So Christians must work hard and exercise patient endurance even when the harvest day seems far off. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him (Ps 126:6).  

What exactly is the meaning of the early and latter rain?  Actually it is all related to farming in Biblical times and context. The early rain fell at sowing time, about November or December; the latter rain, about March or April, to mature the grain for harvest.  The Old Testament also made references to this early and latter rain.  While these references refer mostly to farming, unfortunately there are some that make a doctrine out of the latter rain.  They see it as a reference to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the end time in much the same way as the Holy Spirit was poured out during Pentecost.  This Latter Rain movement promotes a false doctrine.

Rev. Robert S. Liichow gives a brief outline of what constitutes Latter Rain doctrine in his article entitled Restoration: The Latter Rain Movement:

The practice of laying on of hands to be filled with the Holy Spirit (with the evidence of speaking in other tongues).

The practice of laying on of hands to impart spiritual gifts other than tongues.

The belief that Christians can be demonized and need to be delivered through the laying on of hands.

The belief that God has now restored all the ministry gifts back to the Church, especially the office of the prophet and apostle (this is where today's prophetic/apostolic move comes from.  Today there are preachers who call themselves Prophets and/or Apostles).

Divine healing is imparted via the laying on of hands

The concept of the restoration of the Tabernacle of David. Praise & Worship emphasized as a means to usher (1) in God's presence and (2) to usher God's people into His presence.

Singing in the spirit congregationally, i.e. in other tongues

The "song of the Lord" a prophetic song or one in other tongues but interpreted

Emphasis on spiritual warfare

Emphasis on personal and directive prophecy

Women have a full and equal ministry role in the Church, i.e. women pastors, prophetesses, elders, etc.

The Bible does explain that there will be a significant outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the last days (Joel 2:28-29; Acts 2:17-18), but that is different from what the Latter Rain doctrine makes it out to be.