In the first thirteen verses of this second chapter, James is going to deal with how we are to treat people in the different strata of society. How do you treat the rich man? How do you treat the poor man? How do you treat the average man whom you meet today? This section deals with Gods war on poverty and, interestingly enough, also Gods war on riches. This is Gods war on poverty and riches. His war on poverty is a little different from that of our government; no matter which political party has been in office, neither the federal nor the state governments have been able to deal successfully with this problem. Both poverty and riches can be a curse. Part of the curse on the human race is poverty and riches. The writer in the Book of Proverbs says, … give me neither poverty nor riches … (Prov. 30:8). The most difficult people to reach are those who are the most poverty- stricken and those who are the richest; it seems to be almost impossible to reach either class with the Word of God. The real problem is actually the imbalance of wealth in the world. The problem today is not between political parties, and it is not even between the races. The problem in the world is the imbalance of wealth. Take for example the nation of India where it is estimated there will soon be a population of one billion. There is great famine and starvation in that land; they starve by the thousands over there. Contrast that with the luxury and abundance which the wealthy have today. God goes after this problem in this epistle. He is on the side of the poor—Im very, delighted to say that. After all, when the Lord Jesus came into the world, He wasnt a rich mans boy; He wasnt born with a silver spoon in His mouth. He was born in poverty. He was born in a borrowed stable. He had to borrow loaves and fishes from a little lad to feed the crowd. He spoke from a borrowed boat. He said, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head (see Matt. 8:20). He had to borrow a coin to illustrate a truth. He borrowed a donkey to ride into Jerusalem. He borrowed a room to celebrate the Passover. He died on a borrowed cross—it belonged to Barabbas, not to Him. They put Him in a borrowed tomb—it belonged to Joseph of Arimathaea. When I was in college, we had a preacher who came and talked about the blessings of poverty. Now I was a poor boy, and I mean poor, my friend. I was going to school on borrowed money and was working full time. That man spoke every morning in chapel, and I was told that he got $15,000 a year (that was back in the days when a dollar was worth a dollar). It was a lot of money for a preacher in that day. You know, what he had to say just ran off my mind like water off a ducks back—he had no message for me. The blessings of poverty? I just happen to know, since I was born that way and havent gotten too far from it yet, that there are no blessings in poverty. Poverty is a curse, and part of the curse which Christ bore was poverty. Riches can also be a curse, as James will show in this epistle. Paul said, For the love of money is the root of all evil … (1 Tim. 6:10). Paul and James certainly agree here. You can spend your money for the wrong items. You can deposit your money in the wrong bank. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal (Matt. 6:19). All the banks are telling us where to put our money, but God says, in effect, Ive got a bank, and I will keep investments up there for you. James will be harsh with the rich, as we will see in chapter 5. Proverbs 30:8 should be the philosophy of every Christian:Give me neither poverty nor riches. What is Gods solution to the problem of poverty? It is not to rob the rich in order to take care of the indigent, the lazy, the indolent, the drones, the loafers, the sluggards, and the laggards. On the other hand, God would never destroy the dignity and the self- respect and the integrity and the honor of the poor by placing them on charity. Gods war on poverty and riches does not march under the banner of the dollar where millions are appropriated for relief. And it is not aimed primarily at the head or at the stomach, but at the heart. It is a war against class. James is talking about distinctions and divisions among believers which have been brought about by money. My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons [James 2:1]. Have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ should be Hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice that James is His half brother according to the flesh, but he gives Him here the full name, our Lord Jesus Christ. And he calls Him the Lord of glory. Here is a strong assertion of the deity of Christ. I know of no one who was in a better position to determine the deity of Christ than a younger brother of the Lord Jesus who was brought up in the same home with Him. Frankly, I think James is in a better position to speak on the deity of Christ than some theologian sitting in a swivel chair in a musty library in New York City, removed from the reality of even his own day. Such a man is really far removed from the reality of the first century and the home in which Jesus was raised. Therefore, I go along with James, if you dont mind. He is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. What James is telling us here is not to profess faith in Christ and at the same time be a spiritual snob. Dont join some little clique in the church. All believers are brethren in the body of Christ, whatever their denomination. There is a fellowship of believers; friendship should be over them as a banner. James is addressing the total community of believers—the rich, the poor, the common people, the high, the low, the bond and free, the Jew and the Gentile, the Greek and the barbarian, male and female. They are all one when they are in the body of Christ. There is a brotherhood within the body of believers, and the Lord Jesus Christ is the common denominator. Friendship and fellowship are the legal tender among believers. James says, Dont hold your faith with respect of persons. If you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ and another person belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ, he is your brother. Furthermore, if a sinner comes into your assembly or you otherwise come into contact with him, remember that he is a human being for whom Christ died. He stands at the foot of the cross, just as you stand at the foot of the cross. The Old Testament taught Israel not to regard the person of the rich or of the poor. God, in the Mosaic system, cautioned:Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment:thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty:but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour (Lev. 19:15). Simon Peter learned this lesson at Joppa when God let down from heaven the sheet full of unclean animals and commanded him to eat of them. Peter concluded from that experience, … Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34).
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 02:53:00 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015