Patient Endurance Till The End | Sermon 7/10/2022

James 5:7-11

After indicting the wicked rich for their grave oppression of Christians, James turns his attention and heart back to the early Jewish Christians whom he endearingly calls ‘brothers.’ He makes an imperative to be patient; not just for a short while but until the coming of the Lord. He likens their waiting to a farmer who plows forward but submits his uncertainty to God for the harvest. The farmer recognizes he needs God for the early and late rains; we need God to bring us to the glorious end. He makes another imperative. This time to sterizo their hearts; to strengthen them by fixing them down and anchoring them firmly like staking down a young tree for the coming storm.

And the biggest motivator for patience is the fact that the coming of the Lord is near. There is a two-fold reality here. First, that Christ said He would return to judge the covenant-breakers in the first century and He did that in 70 A.D. They were expectant of this coming day of the Lord and it was just around the corner. And the second aspect of this is that the genuine second coming or second Parousia is something believers need to hold onto in this life of suffering. There is actual hope in the waiting and not just passively waiting for nothing. We are not to complain against our brothers and sisters as we go through the trials of this life since they are in the same boat as us. James reminds us although the Judge is coming for vengeance, we also should examine ourselves and be ready in our words and deeds for His appearance.

We are to look to the prophets and heroes of the faith in the Word of God for examples of patience. They suffered greatly and yet stayed steadfast in their faithfulness to God. Because the fact is, blessing is coming for those who endure in their trials and look forward to the coming of Christ. They will receive all the benefits of salvation and the kingdom of heaven. Finally, James reminds us of the example of Job, who was greatly oppressed and wrongfully accused by his friends. Job was not without sinful complaint from time to time but the point is he persevered patiently to the end knowing his God was faithful. And although we are not always without sin in our endurance verse 11 says the Lord is full of compassion and mercy towards us.