Doing Right When You've Been Done Wrong!

James: Hands-On Christianity…. Doing Right When You've Been Done Wrong! James 5:7-12

MAIN POINTS 1. Our Natural Reaction

Walking away sounds cowardly, doesn’t it? Our nature prompts us to fight back.

Francis Bacon.... “Revenge is kind of wild justice.” God hates retaliation!

God tearfully observes the church.... How He wish we would learn how to respond rightlywhen we have been done wrong!

2. God's Supernatural Alternative

God wants us to overcomeour natural reaction with a supernatural response.

1 Peter 2:18-20.... “18 Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19 For it is commendable if you bear up under the pain of ….

…. unjust suffering because you are conscious of God. 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.” (TNIV)

Commendable Peter says twice … “this is commendable (favor)” by God (verses 19-20). (favor) …original Greek text is CHARIS –“GRACE.”

God considers patient endurance of injustice A GRACE, something commendable because it is beyond ordinary human response.

3. Exposition Of The Passage

A. General Observations Let’s make some observations about James 5:7-12 that will give us some perspectives.

i) The Passage Is Addressed To The Believers The kind of patient “ENDURANCE” to which James was referring to is found only in a person whose daily life is “CONNECTED” to God.

ii) These 6 Verses Are Directly Related To The Previous 6 James gave the Christian victims advice on how to live in this intolerable situation.

iii) James’ Advice Is Found In 4 Commands … 2 Negative 2 Positive

The first 2 (positive) are given in a tense that essentially says …. “Do this right now!” The last 2(negative) are saying…. “Don’t even start that habit.”or“Stop doing this!”

iv) 4 Vivid Illustrations That Shed Light On Each Command James gave us no reason to miss his meaning!

B. Special Explanation Be patient! God wants us to cultivate “patience!”

James 5:7a.... “Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming….” (TNIV)

In Greek,“patience”is actually a combination of 2 words: 1) makros... “a long way far” “passion, heat, rage of anger” 2) thumos...

The concept of "long-suffering" or taking a long time to get angry.

2 Things about this quality… i) It Is Love’s First Response … will motivate a person to overlook the offense, to delay the anger, to suffer long.

ii) Patience Is Essential To Learning When we’re irritable and impatient, we can never learn the lessons God has for us.

James 5:7b - 8a.... “7b …. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop,patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8a You too, be patient and stand firm ….” (TNIV)

James is speaking of how the Lord comes to our rescue in times when we’ve been wronged.

Stand Firm! James 5:8b.... “… and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.” (TNIV)

Stand Firm in the faith and not doubt that God will vindicate the righteous – when he had been done wrong. James says to let the Lord support your heart and help you in this situation.

Psalm 55:22.... “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” (TNIV)

1 Peter 5:7.... “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (TNIV)

50:20 PRINCIPLE Genesis 50:20.... “You intended to harm me (for evil), but God intended it for good to accomplish….” (TNIV)

Rather than looking at ourselves or the unfair circumstances, the 50:20 principle enables us to FOCUS ON GOD!

Don't Grumble! James 5:9.... “Don't grumble (complain) against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!” (TNIV)

The word translated “grumble” or “complain” literally means “to groan or sigh.” This GROANING reveals an internal, unexpressed attitude of bearing a grudge.

James 5:10-11a.... “10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11a As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered….” (TNIV)

James 5:11b.... “…. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” (TNIV)

William Barclay deepens our understanding of Job’s endurance by saying… “We generally speak of the patience of Job which is the word the Authorized [King James] Version uses. But patient is far too passive a word. ….

…. As we read the tremendous drama of Job’s life, we see him passionately resenting what has come upon him, passionately questioning the conventional arguments of his so-called friends, passionately agonizing over him. But the great fact about him is that in spite of ….

…. all the groaning questionings which tore at his heart, he never lost his faith in God. …. ‘I know that my redeemer lives’(Job 19:25). His is no unquestioning submission; he struggled and questioned, and sometimes even defied, but the flame of his faith was never extinguished. ….

…. The word used of him is that great New Testament word ‘hupomone,’ which describes, not a passive patience, but that gallant spirit which can breast the tides of doubt and sorrow and disaster and come out with faith still stronger on the other side. ….

…. It was the faith which held grimly on that came out on the other side, for ‘the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginnings’ (Job 42:12).”

Do Not Swear! James 5:12.... “Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear – not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’ Otherwise you will be condemned.” (TNIV)

The Greek word for “swear,” as used in the New Testament, means “to grasp something sacred firmly, for the purpose of supporting what you’re saying or doing.”

In the midst of suffering, it is easy to make oaths we can’t keep. Instead, we should wait quietly for the outcome, because that is when insight will come. James 5:11

Finally.... James seems to be advocating plainness of speech for Christians.

We should avoid appearing super-spiritual and endure trials with humility and simplicity.

Doing Right When You've Been Done Wrong!