James 5:7-12 - Establish your Hearts!

James 5:7-12

Be Patient and Persevering

7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! 10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.

James reminds us the absolute necessity of patience in waiting for the Lord’s return by establishing our hearts on the solid foundation of assurance to all we heard as definitive truth and not a wishful hope.  We are called to establish and firmly set our hope on Christ as 1 Peter 5:10 spells out for our encouragement and assurance to persevere to the end in our sanctification because we are held by His omnipotent hand of infinite strength and are promised He will never let go (John 10:28-29, Hebrews 13:5) of us for any reason.  We wait not in idleness until He comes, but investing the talents (Matthew 25:15, 23, 29) given each on of us in our own measure with purposeful labor of love to please God and serve one another.  We use our spiritual gifts and abilities of skill and wisdom to be about our Father’s business until He returns as we eagerly (Romans 8:23, 25, 1 Corinthians 1:7-9, Philippians 3:20) await Him.  Unsettled hearts that allow doubts to move the assurance need reminding of His keeping us to the end and His absolute acceptance of us as we strive to live acceptable lives in thankful response and not to keep the free gift of salvation that cannot be returned or lost because of he Giver lives forever and promises us the same eternal life with Him.  As we then persevere, we need to do all the things we disciples are taught (Matthew 28:20) as an equally important part of the gospel as salvation from God’s wrath on our sin.  This means we are not to grumble against each other, moaning and groaning with deep sighs instead of bearing with one another in love (Ephesians 4:2, Colossians 3:13).  We should instead be groaning with anticipation of the Lord’s return together with our brothers and sisters in one accord as we support and lift up each other in patient suffering.  We are also counted as blessed when we endure hard times together as the old prophets did for our example.  The poignant example of Job should humble us into submission to trials and joy in the eternal outcome as we see God’s compassion and mercy in all He allows in our lives.  The final exhortation here is to look at all these things and do only what we promise by a simple yes or no and not with exaggerated promises of pride in a talent and ability that comes from God alone which we are stewards of.  This is how we strengthen and settle our hearts on the solid and sure foundation of Christ as our Rock.