Chad Coley
Series in James: Faith that Works
Woe to the Ungodly
James 5:1
9 August 2020
James denounces the rich who abuse their wealth, and warns believers not to envy their wealth. What we have is God's gift to us; what James condemns is the misuse of it.
God will bring justice for every wrong at the end, and we can know that He is not blind to our affliction. James' hearers had been abused by unbelievers who were wealthy, but he assures them that judgment is inevitable. Knowing the punishment that awaits them if they don't repent, we call them to Christ.
In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, we see fortunes reversed beyond the grave. The rich man was in eternal punishment because of his unbelief, while the beggar Lazarus was caught up to Paradise. God is not blind to affliction, and will see justice done.