Be Patient: Part 2 - James 5:9

Be Patient: Part 2 - James 5:9
Written by LaRosa Johnson
Friday, October 31, 2008

Having taken a look at James' words of comfort to his readers, we see a strong sense of concern and care for these believers. In the midst of their circumstances and oppression, he encourages them to remain patient in doing the right thing, reminding them that the Lord is soon to return. Today, we continue our look at James' consoling words as he now turns to their manner of conduct and how they should behave while they are waiting to be vindicated. So, let us open our Bibles to James 5:9 and begin our look at today's passage.

Quote :

James 5:9 (NASB) - Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.

As a manner of conduct, James only has one instruction for these believers, but it probably is one of the harder ones to follow through on, especially when the pressure is on. His word to them is simply to not complain against one another. Left as it is, this can be taken a few ways, but bringing in some of the understanding from the Greek helps us to get a better picture of what it is that James is talking about. The word that we're looking at here is stenazō (Strong's #G4727), and it is used a handful of times in the New Testament. In the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament we find the following statement, "Sighing takes place by reason of a condition of oppression under which man suffers and from which he longs to be free because it is not in accord with his nature, expectations, or hopes" [1]. As we look at some of the uses of this word in the New Testament, we will see how this statement from the TDNT holds true. The first passage that we want to look at is 2 Corinthians 5:2-4. The passages read as follows:

Quote :

2 Corinthians 5:2-4 (NASB) - 2For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, 3inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. 4For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. (emphasis added)

As we can see in this passage, believers are groaning because we are still housed in this sinful flesh. It literally pains us to be housed in flesh when we know and anticipate something that is much greater than what we currently have. Going back to the TDNT, we can say that, from this passage, the oppression is the flesh that we are suffering through, and as a result we are sighing/groaning/longing to be set free from it for all eternity. Moving on, we also see a similar usage in Romans 8:23 where we are told that we're groaning, eagerly waiting for the redemption of our bodies. Mark 7:37 and Hebrews 13:17 are the other two passages, outside of our main text, where this word can be found.

Getting back to our primary text, this is more than just a mere grumbling that we're talking about, as James' use intends more of a strong complaining, whether it be inward or outward. The simple fact of the matter is that you can do well in being patient and not resisting your oppressors, but if you start griping and groaning about the situation, that isn't really isn't being patient. This is why James tells them to not complain, so that they can continue to live out a life that is pleasing to the Lord. He even reminds them of a warning that he had given prior in stating that they too will be judged if they choose to complain against others, including those who are oppressing them. Going back to James 4:11-12, we see that James already gave pretty clear reasons as to why they shouldn't complain (refer to the study on those verses to see those details). The bottom line is that God is in control of the situation and we need to trust in His timing, which we are not doing when we complain. Also, when we are complaining, we are not actively walking in and by the Spirit, exhibiting His fruit.

After urging his readers to not complain, James concludes by giving them another reminder that the Lord is soon to return, but this time he refers to Him as Judge. Not only is the Lord soon to return and coming to vindicate the oppressed, but He is also coming to judge. It is for that reason that we need to constantly be in a state that is aware of His return, walking always in a manner that is in line with His character. Even with that, we all still have to give an account for what we've done here on earth (1 Cor. 4:5; 1 Pet. 4:5), but we don't want to be judged unnecessarily, which is why we walk according to the Spirit, keep from complaining, and refrain from judging others. Now, what is this thing about the door? Simply put, it's figurative language that is used throughout Scripture to refer to Jesus' Second Coming where He comes to setup His kingdom, which includes both judgment and vindication. A couple of other passages that depict this figurative language would include Matthew 24:33 and Mark 13:29.

So, what is our application in all of this? It's the same thing that James said in his letter, don't complain. It doesn't matter what we're going through, we do not need to complain and gripe, especially when it's about or to other people. It doesn't even matter if it's outwardly expressed or internalized, we must remember that God judges the heart, so we need to keep our way pure. Don't forget, as long as we're walking in the flesh and choosing to complain, we are not pleasing God and living up to and according to His perfect and holy character. Next time, we'll take a bit of a walk through Scripture and look at some examples of people that we can look at who were great at walking in patience. Until then, walk in holiness and stay focused!

[1] Theological dictionary of the New Testament. 1964-c1976. Vols. 5-9 edited by Gerhard Friedrich. Vol. 10 compiled by Ronald Pitkin. (G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley & G. Friedrich, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (7:601). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

devotion courtesy of Trailblazin Ministries
http://www.trailblazinministries.com/devotions/james081.php