Be Patient: Part 4 - James 5:12

Be Patient: Part 4 - James 5:12
Written by LaRosa Johnson
Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Over the past few studies, we have taken a look at a handful of verses where James is writing to encourage believers who are under oppression and persecution. A large part of his message to them was encouraging them to remain patient and steadfast in living out the Christian life. In doing so, both reason and example were given as to the need for patience, from the soon return of the Lord to the prophets and Job who can serve as an example to believers. Today, we are going to take a look at a final admonishment that should be kept in mind when examining the issue of patience. If we are ready for the study of biblical truth, then let's open our Bibles to our passage for today in James 5:12.

Quote :

James 5:12 (NASB) - But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.

At first glance, this passage may appear to be out of place. James seems to go from talking about being patience under trials to making oaths, two seemingly unrelated topics. This is not the case because, with a bit of study, these topics harmonize with one another and provide substantial truth for believers, both for the recipients of this epistle and present day believers. We will take this verse piece by piece and get a grasp on what James has to say.

First off, we encounter the phrase, "but above all," which is the piece that leads us to believe that James is speaking on something entirely separate from his previous statements. In all reality, this is true because there is a disconnect of sorts where this verse does not refer to its immediate context. The "above all" isn't referring to something that he said prior, but it more appropriately referring to the words of his brother, Jesus, found in Matthew 5:34-37, where he speaks similarly on the subject of making oaths. Therefore, we can take this in the context of, something that reads as follows, "In regard to everything I've already said, especially pay attention to this." That is to say, the "but above all" shifts the focus and importance of what is being said, but it does not change the overall application that James is trying to get across. Also notice that he again couples this with another use of "my brethren," to further drive home that this is a point of emphasis.

From there, we get into the point that James intends to get across to his readers, which is simply to not swear or make oaths. This is not referring to the use of foul language, but swearing is just another way of stating that believers are not to make oaths. As a point of explanation, he continues by saying that our yes should be yes, and our no should be no, and nothing more. For most of us today, this roughly equivalent to the phrase, "don't make a promise that you can't keep" or "keep your word." For James' (and Jesus') Jewish audience, this held a particular point of significance. A lot of times, oaths were made out of pride and a false understanding of human sovereignty, meaning that they were trying to make promises without first consulting God in the matter. For Jews especially, it was common for them to make oaths in an heir of spiritual pride, knowing that they would later use technicalities of the Mosaic law to get out of fulfilling their oaths. The point that James is getting across is that believers ought not to make promises that they know they cannot follow through on; hence, if we can and will do it, we should say yes; if not, then we are to say no.

What's more, the issue of making oaths in & of itself is a ludicrous idea, as James and others so eloquently state. This comes into play when you see that James tells his audience to not swear "by heaven or by earth." If we go back to the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:34-37, the insanity of making oaths becomes all the more clear. Jesus says first and foremost that heaven in the throne of God. Who in their right mind wants to swear by the throne of God Almighty, especially when they know they have no desire to keep their word?! He then goes on to say that earth is God's footstool. Do you want to swear by that too?! Jesus then lists Jerusalem and your own body as things to not make oaths against. Why? Because it all belongs to God and He is in authority over all of it. This is what James touched on a bit back in 4:13-16 when he talked about making plans without God in mind; God is in control and not even our life is our own, therefore we have no right to make promises based on anything.

To boil all of this down, this is a matter of integrity and honesty. A consistent aspect of what James was stating, alongside being patient, is that the Lord is soon to return and to judge. Going back to the beginning of the chapter, one of the indictments against the rich is that they were dishonest in their business dealings (not paying their workers); James does not want want for these other believers to fall into a similar trap by making empty promises. Instead, Christians are to walk with the utmost integrity an honesty, making good on everything that we say. In essence, there should be no need for us to even make promises because when we say something, our character should be such that people will automatically know that we're going to follow through on what we say. Plus, we ought to keep in mind, as James says, we don't want to fall under judgment when the Judge comes because we were walking in falsehood. It is here that this passage ties into the rest of the message; along with their patience, James is instructing believers to walk in integrity both in word and deed, as they await the Lord's swift return.

All in all, in this passage and those prior, James is encouraging believers to walk worthy of their calling. Sure they're facing rough times, but they must remember the teaching that they're accountable for and live it out so that the Lord can be glorified. In many ways, these verses remain just as true today as they did at the time they were written, especially given the climate of the world. Believers need to remain steadfast and true to the Word of God, never seeking vengeance, walking in holiness, and awaiting the Lord's return.

Next, we will look at James' words on prayer as it relates to all of this. Until then, keep your armor on and your eyes fixed on the Christ!

devotion courtesy of Trailblazin Ministries
http://www.trailblazinministries.com/devotions/james083.php