Cork Free Presbyterian Church, 10 Briarscourt
(Annex) Shanakiel, Cork, Ireland
Pastor: Colin Maxwell. Email: colin.maxwell@fpcmission.org
Every word of God is pure and therefore requires to be read/heeded
How much more then when it is prefaced with the words/text:
Hearken my beloved brethren
Surely this is an underlining of the importance of the text, without any way demeaning any other text without such words?
It is in line with other similar words that flag for our attention:
Behold…Selah…Let him that readeth , understand etc
Even the use of the term "beloved brethren" is a "look at this" comment
He has been issuing a rebuke to his erring readers
He has been issuing another rebuke: cp 1:16 and now 2:1ff (passage)
Even though the Bible says: Faithful are the wounds of a friend (Proverbs 27:6)
And again: Let the righteous smite
me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an
excellent oil, which shall not break my head: (Psalm 141:5)
Yet because we are all so touchy and defensive when it comes to rebuke,
James seeks to ease any hurt caused by his needful rebukes by this term
of affection
"Brethren" says James (in affect) "I
love you so much that I cannot sit back careless and let you grieve God
in these matters. I exhort you as a brother - one in the same family of
God"
Context: Some professing Christians who were showing favouritism to the
rich who came into their meetings over the poorer attendees (v1-4)
Such thoughts (leading to practices) are bluntly said to be evil (v3) and denounced (lovingly but firmly) as sin (v9)
Part/argument which James employs to cause such wicked practice to cease is found in our text (text)
We might be inclined choose the rich men first - but not God!
Truly: Isaiah 55:8-9
4 things we must observe from our text
1) WHILE THERE ARE TWO STANDARDS BY WHICH WE MAY MEASURE SUCCESS YET 0NLY ONE IS LEGITIMATE:
A/ Already hinted at this when we said: Isaiah 55:8-9
[i] We have the world's standard
[ii] We have the Lord's standard
There can be no middle ground between the two: (James 4:4)
We are either going to be controlled by the ever changing and ever
plunging standards/world or we can going to stand with the never
changing and the all holy God/Heaven (1:17)
But cannot do both - or else: complete confusion between two opposites
B/ The world (which believers often ape) will always go for the man
either with the money or with the power/influence in this world
(These assets are often linked together)
[i] Perhaps the first man of power/wealth was Laban (Genesis 4)
Another, soon after, would have been Nimrod - the mighty hunter
Wherefore it was said (reputation) Nimrod - the Mighty Hunter
These were the men whom the world looked to in those days
We might add the name of Goliath from the Philistine camp
What of Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, the Mighty Ceasar?
[ii] Think of the big names from the more recent past;
Henry Ford - Rockefeller - All powerful magnets in their day, courted by all and sundry and exalted to near god like status
[iii] Who are the movers/shakers of today?
Is it not the big business men who have the ear/governments?
The winers/diners who can influence government policies?
C/ You can see the influence of riches through the "Lotto fever"
It is the ambition of many to be "filthy rich" - Chequebook diplomacy
No ambition to be godly in Christ Jesus on a lower plane
Why do most people who resort to crime take the big risks?
Answer: To be among the feted rich of this world
So that when they walk into any crowd/people…they are taken by the hand and given priority over the poor
That's the way which the world thinks
D/ God's standards are entirely different to those of the world
The riches He looks for are not those of silver/gold…but faith
Apart from the sense of looking after your needs - God couldn't care less how much money you have in your bank balance
Man looks on the outward - the evidence/riches and power - God sets
Himself to examine your heart - looking for evidences/faith
His comments to Abraham: And he said,
Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him:
for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy
son, thine only son from me. (Genesis 22:12)
E/ Only God's standards are legitimate
If you go for the gold rather than the faith, then you will end up with all kinds of greedy, mammon loving, corrupt gangsters
If you go for the faith in the heart - then you will get everything that is good and wholesome and acceptable to God
Riches are not everything - they take wings and fly away - faith will
be swallowed up in sight and that sight is in Heaven itself
2) WHAT IT MEANS TO BE RICH IN FAITH:
A/ Evidently James is playing on words here because/circumstances, but nevertheless our faith need not be impoverished
Mightn't have two pennies/rub together - yet we can be rich in faith
Bible abounds with those who were poor materially, but rich in faith
OT Ruth comes to mind - Reduced to poverty but rich in faith
Job was reduced to great all round poverty, but was rich in faith
Virgin Mary likewise - but rich in faith (although not perfect)
B/ To be rich in faith carries several connotations:
[i] It is to have first of all a saving relationship with in the true God
Word faith is a relative word - James isn't a multi-faith preacher
Prince Charles wants to be a Defender of "Faith" but not "The faith"
Apart from many obvious things excluding him from the latter, yet the first idea "Defender of Faith" is so wide as to be baseless
Is he willing to be a defender of a Satanic Faith in the Devil?
James later on talks about a faith that is useless (2:16-26 esp. v19)
So James is speaking about a true faith in the one true/living God
It is a saving relationship since it is based on election: God hath chosen
Old chestnut: Which came first - faith or election?
Am I elect because I believe or did I believe because I am elect?
Text (in itself) can only be used by the election-leads-to-faith camp
While at first glance, it seems that God chose the faithful (on the
basis of their faith) yet closer examination shows that He must have
chose the rich/faith - where does such a choice leave the poor/weak in
faith?
We believe (do we not?) that even the weakest faith saves?
Woman who touched the hem/garment had a weak faith (Luke 8:46-47)
Lord I believe, help my unbelief (Mark 9:24)
Reality: Our faith (now hopefully rich) flowed from our election
As many as were ordained unto eternal life believed (Acts 13:48)
[ii] To be rich in faith is to actively walk by/live by faith
It is the controlling principle of all that the Christian says/does
In this passage, even extending to church practice
Nothing too low to be beneath the notice of such a rich-faith person
As we walk according to the world, then our faith is impoverished
It becomes weak and ceases to function properly
The Laodicean church provides a good example of this
They were rich in this world's goods but poor and naked in faith
So much so - the Christ/God stood outside their door looking entrance
But if we walk according to the Bible - if we are truly a praying
people and a bold people in taking a stand - this is evidence of
a rich faith
Text makes an implicit reference/Bible i.e. to the promises of God
[iii] Another evidence of a strong faith is love to God
A man may have a good knowledge/Bible by natural means - read books
He may be often in the place/prayer - just turn up at prayer meetings
He might take a good public stand for old time religion/morals etc.,
And yet be poor in faith!
But a real love for God (not a skin deep profession) will flow from this queen of all virtues:
Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6)
3) THE BENEFITS OF HAVING SUCH A RICH FAITH:
A/ First is that it enables us to rise above any poverty we might endure
Outward poverty certainly need not impoverish faith - not incompatible
Might be argued that poverty strengthens faith as any adversity does
What spiritual heroism emanated from dire situations
Think of the Scottish Covenanters in their dens/caves in Scotland!
Think of those Presbyterian Ministers who separated from the COS
to align themselves with the Free COS…many of them pulling
the door of
their manse behind them with no immediate place to go
By faith Abraham, when he was called
to go out into a place which he should after receive for an
inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
(Hebrews 11:8)
B/ Such a rich faith, especially if enduring much in outward poverty, brings us to be heirs of a Kingdom (text)
Already he has made us "Kings and priests unto God" (Revelation 1:5)
Web have yet to see the fullness of this Kingdom (Glory)
But it is there for every child of God
Then shall the King say unto them on
his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world: (Matthew 25:34)
C/ Main benefit of having a rich faith is this: By it we glorify God
and enjoy Him forever (Which is our chief end on this earth)
It is by our faith: We will get visitors over the door in the first place
Why would a rich man/poor man want to come into our meeting?
Is it not that by faith (Bible) that we can answer those big questions by which they are seeking answers to?
Is there a God? How does He reveal Himself? Who am I? Why am I here? How can I get rid of my sins? How can I overcome them?
4) HOW WE MAY DETRACT FROM SUCH A RICH FAITH:
A/ Many churches have lost the richness of their faith
They have watered it down by embracing worldly philosophies
That might get a few more folk over the door, but it has been at an
awful price - often the glory departing - the candlestick being removed
They have turned the house of God into an entertainment centre
A rich faith does not see the need (sees the danger) of entertainment
Consider what a rich faith can do for the unsaved stranger coming in:
If therefore the whole church be come
together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in
those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are
mad? But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or
one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: And thus
are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his
face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. (1
Corinthians 14:23-25)
B/ Our text, although on a lower level, still points to that which can dilute the richness of our faith
What James saw was a possible symptom of something deeper
Respect of persons on account of their outward riches
What impression would this rich man have re: God in such a gathering?
Ans:- Even God respects me for my riches
The rich man in his castle, The poor man at his gate,
God made them, high or lowly, And order’d their estate.
True doctrinally, but not in application if it robs the poor or
encourages a rich man to think that he has sway with God because/wealth
C/ We should develop our rich faith in accordance/Bible (whence it comes) and apply it to every last situation
THE END