Studies From the Book of James

Introduction: We are able to receive things very quickly now that we have over-night deliveries. If it is just a document you need then we know that e-mail or a fax is about the quickest way to get it.

But it hasn't always been that way, has it. I recall as a kid in Alaska ordering collecting stamps for my stamp collection and having to wait weeks before they arrived. I began to wonder if they would ever come. You have to learn to be patient when awaiting things you have ordered or you want sent to you.

Let's now turn our attention towards James 5:7-11. READ

James returns to addressing his main audience here by using his favorite address, "brothers." He has just finished blasting the unrighteous, especially those who are wealthy and unrighteous, but he has at the same time encouraged his own readers God is just, and will make the score right in the end. In the mean time though, James recognizes his readers may become impatient at Christ's delay in returning, and they also may become impatient with the injustices they are presently undergoing at the hands of these unrighteous rich.

Therefore James lays out for us in these five verses an exhortation or encouragement to be patient. It comes in the form of three commands with a couple of examples and cautions added to help clarify. Let's take a look at these three commands more closely.

I. Be Patient--James 5:7

1. James sets the theme for the whole section with this command he gives right up front. He begins verse 7 with this command and the word oun which means "therefore" or "so then." As I have said before, when we look at a section that begins with "therefore", we need to look back to what the author has just said, because this new information relates to that. The unrighteous rich were oppressing and persecuting Christians, but their condemnation is coming...therefore, James says, "be patient." The word he uses is the Greek word makrothumeo, (literally long sacrifice) which means "to be of a long spirit, not to lose heart, to persevere patiently and bravely in enduring misfortunes and troubles, to be patient in bearing the offenses and injuries of others". This appears to be perfect advice for what his audience is going through, doesn't it? The word however, is an imperative; it is a command. In other words, James knows how important it is for Christians to persevere patiently, so he commands his readers to do so. But notice how there is a bit of a double meaning here. Not only does James want his readers to persevere under these trials and injustices, but he also wants them to be patient "unto the coming of the Lord".

2. The word used here for "coming" is parousia, which actually is the Greek word for "presence" or "advent". I believe James is referring to the same coming of the Lord that Paul is referring to in 1 Thess. 4:13-18 - the rapture of the church.

3. James is exhorting us as Christians to wait patiently until Christ returns. It has been a long wait, but just as we have had to wait long periods for things to come through the mail, so too will Christ return. James wants us to be waiting patiently for Him. A difficult task sometimes, especially in the light of the trials and persecution we often undergo, but nonetheless this command is volitionally possible - we can do it!

4. He follows up that command with an illustration with which his readers would be very familiar - farming. We here in Potter County, PA live around farming, and some of you are or have farmed. Many of you grow gardens and understand just a little bit what it is like to farm. It takes great patience to be a farmer, even in James' day. A farmer plants his crops and cares for them but he has to wait patiently for the crops to mature and ripen before he can harvest them as food for his animals or as a case crop. Farmers are a model to us of what it means to wait patiently. The farmers of the middle east of James’ day had two times during the growing season when the rains would come - the early and latter rains. Without those rains they would not have crops. They had to patiently wait for these rains and for the crops to grow. Sometimes those rains did not appear as they should have. Unlike the rains that sometimes fail to show, Christ will certainly return, so we are to be patient until that time.

The second command comes more quickly, and on the heels of the first one.

II. Stablish Your Heart--James 5:8

A. THE WORD "STABLISH"...

1. Means "to fix, make fast, to set" (VINE)

2. Is translated "strengthen" in other places

Illustration: I watched a little of the news this AM about the hurricane Francis and they had a piece on where a reporter was interviewing a fellow who owned a fishing boat that was bobbing in the background. He had seen his boat on the news several times and was thankful that he had taken the time to tie it up with three or four stout ropes. Some of his friends had not done that and their boats had broken loose and had been damaged.

3. To establish one's heart, then...

a. Involves strengthening our heart in a certain way

b. Here, it means to strengthen our heart so as to be patient and not resist the evil being done. We need to wait on the Lord.

B. THE "KEY" TO ESTABLISHING OUR HEARTS...

1. Is the Word of God - cf. 2 Pet 1:12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.

2. Through constant and careful study of God's Word... (We studied this thought in our adult SS lesson on Proverbs this AM)

a. Our faith in God and His eventual justice is made stronger

b. Patience and strength to not resist is developed - cf. Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

C. The Return of the Lord

1. Again, there is a reference to the parousia - the return of the Lord, for the purpose of encouraging the persecuted believers that James was writing to. Along with a constant study of the Word of God to strength our hearts, we should be looking for the Lord to return soon.

2. You may be thinking that since this letter was written in the first century, and here we are over 2000 years later and Christ has still not returned, that James was either lying or wrong about Christ's return. That sounds like a valid conclusion, but is it?

a. First of all, if James is lying, then we have wasted our time studying this book. And if there is a lie in the Bible, we may just as well throw it out as well. And if we throw out the Bible, we have no basis for our faith. No, I don't think James was lying. In fact,

Ÿ Jesus - John 14:2,3 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Ÿ Paul - 1 Thess. 4:13-18 READ

Ÿ Peter - 1 Peter 1:7,13 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

Each speaks about Christ's return as very close and imminent. But no one, not even Jesus himself, knows the exact date of His return (Mat. 24:36), and James makes no prediction about a date.

b. The second argument might be James was just wrong, and Christ's return was not that close. But this rests on an understanding that James feels Christ must return soon. But is that what he is saying?

c. The third reason, and the correct one, is that James and all those of the early church believed Christ could return at any time. The parousia could be soon, and so we should be prepared and should be living as if it will be soon. Christ's return draws nearer every day. It is getting closer all the time. James wanted his readers to be encouraged by that news, and wait patiently with strong hearts.

Even though we have been given the tools to effectively confront tough times in our walk with the Lord, we often do not respond in the right way when going through a trial. The third command comes in verse 9.

III. Don’t Grumble--James 5:9

A. Especially against each other

1. When others oppress us, we are likely to vent our frustrations at those closest and dearest to us

2. For example, a man after a bad day at work often takes it out on his wife and family

3. So brethren are likely to direct their frustration towards each other when being oppressed from outside

B. We have a good reason for not grumbling...

1. "lest ye be condemned"

2. The sin of grumbling is a serious one - cf. 1 Co 10:10,11 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

3. The same Lord who will judge those who oppress others will judge those who murmer and grumble

4. The readers of this letter from James should have known the history of the children of Israel. What did they do after God had delivered them out of bondage in Egypt? They grumbled and complained about this and that, and God’s anger was kindled against them.

5. Did you catch the last part of verse 9? - “the judge standeth before the door.” The judge is God and even as the Lord Jesus Christ’s return could be at any time, so the coming of the Judge is nigh. We need to keep our walk with the Lord and others squared away for we never know when He will return. ( We will see more about Christ being a Judge tonight in our study on the deity of Christ)

6. Note what it says in 2 Corinthians 5:10 - For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Illustration: I’m reminded of a teacher I had in Sterling, Alaska when I was in the 1st and 2nd grades. Her name was Mrs. Kimple. We children all feared her because she has harsh and a little different. I remember one occasion in the first grade when she left the room for some reason or another and told us children to stay in our seats. Well, that lasted for a few minutes and then we became antsy and one after another got out of our chairs and began running around the room. I remember running and seeing everyone looking at me in a strange way, and it was then that I realized I had not kept my eyes on the door. Mr. Kimple had returned to the room and caught me red-handed doing what she had said we should not be doing. In those days teachers could still take you to the janitor’s room and give you a licking. That is what happened to me. She grabbed me by the arm and said something about not obeying her and out of the room we went, and into the janitor’s closet she took me. I never thought it was fair that I was the only one that got a licking that day since most of the class, at the boys, were disobeying. The difference was that I got caught, or she picked me out to be an object lesson to the rest of the class. She was the Judge, and her rule often came down hard on those who had been offenders.

7. That is pretty much the picture James offers here. He says, "Look, Christ may return at any time, so He better find you waiting patiently, standing firm, and not grumbling against each other, or else you will be judged."

There are the commands and the warning. It is certainly good advice. Not only for the first century Christian, but for us as well. James wants us to be ready and make the most of the time we have. Are you doing that? Are you making the most of the time you have, or are you grumbling and starting quarrels? To help his readers and to help us, James provides two Old Testament illustrations of enduring patiently while in the cross-hairs of those who want to shoot us down.

IV. Two Illustrations Of Patience Under Fire--James 5:10,11

A. The Old Testament Prophets

1. He reminds us of the Old Testament prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord, and were persecuted, but persevered.

2. James does not give us the name of any particular prophets he had in mind, but just about all of the true prophets of God suffered at the hands of their countrymen because they spoke the “word of the Lord” to them and they didn’t like it.

3. Maybe James has in mind the prophet Jeremiah who suffered much and almost died for having the audacity to tell the people and the king to surrender to the Babylonians. He was looked upon as a traitor and thrown into a cistern with mud up to his waist. He would have died there if God had not worked in others hearts to speak for him before the King and seek his release. Through it all, Jeremiah was a model of patience.

Before we move on to the second, more exact illustration of patience that James uses, take note of first sentence of verse 11 - Behold, we count them happy (blessed) which endure.” The present tense of the verb suggests that this was a common practice of James’ day. This is still true today. We often admire and look up to people who have persevered through all sorts of trials and persecution. We think of POW's and Holocaust survivors, and those paralyzed in accidents, who walk again. These people are special because of their perseverance and their patience in adversity.

B. The Story of Job

1. Specifically, James mentions Job as an example of someone who endured. The word is hupomone and means "patient enduring". But you might say, "Wait. Didn't Job complain and, in fact, grumble as he waited?" This is true. So what aspect of Job's personality is James pointing to? Even though Job did complain (against his so-called friends and against God) - and God certainly put him in his place for doing so, - he was steadfast in his faith. Job did not let his trials and the persecution of Satan break him of his faith and trust in God.

Job 1:20-22 says, Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, and said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. His faith endured because he stood firm in his faith. That is the aspect James is referring to.

2. Job’s patience of faith in the face of adversity was not where the story of Job ends. The words “the end of the Lord” refers to how the LORD blessed Job abundantly after the time of trials had ceased. God restored to him many times over what He had taken from Job. Job had come to a much fuller understanding and love for God and of himself. He says in Job 42:5,6 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

3. The God, whose severity Job had for so long experienced, as his character was tested in the furnace of affliction, in the end showed Himself to be, in the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

4. So what was the point of giving these two illustrations? I believe it is quite clear. When things are going rough in your life because you are living for the Lord, walking with the Lord, and obeying the Lord, don’t forget to be patient and don’t forget all those who have come before you who have known the graciousness and mercy of God on their behalf. The Lord is coming back soon. The trials of this life will soon be behind us. How we respond to the trials of life will be tested one day when we stand before our Lord.

Conclusion: These five verses are really the summary of all James has taught us, "Be busy with doing the good things I have taught you, and in so doing you will not only be proving your faith, but you will also be standing firm, too focused on Christ to grumble, and waiting patiently and faithfully for His return."

So are you patient, or have you given up on Christ's return? Are you grounding yourself firmly in God's Word and making the most of your time, or are you grumbling with others and grumbling at God, because things aren't the way you think they should be? Take this challenge from James and -

· Be Patient

· Stand Firm, and

· Don't Grumble.


		Be Patient James 5:7-11

Home Baptist Basics Documents Messages Ministries Crusader Club Our Missionaries Our History Guest Book Contact Directions Helpful Links Announcements Vacation Bible School	Introduction: We are able to receive things very quickly now that we have over-night deliveries. If it is just a document you need then we know that e-mail or a fax is about the quickest way to get it. But it hasn't always been that way, has it. I recall as a kid in Alaska ordering collecting stamps for my stamp collection and having to wait weeks before they arrived. I began to wonder if they would ever come. You have to learn to be patient when awaiting things you have ordered or you want sent to you. Let's now turn our attention towards James 5:7-11. READ James returns to addressing his main audience here by using his favorite address, "brothers." He has just finished blasting the unrighteous, especially those who are wealthy and unrighteous, but he has at the same time encouraged his own readers God is just, and will make the score right in the end. In the mean time though, James recognizes his readers may become impatient at Christ's delay in returning, and they also may become impatient with the injustices they are presently undergoing at the hands of these unrighteous rich. Therefore James lays out for us in these five verses an exhortation or encouragement to be patient. It comes in the form of three commands with a couple of examples and cautions added to help clarify. Let's take a look at these three commands more closely. I. Be Patient--James 5:7 1. James sets the theme for the whole section with this command he gives right up front. He begins verse 7 with this command and the word oun which means "therefore" or "so then." As I have said before, when we look at a section that begins with "therefore", we need to look back to what the author has just said, because this new information relates to that. The unrighteous rich were oppressing and persecuting Christians, but their condemnation is coming...therefore, James says, "be patient." The word he uses is the Greek word *makrothumeo, (literally long sacrifice) which means "to be of a long spirit, not to lose heart, to persevere patiently and bravely in enduring misfortunes and troubles, to be patient in bearing the offenses and injuries of others". This appears to be perfect advice for what his audience is going through, doesn't it? The word however, is an imperative; it is a command. In other words, James knows how important it is for Christians to persevere patiently, so he commands his readers to do so. But notice how there is a bit of a double meaning here. Not only does James want his readers to persevere under these trials and injustices, but he also wants them to be patient "unto the coming of the Lord".* 2. The word used here for "coming" is parousia, which actually is the Greek word for "presence" or "advent". I believe James is referring to the same coming of the Lord that Paul is referring to in 1 Thess. 4:13-18 - the rapture of the church. 3. James is exhorting us as Christians to wait patiently until Christ returns. It has been a long wait, but just as we have had to wait long periods for things to come through the mail, so too will Christ return. James wants us to be waiting patiently for Him. A difficult task sometimes, especially in the light of the trials and persecution we often undergo, but nonetheless this command is volitionally possible - we can do it! 4. He follows up that command with an illustration with which his readers would be very familiar - farming. We here in Potter County, PA live around farming, and some of you are or have farmed. Many of you grow gardens and understand just a little bit what it is like to farm. It takes great patience to be a farmer, even in James' day. A farmer plants his crops and cares for them but he has to wait patiently for the crops to mature and ripen before he can harvest them as food for his animals or as a case crop. Farmers are a model to us of what it means to wait patiently. The farmers of the middle east of James’ day had two times during the growing season when the rains would come - the early and latter rains. Without those rains they would not have crops. They had to patiently wait for these rains and for the crops to grow. Sometimes those rains did not appear as they should have. Unlike the rains that sometimes fail to show, Christ will certainly return, so we are to be patient until that time. The second command comes more quickly, and on the heels of the first one. II. Stablish Your Heart--James 5:8 A. THE WORD "STABLISH"... 1. Means "to fix, make fast, to set" (VINE) 2. Is translated "strengthen" in other places Illustration: I watched a little of the news this AM about the hurricane Francis and they had a piece on where a reporter was interviewing a fellow who owned a fishing boat that was bobbing in the background. He had seen his boat on the news several times and was thankful that he had taken the time to tie it up with three or four stout ropes. Some of his friends had not done that and their boats had broken loose and had been damaged. 3. To establish one's heart, then... a. Involves strengthening our heart in a certain way b. Here, it means to strengthen our heart so as to be patient and not resist the evil being done. We need to wait on the Lord. B. THE "KEY" TO ESTABLISHING OUR HEARTS... 1. Is the Word of God - cf. 2 Pet 1:12 *Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.* 2. Through constant and careful study of God's Word... (We studied this thought in our adult SS lesson on Proverbs this AM) a. Our faith in God and His eventual justice is made stronger b. Patience and strength to not resist is developed - cf. Rom 15:4 *For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.* C. The Return of the Lord 1. Again, there is a reference to the parousia - the return of the Lord, for the purpose of encouraging the persecuted believers that James was writing to. Along with a constant study of the Word of God to strength our hearts, we should be looking for the Lord to return soon. 2. You may be thinking that since this letter was written in the first century, and here we are over 2000 years later and Christ has still not returned, that James was either lying or wrong about Christ's return. That sounds like a valid conclusion, but is it? a. First of all, if James is lying, then we have wasted our time studying this book. And if there is a lie in the Bible, we may just as well throw it out as well. And if we throw out the Bible, we have no basis for our faith. No, I don't think James was lying. In fact, Ÿ Jesus - John 14:2,3 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. Ÿ Paul - 1 Thess. 4:13-18 READ Ÿ Peter - 1 Peter 1:7,13 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; Each speaks about Christ's return as very close and imminent. But no one, not even Jesus himself, knows the exact date of His return (Mat. 24:36), and James makes no prediction about a date. b. The second argument might be James was just wrong, and Christ's return was not that close. But this rests on an understanding that James feels Christ must return soon. But is that what he is saying? c. The third reason, and the correct one, is that James and all those of the early church believed Christ could return at any time. The parousia could be soon, and so we should be prepared and should be living as if it will be soon. Christ's return draws nearer every day. It is getting closer all the time. James wanted his readers to be encouraged by that news, and wait patiently with strong hearts. Even though we have been given the tools to effectively confront tough times in our walk with the Lord, we often do not respond in the right way when going through a trial. The third command comes in verse 9. III. Don’t Grumble--James 5:9 A. Especially against each other 1. When others oppress us, we are likely to vent our frustrations at those closest and dearest to us 2. For example, a man after a bad day at work often takes it out on his wife and family 3. So brethren are likely to direct their frustration towards each other when being oppressed from outside B. We have a good reason for not grumbling... 1. "lest ye be condemned" 2. The sin of grumbling is a serious one - cf. 1 Co 10:10,11 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 3. The same Lord who will judge those who oppress others will judge those who murmer and grumble 4. The readers of this letter from James should have known the history of the children of Israel. What did they do after God had delivered them out of bondage in Egypt? They grumbled and complained about this and that, and God’s anger was kindled against them. 5. Did you catch the last part of verse 9? - *“the judge standeth before the door.”* The judge is God and even as the Lord Jesus Christ’s return could be at any time, so the coming of the Judge is nigh. We need to keep our walk with the Lord and others squared away for we never know when He will return. ( We will see more about Christ being a Judge tonight in our study on the deity of Christ) 6. Note what it says in 2 Corinthians 5:10 - *For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.* Illustration: I’m reminded of a teacher I had in Sterling, Alaska when I was in the 1st and 2nd grades. Her name was Mrs. Kimple. We children all feared her because she has harsh and a little different. I remember one occasion in the first grade when she left the room for some reason or another and told us children to stay in our seats. Well, that lasted for a few minutes and then we became antsy and one after another got out of our chairs and began running around the room. I remember running and seeing everyone looking at me in a strange way, and it was then that I realized I had not kept my eyes on the door. Mr. Kimple had returned to the room and caught me red-handed doing what she had said we should not be doing. In those days teachers could still take you to the janitor’s room and give you a licking. That is what happened to me. She grabbed me by the arm and said something about not obeying her and out of the room we went, and into the janitor’s closet she took me. I never thought it was fair that I was the only one that got a licking that day since most of the class, at the boys, were disobeying. The difference was that I got caught, or she picked me out to be an object lesson to the rest of the class. She was the Judge, and her rule often came down hard on those who had been offenders. 7. That is pretty much the picture James offers here. He says, "Look, Christ may return at any time, so He better find you waiting patiently, standing firm, and not grumbling against each other, or else you will be judged." There are the commands and the warning. It is certainly good advice. Not only for the first century Christian, but for us as well. James wants us to be ready and make the most of the time we have. Are you doing that? Are you making the most of the time you have, or are you grumbling and starting quarrels? To help his readers and to help us, James provides two Old Testament illustrations of enduring patiently while in the cross-hairs of those who want to shoot us down. IV. Two Illustrations Of Patience Under Fire--James 5:10,11 A. The Old Testament Prophets 1. He reminds us of the Old Testament prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord, and were persecuted, but persevered. 2. James does not give us the name of any particular prophets he had in mind, but just about all of the true prophets of God suffered at the hands of their countrymen because they spoke the “word of the Lord” to them and they didn’t like it. 3. Maybe James has in mind the prophet Jeremiah who suffered much and almost died for having the audacity to tell the people and the king to surrender to the Babylonians. He was looked upon as a traitor and thrown into a cistern with mud up to his waist. He would have died there if God had not worked in others hearts to speak for him before the King and seek his release. Through it all, Jeremiah was a model of patience. Before we move on to the second, more exact illustration of patience that James uses, take note of first sentence of verse 11 - *Behold, we count them happy* (blessed) *which endure.”* The present tense of the verb suggests that this was a common practice of James’ day. This is still true today. We often admire and look up to people who have persevered through all sorts of trials and persecution. We think of POW's and Holocaust survivors, and those paralyzed in accidents, who walk again. These people are special because of their perseverance and their patience in adversity. B. The Story of Job 1. Specifically, James mentions Job as an example of someone who endured. The word is *hupomone* and means "patient enduring". But you might say, "Wait. Didn't Job complain and, in fact, grumble as he waited?" This is true. So what aspect of Job's personality is James pointing to? Even though Job did complain (against his so-called friends and against God) - and God certainly put him in his place for doing so, - he was steadfast in his faith. Job did not let his trials and the persecution of Satan break him of his faith and trust in God. Job 1:20-22 says, Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, and said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. His faith endured because he stood firm in his faith. That is the aspect James is referring to. 2. Job’s patience of faith in the face of adversity was not where the story of Job ends. The words *“the end of the Lord”* refers to how the LORD blessed Job abundantly after the time of trials had ceased. God restored to him many times over what He had taken from Job. Job had come to a much fuller understanding and love for God and of himself. He says in Job 42:5,6 *I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.* 3. The God, whose severity Job had for so long experienced, as his character was tested in the furnace of affliction, in the end showed Himself to be, in the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 103:8 *The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.* 4. So what was the point of giving these two illustrations? I believe it is quite clear. When things are going rough in your life because you are living for the Lord, walking with the Lord, and obeying the Lord, don’t forget to be patient and don’t forget all those who have come before you who have known the graciousness and mercy of God on their behalf. The Lord is coming back soon. The trials of this life will soon be behind us. How we respond to the trials of life will be tested one day when we stand before our Lord. Conclusion: These five verses are really the summary of all James has taught us, "Be busy with doing the good things I have taught you, and in so doing you will not only be proving your faith, but you will also be standing firm, too focused on Christ to grumble, and waiting patiently and faithfully for His return." So are you patient, or have you given up on Christ's return? Are you grounding yourself firmly in God's Word and making the most of your time, or are you grumbling with others and grumbling at God, because things aren't the way you think they should be? Take this challenge from James and - · Be Patient · Stand Firm, and · Don't Grumble.