17 The Doom of Economic Corruption
The Book of James Series
By Pastor Jim May
How hard did you have to work to get your last paycheck? What price did you pay, whether it was in the days before retirement, or on the job that you still have today? Have you learned the value of a dollar yet? How much money do you waste? Do you have mounds of discretionary cash just sitting around your house, money that you simply don’t need, but can use to just blow on having a good time?
The chances are that you have paid a heavy price both in time and labor to earn your paycheck. If you are retired, you are just reaping a few of the benefits of your long life of hard work, and you try to enjoy a few of the fruits of your labor. But I dare say that none of us have mounds of cash stashed in secret places of your home, cash that you simply don’t need right now.
Oh you may have a little savings, and your nest egg might be growing, but it is enough to live on without any income for the next 30, 60 or 90 days? Most of us life from paycheck to paycheck with little left for savings. It’s just a fact of life for middle income, and low income Americans.
There are some people out there who have completely lost sight of the value of a dollar. One such man was Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen of Illinois who served in the Senate during the 1960’s. He is quoted as saying, "A Billion Here, A Couple of Billion There; First Thing You Know It Adds Up To Be Real Money…"
Now I don’t know about you but “real money” for me starts with a one dollar bill and gets increasingly more real as the bill gets higher. For me, every dollar counts, and I don’t have to about the $100 dollar mark before it really makes a big impression in my lifestyle and financial condition.
Financial corruption around the world is so rampant that it is impossible to even to attempt to put a price on it. Big business has gotten to the point that it influences every election of every government official in America. The man on the street, entering into a voting booth to elect a president, is nothing more than an illusion in our day. When it gets right down to where the rubber meets the road, the people that you will vote for are bought and paid for long before you have a chance to vote for or against them.
There is so much at stake in a presidential election for big business and financial concerns that they are willing to spend billions upon billions of dollars to get “their man” elected, so that their interests will be protected. It only takes a cursory glance at the cost of an election to see that this is true. Why else would anyone spend billions of dollars to elect a man or woman to a public office where the salary is less than $250,000 a year and their decisions are nearly always controlled and closely scrutinized by the party in control of congress?
We live in a world where trillions upon trillions of dollars are flowing through money laundering schemes, illegal business conspiracies, “under the table” contract payoffs, drug cartel and oil cartel deals, mergers and acquisitions. Money flows, either in the form of hard currency or electronic funds transfers, like a river larger than the Mississippi River every hour. While many of these transfers are above board and legal, many are not, and most are never noticed at all.
Crime watchdog groups and police around the world are working to try to stem the tide but it’s like trying to stick you finger in the hole in a dam while the whole dam in breaking apart. The flood of activity is unstoppable.
Meanwhile, the rich get richer, the poor gets poorer; the middle class is disappearing; the rich control the economy, the job market and the price of most goods and services and the poor simply have to comply with what the rich say without doing much about it but complain.
The world has fallen madly in love with money and the Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:10, "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." As a result, what we see is a world that is absolutely evil and corrupt, and growing more corrupt with every passing tick of the clock.
But every passing tick of the clock is bringing us to another point in time as well. There is coming a reckoning day – a day, an hour and a specific point in time where all of the evil and corruption of the business and economic world will be dealt a death blow and all the wealth of the world will be worthless.
John, in the Book of the Revelation chapter 18:10-19, seems to have foreseen the fall of the world’s economy and end of business as usual when God’s judgment falls during the Tribulation Period. This is what John saw happening: "Standing afar off … saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate."
Now, as we turn to the Epistle of James, beginning at the first verse of chapter 5, we get a glimpse of this same picture in another fashion.
James 5:1, "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you."
Let me say that James, nor Revelation, carries a condemnation with all rich men. There are some people who have been blessed by God and given wealth because God knows that they will make proper use of their wealth and won’t use it to abuse other people, but to bless others. Some may not give tremendous amounts of their income directly to God’s work, but how many of God’s people do they employ? Any manner in which their wealth is put to use that helps other people is a blessing and we should be very thankful and grateful to those who give us the opportunity to earn a living. Just because a man is rich and won’t give you a big paycheck or a big bonus at the end of the year doesn’t mean that he is evil.
In fact, that man that envies the wealth of the rich may well be more evil than he that holds the wealth. Which sin is worse; the greed of a greedy rich man, or the envy of an envious poor man?
Yes there are many who are rich who will face the judgment of God for their stewardship, or lack thereof. It is a given, that many of the rich outside of the church will face the wrath of God for their uncaring, unconcerned attitude toward their fellowman. God will judge their sin.
But I want to remind you that James did not address his letter to sinners and to the rich men of the worldly crowd. He is writing to those in the church who are rich. James 1:1, "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting." These were God’s chosen people, those that God had declared and established as his own nation; sons of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; those that had been delivered out of bondage and reborn as a free people in the Promised Land.
James is writing to those within the church who had the wealth of this world in the palm of their hands, who professed to be Christians, but who had horded their wealth and turned a deaf ear to the needy around them. It is one thing for a sinner to be greedy and self-centered, but it’s another thing when a Christian acts the same way.
I believe that God’s judgment against a Christian who abuses other Christians and refuses to use his wealth to bless others and to support the work of the Gospel as much as possible, will face a greater condemnation than the rich men of the world.
In the literal interpretation of this passage, James was giving Israel a warning of the impending doom of Jerusalem at the hands of the Romans that would come in 70 AD. At that time, Jerusalem would be destroyed and the riches of the Jews would be seized by the Roman Army. The wealthy would suffer greatly and all their wealth would be gone forever. Those who had literally stolen from their fellowman through unfair business practices and charging of high interest rates would see their wealth stolen from them in the same fashion.
There’s a lot of truth to that old saying, “What goes around, comes around.” It’s just another way of saying the same thing that the Bible says in Job 4:8, "… they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same," otherwise called the “Law of Sowing and Reaping”.
Secondly, in a spiritual or symbolic interpretation of this passage, James’ warning extends to the church of all ages and especially the church in these last days. The church of today, especially in America, has among its members, some of the richest men in the world. It is to these, who have it but won’t open their heart and have pity or mercy upon those less fortunate, that James is speaking.
James 5:2, "Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth eaten."
It is said that “power corrupts good people and that absolute power corrupts absolutely”. All of us certainly can recognize that when someone rises to a position of wealth and power that it so easy for them to fall into corruption. That’s what’s wrong with our government right now. The absolute power of the administrative, legislative and judicial branches of our government have created a government that is absolutely corrupt from the top to the bottom. It’s really hard to find an honest politician!
The riches of an unfaithful steward are corrupted while he holds them. He either uses his wealth and power to get what he wants at the expense of others less fortunate, or he withholds that which should be shared or given away.
The question often arises, “How much money is enough?” The problem is that no one has really found an answer to that question because no matter how much a man has, he is always seeking after more. Riches become corrupted when they aren’t used in the proper fashion. God never intended for anyone to hold all the wealth without sharing it with others in need.
These rich Jews had a lot of very expensive clothing but they had so much that they couldn’t even wear them all and many of the expensive garments simply wasted away and were moth eaten while they hung in the wardrobe or closet.
I have seen similar things to this in my own experience. There have been times when people had discarded clothes that still had the original price tag on them. Back during the days after Hurricane Katrina, one 18-wheeler truck after another came rolling into the area with donated clothes. It was good to see the outpouring of care that was forthcoming, but often we see people who buy clothes just to have them. They have so much, that they wear something only once, or maybe never, and then it is discarded or never worn again.
God will judge such avarice. Those aren’t signs of a good and faithful servant or a good steward of what God has given us.
James 5:3, "Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days."
This is a condemnation of those who hold vast fortunes and refuse to put their money to work. In the old days people would bury their money in mason jars or tin cans, and sooner or later, the water and mildew would ruin that money if it wasn’t sealed tight.
James says that the wealth of a rich man that refuses to use his wealth according to the betterment of mankind and according to the will of God won’t have that wealth for long. Time and circumstances will eat away at it, and even if he manages to hold on to it, he will lose it in the end.
The rate of inflation in America is rising and the devaluation of the dollar is astounding. A dollar is nearly worthless anymore. We work hard to get it and then it’s gone before you know it. In 1950, according to one inflation calculator, $1 could buy as much as $8.44 could buy in 2006, and $1 in 1913 could buy as much as $20.23 could today. Our wealth is cankered, it’s rusting and it’s losing value every day.
How could riches eat the flesh of those who misuse and abuse it? One of the first ways is because of all the work put into getting it, then all the worry of keeping it, and finally all the distress of losing it. Stress and worry eat away at the flesh and cause so many physical problems in our world. I believe that James knew what he was talking about!
Everybody seems to be preoccupied with building a “nest egg” for retirement. One of the commercials that I have seen on TV recently depicted a pile of money walking on two legs and being treated like a favored child. “Oh, that’s just dad’s savings. He loves to watch it grow.”
Now there’s nothing wrong with having money in the bank, or having a retirement savings. Bur we need to make sure that we are being good stewards and not just hording up for ourselves and forgetting the work of the Kingdom. You won’t live forever in the flesh. Sooner or later all your money will belong to someone else. Why not enjoy it now and save a lot of fighting down the road among your family and friends.
One comedian said it this way, “I don’t have any life insurance. My house is still mortgaged to the hilt. I have no savings and no retirement. I owe a lot of bills to doctors, lawyers and such. When I die, I want people to really be sad that I’m gone.”
James 5:4, "Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth."
It has been said that we earn money at wholesale and then life according to retail. If that’s true then its no wonder that we are always falling further and further behind.
How many of you think that you are getting paid way too much for what you do on the job? I know one man who used to say, “They can’t pay me what I’m worth. I have to have something to live on.” I guess he thought that he was worthless, and I know some people on the job are just that – worthless.
The fact is that those who hold the wealth are often very stingy in what they are willing to pay for those who work for them. In fact, that’s why labor unions were formed many years ago. Those who held the purse strings were demanding more and more and paying less and less, making life miserable for those working in the factories and mills.
James says that the unfair pay scales for those who put in hard hours for little pay doesn’t go unnoticed by God. There is a reckoning day coming when the Judge of the Universe, the Lord of Sabaoth, or the Lord of Hosts, will make all things right. I wouldn’t want to be in the shoes of those who charge exorbitant interest rates on loans, or those who horde the wealth for themselves while paying only a pittance to their workers who earn the money for the boss.
James 5:5, "Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter."
It seems that the rich live in luxury, flaunting their wealth in the face of a world stricken with poverty, starvation and death, and laugh at the calamity of their fellowman. The rich live in mansions, fly in private jets, live sumptuously every day, while the multitude of Lazarus’s lay at their gate begging. But judgment will come. There will be a day when the rich will have to answer for every life they could have saved and every human being that they could have made life a little easier for.
James 5:6, "Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you."
There’s an old saying that says, “Money talks “. The bottom line is that there is nothing that a rich man can’t get away with. A poor man is at the mercy of the judge and the courts, but a rich man can always find a way out if he wants to pay enough to find it.
The rich men in James’ day often sent the poor people into prison, obtaining judgments and warrants against them for no other reason than to allow the rich man to seize the poor man’s property for non-payment of his debts.
Unrighteous judges could be bought and sold for little or nothing. Pass a little money under the table, offer them a bribe, and you can get whatever you want. I won’t say that all our judges are like that, but I believe that many of them are.
The poor man can’t fight city hall. He hasn’t the influence, the money nor the connections to fight against the injustice. He is a victim of those in power and there’s not much he can do about it.
America was born as a nation because those that came to our shores were seeking a better life, free from such shenanigans. They wanted a nation where all men were created equal, with equal opportunities and justice for all. I’m afraid that that dream is quickly dying. No matter how hard you try, you just can’t pass enough laws to stop a man whose heart that is set on doing evil. Pass the law, and he just finds another loophole or ignores the law altogether.
James’ words are a condemnation of our world right now. Nothing much has changed. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer. Jesus said that the poor would always be here with us. As long as this world’s economy is allowed to continue as it is, corruption will be the rule. But thank God, there’s coming a day when economic corruption will meet its doom.
I thank God for providing a company that is owned by a rich man who invests his capital in creating jobs and doing good. If it weren’t for those good people, doing the right thing, none of us would have a job. Regardless of whether you think its fair or not, God ordained that we all should earn our living through hard work.
But I thank God that, in the end, justice will prevail. The Lord of Sabaoth, by the Word of his mouth, will destroy economic corruption.
Jesus is coming again and he will set up a righteous kingdom where justice will prevail. He will fight for those who have been cheated, those who have been defrauded and those who have been made to suffer for the rich man to get richer.
The Lord of Hosts is his name and he will make all things right.
