Genuine Faith is Patient 5:7-12
Genuine faith displays patience.
1. Patience with God’s timing and plan James 5:7-8
Galatians 6:7; 2 Corinthians 9:6 ; Revelations 19:11-16; Isaiah 55:8-11
2. Patience with each other James 5:9
Matthew 7:1-3
Remember: when tempted to be impatient, don’t focus on their perceived weakness but on their obvious strengths
3. Patience during our afflictions. James 5:10-11
patience (makrothumia): long suffering.
endurance (hypomonen): steadfastness; perseverance. ?
God’s compassion and mercy on display is the Christ-like character that reaps a reward for all of eternity.
“Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23
Impatient in a line at Kroger…Sbux…driving/passing car/cycle cop? Turn to James 5:7-12. We’ve been in James all summer and if you’ve been here and paying any attention at all, you know that the theme of James is Genuine faith produces a genuine life. That if you have been truly transformed by the life of Jesus in you, then that life in you shows up in your thoughts, attitudes, actions, spending, speech, and relationships.? And the section of Scripture we examine today is all about patience. Patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, PATIENCE. Now as I’ve confessed to you through these almost 24 years, I’ve not been the most patient guy around. And I still struggle with patience. But I’ve come a long way. God has continued to chisel away at this sin in my life and I’m much more patient than I’ve ever been.
So James takes on the area of impatience. In keeping with his main theme, he now declares that Genuine faith displays patience. And then he identifies some key areas we need to grow in our patience.
1. Patience with God’s timing and plan James 5:7-8
v.7 (on screen)“Therefore” Why? James has painted an awful picture of the rich who oppress the poor and the righteous. Again, James draws a parallel between the poor and the righteous. Just opposite of the health and wealth preachers of the day.? James calls up an example that all would understand: the farmer plants a seed and tends the soil and knows that the law of the harvest is always true and the seed will bring forth it’s crop. He doesn’t get impatient because it will do him no good! ? You know the law of the harvest don’t you? Galatians 6:7 “Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap, 8 because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 9:6 “The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously.” ? In the same way, we must not grow impatient with God’s timing. Jesus is coming back. And when Jesus comes back, He comes as a warrior and a judge. Revelation gives us a stark image of the return of Jesus. Revelations 19:11-16 “Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True, and he judges and makes war with justice. 12 His eyes were like a fiery flame, and many crowns were on his head. He had a name written that no one knows except himself. 13 He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. 14 The armies that were in heaven followed him on white horses, wearing pure white linen. 15 A sharp sword came from his mouth, so that he might strike the nations with it. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Almighty. 16 And he has a name written on his robe and on his thigh: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” When Jesus came the first time He came meek & mild in a manger. When He comes again, He’ll come on a white horse poised for battle. When He came the first time He came with loving & compassionate eyes. When He comes again, He’ll come with righteous fire in His eyes to bring judgment on the unsaved. When Jesus came the first time He came speaking words of comfort & hope. When Jesus comes again He’ll come with a sword to strike down the nations and the world system that opposed Him. When He came the first time He was despised and rejected. When He comes again, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is the king of Kings and Lord of Lords. This is what God’s word says.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. 9 “For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, 11 so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.” Isaiah 55:8-11
He has set the time for the return of Jesus. He knows exactly when it is. So don’t grow impatient. When the wicked seem to get their way and justice seems unattainable, don’t worry or grow impatient: Jesus is coming back! When disease steals the life out of your loved one, don’t lose heart: Jesus is coming back! When it seems as if our brokenness has filled our world with pain and suffering, don’t give up. Jesus is coming back! ? This is why James says in v.8 “You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near”
2. Patience with each other James 5:9
In light of the Lord’s return, James admonishes us to cease with our petty conficts and impatient quarreling. V.9 Brothers and sisters, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door.”
Here James equates impatience with judging another. When I am impatient with someone in traffic, I complain about their driving either mentally or verbally or both. When I complain about someone, I am making a value judgment: they’re stupid or they’re an awful driver or I’m a better driver or my time is more valuable than their time.? This holds in all relationships. If I’m impatient with Sue because she can’t find her phone for the 9th time today…then I’m making a value judgment about her weaknesses or my strengths and my impatience leads me to complain—at least in my head. I’ve learned at least not to complain out loud—usually!? Impatience reveals a judging spirit that ends up usually in complaining about the other person. James warns us: “don’t judge so you won’t be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door!” Where did James get this notion? His half-brother Jesus said this very thing in the sermon on the mount: “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2 For you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge others, and you will be measured by the same measure you use. 3 Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye?” Matthew 7:1-3
Through these years, God has been teaching me that when I feel impatient with someone, I need to focus, not on their perceived weakness, but on their obvious strengths. If I can be very personal right now—and I’ve asked Sue’s permission to share this—what I’ve learned is that when I begin to feel impatient with Sue about something, I focus on the strength of what is bugging me. Leaving a party, walking out of church…says she’s ready, but turn around and she’s not behind me, way behind me talking, encouraging, hugging. When I focus on that, then I stop being impatient and judgmental and actually fall more in love with her. Other example. Remember: when tempted to be impatient, don’t focus on their perceived weakness but on their obvious strengths. This will help you to not judge and avoid judgment yourself.
3. Patience during our afflictions. James 5:10-11 (on screen)
James now points his readers back to some examples of people who had patience. The OT prophets and the guy we know as Job. Many of the prophets were harangued, despised, chased down, exiled, tortured and even put to death just for telling people what God had said. They didn’t deserve it. But they had to suffer through it patiently. Job underwent great suffering: the loss of his flocks, the loss of all of his children. But he had to suffer through it.? The word for patience in the N.T. is patience (makrothumia): long suffering.
It is the character trait that enables us to get through affliction. But notice that James adds another, similar character trait that really is a sister to patience. What is it? endurance (hypomonen): steadfastness; perseverance. ? You put those two together it’s the idea of persevering and putting up with suffering, even if it is for an excruciatingly long time. ? James has now looped back around to his opening words in 1:2-4 Have you memorized it yet? Got to do this. “Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4
The point is that God has not forgotten the Christians James is writing to and God has not forgotten us in our afflictions. He cites Psalm 103:8 “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love.” God is a compassionate and merciful God.
We think because we suffer He is not compassionate or merciful. But as we discussed the 1st week of James that the one purpose God has in your life above all others is that you be transformed into the image of Christ. And that has a reward that doesn’t end in death, but continues for all eternity. THAT is His mercy on display; THAT is His compassion on display:
God’s compassion and mercy on display is the Christ-like character that reaps a reward for all of eternity. And that my friend, only comes through trials and tribulations and the building up of your faith and the endurance that produces Christ-like character. So be patient in the midst of your afflictions: God is still in control and He has your best interest at heart.
I don’t know the last time you studied the book of Lamentations. It’s a short book, only 5 brief chapters, written by the prophet Jeremiah. The title alone tells you the subject of the book: lament is a passionate expression of grief, sorrow and morning. The occasion of its writing was the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. Judah had been warned about not keeping God first in their lives. And now God brings Nebuchadnezzar and his armies to lay siege for months, breach the walls, sack and burn the city, and worst of all, tear down the temple Solomon had built 400 years earlier. During the siege, there was no water or food after the first few days. Children who died were boiled and eaten by their mothers; when the walls were breached, Babylonian soldiers raped the young girls. Men were beaten and many killed. The rest were carted off in slavery.
You think you have it tough. I can’t imagine a worse affliction. And yet, nestled in the middle of this lament that describes these awful, awful conditions, Jeremiah gets his eyes up off of the suffering and gets them on the Lord: “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23
Patience with God’s timing. Patience with others. Patience in affliction. Fueled by the assurance of God’s great love and mercy for us.
