James 4:9-17

Notes

The apostle continues his exhortation and admonition to those who had so far backslidden in their Christian experience as to be guilty of the irregularities mentioned in the first part of this chapter. Thorough repentance and humiliation of soul are demanded under such circumstances.

Notes

1. James 4:9.—The hilarity of the world, the vain and frivolous mirth of sin, is always to be avoided; and those who have always been in it, or who have been seduced into it by backsliding from a Christian life, should turn at once to God with deep contrition of heart. God's mercy cannot be expected without true and genuine repentance. But this condition of sorrow for sin will lead to the peace and joy of believing. Jesus says, "Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted." Matt. 5:4. The Christian has the truest joy in the world. It is only the deceitful and disappointing exhilarations of sin that the Bible denounces and warns us against. And especially is such an admonition as this timely in the last days, the period to which, as we have seen, the epistle of James especially applies. See Joel 2:1, 15-17; 1 Peter 4:7.

2. Verse 10.—"In the sight of the Lord." When a person is convicted of sin in his own heart, he can turn no way but he sees the eyes of the Lord upon him. So when he yields in humility to him, it is emphatically "in his sight." But he does not reproach us, and hold us in the dust with his foot upon our necks, as worldly conquerors were wont to do to their prostrate enemies; but he reaches forth his pardoning hand and lifts us up.

3. Verse 11.—The sin of evil speaking is set as a violation of that great moral law by which we are to be judged at last. James 2:12. That law in one of its great precepts says, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." This precept we violate when we speak evil of a brother, and judge his motives. We thereby speak evil of the law, which forbids such a course of action, and judge the law by virtually condemning such a requirement on its part. Thus we set ourselves above the position of one whose sole duty it is to be a doer of the law, by setting ourselves up to judge whether its requirements are right or not, and then to follow our own judgments instead of what it demands.

4. Verse 17.—Here James virtually says that after the instruction he had set before them, no one could plead ignorance of his duty; and then if, knowing it, he would not do it, he would of course have the greater condemnation. "He that knew not," says Christ, "and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes;" but he "which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes." Luke 12:47, 48.