How to View Riches

(James 5:1-6; 1:9-11)

Brief Review

• This lesson represents our fifteenth installment in this series of lessons taken from the book of James.

• Our theme is “How To” Christianity. We are seeking to discover all of the practical lessons given to us by James so that we can apply them to our everyday lives in the sight of God.

Brief ReviewHow To…

• Survive trying times• Obtain wisdom• Survive temptation• Address our anger• Secure salvation• Become a doer of

the word• Embrace pure

religion• Stop showing

partiality

• Develop real faith• Talk like a Christian

should• Develop a heart of

understanding• Overcome the

influences of the world

• Stop being judgmental

• Give God control of our life

How to View Riches

• The Rebuke of the Rich

• The Risk (Danger) of Riches

• The Response of Reasonableness

The Rebuke of the Rich

• In both of our texts (1:9-11 and 5:1-6) James rebukes the rich. Most probably this was not written to Christians who were rich but rather the godless rich who oppressed poor Christians.

• James wrote in this manner so that his Christian audience would know that the Lord was aware of their plight and that in due time He would bring justice.

The Rebuke of the Rich(Rebuke in the Form of a Coming Judgment)

• The rich will experience humiliation. (1:10)

• The rich will fade in their pursuits. (1:11)• The rich will have miseries to come upon

them. (5:1)• The rich possess wealth that will be

destroyed. (5:2,3)• The rich have fattened their hearts for the

day of slaughter because they have murdered and condemned the just. (5:5,6)

The Risk (Danger) of Riches

1. Riches will not profit anyone in the Day of Judgment. (Proverbs 11:4)

2. Those who trust in their riches will fall. (Proverbs 11:28)

3. Riches have a way of taking wings and flying away. (Proverbs 23:4,5)

4. In the pursuit of riches, there is no satisfaction. (Ecclesiastes 5:10)

The Risk (Danger) of Riches

5. Riches can cause many sleepless nights. (Ecclesiastes 5:12)

6. It will be hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 19:23-26)

7. Even the very desire for riches has destroyed many souls. (I Timothy 6:9,10)

8. Those who have riches often times depart from God. (Revelation 3:17-19)

The Response of Reasonableness

• We need to be careful how we secure our wealth. (Deuteronomy 24:14,15; Proverbs 21:6)

• We need to be careful how we use our wealth. We should not be selfish (I John 3:17) but rather selfless. (Matthew 6:19-21; Ephesians 4:28; I Timothy 6:17-19)

• It is the blessing of the Lord that makes one truly rich. (Proverbs 10:22)

• We must be careful to always examine our priorities in life. (Matthew 6:24)