James 5:7-12 … Following the admonition concerning the accumulation of wealth and accountability for it, James moves on in his very practical letter of instruction. In James 5:7, he addresses patience in waiting for the actual Second Coming and using that time productively for spiritual strengthening. The Apostle Paul uses that same figure of speech (“exercise as an athlete,” 2 Timothy 2:1-7) to convey the importance of keeping spiritually fit.
Continuing, we’re encouraged not to complain about others or to judge others. These are attributes that keep us in a frame of mind that is open to instruction and that anticipates the coming of Christ. This portion of James ends with an important admonition on swearing, which is not cursing, but as the contemporary expression goes, swearing on “a stack of Bibles,” to somehow enhance the veracity of what we say. In the place of swearing, we’re to live by doing what we say we’ll do and building such a reputation for reliability and truthfulness that our testimony will be unquestioned.
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