James 5:1-6 is a sad reality that exposes the lure of pleasure in this present life by way of unrighteousness. Take a look.

James 5:1-6

[1] Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. [2] Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. [3] Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. [4] Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. [5] You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. [6] You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

A few observations: Misery is coming. Therefore they ought to be very troubled by that coming reality. It seems they have so much that it’s just lying around getting rusty and moth eaten but much is never enough.

They’ve either gotten this excess by withholding due payment for services they had hired others to do or they already have excess and continue to pile up their riches by withholding the rightful payment of services rendered. Either way, both are wrong in the eyes of God.

Look, it’s not that we cannot enjoy pleasures now in this life. The problem is that we would do evil to pursue pleasure. It would be like us wanting to go to the Vols football game this weekend but robbing a bank on the way to Knoxville to pay for the tickets or let’s say we had the money but it would take away from our family’s needs. Do not pursue pleasure by doing evil.

But don’t miss the last verse. It seems the righteous live in light of future pleasures that will have no end. They do not resist the rich who do them evil. They expect to be taken advantage of in this world. But one day, that will be over forever. Disadvantaged now but only advantage on that glorious day.

Do not fret in the day of trouble. The Lord is with you and the sufferings of this world cannot compare with that glorious day for those who long for Christ’s return.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

[17] For this light *momentary affliction is preparing for us an *eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, [18] as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are *transient, but the things that are unseen are *eternal.