James 5:5

"You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led. life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in. day of slaughter."You have lived luxuriously" -"a soft and luxurious life" (Thayer p. 631); "give oneself up to pleasure" (Vine p. 288); "lead. life of luxury or self-indulgence, revel, carouse (Arndt p. 828). Like the plans which the rich man in Luke 12:19 had for his future, "eat, drink, and be merry". "A second example of their misuse of money is the selfishness and unwarranted opulence with which the wealthy indulged themselves….In this context of James, it has the negative connotation of using wealth solely for display or personal whim" (Kent p. 173). "This is luxurious, extravagant living with no regard for anyone around us" (Draper p. 146). "on the earth" -this would be the extent of their pleasure seeking."led of life of wanton pleasure" -(1 Timothy 5:6). "live luxuriously or voluptuously, in indulgence" (Arndt p. 761). "It is the condemnation of the selfish rich that they have used their possessions to gratify their own love of comfort, and to satisfy their own lusts, and they have forgotten all duty to their fellow-man" (Barclay p. 140). Apparently the wages that had been withheld, were used for selfish purposes. The idea of wasteful indulgence. "To give oneself to pleasure" (Thayer p. 583). Many people in our current society, and too many members of the Church are sadly---- people who are addicted to pleasure and spend the vast majority of their resources solely on themselves.

Point To Note:

Woods reminds us, "It is well to take note of the fact that the word here used does not denote. wicked and sinful life, per se….One does not have to live. sinful life (or what we uselessly think of when we use the term "sinful life") to fall under the censure of the Lord…if we live indolently, selfishly, uselessly, our lives are not pleasing in the sight of God" (p. 266). There are. good number of people who never commit fornication or adultery, and yet who live purely for themselves. The rich men of Luke 16:1 or Luke 12:1 were not necessarily immoral men (engaging in all sorts of immoral activities), rather they were simply ignoring the needs of others, which is just as immoral in the sight of God. "you have fattened your hearts" -"gratified your appetite" (Wey). Supplied themselves with everything they desired, pampered themselves. They have engaged in the business of fattening themselves, taking care of their own needs, doing what they wanted to do, looking out for number one."in. day of slaughter" -a life spent on fattening "self" is simply fattening yourself for condemnation (Romans 2:1). "This pictures. steer at the stockyard who is not quite heavy enough to be killed. So they put him in. pen and give him the finest food he could possibly have. That steer is so stupid---he doesn't know he is about to be killed, so he lives only for the pleasure and the cravings that he has. When he gains enough weight, they kill him. That is like the man who takes his possessions, lives as though there were no God and no needs in the world around him" (Draper p. 147). The world is filled with many selfish people who are just like cattle who are gorging themselves and blissfully unaware of coming judgment. Compare with Jeremiah 2:3; Jeremiah 2:34; Isaiah 32:2; Ezekiel 2:15; Amos 2:1.

Point To Note:

Just because people live like God doesn't exist or that there won't be. judgment day doesn't mean that their selfish lives determine reality or what the truth of the matter is. Judgment will come even though the vast majority might deny it. Reality and truth isn't determined by how the majority or the most influential in this world live.