“My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.” (James 3:1)
First off, we must understand what this word master means before we can begin to contemplate those possible condemnations.
Those who have had their faith exercised, who have studied to show themselves approved, who have listened intently to the Holy Spirit as to how to rightly divide the Word of God.
The master must understand that he also may fall, that pride is one of his most dangerous enemies, that humility must be not practiced, but attained in such a way that he realizes nothing he knows or understands comes from him, but from within him by the grace of God.
His sole purpose in life is to glorify, to exalt the Living God above all else, and he must be just as willing to do that through reproof and rebukes as well as through encouragement.
The master understands that the heart is deceitful above all things, that this world lays in wickedness, that his enemy never rests and is continuously looking for someone to devour.
He holds none of his possessions of this world in his heart, he is prepared to go where he is told when he is told, he harbors no ill will towards any man or woman, but he will stand against those who deny the Almighty, who despise the Lord Jesus Christ.
He gives respect where it is due, honor when it is due, but he lifts no man up on a pedestal.
He prays for wisdom, even though he knows full well it will bring grief and sorrow, he prays to be found worthy to be in the fellowship of the suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ, though it may bring pain and hardship.
He is content with what he has in the Lord, but continuously seeks His face for more, more wisdom, more Spiritual discernment, more of a heart that can discern between the good and the evil.
This man will be called to be a master and the rest of his life will be lived in the fear that he will make a mistake, for then the condemnation will arrive.
“When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.” (Eze. 3:18)
This man will be put into the public eye in some way, shape or form by the Almighty as one of his ambassadors, and he will be taught that there is a price to pay for that. In an overly adamant frame of mind, he may inadvertently offend a brother or sister in Christ, in an attempt to correct in love, he may instead rebuke when no such thing was needed, he may reprove, but not in love, and for this and much more there will be consequences to be paid.
He may become weary in the work, lose the fervency that has driven him, even become a prodigal son, or fall into a season, though brief, of sin. For this he will be corrected, and he not only expects it, but welcomes the chastisement of his Father in heaven.
There are many good reasons to not desire the position of master, the burden is heavy, the frustrations are nearly non-stop, the attacks, both of the old nature and from our adversary rarely abate, but the heaviest burden is the possibility of dishonoring the Almighty, of possibly not lifting up the name of the Lord Jesus Christ as he should.
This short letter is both a warning and an encouragement, and it all depends on how far you want to walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. It depends on how much of you that you are willing to give to Him.
If your thoughts are on Him and not the rewards waiting for you, He may call you to be a master.
