Living in Light of His Return

James was convinced that Jesus was about to return. One might ask how that was possible seeing that James was an apostle writing a Spirit-inspired letter? The answer is simple. He was reflecting the very attitude that Jesus expects all believers in all generations of the gos-pel-age to observe: “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42). Every generation of Christians is expected to live in the awareness that the Lord could come at any time. That awareness is to shape their lives and that is what James is exhorting here.