Henry Krabbendam - James - World Evangelical Alliance

If and when the Church goes down to business in forcefully preaching
the Kingdom of God, it cannot but see the forceful/violent take it by storm. If
this occurs, it has only God to thank. But if it does not, it has only itself to
blame. This does and should lead to a “soul-searching” self-examination. Let
no one say that all the Church needs to do is to be faithful and leave the outcome
to God. As I have argued in my Commentary repeatedly in the footsteps
of the likes of Horatius Bonar and Charles Haddon Spurgeon, this is too easily
and too often “hiding a falsehood behind the truth,” and more a display of
“indifference” to the progress of the Kingdom than one of “submission to
God.” A heart thirst for Kingdom success is part of genuine, biblical, faithfulness.
Without such thirst it is not worthy of this designation. After all,
Kingdom success is both promised (Josh. 1:7-9) and targeted (Is. 52: 13-15;
53:11; 55:11) by God (See Bonar, Words to Winners of Souls, 21-23; Spurgeon,
The Soul Winner, 231-235, esp. 235)! From God’s perspective, of
course, it is “all of grace.” But, complementarity of truth (!), the lack of it is
ever our culpability and (enduring?) shame (Ezek. 36:16-20) and must be accepted
as such.
To return to the opening pages of this volume, Kingdom success
amounts to the manifestation of the very Revival abundance that flows forth
from the Cross, the Resurrection, and Pentecost. Better yet, it flows forth
from our omnipotent, crucified and risen Lord and Savior, who has all the
authority on heaven and earth, and from the equally omnipotent Holy Spirit,
who is our guarantee that the knowledge of the glory of God and his Christ
will fill the earth, just as the waters cover the sea (Hab. 2:14)! Lack of Kingdom
success and dying Revival fires should at least break our hearts, and mobilize
us into a Recovery mode. It would prompt us in the footsteps of Paul to
go “far,” (Rom. 15:24) “fast,” (Rom. 1:13; 15:22) and “furious” (Rom. 1:11;
15:23), with all that this entails in terms of personal sacrifice (2 Cor. 11:23-
28). 388 “Perhaps” (2 Tim. 4:25) God would reverse the down trend and
through fervent and incessant prayer as well as unceasing and bold preaching
once again grace us with mighty conversions and mighty holiness that transforms
individuals, families as well as societies. Let James’ final wish to this
end (Jam. 5:19-20) be both our command and unshakable resolve, even while
we recognize that this will require the price of mighty combat. After all, what
is at stake is the honor and glory of God in the sum total of all his perfections
(Ezek. 36:21-23). This both demands and deserves our “everything!”
In conclusion, James easily could have summarized his letter with the
same forceful/violent words which are found in John’s First Epistle (I para-
388
See in this context specifically Thomas Watson, Heaven Taken By Storm (Morgan, PA:
Soli Deo Gloria Publications, n.d.).
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