In the first two sections of the last chapter of James, he addresses the fate of the rich and the necessity of having patience while waiting for the return of the Lord.  In the middle of his statements about patience, he makes this declaration in verse nine:

James 5:9 NLT

[9] Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look-the Judge is standing at the door!

Let’s make sure we get the correct context of this verse before we go on.  James has just given a warning to the rich about their behavior towards others.  He then moves toward the concept of waiting patiently for the Lord to return, even in the midst of persecution.  

His statement to not grumble about each other is probably directed toward workers who have been cheated out of wages by the rich.  That action would seem to justify grumbling.  After all, who wants to work and then not be paid for the work?  

James is cautioning the readers to refrain from complaining about each other.  The reason is that they will be judged if they do that.  And then he lets them know that the one who is qualified to judge them and their motives is about to enter the scene.

This is going to be repetitive, but remember that James makes this statement while writing about waiting for the Lord to return.  If they grumble and complain about others, then the standards they place on others will be applied to their own lives, too.

This teaching was prominent in Jesus’ ministry.  He warned against judging others several times.  Christ taught that people were to be charitable toward others and not judge them.  He taught people to look at their own shortcomings and deal with those before they try to tell someone else about how to live.  Jesus taught people to correct their own lives before correcting someone else.  

And Jesus also taught that how you judge others will be how you are judged.  The measurement or rules you place on others will determine what rules you will be expected to observe.  In other words, if it’s a good way to judge someone else, it’s a good way to judge you.

James is also, once again, pointing out that the one who has been given the authority to judge is about to return.  He is speaking of Jesus, the Lord.  Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  That authority will be exercised when He returns.  Everyone will have to kneel before Him and be judged by Him.  Those who have lived in righteousness will receive rewards, and those who have done evil will be punished.

Grumbling against another believer, complaining about one’s lot in life, and negatively putting others down are all sins.  They reflect grudges held because of an offense.  They reveal a lack of dependence on God.  Those feelings of “I’ll get him, or her, if it’s the last thing I do” are not included in the description of a believer in Jesus.  They are part of the description of the unbeliever, the unfaithful, the sinners.

The bottom line of this verse is stop grumbling against fellow believers, because the one who will judge you and them is about to return.  This statement is more true today than it has ever been.