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James 5:13-20
Be Patient and Pray
James is addressing Christians who are feeling low and depressed because of persecution for their faith in Christ (v. 13). “Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.” To better understand this passage we need to ask along with MacArthur and others: What kind of suffering does James have in view in verse 13? What type of sickness is in view in verse 14? Why are the prayers of the elders different from those of other believers (vv. 14–15)? What is the anointing with oil described in verse 14? Does the prayer of faith (v. 15) always restore the sick? How does sickness relate to sin (v. 15)? What type of healing is in view in verse 16? Why does James insert an illustration about rain (vv. 17–18) into the middle of a discussion of healing? BE PATIENT AND PRAY (5:13-18)
One of the basic principles for dealing with our emotional
reactions to pressure is to acknowledge and fully experience whatever emotions we are
experiencing. Those individuals going through persecution need to participate in a lot of
prayer and praise because it strengthens the spirit when under pressure. Pray
Prayer and suffering go together. James mentions prayer seven
times in verses 13-18. "Suffering" has a wider use of meaning than bodily
sickness. It is used for suffering hardship as a good soldier (2 Tim. 2:3, 9; 4:5),
including any kind of illness of body or mind and is literally, “having hard
experiences,” including depression. The New English Bible reads, “is in
trouble” whether physical or mental. The answer is found in praying. Let him pray as a habit (present
tense). Talk to God as if He were not even aware of it. Express your feelings to Him.
Prayer is a proper outlet of our emotions (Luke 22:39-46).
Sing
If you are "cheerful" is not necessarily free from
trouble, but cheerful in spite of the pain. The
proper response to cheerfulness is to sing praises (Eph. 5:19; I Cor. 14:15). Give
expression to high spirits in singing praise to God (Acts 16:25). Make melody with the
whole heart unto the Lord. Pour the soul out toward God in rich praise with instruments
and voice. Our worship ought to lead to change in our lives. Express your religious
emotions in prayer and praise to God. “Praise”
(psalletou) originally meant, “to play on a stringed instrument.” The
verb is used only four times in the New Testament (cf. Rom. 15:9; 1 Cor. 14:15; Eph.
5:19). Sing praises and play on a harp. Give expression to God’s sustaining grace. PRAY AND TAKE YOUR MEDICINE
(5:14-15)
If anyone is sick take your medicine and pray (v. 14-15). “Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.” Who
is sick?
The word for “sick” (astheneo) “to be weak (without strength)” is translated “sick” eighteen times in the New Testament (Matt. 10:8; 25:36, 39; Mark 6:56; Luke 4:40; John 4:46; Acts 9:37). But it is also used fourteen times to refer to emotional or spiritual weakness (Acts 20:35; Rom. 4:19; 8:3; 14:1–2; 1 Cor. 8:11–12; 2 Cor. 11:21, 29; 12:10; 13:3–4, 9). In all but three (Phil. 2:26–27; 2 Tim. 4:20) of astheneo’s appearances in the epistles it does not refer to physical sickness. Astheneo in 2 Corinthians 12:10 is especially noteworthy, since it there describes weakness produced by the sufferings of life—in a similar context as its usage in the present verse. The word is also used of Jesus when He healed “the sick, raised the dead, cleansed the lepers, cast out demons” (Matt. 10:8). James’s compassionate pastoral care for his suffering flock has its main focus on the casualties of the spiritual battle, the persecuted, weak, defeated believers. MacArthur writes in his commentary on James says, James’
Ask
for help
"Sick" implies physical illness, and suggests a form of illness that incapacitates a man for work. The sick person is to take the initiative to ask the elders to
pray. Seek the help of Christian friends and leaders in the church. The connecting
link between all verses in this paragraph is the power of prayer. Elders
pray over him
“He must call for the elders of the church” (v. 14). These visitors are directed to pray over the sick person. The “elders” (presbyteroi) (plural) are persons advanced in years, men of authority in the synagogue or congregation and are to give pastoral oversight and direction to the local congregation. It is translated bishop, elders, overseers and pastors of the local church. There is no warrant for rendering the word “priests” as in the Douay Version. And they were not “healers” with the “gift of healing.” “Let him call the elders of the church, and let them pray over him . . .” Praying for the sick is clearly the issue in this verse. We need to keep in mind that doctors were extremely few in the first century, their skills were very limited and they were very expensive. The important question is whether these elders come in an official capacity to perform an ecclesiastical “anointing” with holy oil or whether they come to pray as brothers in Christ and rub the olive oil as medication (Isa. 1:6; Lk. 10:34; Mk. 6:13). The “prayer of faith” (v. 15) is the only kind of prayer because “it is to trust in God with full acknowledgment of God’s power and love,” writes A. T. Robertson. God is not powerless to help. “The wondrous laws of nature are all of God. . . . Science has vastly increased our sense of wonder about God and His world. . . . The Father’s hands rests upon us all. He can be reached. He is not far from any of us, and He loves us.” The forgiveness of sins does not correspond to the physical healing in v. 15. One does not follow the other. The cured man, convicted of his sins and out of gratitude to God for his goodness, repents of his sins and is forgiven. It is easy to repent when on the deathbed and then forget it when they get up and return home. Serious illness can be a good time to listen to God. It is a good time to confess our sins to God and one another. God deals with the root causes of our illnesses. This is not to say, however, that there is physical healing in the atonement (Isa. 53:5b). Clearly the prophet Isaiah and Jesus were referring to forgiveness of sins. The context of this verse refers to the spiritual healing, not physical. Peter makes it clear in 1 Peter 2:24, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” What is “the prayer of faith” that heals the sick? The answer is found in 1 John 5:14–15. “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.” Nowhere is any gift of grace of God dependent upon a certain quality or measure of faith in the recipient. The Great Physician still lays His hands on whom He will and heals. It is an exercise of His sovereign right. There is no hint in the Scriptures that the prayer of faith, provided that faith is the right kind or quality, will always result in the raising up of the sick. Jesus never implied that faith must reach a certain standard before it would be rewarded. He insisted on true faith, the faith of a “grain of mustard seed” and nothing more. Even the most trembling faith was never rebuffed. Jesus encouraged the smallest faith. It is not true to the Scriptures to say a person’s faith must reach a certain pitch to receive God’s blessing. To imply the apostle Paul, a man of faith, did not reach the level of the “prayer of faith” for God to remove the “thorn in the flesh” is preposterous. The New Testament does not teach or even suggest that our faith must be psyched up, or keyed-up to a certain level before God will hear and answer. That is emotionalism, not faith. Didn’t Paul have faith when he prayed to the Lord “three times” that the “thorn” would be removed (2 Cor. 12:7-10)? Was Paul denied the miracle because he didn’t have enough faith? Was it because he had unconfessed sin in his life? Was it because he didn’t use the correct healing technique? Was it because Paul didn’t have a special “anointed healing cloth”? Give me a break! God does not propose to heal everyone. It is not His will that everyone be healed in this lifetime. Pray, take your medicine and leave the results in God’s hands. Medically the apostle Paul came to the acceptance that God was not going to heal him of the ailment because He had a greater healing which consisted of His sustaining grace. Jesus said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” (v. 9). Paul’s acceptance of God’s will without bitterness and resentment is seen in his response. “Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me” (v. 9). Paul had been used of God to heal others (Acts 20:7-12; 28:7-9), but not in all cases (1 Tim. 5:23; 2 Tim. 4:20; Phil. 2:25-27). Why didn’t the “prayers of faith” of the apostle Paul effect healing in these cases? Didn’t Paul do everything right? Faith is not demanding from God what we want. Making up your mind that you want something and hammering at the gate of heaven until God gives in and gives it to you is not faith; it is presumption. It amounts to childish spiritual temper tantrum. Faith healers and prosperity gospel adherents suggest that a person must make up his mind strongly enough about what he wants, and then clamor loudly enough for it and then your faith will bring the blessing down from heaven. This is not Christian faith. Faith is our response to the revealed will of God. It is a child-like trust in our heavenly Father that He knows what is best for us and He will provide according to His will. The supreme prayer of faith is, “Thy will be done.” It is submission to the will of God. Faith is seeking the LORD God’s mind and obeying Him. If it is His will to heal the sick, He will lead His servants by His Spirit to utter the prayer of faith for the healing. Sometimes it is better to pray for God’s best, which might not be for physical healing, but for Him to relieve the pain and suffering and usher the saint into heaven. There is something more wonderful and greater than physical healing and prosperity. The most important request should be “Thy will be done!” Am I willing to receive His will whether it is healing or something better? To not heal was better for Paul. God continues to heal by medical intervention and by divine intervention. However, God does not give us the privilege to command them “by faith.” “Much current teaching in the contemporary church on the subject of ‘spiritual healing’ rests on the false assumption that it is God’s will that everybody should enjoy at all times perfect physical health. There is nothing in the New Testament to justify this assumption, and some evidence which points in the opposite direction,” observes Tasker. Anointing
with oil
“Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call
for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the
name of the Lord” (v. 14). Use of anointing oil is well attested by the ancient writers
Philo, Pliny and Galen who praised the use of oil as medicine. Josephus, the Jewish
historian, tells us that in Herod’s terminal illness a bath of oil was prescribed for
him. Oil in Scripture was very common in treating illnesses. The best-known medicine in
the ancient world was olive oil. Probably the elders came and anointed the oil, rubbed the man
with oil as medicine, and prayed. No doubt
women would do the anointing for women. Wiersbe
writes: “It is not the anointing that heals, but the praying. The Greek word
translated ‘anointing’ is a medicinal term; it could be translated
‘massaging’” or rubbing. The word was commonly used for rubbing in ancient
medical treatises. A. T. Robertson: "There is no doubt as to the ancient
opinion about, and use of, oil as medicine. It
is probable that each one will decide this question according to his predilections. For my part, I incline to the view that we have
here not a sacramental or priestly function on the part of these elders but the double
duty of ministry of the word and of medicine (with prayer).
The nearest parallel in modern life is the medical missionary who goes with the
word of life and the healing balm of modern science.
He heals the sick with the physician's skill and the prayer of faith" (p.
190). The apostle Paul helped the sick (Acts 20:35) at Ephesus and often healed the sick,
and yet he worked side by side with Luke, the beloved physician, as in the island of Malta
(Acts 28:8f).” Trench in his Synonyms, says, “Aleipho
in the New Testament describes anointing one’s head with oil (Matt. 6:17; cf. Luke
7:46), the women’s anointing of Jesus’ body (Mark 16:1), Mary’s anointing
of the Lord’s feet (John 11:2; 12:3), and anointing the sick with oil (Mark
6:13).” Robertson concludes, “Perhaps the best way to translate the phrase would
be ‘rubbing him with oil in the name of the Lord’; it literally reads
‘after having oiled him.” Here is an interesting observation by Ron Blue writing in the Bible Knowledge Commentary: James said that the elders should pray over him and anoint him with oil. It is significant that the word “anoint” is aleipsantes (“rub with oil”) not chriou (“ceremonially anoint”). The former is the “mundane” word and the latter is “the sacred and religious word” . . . Therefore James is not suggesting a ceremonial or ritual anointing as a means of divine healing; instead, he is referring to the common practice of using oil as a means of bestowing honor, refreshment, and grooming. The woman “poured” (aleiphou) perfume on Jesus’ feet (Luke 7:38). A host “put oil” (aleiphou) on the head of his guest (Luke 7:46). A person who is fasting should not be sad and ungroomed, but should “put oil” (aleiphou) on his head, and wash his face (Matt. 6:17). Thus James’ point is that the “weak” (asthenei) and “weary” (kamnonta) would be refreshed, encouraged, and uplifted by the elders who rubbed oil on the despondents’ heads and prayed for them. . . . That
the restoration is spiritual, not physical, is further clarified by the assurance, if
he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Many physically ill Christians have called on
elders to pray for them and to anoint them with oil, but a sizable percentage of them have
remained sick. This fact suggests that the passage may have been mistakenly understood as
physical restoration rather than spiritual restoration. John MacArthur has a similar statement emphasizing prayer as the theme of this section, not healing or anointing:
Jay Adams gives wise counsel with these words:
God
and medicine
Healing by spiritual means was practiced in the early church in James’ day. It was a constant ministry of Jesus. However, history demonstrates that in time it ceased. Many respected Christian scholars believe the gift of healing was granted for a short special period of time. John Calvin wrote, “As the reality of the sign continued only for a time in the church, the symbol (of anointing) must have been only for a time.” In his Institutes he correctly says, “The Lord, doubtless, is present with His people in all ages, and cures their sickness as often as there is need, not less than formerly; and yet He does not exert these manifest powers, nor dispense miracles by the hands of apostles, because that gift was temporary.” Others of the Wesleyan movement suggest the gift had been “lost through unbelief.” However, the practice of modern medicine is no less the gift of God to His people than to spiritual healing. All healing comes from God, whether through prayer or medicine God has provided. God is the healer. All healing is done by God, and God heals according to His will.
There is a great deal of “superficial parallel” between what Jesus says here and
the modern “healers.” James does not “commercialize” the use of
prayer. He would never have sold magical healing cloths. James makes use of olive oil which is one of the best medicines
known to the ancient world. The disciples of Jesus anointed the sick with oil (Mark 6:13).
Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan who poured oil and wine into the wounds of the
half-dead man by the roadside (Lk. 10:34). “One is not to infer that James gives no
credit to medicine. The oil was good; God works through medicine and without medicine. The
best that we still know on this subject is this: prayer and medicine, or God and the
doctor” (Robertson). Today "We prefer the doctor to the oil, but we still need
God with the doctor. It is a great error for one to think that God is not to be called
upon because we have a skilled physician. The minister still has a place, and a very
important place, in the problems of therapeutics. . . . The minister needs to be careful
to be a help and not a hindrance in cases of sickness.” How sad to think that many
“quack doctors” have been preachers. The increase in medical knowledge, technology, and skills in our
day is the gift and grace of God. Only a fool would not call the doctor when he gets sick.
It is true that our best doctors recognize that medical and spiritual factors are involved
in the healing process. They should go hand-in-hand. God created the spirit, mind, and
body as a whole and they function together for a healthy person. The wise pastor
encourages his people to “take your medicine as the doctor prescribes.” The “anointing with oil in the name of the Lord” comes
from only two verses (James 5:14 and Mark 6:13). There is no record of a single instance
of anointing with oil by Jesus, nor in the miracles of healing by the apostles after the
resurrection. James, even makes clear that “the prayer of faith shall save the
sick,” not the anointing of oil. Faith is a most precious gift from God. If a touch
of oil will encourage your faith in the Great Physician I see no objection, but don’t
become dependent on the touch of oil. There is no objection to anointing with a touch of
oil and praying if it is done with decency and order. It must never ever be a show! Never
an emphasis on the faith healer! Not
something bragged about! To take your medicine does not mean you do not have faith in God.
It is not an issue of either or. “It is important to notice,” writes Minton, “that
it is explicitly stated that it is not the oil or the anointing by human hands or even the
believing prayer which is the healing power. They are at least the means which God uses.
It is God through Christ who is the Life-giver and Healer” (p. 201). Warren Wiersbe says, “It is not the anointing that heals, but the praying. The Greek word translated “anointing” is a medicinal term; it could be translated “massaging.” This may be an indication that James suggests using available means for healing along with asking the Lord for His divine touch. God can heal with or without means; in each case, it is God who does the healing. . . . Keep in mind that it is not one individual who is praying: it is the body of elders—spiritual men of God—who seek God’s will and pray. James does not instruct the believer to send for a faith healer. The matter is in the hands of the leaders of the local church.” Chuck Swindoll in a message on “Suffering, Sickness, Sin and Healing” has an excellent statement: I believe in divine healing. I do not believe in divine healers.
I believe in faith healing. I do not believe in faith healers. There is a great
difference. I believe that God in His sovereign grace and power will in fact reach down in
some cases and change a condition . . . . And I am of the conviction that God does that
apart from any individual who claims to have certain powers” (as quoted in James,
Practical and Authentic Living, p. 194). Extreme
unction
In the passage before us James is concerned about healing and not
dying, the restoring to health, not death. He is addressing elders, not
“healers.” There is not the
slightest suggestion that the anointing is a preparation for death. The oil is not
“an effective medium for forgiveness.” There is no indication that the
“oil” James refers to was “consecrated” before using it. The reference
here is to the curative properties of oil. The Douay Version in a footnote on this verse says, “See
here a plain warrant of scripture for the Sacrament of Extreme Unction, that any
controversy against its institution would be against the express words of the sacred text
in the plainest terms.” However, the noted Greek scholar A. T. Robertson, "There is
certainly no indication that what is called ‘extreme unction’ was practiced or
urged by James and the apostolic Church. That
was a later development in the Greek and Roman
Catholic churches that is
foreign to the tone of this letter." In James we have "not a ceremony or
ecclesiastical function but rather the simple use of oil as a medicine and prayer ‘in the name of
the Lord.’” In Word
Pictures Robertson writes: “It is clear both in Mark 6:13 and here that medicinal
value is attached to the use of the oil and emphasis is placed on the worth of prayer.
There is nothing here of the pagan magic or of the later practice of ‘extreme
unction’ (after the eighth century). . . . in James we have God and medicine, God and
the doctor, and that is precisely where we are today. The best physicians believe in God
and want the help of prayer.” Verse fourteen is not to be taken as a basis for teaching the
extreme unction as a sacrament. “This sacrament is administered to one who is thought
to be dying. . . . The priest anoints various parts of the body with consecrated oil. By
this means it is believed that forgiveness is bestowed on those who are no longer
physically able to make conscious confession of sin in the confessional, and there receive
priestly absolution” (Minton, p. 210). The Council of Trent made it a sacrament in
the Roman Catholic Church and attributed the doctrine to this passage in James. It is clear, however, that James was not thinking at all in this
verse of people expected to die. The object of calling the elders together for prayer is
not to prepare the sick man for death. Nothing is said about the likelihood of his
immediate death. “There is no mention of a priest, but only of elders, and
they are named in the plural,” observed Minton. The elders (presbyters) are
not “priests.” They are members of the church appointed by the local assembly to
oversee its affairs. Even the Latin Vulgate has presbuteros and not sacerdotes,
the usual word for priests. The Greek word for priest, hiereus, is never found in
the New Testament with reference to the Christian ministry. Apart from the Jewish
priesthood the word is reserved for Jesus Christ alone. Robertson in Word Pictures says, “Confession
of sin to God is already assumed. But public confession of certain sins to one another in
the meetings is greatly helpful in many ways. This is not confessing to one man like a
priest in a place of the public confession. One may confess to the pastor without
confessing to God or to the church, with little benefit to anybody.” The confession is not one sided, but between two or more
Christians as in a share group or accountability group. The slightest betrayal of trust
will destroy the atmosphere in which confession takes place. Calvin wisely says,
“Confession of this nature ought to be free so as not to be exacted of all, but only
recommended to those who feel they have need of it.” It has to do with confession to
one’s fellow Christians, not to a priestly confessional. It is an opening of the
heart to a sympathetic listener. Respectfully, there is nothing said in this passage about
priests, penance, indulgences, absolution, extreme unction, auricular confession, group
confession, etc. R. V. G. Tasker writes: “The only unction of which the New
Testament speaks as a permanent possession of the Christian in every age, by which he is
continually invigorated and enlightened, is the unction of the Holy Spirit. ‘The
anointing which you have received of Him,’ says John, ‘abides in you’ (1
John 2:27).” Results
of praying
In spite of our sinning, God accepts us for who we are and heals
us by His grace (v. 15). “Save” (v.15, KJV), “restore” (NASB), means
cure as in Mark 5:23; 6:56). Only God in His wonderful grace cleanses us of all our sins (I
Jn. 1:7-9). Body
life in times of suffering (vv. 16-18)
The confession of sins in v. 16 is not one sided. It is not to a priest, nor is it binding obligation on the members. There is nothing in verse sixteen that requires a person to confess to a priest and receive from him absolution. Our text does encourage confession, but not confession to a priest. The issue is confession among believers who make up the church. This is a vital dynamic to quality body life in the local church. As Calvin notes, “Reciprocal confession is demanded here.” The New Testament recognizes the priesthood of the believer, all believers, “the whole community of Christians” (Rev. 1:6; 5:10; 20:6; 1 Peter 2:5-9). James wrote, “Make it a habit to confess your sins to each other” (literal translation). Do not hide sin or delay confession. Confession
should first always be to God. Only then should we go to the offended person in humility
and seek reconciliation. It should be done under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. “Pray for one another” (v. 16). A vital emphasis in
confession is to “pray for one another.” The purpose is to bring spiritual
healing and spiritual maturity. "Righteous man" is one who obeys the commands of
God. Not a perfect man, but (NEB) "a
good man's prayer." He does what is right in obedience to God’s word (1 John
3:7). “A man who walks uprightly with God cannot fail to pray in a
manner acceptable to Him. His prayers must be efficacious,” notes Tasker. Elijah is one of many examples of righteous men who prayed in the Old Testament. “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit” (vv. 17-18). It is no more difficult for God to heal the sick than to produce rain in response to prayer. James says the problem is the lack of faith in God, the enmity with God. PRAY FOR BACKSLIDERS (VV. 19-20)James concludes his letter with a touch of tenderness. “My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (vv. 19-20). John MacArthur writes of the . . . weak, defeated Christians who needed the care of the elders. Here it describes professed believers who need to be called to true salvation by the rest of the fellowship. Sadly, such people are to be found in every church; Jesus promised as much in Matthew 13:20–23, 24–30, 37–43, 47–50. “Among you” indicates they are in the believing church, professing salvation. And every pastor knows the heartbreak caused by those who profess Christ yet turn their backs on Him, live in overt, blatant sin, or join a cult. Even Jesus had His Judas and Paul his Demas. Such people emerge last in James’s list because they have the greatest need and, as will be seen below, are in the gravest of all danger. The one who "strays from the truth,” means the wanders,
simply "fall into error," go astray. Here it could be rendered "is
deceived." The conditional “if” is third class and is delicate “only
as a supposed case, not assumed as true and yet probable” (Robertson). It is the
picture of a man lost in the mountains, who has missed his trail. He has lost his way. (Cf. I Pet. 4:8).
"Truth" is moral truth and as Barclay says, “ . .
. it is always truth which issues in action; it is a way of Life." "And one turns him back" has the emphasis on mutual
responsibility. We do have a responsibility for our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is
our duty to win back to truth the one who has strayed from it. Let's be careful how we do it (Gal. 5:25-6:1). Only believers
walk in the Spirit. Peter reminds us “love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pet.
4:8). Love no longer sees the sins of the saved sinner. It knows how to forgive. When we rescue the fallen sinner we “save his soul from
death, and will cover a multitude of sins” (v. 20). What a tremendous responsibility
we have for one another in the body of Christ. “Death” is separation and
ultimately is separation from God in eternity (Rom. 6:23). Men who are without Christ are
“dead in trespasses and sins” (Col. 2:13; Eph. 2:1). Sin causes men to be
alienated from God. The unbeliever is engulfed in a “living death.” The Bible Knowledge Commentary has a good summary of our
responsibility as believers: Wandering ones need to be brought back to the fold. James referred here not to evangelism but to restoration. Revival, not redemption, is in view. The rescue action is of great significance. A lost sheep is saved from destruction and his sins (the sins of the restored one, not the restorer) are covered as if a veil were thrown over them (cf. 1 Peter 4:8). He can move ahead again on the path toward spiritual maturity. James has given clear instructions about how to achieve practical holiness and spiritual maturity. His pointed exhortations were designed to stab the consciences and stir the souls of his beloved Jewish brothers. Stand with confidence, serve with compassion, speak with care, submit with contrition, and share with concern. A believer should be what God wants him to be, do what God wants him to do, say what God wants him to say, sense what God wants him to sense, and share what God wants him to share. Spiritual maturity involves every aspect of life. We need accountability groups, prayer and share Bible studies in
our churches. MacArthur concludes: In
every church there are those who make shipwreck of their faith by straying from God’s
truth. “They went out from us,” wrote John in 1 John 2:19, “but they were
not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they
went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.” True believers are
to pursue those whose faulty doctrine and sinful lives give evidence that they have
departed from the true faith. Such defectors from the faith they claim to believe are to
be warned relentlessly, as illustrated in the epistle to the Hebrews (2:3–4;
3:7–15; 4:1, 6–7; 5:12–6:9; 10:26–29). In the words of the familiar hymn “Grace Greater Than Our Sin,”
Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, As the hymn writer correctly notes, only the death of Christ can provide forgiveness of sin (Eph. 1:7; 2:8–9). God casts believers’ sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19), removing them as far from us as the east is from the west (Ps. 103:12). R. V. G. Tasker says, “The shed blood of Jesus has opened up for him a way of direct access into the divine presence, and that way is never barred. The believer can turn immediately for inspiration, peace, and power to Him who holds the universe in the palm of His hand, and orders all things in accordance with His sovereign will, with the assurance that ‘all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose’ (Romans 8:28) . . .” (TBC, James, p. 126). God has granted to all believers the ministry of reconciling wandering souls to Himself. When the evidence indicates a professed believer’s faith is not real, true Christians, knowing the terrible threat of eternal death that person faces, must make it their goal to turn him back from his sin to genuine saving faith in God. Warren Wiersbe concludes James with these words: This brings us to the end of our study of James. His emphasis has been spiritual maturity. This would be a good time for us to examine our own hearts to see how mature we really are. Here are a few questions to assist you: 1. Am I becoming more and more patient in the testings of life? 2. Do I play with temptation or resist it from the start? 3. Do I find joy in obeying the Word of God, or do I merely study it and learn it? 4. Are there any prejudices that shackle me? 5. Am I able to control my tongue? 6. Am I a peacemaker rather than a troublemaker? Do people come to me for spiritual wisdom? 7. Am I a friend of God or a friend of the world? 8. Do I make plans without considering the will of God? 9. Am I selfish when it comes to money? Am I unfaithful in the paying of my bills? 10. Do I naturally depend on prayer when I find myself in some kind of trouble? 11. Am I the kind of person others seek for prayer support? 12. What is my attitude toward the wandering brother? Do I criticize and gossip, or do I seek to restore him in love? Don’t just grow old—grow up!   |