Online Devotional on Hiatus

Thank you for joining us in our devotional study on the Book of James. We will return in the Fall with another study, so stay tuned!

James 5:19-20

¹⁹ My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, ²⁰ let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Reflect
As we come to the conclusion of James’ letter, we find a final word of encouragement. His epistle has given us numerous directives in living out the wisdom of God. Throughout, James has been laying before us the nature of true gospel life; portraying spiritual wisdom not as an intellectual pursuit but primarily as a relational reality. We must remember that God is not impressed with moral living which helps us pretend we are super-spiritual because we are doing all the right things. Yes, James has summoned us to lives of purity, peace, and gentleness. But what better demonstration is there that we are people full of mercy, good fruits, and without hypocrisy than that we relate to one another in true unity? This means seeking the reconciliation and restoration of our wayward brothers and sisters. In bringing back a person who has wandered from the truth, we are living out Matthew 5:9. We are being the very peacemakers that are called the sons of God! Sons image their father. Are you spiritual? Then you’ll have the heart of your Father and God’s heart is to pursue the one lost sheep and bring him back to the fold of faith. Are we so united to one another the way Jesus desires us to be when he prays in John 17, “I ask…that they may be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us.”?

Every time I see one of those daring rescue shows on television, I wonder what it is within those rescuers that enables them to risk so much to save another? I have also wondered why so often during tragic events or violent acts, that bystanders look on and do nothing. James is equating the bringing “back a sinner from his wanderings” with “saving his soul from death.” That´s pretty serious. Are we the rescuer or are we the guy who walks on by assuming someone else will do the saving? The rescuer knows that life and death hang in the balance and that although great risk may be involved, he steps into the fray, the chaos, the uncertainty, and puts it all on the line in the hope of preserving life. On the other hand, the bystander questions her ability, her competency to step into a situation where she might at best look foolish and at worst experience pain herself. The bystander concludes, “it’s too difficult for me and just not worth the potential harm.”

Christ’s abundant love for His people brought him suffering and extreme separation as He risked it all to secure our rescue. Are we called to a lesser love? We are told in I Peter to “Above all, keep fervent in our love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” Here James says the same thing: to rescue another or bring him back to the truth results in the covering of many sins. So what does bringing back a sinner from his wanderings look like? The Bible doesn’t give us step-by-step instructions; rather it calls us to genuinely love one another and to live courageously by faith, putting our hope in Christ. As Dan Allender so eloquently describes it, “Bold love is courageously setting aside our personal agenda to move humbly into the world of others with their well-being in view, willing to risk further pain in our souls, in order to be an aroma of life…” We who are spiritual will be such an aroma, as we know, live, and offer true Life.

Memorize
James 5:19-20
“My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wanderings will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”

Pray
Dear Lord,
Transform us into people who care not merely for our own holiness, but earnestly toil for the righteousness of our brothers and sisters. Make us care so much that we are willing to sacrifice our own comfort and safety to go after such a wanderer. Give us faith that we may risk in order to rescue— for that is your heart, O God. As your people, may we be as obsessed with our unity as you are that when we see beginnings of self-destruction in one another, we would do whatever is necessary to “bring him back” to the truth of who he is in Christ. Thank you for not standing by as we were perishing, but putting aside your comfort to pursue, reconcile, and restore our wayward hearts. Help us to never abandon your truth, but to follow you in the way everlasting. In Christ´s name we pray, Amen.

James 5:13-18

5:13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

Reflect

I remember as a 12 year old, I prayed to God, asking for an Atari home video game console, which was very popular at that time. I told my parents I was really praying hard. They told me to keep praying because they weren’t going to buy me one. I prayed and still no Atari. I felt that God was just not impressed with how I was praying. I prayed even more fervently and still no Atari. I eventually gave up, mostly because my interest weakened on the Atari and moved onto a telescope set instead. I thank the Lord that He has allowed me to realize the fallacy of my immature understanding of prayer.

The Bible tells us to pray constantly (Rm 12:12; 1 Thess. 5:17-18) and there are numerous areas where God hears our prayers and instructs us to pray (i.e. 2 Chron 7:12-14; Mt 5:4, etc..). Christ taught us to pray the Lord’s prayer (Mt 6:9) and He taught by example (Luke 11:1). So we know we have to pray. But have you ever wondered why our omniscient God wants us to pray when He knows everything already? Well, James gives us a glimpse into the answer.

These verses deal in part with suffering and sickness. Theologians have some different opinions on whether the sickness in verse 14 refers to physical or spiritual. But the means to the end is the same, prayer. If it’s physical, the end is healing from the ailment. If it’s spiritual, the end is strengthening of faith. Both ends come from God, not us. If healing doesn’t occur on earth, the ultimate healing will be consummated in glorification—this must be qualified however…..that we’ve actually already been healed when Christ died on the cross, guaranteeing our salvation (the true healing).

Verse 15 hits it home when it deals with “prayer of faith.” Faith exercised in prayer is what God desires. It is faith in the God who accomplishes His will because He is sovereign. We have examples in the Bible when prayers for physical sicknesses are not answered (i.e. Paul’s prayer for physical healing not answered in 2 Cor 12-7-9). Ultimately, we must take into account the will of our supreme Lord, which is often veiled in mystery, at least for now.

James starts the verses with calling the elders of the church to pray. Elders have been given the responsibility to be overseers who help guide the spiritual development of the local congregation. But there is a deliberate shift where James starts to exhort all Christians to pray, even giving Elijah as an example. Elijah is mentioned, not necessarily as the great extraordinary prophet, but as “a man with a nature like ours.” This point is made so we can identify with even Elijah, a man of prayer. Hence, prayer is the responsibility of all Christian brothers and sisters.

Let us strive to continue to pray for the sicknesses of others. We believe in the power of prayer, not in any mystical way where we have been given the gift of healing, but rather that we are exercising our faith in the Almighty God who will exercise His good will all in His good time. I encourage you to try something practical this week: to choose one person that you know is fighting a physical ailment. Pray for them specifically.

Memorize

James 5:15a And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.

Pray

Heavenly Father, thank you for healing our souls through Christ’s ultimate sacrifice on the cross. Help me to abide by your will and to pray fervently for the sicknesses of others. I especially pray for __________________ who is currently in the midst of suffering. Give him/her peace and may it be your will for the restoration of his/her health. In Jesus name, Amen.

James 5:12

Read

James 5:12: “But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your ‘yes’ be yes and your ‘no’ be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.”

Reflect

It may seem like a pedantic point, but we need to make sure we understand what the word “swear” means. In English we typically use it to refer to “cussing,” but that isn’t the meaning here. The word “to swear” means to invoke God’s name in an attempt to prove the truthfulness of your words or to confirm your promise.

James’s teaching here is a clear echo of the teaching of Jesus on oaths. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commanded his disciples not to take an oath at all, whether by heaven, or by the earth, or by Jerusalem, or even by your own head (Matt 5:33-36; cp. 23:16-22). He said, “Let what you say simply be ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil” (Matt 5:37). The language of James in this passage is very similar.

Apparently there was a tendency among the Jews of this time to attempt to “weasel out” of one’s oath by swearing by things less sacred than God himself. Ironically, if we are always adding oaths to back up what we are saying, it can make people question our integrity.

James, following the teaching of his Lord, wants us to be people of integrity, whose words can be trusted. Our word should be enough. We should not need to add to it by swearing by something (e.g., “on my mother’s grave”).

Here are some practical areas to think about as you seek to live a life of integrity when it comes to keeping your word. Some of these are obviously more important than others.

If you agree to meet someone for an important meeting, make an effort to be on time.

If you volunteer to help out with something at church, e.g., nursery duty or some other activity, keep your word and show up as you promised.

If you promised you would take your kids to the park or the zoo, keep your word.

You may think that these examples are somewhat trivial in comparison with, say, keeping your marriage vows. But Jesus said, “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much” (Luke 16:10).

Memorize

“Let what you say simply be ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil” (Matt 5:37).

Pray

Father, teach us how to be people of integrity. Help us to understand how important it is to be forthright, honest, truth-telling, and people who keep their commitments. Forgive us for the ways in which we have fallen short, for the times when we have taken our promises lightly. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

James 5:7-11

Read James 5:7-11
⁷ Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. ⁸ You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. ⁹ Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. ¹⁰ As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹ Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

Reflect
James is exhorting us to be patient for justice. We know that God calls us to pursue a life of good works, sacrificing our own interests for the interests of others, having an attitude of forgiveness toward those who have wronged us, serving without expecting human recognition and reward. Yet pretty soon it dawns on us that following in this path inevitably puts us in a position where others can take us for granted, or even take advantage of us. It’s aggravating. It’s disillusioning. Is there any end in sight? Where is the justice? Where is the reward?

Nothing dampens a once-exuberant zeal for Christ than being hit with wave after wave of disappointments in life. The office politics that upend your chance for a promotion. A spouse who was attentive during your dating years but seems indifferent now that you’re married. The in-laws who never seem to accept you. The call to be patient in a fruitless situation seems almost too much to bear. It’s fitting, then, that James’s exhortation isn’t simply about being patient for a particular moment, or for a particular trial, or with a particular person. It’s not just about weathering something unpleasant and then moving forward with your awesome life. James is saying that your earthly life is the suffering you are called to weather until the Lord’s coming. Because once you become a follower of Jesus Christ—where you are required to turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, and return a blessing for a cursing—there will always be suffering … and probably not a whole lot of payoff this side of heaven.

The farmer is patient for the harvest. The prophets were patient through persecution. Job endured his humiliating suffering until his vindication. So we also establish our hearts and exercise patience through the sufferings, tribulations and injustices of this life. If you look to get your reward now you will lose heart, grow bitter, or seek vengeance against those who have mistreated you. But if you set your sights on the Lord’s coming, and God’s own reward for those who endure their sufferings patiently, you will find strength enough to make it to the end. The Judge is standing at the door. Our vindication is closer than we think.

Memorize
James 5:8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Pray
Heavenly Father, being patient through sufferings and injustice is harder than we ever imagined it would be. Establish our hearts. Teach us to serve willingly, not to please others but to please you alone. Give us the patience to wait for your reward at your coming. Amen