James: More GraceSample

Real faith is always accompanied by obedient actions.

James is writing to a church which seems very short on obedient actions. Their relationships with God and with one another are in a terrible state. Spiritually, they are supposed to be ‘married’ to God, but they have been having an affair with the world.

We need to read 5:14–16 in the light of all this. James writes these words to this wayward congregation, and in their case it seems that illness and sin may be linked in an unusual way.

Most sickness is not a direct consequence of a person’s particular sin (see John 9:1–3), though obviously choosing some lifestyles may damage your health. Just occasionally though, there may be another connection. Both Jesus and Paul indicate that sometimes sickness may be God’s direct judgment on a sinful person or church (see John 5:1–14 and 1 Cor. 11:27–31).

James interleaves sin/forgiveness with sickness/healing in an unusual way in 5:14–16 that suggests that in this disobedient congregation some sickness may be God’s discipline on them to call them back to himself.

So, if anyone is sick in this church, James says they should call the elders to ‘anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord’ and pray for them (v. 14). These were probably signs of repentance

– consecrating oneself again to God (anointing) and submitting again to the ministry of the teachers of God’s word. God will answer this prayer of faith – the sick person will be saved (the literal meaning of ‘made well’), raised up and forgiven (v. 15).

• What is odd about what James says about this sick person’s sin (v. 15)?

James says of this person who was sick, ‘If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.’ Why does James use the word ‘if’ here when, of course, everyone sins? It seems again that James is thinking of the particular situation where sickness has been God’s discipline on someone’s sin. If the illness was a judgment on their sin, then when this sick person repents, God will restore them both physically and spiritually; they will be both healed and forgiven.

James links repentance with healing in the next verse too (v. 16). More on that tomorrow.

Usually getting ill is just one more unhappy consequence of living in a fallen world, and the right response is private prayer and a visit to the doctor. But if you know you are deliberately living in disobedience to God’s word and you get sick, then you should repent and do what James says here. If the sickness was God’s discipline, he will raise you up. Most important of all though, he will always forgive you.

Pray

Thank God that his discipline, whatever form it takes, is always to lead us back to himself.