Faith That WorksSample

Final Words

As we come to the end of the book of James, we are left with some final thoughts about suffering well and finding community.

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned. James 5:7-12 NIV

All the prophets and faithful servants of God who have gone before us have endured suffering, but do you notice who James calls blessed? The patient ones who persevered.

Patience is about waiting with hope. This means having confidence that God is who He says He is, and that confidence produces the expectation that He will do what He says He’ll do. We can stand firm in our suffering because we believe God. Rather than becoming impulsive and taking matters into our own hands, we trust that God is able to deliver, redeem, and create something good out of what’s bad—because that’s what He does and that’s who He is.

Perseverance is about showing up and standing firm even when the storm is raging all around us. We keep opening our Bible. We keep going to church. We keep ourselves connected to our spiritual community. Perseverance is staying in the fight, even when we want to quit.

How can we cultivate patience and persevere through the hardest seasons? This question leads us to James’ final challenge—to put our faith in action with others.

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.James 5:13-16 NIV

Let’s not forget that James wrote his letter to a community of believers. He’s showing us that resilient faith is meant to be forged within a confessional community.

This really is faith in action—to recognize your weakness and your shortcomings and to willingly invite godly people to help you become more of who you were made to be.

What does it actually mean to confess? It means to agree with God about our sin. He is the ultimate Determiner of right and wrong—what He says is always real and true. So, we say what He would say about what we’ve done.

That might sound really intense, but there’s good news. James says that the confession of sins in the presence of others and the power of prayer allow us to experience not just forgiveness from sins, but healing in our lives. Exposing the dark parts of our hearts to others requires vulnerability. We fear rejection, pain, and condemnation. But healing is on the other side of our vulnerable confession. When we say the hard things out loud and others don’t get up and walk out of the room, they don’t reject us—they embrace us. They don’t weaponize our failure, they lean in with compassion. They don’t condemn us, they pray with us. That’s when we see what God’s grace looks like in real life. This practice has the potential to change your life and the way you act out your faith forever. So, how do you do it?

1. Check yourself: Admit the sinful tendencies and parts of your heart that are misaligned with the will of God. Until you own your sinful choices, they will continue to own you.
2. Find your people: Identify trustworthy, faith-filled followers of Jesus who will support you as you pursue holiness and who are connected enough to your daily life to provide real accountability.
3. Say the hard thing: Confess the sin that has been throwing you off course and separating you from God. Be brutally honest. Actually saying it is vital to being free from it.
4. Receive healing: Trust that God really does heal us when we confess to one another. Receive grace from God through His people. Feel the burden of your sin lift as you bring what was in the dark out into the light.

As you make confessional community part of your regular rhythm of life with Jesus, your faith will be stronger because you will understand what it means to live in light of the gospel day by day. The good news of God’s grace isn’t just for the one day you pray a salvation prayer; it’s for every day you confess your sin, receive His grace, and become a little more like Him.

Challenge: Think or journal through these questions:

• Is there a sin you need to confess? A struggle you need to share? Who will you talk to? When will you do it? Make a plan and make it happen. Healing is on the other side of your vulnerable confession.