Calvary Road Baptist Church
“YOU OUGHT TO PRAY” Part 2
James 5.13-18
Turn in your Bible to James 5.13-18. I invite you to stand for the reading of God’s Word:
13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
14 Is any sick among you? 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 shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
Last week we looked at the first portion of this passage and saw that prayer is related to your emotional, physical, and spiritual health. We saw that whether you are spiritually, emotionally, or physically afflicted and must deal with feelings associated with difficult challenges, or you are merry, prayer should play an important part of your Christian life.
We now look at the remaining five verses that show the other kinds of well-being prayer is related to. There will be considerable overlap.
AFTER HIS COMMENTS ABOUT EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING, JAMES EXHORTS HIS READERS TO PRAYER BY SHOWING US THAT PRAYER IS RELATED TO THE CHRISTIAN’S PHYSICAL HEALTH
James 5.14-15a:
14 Is any sick among you? 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 shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up ....
We first have an inquiry from James, and then he gives explicit instructions. His inquiry is informative:
“Is any sick among you?”
There is a practical significance of such a question. It’s this: As I said last time, James realized that from time-to-time Christians become ill, much to the chagrin of many television preachers, I might add. There is also a doctrinal significance of such a question. It’s this: For James to ask the question, and to ask it without condemning those who might be sick, teaches us an important lesson which is supported by other portions of Scripture. When the Lord Jesus Christ died and shed His blood on the cross, He did not eliminate every physical illness and problem Christians suffer from time to time. Those who teach that our Lord did take away all diseases and every infirmity are simply wrong. as I also said last time, John the Baptist strongly condemned and corrected the errors of the religious leaders of his day. And he was filled with the Spirit of God from his birth. The Lord Jesus Christ, as well, cried out against the sin, rebellion, and the perversion of divine truth He witnessed in His day. And He drove men from the Temple with a whip when He observed their misconduct.[1] I then reminded you about Paul, in Galatians chapter 2, when he publicly rebuked Peter for doctrinal error. Peter’s response to Paul revealed him to be a man of understanding:
“reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge,”
Proverbs 19.25. And in First Timothy 1.20, he named Alexander and Hymenaeus. We agree that criticism for the sake of criticizing is a sin. But correcting errors so God’s children will not be carried astray is normal Christian conduct, Galatians 6.1.
Having made inquiries regarding sickness and arousing the curiosity of his readers, James proceeded to give them instructions for dealing with sickness in the Church.
Instruction #1 - “let him call for the elders of the Church” When a Christian is sick, he is to summon the elders of his Church. Elders does not here refer to Christians who are old, but to qualified spiritual leaders who provide instruction and oversight to the congregation: pastors. Elders is a carry-over term from Judaism. This passage instructs Church members to summon me, not merely inform me. It does not tell me to snoop around trying to guess who is and who is not sick. The responsibility for taking the first step is yours. You summoning me, proskalá½³ew, shows that you have faith in God, at least enough to follow His instructions.[2] If a nonmember calls me I will come, of course. But to be in the perfect place of blessing in such a situation, you should be a serving Church member. It’s God’s plan for all of His children, without exception.
Instruction #2 - “and let them pray over him” Once the Church member demonstrates living faith by summoning the elders in obedience to the Word of God, the elders demonstrate their living faith by praying over the sick member in Christ. That the faith of others is honored by the Great Physician is shown in Mark 2.1-5, as we saw. Mark 2.5 reads,
“When Jesus saw their faith, He said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.”
And the man was healed. Another example is found in Mark 9.23-24, where our Lord cast out a demon from a boy because of his father’s faith. How can such things as these happen in the lives of people who will not call their pastor to their bedside when they are seriously ill? I cannot imagine. So, avail yourself of the means of grace. When you are sick (more than just a cold, obviously), do more than inform your pastor. Summon him.
Instruction #3 - “anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord” “What is meant by ‘anointing him with oil’”? Again, some people anoint the forehead of a sick person with oil in response to this verse, and some people don’t. The King James Bible contains two Greek words translated into the single English word “anoint.” I’ll simply label them #l and #2. Word #1 is crá½·w. It is the word from which Christ is derived, which means “anointed one.” In Greek, word #1 always has a symbolic, religious, or sacred significance. If you were to anoint the high priest of Israel, this would be the Greek word you would use to describe pouring oil on his head. Word #2 is pronounced aleifw. Interestingly, this word is never used in Greek or at least seldom in a sacred or religious sense.
Our conclusions follow: Taking into account the meaning of the word “anoint” in this passage and taking into account that the context deals primarily with James’ exhortation to prayer, plus what we know about the culture of James’ day, I feel compelled to interpret James’ three instructions in the following manner. Instruction #1 is the summoning of the elders to the bedside of the sick Christian as an act of faith and obedience that sets in motion God’s mechanism for the physical healing of His children. Instruction #2 is the command for elders summoned to pray for the sick Christian’s problem. This demonstrates their faith in God’s mercy and power to heal. The elder leading the sick Christian to repent of sin and seek reconciliation with the person sinned against is unwritten but possible in this scenario. Instruction #3, which directs that medical attention be provided for the sick Christian, is used in two ways by God. God will either use the skill of the doctors as a means by which to bring about healing or when the doctors admit that a situation is hopeless, God gets the glory for the healing apart from medical means. Either way, the prayers of God’s children in response to obedience move our Father to action. Prayer is what gets things done.
We’ve seen the inquiry from James and then the instructions. Now, let’s take note of the implications of what his letter directs us to do. The first part of verse 15 declares, “and the prayer of faith shall save the sick.” Having just commanded three steps, James indicates that physical deliverance or emotional or spiritual restoration will occur due to this prayer of faith. But you might wonder, “Not everyone prayed for in this manner is raised back to health again. Does that mean there is a lack of faith?” Again, “No.” We must understand that God will do what He will do, regardless of what we ask Him to do. The One who does not immediately punish sin also does not immediately answer prayers. Though James did declare in the previous chapter,
“yet ye have not, because ye ask not.”
That’s where the term “prayer of faith” comes in. The “prayer of faith” realizes that and trusts God’s wisdom. God comforts us with the assurance that it is His will for many a sick person to recover when His prescribed steps are taken, being assured our prayers to God are heard.
JAMES NEXT EXHORTS HIS READERS TO PRAYER BY SHOWING US THAT PRAYER IS RELATED TO A CHRISTIAN’S SPIRITUAL HEALTH (5.15b-16)
15 ... and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
First, there is mention of sins committed, James 5.15b:
“and if he hath committed sins they shall be forgiven him”
James suggests the possibility of sickness being related to the committing of sins. An example of this possibility is found in First Corinthians 11.29-30:
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
Is this why many Christians will not call for the elders of the Church? They fear the discovery that their physical malady is the result of, or made worse because of, personal sin. I have often suspected that. Look at what James says about the forgiveness of those sins. He says “they shall be forgiven him.” But the question is, Who will forgive these sins? Joseph B. Mayor understands the phrase used to be an impersonal one, “they shall be forgiven him.”[3] Granting that most respected Bible teachers believe this refers to God’s forgiveness of sins committed by the sick Christian, I have two ideas that I believe challenge that commonly but in my opinion erroneous notion of forgiveness.
First, consider Hebrews 8.12 and 10.17:
“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.”
“And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”
These two verses show the recipient and beneficiary of the New Covenant, whose sins are washed clean through the shed blood of Christ, are persons whose sins and iniquities God will remember no more. If sins are not remembered, in my mind that means our sins are already forgiven.
Also, consider First John 1.7:
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
I see nothing conditional here. I see nothing about this verse suggesting someone who has been washed in Christ’s cleansing blood at the time of his conversion needs some additional work or act to benefit from the continual sanctifying effect of Christ’s precious blood. This verse, I believe, shows that the blood of Christ continually cleanses a Christian’s sins.
So, for these reasons, I am not persuaded the forgiveness referred to in James 5.15 refers to God’s forgiveness. I believe the forgiveness referred to here is the forgiveness of those the believer has sinned against. Most Bible teachers disagree with me, but it’s what I believe God’s Word says and what I believe to be most consistent with other portions of Scripture. Implied but not stated is the role the summoned elders play in reconciling the sick Christian with those he has sinned against to secure his confession and their forgiveness for his wrongdoing.
Discovering a sin that has been committed and not adequately dealt with. Encouraging the sick Christian to deal with that sin and, if need be, seeking the forgiveness of those sinned against, along with prayer for the restoration of well-being. That is what leads to the restoration of his physical health.
Next, there is mention of sins confessed, James 5.16:
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
Here we see what I think is corroboration of my view about verse 15, referring to forgiveness granted by those you have sinned against. What does this verse reveal to us? It reveals four straightforward things:
First, it reveals that there can be a connection between your physical health and sins that you commit, and I’m not referring to the relationship between lung cancer and smoking. I am referring to God’s chastisement of the Christian who sins against other believers and doesn’t correctly deal with it.
Second, it shows that Christians have a responsibility to pray for sick Christians to be healed, beginning with elders whom the sick Christian has summoned. Third, it shows that sick Christians who are sick because of sins they have committed can be healed when they deal with their sins and when Christians and their pastors ask God to heal them.
Finally, so there will be no escaping the fact of it, we are flat-out told that prayer gets things done.
A word of caution. It is neither your job nor mine to suspect a sick Christian of having sinned against another believer. But every afflicted believer is responsible for deeply introspecting about personal sins against others or unresolved sins of the mind and heart as a possible underlying reason for bad health and suffering. A summoned elder can sometimes help a sick believer with such a consideration. If I am going to get sick and die, I want to make sure my death is not premature. I also want to make sure my suffering is not self-inflicted and leading to God’s chastisement of me.
Finally, JAMES EXHORTS HIS READERS TO PRAYER BY SHOWING US A BIBLICAL EXAMPLE OF PRAYER (5.17-18)
17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
Do you have personal doubts that the prayers of righteous people avail much? This example should put your doubts to rest.
First, we are reminded of Elijah’s passions, James 5.17a:
“Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are.”
“Elias,” is the New Testament spelling of the Hebrew prophet Elijah. The phrase “subject to like passions” translates to a single Greek word that refers to someone having feelings, circumstances, and experiences similar to our own.[4] James shows that Elijah’s effectiveness in prayer had nothing to do with him being a supernaturally superior person or somehow being cut from a different cloth than you or me. Elijah’s greatness did not lie in Elijah’s greatness, but in the greatness of the God he asked to do things through prayer. That same God is the One you have access to when you pray.
Then, we are reminded of Elijah’s prayers, James 5.17b-18:
17 ... and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
Is exposition needed at this point? Do we need to turn to the Old Testament to review what happened when Elijah prayed to stop the rain and then prayed on top of Mount Carmel that the rains commence again after he had slain the prophets of Baal?[5] I don’t think so. To accomplish God’s purpose as a man of God, Elijah asked God to stop the rain.[6] As a result, Israel, totally dependent upon rainfall for her needs, experienced a three-and-one-half-year drought. They knew the God of Elijah had stopped the rain. Then, when Elijah asked God to send the rain, He sent the rain. This is a sufficient example of God’s willingness to answer prayers.
I know I’ve made several side comments, but let’s not get away from the central thought of this passage: to pray.
Do you know why the emotional health of so many Christians is out of whack? Because they don’t pray. Because they choose to worry instead of asking God to carry their burdens. Because they’d rather fret about their afflictions than seek a Christ-honoring solution through prayer. When things go well in our lives, even though we may stop complaining, we often forget to praise God for His mercy. We are too busy enjoying life to praise Him and pray. That’s the emotional aspect of your life. Prayer is vital in this area. And it’s vital to our physical and spiritual health, as well.
We’ve seen in the Word that prayer is God’s primary avenue for physical healing for the Christian and spiritual well-being. But many Christians forget their prayer life during rough times, and they almost never call for me to come to their side. That is a neglected means of grace.
Christian, when you’re bad sick unless it’s a 9-1-1 emergency, your pastor should be the first person you call to pray for you after reflecting with you on the possibility of your affliction being chastisement for sin or not. And when you find yourself in spiritual trouble, you should immediately fall on your face before God in prayer.
Before I close, allow me a few moments to repeat some questions and answers from last week. Let me ask the question that you might be thinking about yourself. “Pastor, what about faith healing on TV?” The Bible is our only guide to answering such a question. We realize that God gave certain men the power to heal others, but we also know that this occurred for a very short period in human history to authenticate the ministries of Christ’s apostles and establish Christianity.
At the close of Paul’s life, he remarked about Epaphroditus being sick unto death in Philippians 2.27. And then Trophimus, who he had left sick at Miletus, Second Timothy 4.20. Why did Paul not heal them? How could such things happen unless Paul’s miraculous powers had ceased by the time of his Roman imprisonment when these letters were written?
In addition, James specifically instructed Christians what to do when we are sick. We are not to go to a faith healer, we are to call for, to summon, the elders of our Church. To do otherwise is to sin.
“He that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
God’s plan for an ailing Christian is not a healing line. “But what about the people who are healed in those things?” Again, three possibilities for you to analyze yourself:
a) The ailment is psychosomatic and isn’t a physical problem. The late M. R. DeHaan, a doctor before entering the ministry, estimated that 85% of all physical problems were psychological. This could explain their so-called healings at divine healing services.
b) A second reason for these healings can be found in Second Thessalonians 2.9:
“Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.”
In this verse, Paul ascribes supernatural powers and wonders to Satan. Satan does have the power to heal people if it helps his cause.
c) People are healed in response to sincere but ignorant Christian’s prayers. They want God to receive the glory, but they do not realize that He is glorified when His people pray and when they are obedient ... such as being obedient to James 5.14. So, God is sometimes merciful to the ignorant believer who does not do things exactly as Scripture prescribes.
You have a choice as to how you will respond when you are sick and maybe even close to dying. You can respond to the personal magnetism and appeal of a dynamic television personality who appears to have tremendous results, or you can, with simple childlike faith, obey the infallible Word of God.
Where are you at today, Christian? Plan to obey God’s Word. Then, when you are overcome with sickness, determine now what you will do then. Call for the elders of the Church.
__________
[1] John 2.14-16; Matthew 21.12
[2] Rogers, Jr., Cleon L. and Rogers III, Cleon L., The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key To The Greek New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: ZondervanPublishingHouse, 1998), page 564.
[3] Joseph B. Mayer, The Epistle Of James, (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1990), page 174 (484).
[4] á½moiopaqá½µV - Rogers, Jr., Cleon L. and Rogers III, Cleon L., The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key To The Greek New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: ZondervanPublishingHouse, 1998), page 565.
[5] 1 Kings 18.1-45
[6] 1 Kings 17.1
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