AM Bible Study Group; September 23, 2012
James 5:13-16
Theme: We are to ‘practice’ God’s presence in the various issues of life.
(Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version; copyright 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc.)
At first glance, the point that James makes in this section of his letter seems strangely unnecessary. Do we really need to be told something so elemental as to pray when we’re suffering, or to sing praise songs when we’re happy?
And yet, there really isn’t a set of pastoral admonitions that are more beneficial to us to carefully observe than what we find this morning’s section of James’ letter. The significance of this passage is revealed if you were to answer this question: “What would your life look like if you were to continually lived every moment as though Jesus Christ was always present with you wherever you went; and as if His divine power was always fully available to help you no matter what you encountered?” The answer, of course, is that your life would look like what is described in this passage.
Note how we’re to practice the presence of Christ . . .
I. IN TIMES OF SUFFERING (v. 13a).
A. James begins by asking, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.” The word that he uses for “suffering” means “to suffer hardship or affliction.” It’s not so much a matter of suffering in general; but of enduring hardship that comes from an external and, sometimes, even a malicious source—the circumstance of troubles and trials that are outside the sphere of our control (see 2 Timothy 2:3, 9; 4:5). The promises in God’s own word that motivate us to this (1 Peter 5:6-7; James 1:5; Psalm 50:15; Proverbs 16:3). God often allows troubles and trials in our lives for no other reason than so that we will learn to call upon Him in faith and be able to give Him praise because He proved Himself faithful!
B. It’s as if, then, James is asking believers, “Is anyone among you suffering? Then here is my pastoral advice to you: Turn to your ever-present, ever-loving, all-powerful Lord, open your mouth, and say, ‘Dear Lord and Master; how grateful I am that You’re here with me in this trial. How grateful I am that You’re in control. How grateful I am for Your great love to me, and for Your mighty hand upon me. With You on my side, I have nothing to fear! I cast this burden upon You. Give me strength. Give me wisdom. Give me help. Let me glorify You and please You in this trial.'” That’s truly ‘practicing’ His presence!
II. IN TIMES OF HAPPINESS (v. 13b).
A. He goes on to say, “Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.” Some Christians are more prone to turn to God and appeal to Him during the happy times than during the times of trial; and conversely, some of us are more prone to turn to God and appeal to Him during the times of trial than at the times when things are going well. To truly practice Christ’s presence, means to turn to our Lord in both the good times and the bad.
B. The word James uses for “cheerful” simply means to be “merry” or “of good spirits” To truly practice the presence of God means that we make the presence and the help of Christ paramount in our thoughts—even in happy times; and not forget Him in them. We’re to turn those happy times into a sanctuary of praise and worship. James characterizes this by urging us to “sing praises”—that is, to give God thanks, and to exalt Him in our times of happiness and joy, with songs of praise. The word James uses for “psalms” literally means “to move by a touch or a twitch”, and it was usually applied to the action of striking a string on a musical instrument. And so, it became a figure of speech for playing or singing music. In the New Testament, the word refers to singing songs of praise or worship to God—to sing “psalms”; and because the use of musical instruments is implicit in the word James uses, it suggests the idea of some effort and thought expended in the doing of it.
C. Isn’t it interesting that James didn’t simply say, “If anyone is cheerful, then let him be thankful to God”? Instead, he called upon us to do something that is more formal and action-oriented than that. To sing a song of praise to God requires that we think about what we’re doing and saying, and invites others to join in our praise. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” Colossians 3:16-17).
III. IN TIMES OF ILLNESS (vv. 14-16).
A. James goes on to write; “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. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” There are lots of differing opinions about this passage. And there are lots of opinions about just how it is to be applied. Different denominations and Christian communions understand it and apply it in different ways. But we shouldn’t allow the differing opinions about it to cause us to miss its main point. James is simply calling us to practice the presence of God in all the various twists and turns of life; and here, particularly, at times when we are under the trial of illness. As a matter of first priority, we’re to turn to God and rely on His sovereign help and providence.
B. James says that, when we’re ill, we should show our conscious dependency upon the presence of God by doing three things: (1) We are to take initiative and call upon the leaders of the local church—the ‘elders’—and ask them to intercede in prayer. They are to faithfully respond to that call by praying over the sick person, and anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. (2) We are to present ourselves to the spiritual leaders of the church and seek their assistance in searching our hearts, confessing any known sin, and entrusting ourselves to the sovereign hand of God. (3) We are to make use of good medical care in the context of God’s divine help. But practicing the presence of God at a time of illness would mean having the attitude of turning to God first and your doctor second—and not the other way around.
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James, then, is simply calling us to live out—in a practical way—the implications of our Christian faith; that is, to continually live every moment as though Jesus Christ truly was always present with us wherever we went and in whatever situation we may encounter; and to behave as if His divine power truly was always fully available to help us continually. He is instructing us in the very best way to put our Christian faith into daily practice. He is showing us the quickest route to happiness in life; and that is, by actively depending on the presence and power of God at every turn.