LIVING FOR GOD IN ALL OF LIFE
Posted by Angella Diehl, Webmaster on October 9, 2024 under AM Bible Study |
AM Bible Study Group: October 9, 2024 from James 5:13-16
Theme: We’re to acknowledge God’s presence and help in all areas of our life—and respond to the various issues of life accordingly.
(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).
At first glance, the commands and instructions that Pastor James gives us in this morning’s passage seem strangely unnecessary. He tells us that, if we’re suffering, we should pray; and that if we’re happy, we should sing; and that if we’re sick, we should call for help. But do we really need to be told to do such things? Wouldn’t those be the kind of things we’d do naturally? Why not say, “If you’re tired, sleep … If you’re hungry, eat …”?
And yet—when viewed properly—there really isn’t a more beneficial set of pastoral admonitions than what we find in James 5:13-16. The significance and value of them can easily be demonstrated if we simply ask ourselves, “What would my life look like if I truly believed that the Lord Jesus was always present with me? How would I go through all the challenges of life if I was convinced that He was my ever-present help, and that His divine power was always available to me to strengthen me and support me no matter what the circumstances may be? How would I live if I always honored His presence with me?” The Bible, after all, tells us;
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).
So then; what would life look like if we faithfully did what those two verses say? The answer is that it would look very much like what James describes to us in this morning’s passage:
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 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 (James 5:13-16).
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You may remember that, at the very beginning of our study of this book, we established that we can look at the various passages of this book like a string of beads—with one ‘bead’ leading to another, but all held together by a single string. And that single string—that unifying principle that binds everything together—is the call to a faith in Jesus that works out in action.
It’s important to have a faith that holds together with a rational theological consistency. It needs to make good sense in theory. But it’s really an inadequate faith if it isn’t put to work in the practice of daily life. James has already told us this at the beginning of his letter; telling us,
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does (1:22-25).
The Christian faith—if it is a real thing—should make a demonstrable difference in the way we conduct our behavior in the daily tasks of life. The fact that Jesus has saved us and has transformed us—the fact that the Holy Spirit indwells us and empowers us—the fact that we are temporary sojourners through a difficult and dark world while on our way to the glorious joys of an eternal kingdom—ought to be evident in the way we respond to the matters of daily living. It ought to work well when times are good, and equally well when times are hard. And that’s what James is telling us in this particular passage near the end of his very practical letter. It’s to make sure that our faith is put into practice, lived out experientially, and effectively applied at the ground level of daily living—where it ought to make a difference.
In this passage, James gives us three examples of applying our faith in the presence and help of our Lord in three different areas of life. They are basic areas: (1) times of suffering (v. 13a), (2) times of happiness (v. 13b), and (3) times of illness (vv. 14-16). Together, the examples that James gives us teach us that we’re to acknowledge God’s presence and help in all areas of our life—and respond to the various issues of life accordingly. As the title of the classic book of spiritual devotion suggests to us, we’re to continually ‘practice the presence of God’.
Note, then, how we’re to acknowledge and practice God’s presence in …
1. TIMES OF SUFFERING (v. 13a).
James wrote, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.” The believers to whom James was writing were—indeed—suffering greatly. He even began his letter by acknowledging that they were “scattered abroad” (v. 1)—meaning that they had been displaced from their homeland and from his direct pastoral care through suffering and persecution. But he told them to “count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” (vv. 2-3); and that if they lacked the wisdom in how to do this, they should “ask of God” (v. 5).
The context of James’ words in our passage this morning, however, seems to suggest that he’s not just talking about ‘suffering’ in general. If we look back to the things he had just written, we see that he was talking about suffering that came from an external and often malicious source—the suffering that comes from the persecution and oppression of evil people who misuse us and despise our faith. The kind of suffering he was talking about may be very much like what the apostle Peter also wrote about;
Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter (1 Peter 4:12-16).
And in the context of Peter’s words, he then exhorted his brothers and sisters to intentionally yield themselves to the care of their heavenly Father; saying,
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:6-7).
That would obviously require prayer … which is what James urged his readers to do.
God often allows us to undergo troubles and trials for no other reason than to prompt us to call upon Him in faith and ask for His help … and then to thank Him and praise Him for how He proved Himself faithful. When times of suffering come, we ought not respond by pretending that things aren’t hard; but rather treat those times realistically by turning them over to our heavenly Father in prayer. As He Himself has said in Psalm 50:15;
“Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me” (Psalm 50:15).
So; it’s as if James is asking his fellow believers, “Is anyone among you suffering? Then here is my pastoral advice to you: Don’t be silent. Don’t just simply hunker down and bear through it. Turn to your ever-present, ever-loving, all-powerful Lord, open your mouth to Him, 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 of it. How grateful I am for Your eternal love for me and for Your mighty hand upon me. With You on my side, I have nothing ultimately 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 what James meant when he wrote, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.”
Second, note how we’re to acknowledge God’s presence in …
2. TIMES OF HAPPINESS (v. 13b).
James went on to write, “Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.” Some of us who are Jesus’ followers are more prone to turn to Him and acknowledge Him in times of happiness than in times of trial; and conversely, some of us are more prone to turn to Him and appeal to Him in times of trial than at times when things seem to be going well. To truly acknowledge God’s presence as we should, it would mean to turn to Him and rightly acknowledge Him in all conditions—both bad and good.
The word that James used for ‘cheerful’ simply means to be ‘merry’ or ‘of good spirits’. To truly acknowledge God’s presence and trust in His help means that we would do so in all circumstances of life—even in the happy times; and that we wouldn’t forget Him or neglect to thank Him. Singing His praises turns our happy moments into a truly ‘holy place’—a sanctuary of praise and worship. James characterized this by calling his readers to “sing psalms”; that is, to give God thanks with songs of sacred praise … perhaps even using the very songs that He has included for us in His sacred songbook of Psalms. The word for ‘psalm’ means ‘to move by a touch or a twitch’; and it was usually applied to the act of striking a string on a musical instrument. (The word itself may be intended to replicate the sound of strumming a string: ‘psssalmmm’.) And so, it became a figure of speech for playing or singing to accompaniment.
This suggests a certain amount of effort put into the response of cheer. It’s interesting that James didn’t simply say, “If anyone is cheerful, then let him be thankful to God.” Instead, he spoke of a response that would require skill, and intentionality, and an attitude of purposefulness. To sing a song of praise to God requires that we deliberately think about what we’re doing and saying. It also invites others to join us in our praise. As Paul wrote in Colossians 3:16-17—in words that very much reflect the admonition of James;
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).
So; James’ pastoral advice to us is this: “Is anyone cheerful? Then here’s what you should do. In keeping with the fact that our mighty God is good and is present with us, don’t just keep your joy inside. Express it to Him in song—in the name of Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit! Sing to Him in front of others, so that your joy testifies of Him. Sing to Him skillfully and thoughtfully. Put artistry to your gratitude! It’s how you truly acknowledge Him in His goodness to you.”
That’s what James meant when he wrote, “Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.”
And finally, note how we’re even to acknowledge God in …
3. TIMES OF ILLNESS (vv. 14-16).
James went 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” (v. 14). There are lots of differing opinions about this passage. Is this meant to be done literally? Is it speaking of the use of medicine, or is it talking about something strictly spiritual in nature, or is it speaking of something both medicinal and spiritual? Different churches and denominations understand these words and apply them in different ways. But we shouldn’t allow the differing opinions to cause us to miss the main point. James is simply telling us to acknowledge the presence of God—in a very practical way—when we undergo the trial of illness. As a matter of first priority, we should turn to God and rely upon His sovereign help and providence.
James was teaching his readers not to ignore God in a time of illness; because illness is an occasion to turn to Him and to examine one’s self before Him. James went on to tell his readers, “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” (vv. 15-16). James urged his brothers and sisters to show their dependency upon the Lord in three practical ways—all of which acknowledge God’s presence and help in a time of illness: (1) by taking the initiative to call upon the spiritual leaders of the church for prayer, (2) by presenting themselves for assistance in searching their hearts, confessing any known sin, and entrusting themselves to the sovereign hand of God, and (3) to make good use of medical care in the context of God’s divine help (possibly suggested by the use of oil). We should use the doctor’s skill; but we should acknowledge the presence and help of God by turning to Him first and to the doctor second—not the other way around.
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In this unusual passage, James was simply teaching his fellow believers to live out the reality of their faith—in a practical way—by behaving as if Jesus Christ truly was our very present help in whatever situation we may encounter. He was urging his readers to behave as if God’s divine help was always available, always sufficient, and always trustworthy.
So; despite how these might—at first—seem like unnecessary admonitions, they are in reality practical commands that show us the very best way to treat our Christian faith as if it’s the real thing. It’s the quickest route to genuine happiness and fulfillment in life—that is, by actively depending on God’s power at every turn … and truly ‘practicing the presence of God’.
AE
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