Study in the Book of James – Part 9

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In the last session, James spoke about the rich. What do you remember about this passage (James 4:13-5:6)?

In this lesson, we will look at the final 14 verses of James.

What God Really Wants You to Know

James has provided a lot of important information and direction through the first part of his letter. Now, it is time for him to bring this home, to provide the big picture of what he is teaching.

James 5:7-11 reads:

⁷ Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. ⁸ You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. ⁹ Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. ¹⁰ As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹ Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

To begin James’ letter, he addressed the role of patience in the life of the believer. What do you remember that James taught us about patience? Return to James 1:2-4 to refresh your memory if necessary.

In verse 7 of today’s passage, James encourages his brothers and sisters to be patient as they wait upon the return of Jesus. He then uses the metaphor of a farmer waiting for his crops to grow. How does this metaphor explain our waiting upon Jesus?

In verse 8, he encourages Christians by telling them to be patient and to establish their hearts. He tells them that the return of Jesus is at hand. How does one “establish his heart” in relation to Jesus returning?

How can you “establish” your heart?

In the middle of encouraging Christians to be patient, James tells us to not grumble against one another. How do you think patience is affected by those who are grumbling?

How does your own grumbling affect your patience?

Versus 10-11 discuss those who have suffered and remained patient. This includes the prophets and Job. Verse 11 ends with James explaining that the Lord is compassionate and merciful. You would likely agree that the prophets and Job suffered and endured a lot. James correlates their patience with God being compassionate and merciful. How do you think their example explains God’s compassionate and merciful love for us?

Often during their journey in the wilderness, the Israelite people grumbled against God. These stories are told in Numbers 11, 12, 13-14, and 20. Take a look at a few of these examples and see how the people grumbled and how God responded. Do you see God’s compassion and mercy in His response to them?

Being True to Your Word

In James 5:12, we are told: ¹² But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

Jesus gave this same message in Matthew 5:33-37. Read that passage.

Here, Jesus is speaking about oaths, telling His Followers that they are not to swear that they will do anything. That all they should do is let their “yes” mean yes and their “no” mean no. What are Jesus and James telling us to do?

Jesus made it clear that we should not be making all kinds of oaths and swearing that we will do something. What we need to do is just follow through on the things we say we will do, and don’t do the things that we say we are not going to do.

Can you think of a time in your life where you told someone you would do something and did not do that? Why is it that you fail to do the things that you say you will do?

If you are a parent, you are well aware that your children will test the limits of the things you will say. They will ask you something, and will not take “no” for an answer, pushing on you until you relent. If your children are able to change your mind by continually asking you, what message does it send to them?

So, why is it so important that you stand firm on the things you say you will do or will not do?

It is interesting that James puts this verse in while discussing patience and grumbling. It is clear that in both instances (oaths and grumbling) that James is talking about our heart condition. A person who is grumbling against God is not satisfied with God’s provision. This is something we learned about when we discussed coveting.

How do you think grumbling at God relates to coveting?

There will be instances where we will be challenged in our faith. Where Satan will try to attack us. In those instances, many of us will swear that we will stand firm with God, only to become impatient and angry that God is not moving in the right way.

Take Peter for example. What promise did Peter make to Jesus before Jesus was crucified? How did he fall short on that promise?

Peter’s denial of Jesus on the night he was arrested is a great example to us. It demonstrates that even the most devout followers should avoid grandiose words that we will stand with God no matter what. Our hearts need to be focused on just doing the things we say we will do.

Is this an area where you are struggling? If so, how can you become stronger in following through on the things you say you will do?

Let’s return to James 4:13-16. Read this passage again. How do you think this passage and James 5:12 relate to one another?

In our own arrogance, we should not be saying we will do things that may be beyond our control. In James 4, he is chastising those who are making all kinds of promises in their own arrogance. This is a word of encouragement to us that we must always approach the things we promise to do with a heart dedicated to fulfilling God’s will.

Praying with Faith

We are down the home stretch, so let’s read James 5:13-18.

¹³ Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. ¹⁴ 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. ¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. ¹⁷ Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. ¹⁸ Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

James turns his attention to prayer and faith. Verse 13 tells us that we should sing praises to God in any circumstances. This is a return to his message in James 1:2-4. It also relates to Philippians 4:13. Read that passage.

Many read Philippians 4:13 and believe that God is telling them that they can literally do anything. They can drink poison and live. They can jump off a building and survive. They can walk through fire. To understand this better, read Philippians 4:12.

What do you think Paul is telling us?

How does this relate to James 5:13?

James 5:14-16 has been the source of controversy. Read these verses again. Many have concluded that James is saying that if someone is physically ill a prayer of faith will cure the person who is sick. That the person will be cured because they have confessed their sins and the elders of the church have prayed for them. What do you think of that?

The truth is that prayers do help heal people. We have read in previous lessons about how scientific research has discovered that, when people are praying for someone, those prayers have a positive effect. So, we should be praying for those who are sick.

However, it appears that James is not specifically addressing those who are physically sick, but is talking about those who are spiritually ill. That if this person comes and confesses his or her sins, he or she will be forgiven and cleansed of their “spiritual sickness.”

This is a very powerful passage. Many of us are “spiritually ill,” controlled by the strongholds in our lives. Those strongholds can lead to physical and mental illness as well. James is encouraging us to approach our brothers and sisters and confess our sins so that those strongholds can be torn down and we can be healed.

Are there strongholds in your life that are making you “spiritually ill?”

Are you ready to ask others to pray for you to overcome them?

Leading Your Brother to the Right Path

In previous lessons, we have talked about the need to challenge your brothers when they are straying or sinning. That true love is when you are willing to callout their sins.

These final two verses are all about that. James 5:19-20 reads:

¹⁹ My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, ²⁰ let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

We are encouraged to confront our brother who is wandering from the truth. What truth is James talking about here?

You may feel uncomfortable about confronting a brother in his sin, helping to lead him back to the right pathway. However, James makes it clear that this is necessary, not only for your brother but for you as well. When we correct a brother and help him get on the right pathway, it covers our own sins.

How would it make you feel to know that correcting your brother not only helped him to get his life in order, but also helped you?

Many struggle with this because they do not want to “judge” the actions of others. Read Matthew 7:1-2. Does what James say in James 5:20 contradict what Jesus said?

You have read the entire Book of James. What are teachings that stand out to you?

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