'call For The Elders!'

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.

Taken out of context, this passage has been used to claim that every prayer for healing will be granted,

…that if we are not healed then it is because of sin or unbelief in our lives.

It is no coincidence that James has just quoted the story of Job in verse 11.

As you know, we consider 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.

When I was a new Christian, I was very extreme and presumptuous.

The word ‘presumptuous’ means:

too bold or forward; taking too much for granted; showing overconfidence, arrogance, or effrontery.

Basically – it means: taking things too far – to their extreme.

Ps 19:13

Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

Unfortunately – I know many Christians who I know fit into this category – they take things too far – even the commands and promises of Scripture,

…and end up living a legalistic, extreme form of Christianity.

Unfortunately – I used to be like this myself.

I thought it was ‘spiritual’ to go overboard for God.

As far as the example of Job we just read about, in my Bible, when Satan came to attack Job –

…I wrote in the margin of my Bible that if I was Job,

…I would have used my power as a son of God and rebuked the Devil and then the sickness would have had to go!

I have now matured a little and realize that it was God’s perfect will that Job should experience sickness and suffering.

Psalm 119:67 says:

Before I was afflicted I want astray, but now I obey Your Word. It was good for me to be afflicted, so that I might learn obedience!

That is why in verse 10, James encourages patience in the face of suffering.

You may ask what right I have to speak about patience in the face of suffering?

Let me share a little of my journey with you this morning.

Over ten years ago I had major surgery to repair the effects of a serious digestive illness that I still live with today.

It effects every minute of every hour of every day of my life.

On a good day I only take around 15 pills to bring it under control, including daily pain relief.

On a bad day I can take around 30, and then suffer the side effects of an over dose.

Do I have the faith to believe God can heal me?

Yes I do – but I’ll tell you one thing that is more important that having the faith to believe in a healing!

That it takes more faith to believe in a God of miracles and follow Him each day of my life – even though He has chosen not to heal me -

…than it does to have faith in an instant healing, especially now that two of my children have also inherited the illness from me.

Along those lines, James has also paved the way for the place of healing with his comments in chapter 4 verse 15 where he says:

Instead, what you should say is this; ‘If it is the Lords will, then we will live, or do this or that, but as it is, your bragging and boasting is evil’