The conclusion to James is this
As it happens, the cure for a fractured heart is anything but law-keeping. According to James, the only cure is the gospel—that is, humbly receiving the grace of God.
Well, we’ve come to the end of our study of James. Admittedly, I haven’t expounded upon every passage as thoroughly as I could have, but the primary goal has been to give a good sense of the book as a whole. And I pray I’ve accomplished at least that much. You might think of this series as a nine-part introduction to the book of James. After today, maybe you can study it on your own and glean even more from the Lord’s brother. There’s plenty of wisdom to be found in this epistle.
If you will, go with me to James chapter 5. James chapter 5. I’ll read from verse 7 to the end of the letter.
Therefore, brothers, be patient until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.
Brothers, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door!
Brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name as an example of suffering and patience. See, we count as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and have seen the outcome that the Lord brought about — the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
Above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “yes” mean “yes,” and your “no” mean “no,” so that you won’t fall under judgment.
Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect. Elijah was a human being as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land. Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit.
My brothers, if any among you strays from the truth, and someone turns him back, let that person know that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. (James 5:7-20)
Now, if someone were attempting to expound upon James more thoroughly, he would probably require at least four weeks to get through the rest of this. Someone like Martyn Lloyd-Jones might need another twelve. But we’ll cover the remainder all at once.
As you can see, James deals with four distinct subjects here. First, he speaks about waiting patiently when suffering. Second, he warns against swearing oaths. Third, he speaks about the effectiveness of prayer. And fourth, he encourages Christians to disciple one another.
But you’ll also notice that at least three of these subjects fall right in line with some of the things we’ve read previously. He’s already talked about suffering. That’s how the letter began. He’s said plenty about our tongues and how we use them. He’s even spoken briefly about the effectiveness of prayer. You may remember when he said, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God … and it will be given to him” (Jas 1:5). So, in a sense, James is merely circling back to previous themes, delving into them a bit deeper, and providing a kind of resolution to the letter.
As for the last part of this, verses 19 and 20— Well, as we’ll talk about soon enough, it is a very appropriate ending to this letter. But we’ll come to that.
Be patient until the Lord’s coming
As for the matter of suffering, we’ve already gotten a sense of what these early Christians were going through. James doesn’t make any direct references to physical persecution, but he makes it clear that they were suffering, and he primarily blames wealthy people for their suffering. In chapter 2, he writes, “Don’t the rich oppress you and drag you into court? Don’t they blaspheme the good name that was invoked over you?” (Jas 2:6, 7). And there’s nothing particularly surprising about that. Jesus himself frequently warned his disciples that they would suffer at the hands of the unbelieving world. For example, he said, “A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (Jn 15:20).
But the situation is even worse than that because these early Christians to whom James is writing are not suffering at the hands of only the unbelieving world. Throughout this letter, James has rebuked even people inside of the church for the ways they’re treating their own brothers and sisters in Christ. They’re neglecting, even cheating, the poor among them. They’re judging them. They’re defaming them. They’re showing favoritism toward the more affluent. And you’ll remember from last time that James issued a very harsh warning to them.
Come now, you rich people, weep and wail over the miseries that are coming on you. Your wealth has rotted and your clothes are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. (James 5:1-3)
James essentially says to them, “Your behavior is no different than the behavior of the unredeemed, hell-bound world around us. If you continue down this path, you will surely meet a dreadful fate, so repent. Humble yourselves before God and repent.”
But, as we’ve talked about, James is writing to a mixed audience. So, he has something to say to the rich oppressors, but he also has something to say to the impoverished oppressed. And it’s the oppressed who become his focus as he moves into verse 7 of chapter 5.
Now, he begins with the word therefore, which indicates that what he’s about to say has a direct connection to what he just finished saying. And that might seem a little confusing at first since he’s essentially speaking to two wildly different groups of people, but there is a connection here. To the wealthy oppressors, he says, “Judgment is coming if you don’t repent and submit to God. And because judgment is coming and justice will ultimately prevail, therefore, I say to the oppressed, be patient until the Lord’s coming” (Jas 5:7).
In other words, he says to the oppressed, “The Lord will return. Things seem dire now. We may have weeds growing among the wheat. You’re suffering terribly at the hands of both unbelievers and so-called believers. Maybe you wonder whether there is any justice in this world. But please hang on. It won’t be like this forever. The Lord is coming back, and when he does, he will make all things right.” As Paul said, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us” (Ro 8:18).
I wonder whether James has the book of Ecclesiastes in the back of his mind. He was clearly influenced by Proverbs, but I wonder whether Ecclesiastes was on his mind as well because he’s drawing a similar conclusion.
If you’re familiar with Ecclesiastes, you know that the so-called Preacher of that book wrestles, in part, with the injustice he sees all around him. Righteous people suffer, wicked people prosper, and the end is the same for everyone. We all die. So, the Preacher is basically asking, “How do we make sense of all of this? How do we live in light of all of this? What are we supposed to do? How are we supposed to think in a world marred by terrible injustices?” Well, here’s the conclusion to the book:
When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: fear God and keep his commands, because this is for all humanity. For God will bring every act to judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14)
Now, most people reading this conclusion think, Okay. I understand why we should fear God and keep his commandments. Life doesn’t always make sense to us, so it stands to reason we should just trust God because he’s in control of it all. But why does the book end with a reminder that God will bring every act to judgment? (Ecc 12:14). Well, this is meant to be a comfort to God’s people, especially those who are suffering unjustly. Both James and Ecclesiastes say to us, “Don’t lose heart. The Lord knows your trials. He sees the injustice. Now, he has his reasons for letting it persist, but he won’t let it go on forever. Brothers and sisters, you will be vindicated. Everything will be made right one day. The wicked will be judged, and the righteous will be redeemed.”
In fact, you’ll notice that James uses two designations for Christ in this passage. In verse 7, he calls him “Lord” (Jas 5:7). He is our Master. We submit to him and his will. Then, in verse 9, he calls Jesus “the judge” (Jas 5:9). As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5, “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2Co 5:10). In short, justice is coming. When Christ returns, he’ll make everything right.
In the meantime, James implores suffering Christians to be patient until the Lord’s coming (Jas 5:7). And that’s really an encouragement to do at least three things. The first is to be patient. Don’t become anxious. Don’t try to take matters into your own hands. Just wait patiently.
The second encouragement here is to trust the plan of God. I quoted this last time, but as the book of Proverbs says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight” (Pr 3:5, 6). Trust the plan of God.
And third, we should realize that we’re not waiting aimlessly. The Lord has told us how the story ends. We know exactly what we’re waiting for. James says, “Be patient until the Lord’s coming” (Jas 5:7). We’re looking for the next arrival of Christ. In other words, we’re waiting patiently, trusting the plan of God, with our eyes fixed on Christ. Every moment of every day, we are on the edge of our seats, anticipating his arrival. And this anticipation should consume us. It should drive us. It should encourage us.
Jesus himself provides an example of that. Earlier this week, I preached at a funeral and talked about how Jesus faced unquantifiable, inexpressible evil. Frankly, it was the worst trouble to ever torture a human soul. Yet, he humbled himself under God’s mighty hand, knowing his Father would exalt him at the proper time. Here’s what we read in Hebrews 12:
Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1, 2)
At the funeral, I said Jesus wholeheartedly believed that the Father’s promise was more certain than the difficulty that lay before him. And the same is true for God’s people. But we have to look beyond the trials that are right in front of us. We have to keep our eyes fixed on Christ. He’s coming. Keep watching. He’s coming. As James says, “Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near” (Jas 5:8).
And to illustrate this point, James uses the simple illustration of a farmer. “See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains” (Jas 5:7). In the region of Palestine, the early rains came around October or November during the planting season. The late rains came just before harvest in March or April. So, as every farmer knows, there’s plenty of waiting in between. But the waiting is worth it because once the wait is over, he gets his precious fruit.
Now, the temptation for these Christians who are suffering unjustly is to begin complaining, so James says, “Brothers, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged” (Jas 5:9). So, you’ll notice that they’re not necessarily complaining about needing to wait. They’re complaining about each other. They’re grumbling against one another.
On the one hand, we can understand why this might happen. They’re being mistreated even by people within the church, so, of course, they’re tempted to complain. On the other hand, if they let themselves become bitter and resentful, then the divide between them becomes even greater. And furthermore, they’d be guilty of some of the same sins as those they’re complaining against—favoritism, judging one another. So, James says, “Don’t let this happen. Look, the judge stands at the door! Leave it to him. Just wait for him.”
Then, he reminds the churches that they are not the first of God’s people to suffer unjustly. “Take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name as an example of suffering and patience. See, we count as blessed those who have endured” (Jas 5:10, 11).
Remember that James is writing to Jewish Christians. They know the Old Testament, and they know that Israel’s history is replete with people rejecting God’s prophets. In fact, they were still rejecting God’s prophets into the New Testament. They rejected Christ himself. “Jesus came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (Jn 1:11). Moses dealt with their rejection. Elijah dealt with it. Jeremiah dealt with it throughout his entire ministry. And many others faced other kinds of suffering from David to Ezekiel to Hosea to Daniel. John the Baptist died in prison.
Yet, we don’t look back at their examples and think, Why didn’t these guys put up a fight? Why didn’t they try to better their situations? Why didn’t they complain more? No, we look back at them and say, “Wow. Look at their patience. Look how they faithfully endured their trials, trusting in the Lord.”
Consider what the author of Hebrews says about them:
These all died in faith, although they had not received the things that were promised. But they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth. Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they were thinking about where they came from, they would have had an opportunity to return. But they now desire a better place — a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:13-16)
Do you see how they were able to endure their trials? They did so by relying on the promises of God and looking beyond their trials. When they were in the thick of their troubles, they said, “It’s okay because I’m only here temporarily. I’m merely passing through. God has promised me something better, so I’ll keep my gaze fixed on what’s to come, not on what’s happening right now.” Just like Jesus, for the joy that lay before them, they endured the cross, despising the shame (Heb 12:2).
James says, “See, we count as blessed those who have endured” (Jas 5:11). Why? Why would we call anyone blessed who had to suffer so much? Well, as the author of Hebrews said, “God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them” (Heb 11:16). In the end, the rewards are greater than anything this world could have ever offered.
Next, James draws our attention to Job. “You have heard of Job’s endurance and have seen the outcome that the Lord brought about — the Lord is compassionate and merciful” (Jas 5:11).
“Notice the outcome of Job’s story,” he says. “Consider the purpose of his suffering. What did it accomplish?” Well, we could list a few potential outcomes. It proved his faith was genuine. I would argue his faith was actually strengthened. And in the end, we see God bless him even more abundantly than he had in the beginning. Here’s how the book of Job ends: “The LORD blessed the last part of Job’s life more than the first” (Job 42:12).
And as James thinks about the outcome of Job’s terrible suffering, he concludes that the Lord is compassionate and merciful (Jas 5:11). He can’t help but reflect on God’s character. Despite all appearances, our suffering does not mean God is distant and uncaring. It’s just the opposite.
James uses the word compassionate which could be literally translated into many bowels. Today, we might say God has a big heart. For the Jews, though, the deepest emotions rise up from the bowels or from the stomach. In other words, God has a tremendous capacity for compassion and mercy. He hasn’t forgotten about his suffering people. He sees it. He cares. But he also says, “I have a purpose in all of this. Be patient. It won’t be like this for long.”
Let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes’
Now, as we move into part two, if you will, I want you to imagine James setting down his pen for a moment. He takes a breath. He thinks about what he’s already written as he considers how best to finish this letter. And his mind keeps going back to the issue he touched on in every chapter and really hammered in chapter 3. “The tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among our members. It stains the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell” (Jas 3:6).
And as he thinks about this, he again wants to stress how vital it is to control our tongues. In fact, he says, “Above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath” (Jas 5:12). Of everything he has said in this epistle, he wants to emphasize this. “Above all,” he says. Why? It is because nothing reveals our hearts quite as accurately or readily as our tongues.
Now, James isn’t talking about using profane language here. That’s not what he means by swearing. But I remember talking to a colleague of mine who was a little bothered by a pastor-friend of his telling him that he needed to stop cursing. He needed to control his tongue a little better. And like many people, my colleague thought, They’re just words. Surely, a few curse words are the least of God’s concerns. Well, in a sense, they are just words. But in another, as I told him, words matter a great deal to God because our words are reflections of our hearts. If you want to gauge where your heart is, listen to how you speak.
In Ephesians 4, the apostle Paul says:
No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ. (Ephesians 4:29-32)
So, in fact, our words matter a great deal.
Now, in this case, James is talking about taking an oath. In a time when written contracts didn’t exist, a verbal oath served as a binding contract between two people. And if someone violated their oath, they were liable to judgment.
Now, I don’t believe James is prohibiting us from ever taking an oath or making a promise. The issue is making a promise flippantly or insincerely. The issue is making a promise and not keeping that promise. That’s why he says, “Let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no,’ so that you won’t fall under judgment” (Jas 5:12). And it doesn’t matter if the promise was made to God or made to a stranger. It doesn’t matter if it’s a wedding vow in a church or one made in casual conversation at work. Crossing your fingers behind your back will not save you. Let your “yes” mean “yes,” and your “no” mean “no” whether you swear by heaven or by earth or with any other oath.
Don’t forget what this entire epistle is about. James is calling us to be people of integrity, wholeheartedly devoted to God. And now, he reminds us that we should be people of integrity in how we speak. And this is relevant to everything he has said.
Think back to chapter 1. “If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, his religion is useless and he deceives himself” (Jas 1:26). What is he talking about there? Is he merely suggesting that—I don’t know—people are saying mean things to one another? No, I think it’s more than that. I think the issue is that they are talking like disciples of Christ—they are leading everyone to believe they are disciples of Christ—but they aren’t living like disciples of Christ. And by making the claim, they are taking an oath before God and the church, but their yes doesn’t mean yes.
This is a sobering warning for those who claim to be Christians but whose lives don’t reflect it. James says, “Apart from repenting and genuinely submitting to God, being obedient doers of the word and not hearers only, you are liable to God’s judgment for perpetually breaking this all-important vow to be faithful, singularly devoted to God and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jas 1:22).
Confess your sins and pray for one another
Now, with that final warning offered, James returns to the matter of suffering in part three of the text. Again, he’s thinking of those who are enduring trials, and, unsurprisingly, he encourages them to pray. “Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray” (Jas 5:13). But, of course, he doesn’t stop there because prayer isn’t reserved only for those suffering.
Obviously, the primary lesson of this passage is that prayer is effective, but we need to be careful because it’s easy enough to look at this text and think, God will save us from every illness if only we pray. But we need to keep the context in mind. Now, it’s certainly possible that James is thinking about people who are physically sick, but the context would suggest something a little different.
You see, this word sick can mean physically sick, or it can mean weak, physically or spiritually. Hebrews uses this word in Hebrews 12:3 when it says, “Consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you won’t grow weary and give up.” And that particular meaning seems to fit the context better than thinking that James is talking about those who are physically ill. After all, he’s writing to believers who are undoubtedly spiritually weakened and wearied by the hardships they’re enduring.
Now, as a side note, if James is talking about physical sickness, I don’t believe he’s suggesting that God will inevitably save every sick person as long as we pray for them in faith. And I say that because this passage isn’t given to us in a vacuum. We have to consider everything Scripture says, and the Bible simply does not teach that God will heal every illness if only we have enough faith. James himself has already drawn our attention to saints of the past who suffered tremendously, and many of them did not receive reprieve. They suffered right up to their deaths.
Personally, I’m inclined to believe that James is talking about spiritually weak and weary believers here. And he says:
He should call for the elders of the church, and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. (James 5:14-16)
Now, I know our minds want to jump right into the details. We likely have many questions about this. Why call the elders of the church? Are their prayers more effective? What’s the significance of the oil? Is that literal or symbolic? If literal, what does it represent? How do these confessions work? Are we supposed to stand up each week and name all our sins? But let’s pause here, take a step back, and see the passage as a whole.
What is James getting at? Better yet, what does this passage have to do with the rest of the letter?
Well, James is clearly writing to fractured churches. The churches are fractured from one person to the next, and individual members of the churches are fractured within themselves. Many of them are double-minded to some degree or another. They are fractured in heart. They’re inconsistent in their conduct. Their loyalty is torn. Inevitably, sin is involved. So, with that in mind, what do you suppose James is getting at here?
Well, I hope I’ve made it clear enough that James is not writing this letter to condemn anyone. Instead, he wants nothing more than to lead those who are fractured in heart to restoration. He wants to see their hearts healed. And here, he says, “Prayer and confession are two solid means of accomplishing that.” When the weary pray, God will strengthen them. He may not take away all their troubles, but he will provide grace to get them through. And when we confess our sins to one another, even the fractures among members can begin to heal. “Brother, I’ve sinned. Brother, I’ve sinned against you.”
Listen to how J.B. Phillips paraphrases the text:
Believing prayer will save the [weary] man; the Lord will restore him and any sins that he has committed will be forgiven. You should get into the habit of admitting your sins to each other, and praying for each other, so that if [weariness] comes to you, you may be healed.
Then, Phillips says, “Tremendous power is made available through a good man’s earnest prayer.” I like that. It’s not that the prayer itself has power. Prayer is simply the means by which we can receive the benefits of God’s power. It’s an act of humble submission to God, isn’t it? We’re confessing that we need his help.
And Elijah is offered as an example of this. This takes us back to 1 Kings chapter 17.
Elijah was a human being as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land. Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit. (James 5:17, 18)
Now, in case we think that Elijah’s prayers were answered only because he was God’s special prophet, James says no. He was a human being like everyone else (Jas 5:17). But he prayed earnestly. Literally, he prayed with prayer. He prayed seriously. He prayed faithfully. He prayed, believing God would answer even an extraordinary request like stopping and starting the rain. Obviously, if a prayer can accomplish that, surely, God can heal our fractured hearts.
Whoever turns a sinner will save his soul
Lastly, we come to the fourth and final part of the text.
My brothers, if any among you strays from the truth, and someone turns him back, let that person know that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. (James 5:19, 20)
Now, I said earlier that this is a very appropriate ending to the letter. James shows once again that condemnation is the furthest thing from his mind. His heart aches for these people. He wants nothing more than to see them repent. He wants nothing more than to see everyone healed. And he turns to those who remain loyal to God and singularly devoted and says, “We’re not trying to pluck out the weeds here. We’re not trying to drive anyone away. I know you’re tempted to grumble about those who are mistreating you. I know you’re feeling weary because of them. But brothers, our aim is to restore them. Our aim is to lead them to genuine wholeness.”
This is also important because you’ll notice James is not telling them to be altogether passive as they’re mistreated. Clearly, he does not want them to avenge themselves, but he does want them to do something. Namely, he wants them to lead others toward repentance and, quite possibly, salvation. Again, James is writing to a mixed audience. He’s writing to sincere believers mixed with double-minded believers mixed with professing believers who may not be believers at all. Regardless, he says, “Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins” (Jas 5:20).
I mean, is there a better way to fulfill the royal law? (Jas 2:8). That’s how James referred to the second great command that says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The most loving thing we can do for anyone is care about their eternal souls—to want nothing more than to see them reconciled to God and saved. And as James said in chapter 2, it isn’t enough to say we care about them. We have to actually do something. When we see someone wandering away from the truth, we have to come alongside them, put an arm around them, and say, “Brother, sister, I’m concerned about you. I love you. Despite what you may have done to me, I love you, and I want to help.”
And James has proven himself to be a great example of this. For those who say the book of James is all law and no gospel, they must be reading a different book. For all of James’s criticisms and rebukes, how many times does he insert the word brothers into this letter? I can tell you. The answer is fifteen. Fifteen times, he says, “Brothers,“ “My brothers,” or, “My dear brothers.” Yes, he rebukes them often with strong language, but he never ceases to call them his dear brothers. And he never treats them as a lost cause. Instead, he reminds them that God’s grace is greater than all their sins.
And in the end, he encourages everyone in the churches to have the same heart toward one another. He says, “Don’t give up on another. Don’t turn your back. Encourage one another. Support one another. You can be instrumental in saving souls from death. Your love can cover a multitude of sins. In short, love your neighbor as yourself because you love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength“ (Lev 19:18; Dt 6:5).
So, as it happens, the cure for a fractured heart is anything but law-keeping. Martin Luther was wrong to call this letter “an epistle of straw.” According to James, the only cure for a fractured heart is the gospel—that is, humbly receiving the grace of God. And in light of this last chapter, I should add that we don’t go it alone. We need one another.
And that concludes our introduction to the book of James.