When James, the brother of Jesus, talked about faith, he differentiated between those who have faith, including works of obedience, and those who claim to have faith, excluding works of obedience. According to James 2:14-26, if your faith excludes works of obedience, it is useless, it cannot save you, and it is dead. Useful, living faith that causes God to save you always includes works of obedience to Him. This understanding of faith influences our understanding of “asking in faith” in James 1:5-6 and the “prayer of faith” in James 5:15.
In James 5:13-20, James carefully balances between physical and spiritual sickness, shifting back and forth between the two. In this section, some are suffering, some are sick, some are weary, and some are sinful. Prayer with faith, an action to relieve the ailment, is discussed repeatedly. The sick one calls for the elders who care for and pray over him. If the prayer is of faith, his weariness will be restored, and his sins will be forgiven.
The elders pray with faith when they extend physical and spiritual care. The sin-sick one prays with faith when his plea to God is paired with repentance. James is presenting a joint effort for spiritual benefit. According to James 5:16, 19-20, every Christian should be part of this care for each other’s souls. The writer of Hebrews presents a similar picture in Hebrews 12:12-13, where each one works to care for the other, figuratively straightening the limbs of the Lord’s body for everyone’s spiritual benefit.
People of faith pursue sanctification and peace with the Lord so we can be with Him forever. Sometimes, that pursuit involves discipline, but much of the time, it involves compassion and care extended to the weary for their spiritual benefit. Let’s be people of faith.
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