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Shoe-Leather Theology: A Study of James Page 333 These study notes are produced to coordinate with the weekly teaching series “Shoe-Leather Theology: A Study of James” by First Family Church, Ankeny, IA. More resources on this series are available at ffclife.com.

Shoe-Leather Theology: Study of James

Week 18 James 5:12-18

The Power of a Praying Church “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone

cheerful? Let him sing praise.”– James 5:13 (ESV) “In the average church we hear the same prayers repeated each

Sunday year in and year out with, one would suspect, not the remotest expectation that they will be answered. It is enough, it seems, that they have been uttered. The familiar phrase, the religious tone, the emotionally loaded words have their superficial and temporary effect, but the worshiper is no nearer to God, no better morally and no surer of heaven than he was before.”–A. W. Tozer

“There are more tears shed over answered prayers than over unanswered prayers.”–Teresa of Ávila

That this final section of James' letter deals with four life problems and one primary solution is not at all surprising. The emphasis throughout has been on consistent living in the community of faith. This segment seems at first the most difficult part of the letter for which to give a title. But when we remember that James' major theme has been the relationship between faith and works, the title 'Wisdom and Prayer' fits because all four subjects are concerned with putting our faith to work in the most practical, down-to-earth, prayerful ways. Faith must be put to work in all of life's ups and downs. The four human experiences are:

1. Suffering (5:13) 2. Joy (5:13) 3. Sickness (5:14-18) 4. Wandering (5:19-20)

Shoe-Leather Theology: A Study of James These study notes are produced to coordinate with the weekly teaching series “Shoe-Leather Theology: A Study of James” by First Family Church, Ankeny, IA. More resources on this series are available at ffclife.com.

We noted in the introduction to the previous chapter that James' larger contextual concern is 'until then.' And his admonition here is: until then, be people of believing prayer.266

A Biblical Understanding of Fellowship 'Fellowship' is one of the most misunderstood and misapplied words in the language

of modern piety. It has by and large been hijacked from its biblical roots—more on that in a moment—and associated with a narrow range of Christian social activities, usually involving food and casual conversation and sometimes describing little more than participation in party games. The problem, let me hasten to add, is not that Christian social activities cannot be regarded as an expression of Christian fellowship—our sharing of a broad spectrum of activities ought to flow out of our oneness of fellowship in Christ—but, as Jerry Bridges points out, “It is just that they are not true fellowship. They may, if entered into for the right purpose, contribute to fellowship, but in and of themselves they are not fellowship.” True fellowship is a deeper and richer element in Christian experience. Beginning with Acts 2:42, which distinguishes “the apostles teaching... fellowship... breaking of bread... and prayer” as the fundamental components of apostolic church body-life, Bridges goes on to show that biblical fellowship (Greek koinonia) “is a relationship, not an activity”. As such, it consists in four distinct aspects:

1. A common life in Christ as a spiritually organic community with shared union and communion with the Lord and unity in the truths of the Word of God;

2. Partnership in the goal of glorifying God and promoting the gospel of Christ in the conversion of the lost and the building up of the church;

3. Practical sharing of communion with others in spiritual things to the end of bearing one another's burdens and encouraging one another in the faith; and

4. Sharing material possessions and thus expressing the most comprehensive unity of Christ's body in meeting practical needs in everyday life.'

James does not develop a systematic theology of fellowship, but focuses on one of its leading evidences—caring for others out of love for Christ (1:27). In 5:14-18, James extends the application of this motif to the place of corporate intercessory prayer within the fellowship. He shows us how those who truly share biblical fellowship (koinonia) ought to care for the integrated spiritual and physical welfare of one another. First of all, we are shown what the church is to do when someone in the fellowship is ill (5:14-15). Secondly, the idea of healing is extended beyond the physical to encompass the spiritual health of believers and we are called to respond to needs with confession and prayer

266 B. Dale Ellenburg and Christopher W. Morgan, Focus on the Bible Commentary – James: Wisdom for the Community, (Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications, 2008), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 191.

Shoe-Leather Theology: A Study of James 35 These study notes are produced to coordinate with the weekly teaching series “Shoe-Leather Theology: A Study of James” by First Family Church, Ankeny, IA. More resources on this series are available at ffclife.com.

(5:16). Finally, we are reminded of the power of prayer as an instrument of fellowship and, by way of encouragement, we are pointed to the example of Elijah (5:16-18).267

Outline of James 5:13-18

IV. SUPPLICATION (5:13–18) A. The exhortation to prayer (5:13–16a)

1. Seasons of prayer (5:13): When should we pray? a. In times of trouble (5:13a) b. In times of triumph (5:13b)

2. Reasons for prayer (5:14–16a) a. Prayer will raise up the sick (5:14–15a). b. Prayer will restore the sinner (5:15b–16a).

B. The example of prayer (5:16b–18) 1. The power (5:16b): A righteous person’s prayer is both powerful and effective. 2. The person (5:17–18): James selects Elijah as his role model here.

a. “Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for the next three and a half years!” (5:17).

b. “Then he prayed for rain, and down it poured” (5:18).268

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.

Swearing Clarified

"Swear not" (James 5:12). There are two kinds of swearing spoken of in the Scriptures. One kind is an oath calling on God to attest and affirm the truth of what is said. Such an oath is justified and helpful (Hebrews 6:16) in a court situation or some other like formal situation. In such cases Scripture even commands to use God's name in the oath (Deuteronomy 6:13). Scripture reports some cases where a legitimate oath was involved (Exodus 22:11 and Numbers 5:19, 21). However, James is not talking about a legitimate oath. He is speaking of another kind of swearing that uses an oath to supposedly strengthen a statement in a less than a formal situation in which an oath is not required. This results in profanity. We also call it

267 Gordon Keddie, Welwyn Commentary Series – The Practical Christian: James simply explained, (Auburn, MA: Evangelical Press, 1989), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 209-210.

268 H. L. Willmington, The Outline Bible (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1999), Jas 5:12–18.


cussing. One does not need to use the name of God to be guilty of profanity. Profanity is swearing involving "Heaven... earth... any other oath" (James 5:12). In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ said bad swearing included taking an oath by "heaven... earth... Jerusalem... thy head" (Matthew 5:34-36). Much of what we hear today, however, involves the name of God. And many abbreviated forms of the names of Deity are involved e.g "Gee, Gosh, Golly, by Jove (Jehovah)" etc.269

13] Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.

Twelve Specific Things for Which Believers Are Instructed to Pray

1. For those who persecute them (Matt. 5:44) 2. For the kingdom of God (Matt. 6:10) 3. For daily provision (Matt. 6:11) 4. For overcoming temptation (Matt. 6:13) 5. For forgiveness (Luke 11:4) 6. For all the saints (Eph. 6:18) 7. For the gospel’s advancement (2 Thess. 3:1) 8. For earthly rulers (1 Tim. 2:2) 9. For wisdom (James 1:5) 10. For suffering (James 5:13) 11. For one another (James 5:16) 12. For wayward believers (1 John 5:16)

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.

Let him call for the elders of the church, let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

The praying process involves three elements that demand our attention. First, the suffering person 'calls for the elders of the church.' The sick one should 'call' for the spiritually mature, strong, wise men of the church. 'Call' is from proskaleō, to call alongside for help. It is the verb from which we get the title Paraclete for the Holy Spirit. He is the One called alongside to help us! Calling for the elders is an act of obedience and faith.

Scholars differ over whether the 'elders' (presbuteroi) are men holding a specific office in the church or whether it refers to a class of individuals who are spiritually mature. It is clear that the church chose elders early in its history, and James certainly reflects some of the earliest ecclesiology we know of. The elder is an

269 Butler, 175.


alternate description of the pastor or pastors of local churches (see Acts 11:30; 15:2; 20:17). The use of 'church' (echchlēsia) rather than synagogue, as in 2:2, is instructive. The early church certainly had its origins in the setting of the Jewish synagogue, and kinship in worship and structure are not surprising.

Elders, by definition in the biblical sense, are those who have the wisdom and the Christian maturity borne of many years in faithful service. The elders presumably have power in both prayer and discernment, and 'they are capable of exercising the faith necessary for the healing but also to discern the mind of the Spirit in such matters.' When they are led to pray, therefore, they have sensed the purposes of God and will pray in accord with His will. As we shall see, they pray in faith, believing that what God reveals is what He desires to do.

Second, they are to 'anoint him with oil.' It may appear that we have reversed the order here, but only so in the English versions. The tense of the participle 'anointing' is aorist and may mean that the action in the participle happens prior to that of the main verb. The Greek text reads, 'after anointing him in the name of the Lord let them pray over him.' 'Anointing' is from aleiphō, 'to anoint or rub down.' 'Oil' is elaion, 'olive oil' that was used in cooking, in lamps, and in treating injuries (see Mark 6:13; Luke 10:34).

Throughout history the act commanded here by James has been interpreted in significantly different ways. This is because the text is quite abbreviated and ambiguous – no elaboration is provided at all. Also, there is no indication from Scripture that this anointing with oil had any sort of spiritual basis that would make it universally applicable or perpetually binding. If this was to be a requirement for the universal church for all time, we could reasonably expect that some foundation for the practice might have been supplied. We can summarize the interpretations of this passage into four groups.

(1) Some scholars think that the 'anointing' referred to by James is simply a refreshing, encouraging act of friendship, much like when Mary anointed Jesus' feet (John 12:3; Luke 7:46). They argue that the Greek word aleiphō ('anoint') has to do with common rituals rather than a religious ceremony. In this sense James' admonition would be a call for the elders' prayers, accompanied by the cultural expression of that day which reflected love and friendship.

(2) Others suggest that oil was used as a daily item of toiletry in ancient times (much like cosmetics or perfumes are used today). In periods of sickness, distress, or fasting, this casual use of oil was suspended (cf. Ruth 3:3; 2 Sam. 12:20; 14:2; Dan. 10:2, 3; Micah 6:15; Matt. 6:16, 17). It is argued, therefore, that James may be exhorting the brethren to accompany their prayers with the 'anointing of oil,' i.e. the resumption of their normal activities. The oil would serve as a token of confidence in the power of their petition. While this concept may be possible, it does not readily commend itself to the ordinary expositor. Also, it does not explain why elders would be called to administer the oil.


(3) The most common interpretation holds that the use of oil was a symbolic act. In Bible times the practice of anointing with oil was frequently representative of God's approval (see 1 Sam. 10:1; Ps. 89:20). Many biblical scholars are fairly confident, therefore, that the application of oil in James 5:14 is a symbolic act invoked in conjunction with supernatural healing. This idea may be correct, but there is one more view that I (Dale) believe offers the most merit.

(4) A number of writers contend that the oil of James 5:14 is merely a medicinal item which, together with the prayer, would be providentially efficacious in the healing process. Though view '3' may very well be the correct one, we need to develop the plausibility of this interpretation.

Robertson well notes, 'The vital question is whether the elders come in an official capacity to perform an ecclesiastical rite or whether they come as brothers in Christ and rub with olive oil as medicine.' The Greek scholar agrees with the last position, as does MacArthur: 'Aleiphō is not used in the New Testament to refer to a ceremonial rite.... It describes anointing one's head with oil (Matt. 6:17), the women's anointing of Jesus' body (Mark 16:1), Mary's anointing of the Lord's feet (John 11:2; 12:3) and anointing the sick with oil (Mark 6:13).' Medicinally, this act was soothing as it provided relief from fevers when one was fanned after the rubbing down with oil. While commentators differ here, I (Dale) see this as the brothers in Christ doing all they can medically for the afflicted. With medicine in a primitive condition at the time, it may well be that they rubbed oil on the wounds of those who had been beaten as persecution for following Christ.

But even if one takes this to be a ceremonial rite, two observations are needed. First, it is not the oil that heals. See Mark 6:13 for a use of anointing with oil during the time of Jesus' public ministry. Most of the stories of healing by Jesus and His disciples have no mention of oil, and James' emphasis here is certainly on the power of the Lord rather than on any power in the oil. The promises of Jesus (John 14:13-14; 15:16; 16:23-24) give basis for expecting great power as we practice the principle of praying in His name.

The second observation is that this has nothing to with the Roman Catholic Church's doctrine of extreme unction, which is a ritual performed when the priests expect one to die and as a preparation for death. What is in view in 5:14-15 is restoration to life and health.

Third, the elders are to pray. Proseuckesthō is one of several terms in the New Testament for prayer. It means 'to entreat, make intercession.' It marks the central ministry the elders perform for the sufferer, and by no means is the sick person precluded from joining in the prayers on his behalf. Richardson observes: 'Praying and touching as a group in the close proximity of the sick one intensifies and makes efficacious their faith for the healing.'

A pastoral and practical observation is in order here. As a pastor of local churches for nearly twenty-five years, I (Dale) have been asked to provide this


ministry a number of times and have asked myself, 'Should we anoint a sick person with oil when such a person calls for the elders?' My response has always been in the affirmative. I have made a practice of taking my ministerial staff and godly deacons from the church and going to the sick person after a time of spiritual inventory and preparation. If the person insists on being anointed with oil I explain what I believe the passage describes. But knowing that I could be mistaken and appreciating the significance of a symbolic touching of the person's forehead with oil, we honor the request. Above all, I have sought to make clear that no power resides in the oil. All power belongs to God, and that power is appropriated through believing prayer. As for the outcome, we need first to examine verse 15.270

Conflicting Views Concerning Healing in the Church There are several ideas proposed by this passage of Scripture. One proposition is

that these verses find expression in what is called "extreme unction." Extreme unction is one of seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church. A priest anoints a person with oil who is "in extremis" or at the point of death and he prays for the forgiveness of their sins. This concept went into effect in 852 A.D. Is this teaching scriptural? The answer is "No." Christ is the only one who can forgive and cleanse a person of their sins. Extreme unction is administered when a person is expected to die. James is speaking of someone who is expected to live.

Some propose that these verses are the basis for divine healing ministries. Today, we see healing crusades with men and women who claim to have the gift of healing. These verses, however, give no indication of gifts of healing. There is no case of elders having the gift of healing or being miracle workers. If someone is sick, he is to call for the elders of the church to come to him. He does not go to a healing crusade. James is describing something here that is intimate and personal and not for public display.

It is interesting to note that those who claim to be faith healers could not heal themselves. The father of the post-WW2 healing revival was William Branham. Yet, in 1965, at the age of 56, he died after suffering for six days from injuries sustained in a car accident. The famous tent evangelist and faith healer, A.A. Allen, died of sclerosis of the liver in 1967, having secretly struggled with alcoholism for many years. Faith healer, Kathryn Kulman, died of heart failure in 1976, after battling heart disease for twenty years. Ruth Carter Stapleton, faith-healing sister of former President Carter refused medical treatment for cancer because of her belief in faith healing. She died of the disease in 1983.

270 B. Dale Ellenburg and Christopher W. Morgan, Focus on the Bible Commentary – James: Wisdom for the Community, (Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications, 2008), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 194-198.


Healing in New Testament times was a miraculous sign gift to be used for special purposes. It was not intended as a permanent way to keep Christians healthy. Yet, today faith healers teach that God wants every Christian to be well. If that is true, why does God allow Christians to get sick in the first place? Beloved, some sickness does come from God for His purpose and glory.

Exodus 4:11—And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord?

Some sickness comes from Satan too.

Luke 13:11-13—And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself [12] And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. [13] And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

Some folks are sick because they are being chastened by the Lord. For example, Miriam was chastened with leprosy because of her disobedience to the Lord. Gehazi, the servant of Elisha had the same thing happen to him because of his greed. The psalmist said in Psalm 119:67, "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word." In Deuteronomy, God warned His people that He would chasten His people if they lived in sin.

Deuteronomy 28:20-22—The Lord shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me. [21] The Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it. [22] The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.

Another proposed idea is these verses were only intended for the apostolic era and are no longer relevant or applicable for Christians today. Can we agree that miracles have stopped or healing has ceased? The answer is "No." What about the testimonies of godly men who have seen God work in a powerful way? Can we refute them? The answer is "No."

A fourth belief concerning the meaning of these verses is they are the only divine prescription for healing and every Christian should ask for healing in this way. Their claim is that there is no need for doctors. This teaching, however, runs counter to the teachings of Jesus who confirmed the work of doctors.


Matthew 9:12—But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

Paul referred to Luke who was a doctor.

Colossians 4:14—Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.

Another point offered concerning the meaning of this passage is no Christian need ever be ill, because there is healing in the atonement of Jesus Christ. They claim that salvation heals you physically. The problem with this teaching is the fact that the Bible records examples of believers who were sick.

1. Trophimus

2 Timothy 4:20—Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.

Bodily healing is not always God's will.

2. Epaphroditus

Philippians 2:27—For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

3. Paul

2 Corinthians 12:7—And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

Paul's thorn may have been an eye disease. He asked that it be removed three times. God gave him an answer in verse nine.

2 Corinthians 12:9—And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

God allows His children to suffer. It is not always His will to heal someone.

Let me say that pagan religions can offer startling evidence of healing. Satan is capable of counterfeit miracles in order to deceive people into following him and his lies. Be on guard for his deceptions.

2 Thessalonians 2:9—Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,


Matthew 24:24—For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.271

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.

This unqualified statement that the prayer of faith will restore the sick person to physical wholeness is quite problematic for many. Is this an unconditional guarantee that every sick person will be healed when this process is applied? Biblical evidence and personal experience demand that we answer no. The crux is on the 'prayer of faith,' and it may well be that James and the elders know, from diligently seeking the heart of God, that He intends to heal this particular malady when the person exercises faith and calls for the elders. Motyer agrees, 'Prayer is by nature a commitment to the will of God, and all true prayer exercises its truest faith in patiently waiting to see what He has determined to do.' We must always pray 'Thy will be done,' and apparently James and the church leaders had the sense that God's will in this case was to heal the affliction.272

Understanding Healing Within the Church

Before we leave these two crucial verses, we should summarize the teachings that are clearest. First, in this context the initiative rests on the person who is unwell: 'Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church' (5:14). The individual who is unwell may not feel that it is appropriate, and his conviction should be respected. On the other hand, God may lay it upon a person's heart that this course of action is right for him.

Second, the elders – or the spiritual leaders of the local church – have a special responsibility to respond to this request. They are under-shepherds and men of Christian maturity and discernment. It is not for the members of the church to do this for one another; it is the responsibility of the spiritual overseers.

Third, we should not imagine anything magical about the anointing with oil. Although medicinal properties were attributed to olive oil, these are not emphasized. Rather, importance is attached to the believing prayer that accompanies the anointing. Our Lord Jesus did not need to touch the leper or the blind man's eyes as He healed them, but there was undoubted value in these actions for the persons concerned, and similarly with the anointing with oil. The anointing

271 Rod Mattoon, Mattoon's Treasures – Treasures from James, (Springfield, IL: Lincoln Land Baptist Church, n.d.), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 282-285.

272 B. Dale Ellenburg and Christopher W. Morgan, Focus on the Bible Commentary – James: Wisdom for the Community, (Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications, 2008), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 199.


is in the name of the Lord, and that is the significant factor. It speaks of God's protection and blessing upon the individual.

Fourth, it is plausible that in his reference to the prayer offered in faith (5:15) James refers to the special gift of faith. All true prayer involves faith (Heb. 11:6), but James may have in mind the gift of faith the Spirit gives (1 Cor. 12:9). As the elders gather around the person who is afflicted, having anointed him with oil in the name of the Lord, the Lord may give them special discernment to know exactly how to pray. Sometimes it may be that they should pray for grace to submit to God's will in the suffering (2 Cor. 12:9). But on other occasions the Lord may give the enlightenment and confidence to ask for very specific healing and it will be granted.

Fifth, there is special benefit for the sick person in this spiritual exercise even if physical healing proves not to be God's will. When we are unwell, it is extremely difficult to pray for ourselves with objectivity because we naturally want to be restored to health. Our spiritual under-shepherds are in a much better position to pray for us with discernment. In addition, when we are ailing we may find it almost impossible to pray at all. And here others may help us. As the elders pray with him, the sufferer is able to rest in the knowledge that through corporate prayer his circumstances are placed under God's control afresh, and if physical healing is not God's will, he may be sure of the spiritual healing he needs and the daily renewal of God's grace and peace.

This passage, then, does not provide a blanket guarantee that all physical sickness will be healed in this life. It assumes that God will disclose His will, and the prayer of faith asks in accordance with that purpose. Trouble, happiness, illness and sin – none of us knows when we may have to face these ordinary, everyday human experiences. But when we do, our faith must be put to work whether in prayer, praise, or confession of sin.273

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.

Confess your sins to each other This is often taken to refer to the resolution of difficulties that may have arisen

between members of the fellowship. Offences certainly should be dealt with. Christians should be reconciled to one another in truth and love. And just as the sick should call for the elders, so also should the offended. Pastoral oversight also includes the healing of rifts and arguments (see Matthew 18:15-20). The overall thrust of 5:14-18 strongly suggests, however, that James has in view something other

273 B. Dale Ellenburg and Christopher W. Morgan, Focus on the Bible Commentary – James: Wisdom for the Community, (Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications, 2008), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 200-201.


than the settling of problems in the church. He is thinking rather of shared burdens and mutual support as we face the realities of life in the world together—as a fellowship, with positive fellow-feeling. Positive discipleship rather than restorative discipline is in view. How we can help each other grow in grace? How can we minister to a brother whose conscience is troubled over some personal sin and feels the need of help from a sound and understanding Christian friend? Here James encourages that person to confide in someone in the fellowship rather than moulder away in isolated introspection.

Such a procedure offers profound blessings, but is also fraught with some dangers of which we ought to be aware. James is not urging public meetings for the parading of sins that should be treated with discreet sensitivity and the minimum of fuss and publicity. He has in mind a restrained, private and confidential sharing between members of the fellowship, unstructured and yet directed by the constraints of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.

We need to choose our confidants carefully and avoid the religious gossip who stands ready to pick up and pass on the confidences you share. 'Confessing sins one to another' does not require many counsellors, but it does require loving, wise and trustworthy ones. Godly compassion and circumspection in a brother or sister in the Lord are the sine qua non of blessing in this ministry of mutual support.

Pray for one another The other and indispensable side of this sharing process is prayer for one

another. We must do this for the broader range of shared concerns—such matters as might properly be shared with the fellowship as a whole—and also for the more private and personal matters in which we have shared a quiet ministry. It is, therefore, absolutely necessary to pray for mutual help with confessed sin. This is true whether it concerns publicly confessed sin or that which is confessed between confidants. Counsel and comfort are often a great help to people in need, but the most important way to help someone else is actually to pray for them earnestly and frequently. The close conjunction of prayer and confession in relation to healing suggests that the 'healing' is broad enough to encompass forgiveness of sins. 'There is a strong suggestion here,' says Donald Allister, 'that more healing (in this broad sense) would be available if it were asked for.'

Our prayers—from the Lord's Prayer to the deepest cries of our own hearts—ought always to have a bit of the plural in them. Individual prayers are still to be prayers for 'all the saints'. Intercession—prayer for others—is the sweetest form of prayer. We join our individual concerns to those of the body of Christ, never more poignantly than in sharing our hurts. As our great High Priest, Jesus Christ is the heavenly intercessor for his people (Hebrews 7:25). As those who exercise the priesthood of all believers, we cannot but pray for others when we pray for ourselves. This is why so much of the recorded prayer in the Bible is in the first person plural. It is why it is so appropriate to say, 'We would pray, O Lord,...' in


leading public prayer in church and in groups. All public prayer is the corporate prayer of the covenant community as it reaches out to the Lord. The one who leads in prayer is not the mediator or intercessor for the group as a whole: he is the mouthpiece of the whole body—the orderly expression of their collective devotion to the Lord and desire for blessing.274

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.

In a way, Elijah seems an unlikely choice to be a model for ordinary people. After all, he was one of Israel’s greatest prophets. He took on the evil Ahab and Jezebel, brought a punishment of drought on the land, called down fire from heaven, and was translated to heaven in a whirlwind accompanied by fiery chariots (1 Kin. 17–22, 2 Kin. 1–2). How much do we have in common with such a man? How could our prayers possibly emulate his?

Yet James insists that “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours.” So apparently he did not pray because he was a great man; perhaps he became a great man because he prayed.

James shows some reasons why Elijah’s prayer life was so effective:

• He prayed; one cannot be effective in prayer unless one prays in the first place.

• He prayed fervently; he was aware of what he was praying, and kept praying with diligence and discipline.

• He prayed an “effective” prayer (James 5:16); that is, he expected results.

• He was a righteous man (5:16); he did not allow sin to cloud his conversation with God.

• He prayed specifically, first for a drought, then for rain, in accordance with God’s word (for example, Deut. 28:12, 24); he prayed according to Scripture.

Elijah was a great prophet granted extraordinary results by God. Nevertheless, there is no reason why any believer today cannot pray using the same principles as

274 Gordon Keddie, Welwyn Commentary Series – The Practical Christian: James simply explained, (Auburn, MA: Evangelical Press, 1989), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 214-215.


he did. Imagine what God might do in our world if Christians began praying like Elijah!275

The Five Laws of Suffering

Does God heal today?

That question sparks an endless debate. Whole denominations have been formed around the belief in God-gifted healers who claim that Christ’s death not only bought us forgiveness of our sins and eternal salvation, but also guarantees physical healing in this life. Are they right? Do those who suffer pain, sickness, and hardship lack faith? Are they missing out on some benefits of the Christian life?

Over the years I have developed what I call the “Five Laws of Suffering.” These principles will help the hurting and erase their confusion about why we suffer and what God has done (and will do) about it.

1. Law One: There are two classifications of sin. Original sin is the sinful condition all humans (except Jesus Christ) inherit from Adam, who was the source and “head” of the human race (Rom. 5:12). Personal sins are individual acts of wrong we regularly and willfully commit on our own because of our sinful condition (Rom. 3:23). Because of original sin (the root), we commit acts of sin (the fruit).

2. Law Two: Original sin introduced suffering, illness, and death to the human race (Rom. 5:12). Had original sin never entered the garden of Eden, humanity never would have known sickness or death. In the broadest sense, all sickness and suffering are the result of original sin. After Adam and Eve fell, they began to suffer a deathlike existence in a hostile world characterized by suffering, caused by their own departure from God’s way (Gen. 3).

3. Law Three: Sometimes there is a direct relationship between personal sins and sickness. David testified to the relationship between his own personal acts of disobedience and physical ailments in Psalms 32:3–5 and 38:3–5. Paul also warned that some of the Corinthian believers were “weak and sick” and a number of them had died because of personal sin (1 Cor. 11:27–30).

4. Law Four: Sometimes there is no relationship between personal sins and sickness. Some people are born with afflictions, suffering before they ever reach the age of committing personal sins (John 9:1–3; Acts 3:1–2). Others, like Job, are living upright lives when suffering comes (Job 1:1–5). Jesus Himself never committed personal sins, yet He often suffered; that is why He can fully sympathize with our plight of suffering in a fallen world (Heb. 4:15; 5:8).

275 Word in Life Study Bible, electronic ed. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1996), Jas 5:17.


5. Law Five: It is not God’s will that everyone be healed in this life. Some believe God wants every believer to experience complete physical healing in this life. They support their convictions with the words of Isaiah: “By His scourging we are healed” (Isa. 53:5). “Christ’s death brought us healing!” they sing and shout. Of course it did! But what kind? Check the context. The whole flow of thought in Isaiah 53 has to do with the spiritual needs of humans and Christ’s priceless provision for the forgiveness of sin. It’s true that Matthew 8:17 quotes Isaiah 53:4 in reference to both physical and spiritual healing, but there Matthew relates it to Christ’s personal work of healing as a sign of His true identity as Isaiah’s Servant.

By demonstrating His authority to heal sickness and disease, Christ proves His ability to heal spiritual sickness (Matt. 9:4–6). That’s why Jesus was wounded and bruised. That’s why He died—not primarily to heal sick people in this life, but to give spiritual life to all and to one day raise us from the dead in bodies that will never again suffer sickness and death (Rev. 21:3–4). In fact, Peter himself interprets the verse this same way, connecting its application to the forgiveness of sins and a life of righteousness: “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24). Peter clearly refers to spiritual wholeness, not physical healing.

Still not convinced that physical healing isn’t a guarantee for believers? Take Paul as an example. Three times he asked God to remove the thorn of suffering from his flesh. Three times he got a direct and unequivocal “no” from God (2 Cor. 12:7–9). Following that traumatic experience he stated that he was “well content with weaknesses” because even without healing, the Lord proved Himself sufficient and strong in the apostle’s life (12:10). Physical healing is not promised to everybody.

Let me clarify two important points. Am I suggesting God doesn’t heal? Absolutely not! God can—and does—heal people, sometimes instantly and miraculously, sometimes slowly and gradually. In fact, every time healing happens—regardless of the means—God is responsible. He is the source of life and health. Most often, healing comes through diagnosis and medical treatment. But sometimes God chooses to heal miraculously—nothing is too difficult for Him. His healings are complete and permanent. Therefore, when God heals, there is no way any man or woman can grab the glory or take responsibility.

Am I stating that God uses divine healers today—certain people specially “anointed” by the Spirit of God to lay hands on people and heal them instantly? Absolutely not! In the New Testament period, this special sign gift was given to confirm God’s new work of revelation in the church, and it was specifically connected with the foundational work during the time of the apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20; 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:3–4). Though special healers were present in the first generation of the church, today so-called “divine healers” prey on those who don’t know the facts. They blame all sickness on sin or a lack of faith. And when their healing powers don’t work, guess whom those charlatans blame—the sick person who didn’t have enough faith to be healed. Tragic!


Don’t forget these Five Laws of Suffering. Write them in the back of your Bible. Sure as the world, you’re going to run into folks who will wonder why they (or their loved ones) are not being healed. Maybe God will use your words to quiet their hearts and remove their confusion.276

Healing for the Sick By Jerry Vines

James 5:14-16a When the Lord Jesus walked on this earth in a physical body, He was interested in

the needs of people. Everywhere Jesus went, He went about doing good and He went about touching the lives of people where they hurt.

He went about forgiving their sins. He went about relieving the deep fears and emotional turmoil of their life, and He also healed people of their physical illnesses. He went about preaching and teaching, and the Bible says that He went about healing all manner of sickness and disease among them.

The church is the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus does through His spiritual body on the earth today the kinds of things He did when He was walking on this earth in a physical body. The church of the Lord Jesus is also to be interested in the needs of people.

When people come to a church which bears the name of the Lord Jesus, they should expect their needs to be met. A church meets needs in a variety of ways. Of course, our number one ministry is to meet the spiritual needs of people, to tell people about the cross where Jesus died so that they might be forgiven of their sins, so that they might have the peace of God which passes all understanding, so they can learn to grow in grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and learn about that wonderful place called heaven to which they will go one day. So we meet the spiritual needs of people.

We also meet the emotional needs of people. When people get saved, they come into the Christian life with much of the baggage of the old life. Though the Lord forgives you of your sins, some of those hang ups and some of that emotional baggage you bring into your life as a believer are still there. For many people it takes a period of years to work through some of these emotional issues.

We have a family ministry in our church, and we have excellent counselors who take the Word of God and bring the Bible to bear on these emotional needs. We believe that the words of the hymn writer are certainly true when it says, ''Down in the human heart crushed by the tempter, feelings lie buried that grace can restore.'' Thank God for the church's ministry to emotional needs.

276 Charles R. Swindoll, Insights on James and 1 & 2 Peter, Swindoll’s New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010), 122.


But also we believe that we have a responsibility to meet physical needs on the part of people. We have a ministry to the bereaved, and we have a ministry to those who are sick. We have two of the finest hospital pastors you have ever met in your life. Bro. Paul Murphy and Bro. Steve McCullom do a tremendous job visiting in the hospitals and praying for the sick.

In addition to that, we have members of our congregation who are in the medical profession. We have some very fine Christian doctors in our membership, wonderful nurses and others who are involved in the medical profession. If you are connected in any way, doctor or nurse, or connected in any way with the medical profession and the ministry of healing in that realm, please stand and let us give you a hand and let you know that we love you and thank God for the wonderful ministry you have. Sometimes God chooses to minister and to work through these dedicated and consecrated people in the ministry of physical needs.

But the church also has a ministry of healing for the sick, those who are sick with physical ailments. The Bible has a great deal to say about the whole subject of healing.

As I indicated, the Lord Jesus healed people who were sick. You read about the lives of the apostles, and you will find that they healed people who were sick.

Before we look at these verses of Scripture, I want to lay for you the Bible grid on the subject of healing so we will understand. The first thing I want to say to you is that sometimes Christians do get sick.

Notice in verse 14 he says specifically, ''Is any sick among you?'' He is talking about believers. Christians do get sick. You will read in the Bible about Christians who get sick. Some of you have been sick. I think we have more sickness in recent days than I have ever seen in a congregation in my ministry. A lot of people have been sick. So Christians do get sick.

The second thing I want you to know from the Bible teaching on healing is that all sickness is due to original sin. My wording is very careful here. All sickness is due to original sin. In Romans 5, verse 12, it says, ''Wherefore, as by one man,'' talking about Adam, ''sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned.'' Because of the entrance of sin into the world, sickness and death have also come into the world so that ultimately all sickness is due to original sin.

The third thing I want to say in introduction is to say to you that not all sickness is due to personal sin. It is not always true that when people are sick they are sick because there is sin in their life.

In John 9 the disciples spoke to Jesus about the man who was born blind. They said to Jesus, ''Who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?'' Jesus replied and said to them, ''Neither this man nor his parents. He is not sick because of anything they have done but that the glory of God might be made manifest in them.'' All sickness is not due to personal sin.

But then the next thing I want you to understand is that sometimes sickness is due to personal sin. There was a man who was sick of the palsy, and they brought this man to the Lord Jesus, and in Mark 2, verse 5, it says, ''When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.''


Then you may recall the man who was a cripple at the pool of Bethesda. The Bible says that the Lord healed this man who was crippled. Jesus said, ''Sin no more lest a worse thing come upon you.'' So though all sin is due to original sin, and not every sickness is because of personal sin, it is true that sometimes there is sickness because of personal sin.

With that in mind, I want us to look at these verses because these verses are the clearest verses in all of the Bible which have to do with the church's ministry for the sick. Follow carefully this outline as I lay it before you.

A Sick Christian.

First of all I want you to see in these verses a sick Christian. ''Is any sick among you?'' Here is an indication of someone who is a believer and they are sick. They have some kind of ailment. They have some kind of physical sickness that has come upon them. We do know, as I have indicated before, that sometimes Christians do get sick.

There are some kinds of sicknesses that we bring upon ourselves. Have you ever been sick from overeating? But sometimes if you eat a little more than you should eat and you get sick, you have no one to blame but yourself. Sometimes overeating can cause us to get sick.

You can abuse your body with other things that can cause you to be sick. Sometimes because of the use of tobacco people get diseases and they get sick. Sometimes because of the use of alcohol people get diseases and they get sick and they get addictions because of that abuse.

There are other sicknesses in the realm of the emotional that sometimes cause people to get sick. For instance, there is worry. Jesus says that worry is a sickness and that worry is a sin. This is one of those respectable sins. When we worry we almost brag about it. I've never heard anyone brag about spending all night out robbing banks somewhere. Have you ever had anybody come into church on Sunday morning into your Bible class and say, ''I want you to know that I was just out all night robbing banks?'' We brag about worry. We come in and we say, ''I didn't sleep a wink last night. I just worried all night.'' We want somebody to brag on us and to praise us for it. Jesus said that worry is a sin and worry can cause physical ailments.

There are some sicknesses which doctors have identified as psychosomatic in nature. The word psychosomatic is built on two Greek words, soma which is the word for body and psyche which is the word for soul. In other words, sometimes people get sick physically because of spiritual matters.

I read a writer a number of years ago. I've never forgotten it. He said, ''The soul and the body live so close to one another that they have a tendency to catch one another's diseases.''

Here is an instance of a sick Christian. Here is a sick Christian and this Christian is in need of healing.


A Special Call.

Secondly I want you to notice in these verses of scriptures that there is a special call. Here is a believer who is sick and it says, ''Let him call for the elders of the church.'' I don't think that means every time you have a little sniffle that you are supposed to call. I don't think that means that every time you get sick you are to call the church and ask for somebody to come visit with you. It is a special call. It is a time of special need.

As we see in just a little while that there is an indication here that here is a believer who is sick because of some sin in their life. They have sinned and now they are sick and they have the need to call for the house of God, for the people of God to come.

By the way, I want you to notice in passing here too that it is the responsibility of the sick person to make the call not the responsibility of the pastor to have mysterious powers of insight and to have a crystal ball and know where they are sick. Some people get sick and they hide it from everybody; and if the church doesn't find out about it, they get their feelings hurt and they run off and move their letter somewhere else. ''I was sick and nobody came to see me.'' It may be that you didn't call and ask anybody to come to see you.

''Is any sick among you? Let him call. It is the responsibility of the sick person to call and ask for a visit.

It says ''Let him call for the elders of the church.'' Did you notice that that is plural? I have been a pastor of churches of all sizes and descriptions. The first church I had had 40 people in Sunday School. We grew to 120 in about three years. But I was pastor of a little country church. Then I pastored in a mill village church. I was pastor in a neighborhood church. I've been a pastor of all sizes of churches. But it is impossible for a pastor of any size church to do all the ministry that needs to be done in that church. There is no one man who is capable of doing everything in terms of the ministry in a church that needs to be done.

This service here will be played back next Sunday morning at 8 o'clock. I have a lot of folks who watch us who are getting ready to go to their church. Let me say to some of you dear people today that you may be a little hard on your pastor because you are expecting him to do everything. You may expect him to be a jack-of-all-trades.

I remember when I went to Dauphin Way a number of years ago. That was back in the days when people stayed in the hospital a little bit longer and a little bit more frequently than they do today. It was not uncommon for us to have as many as 50 or more people in the hospital every day. I knew that God had called me there to minister the Word of God and that my responsibility was to study the scriptures and to preach the Word to the people when they came to hear.

So I got a man from Rome, Georgia, who had been one of my deacons there who had been called into the ministry and went to Southern Seminary and was finishing up who had spent his career as a chemist at the State tuberculosis hospital in and out of the hospital rooms of sick people. I got him to come down there and be my hospital pastor, and his job was to go and visit the sick in the hospital. He was marvelously gifted to do it. No one person can have all of the gifts.

Where some churches get in trouble is they expect the pastor to be gifted in everything. I'm not unusually gifted in visiting the hospital. When you are sick you


probably don't want me to come. I might come and read Revelation 13 and pray about two hours, and you probably don't need me to do that for you. But in a serious vein, we've got to have a recognition and a maturity in the congregation to know that there are other servants of the Lord. We have a staff here that has gifts and ministries. Bro. Dan is our middle school director. He baptized tonight. That was his first baptism and he didn't lose a one!

We have a staff here. I can lead some music, but I can't lead it as good as Bro. Brooks. I was a minister of music. I studied music. I was going to minor in music. When we got to diminished sevenths and inverted chords, I felt the Lord calling me to preach.

When a person is sick, ''Let him call for the elders,'' plural, ''of the church.'' Here is a specific need. Here is a sick Christian. Here is a special call. This is an instance where they feel that special prayer is needed concerning healing in this matter of sickness.

I want you to notice the procedure that is laid out in these verses. I won't go into detail. It says to call for the elders of the church. Evidently, this is to be a home visit. It says first of all, ''Let them pray over him.''

I want you to depict the scene in your mind for just a moment. Use your imagination. Here is a sick Christian. Evidently he is sick because of some sin in his life. He has come to the recognition and understanding that he needs spiritual care and he needs spiritual prayer. He has asked for the elders and the elders have come and they are gathered around him and they are praying over him. We'll see just how they are praying in just a moment.

Then you will notice that it says, ''Anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.'' This, of course, is a matter of scripture that has been given a variety of interpretations. It is an aorist participle in the Greek text here which indicates, ''Having anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.'' Pray over him, having anointing him with oil.

There are two words in the Greek language for oil. There is one Greek word, chrio, where we get our noun Christos, which is the title for the Lord Jesus, Jesus the Messiah, Jesus the Christ. It means the anointed one. So to anoint someone with oil in that sense was a chrio. It was an anointing that set apart a person for a special ministry.

Kings were anointed. Prophets were anointed and priests were anointed. It was a royal ceremony. It was a special ceremony. Of course, our Lord Jesus is the King of kings. He is the Priests of priests and He is indeed the prophet of all prophets.

So there is the word chrio that is used. But there is another Greek word that is used for oil. It is the Greek word elaion. It is a word that was used in medical terminology. For instance, remember the parable that Jesus told about the man who was coming down on his way to Jericho? The Bible says that he fell among thieves. You will recall the Good Samaritan came along, and the Bible says that he bound his wounds pouring in oil and wine. The indication is by the use of that word of oil used for medicinal purposes.

If you study the literature of the time and secular Greek writings in that time and you hear elaion, anointing with oil and oil itself, being referred to as the best of all medicines. It was known as the antibiotic of the ancient world. It was used medicinally.

The word which is used in this particular passage is the word elaion that makes reference to medical means. The indication here is that when a person is sick what they


do is they pray but they also make use of medical means. Any time anybody is healed who is sick, God has done the healing, but sometimes God heals in answer to specific prayer. On other occasions God chooses to heal through the use of medical means and the use of medicines.

When I get sick I'll tell you what I do. I pray that God will heal me and I call my doctor. If he sends me a prescription for a medicine, I go get that medicine filled and I start taking that medicine. What difference does it make if you get well that way or get well the other way? It really doesn't matter.

If you prefer to use this as a symbol of the Holy Spirit as some do, I have no argument with you. But personally I believe what he is saying here is that when people get sick, there are two sources of healing. There is the source of prayer as we ask God to heal, and there is the source of medicine and medical means which God has given people the ability to use and to develop.

Here is a person who is sick. They are praying over him. They have anointed him with oil in the name of the Lord, recognizing that it is the Lord that brings healing in that situation as well.

Then I want you to jump down to the latter part of verse 15 and notice something else that is involved in the mix of this procedure. It says, ''And if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another.'' Here is an indication that there is some sin involved, that there is some sin which is the precipitating cause of the sickness in this situation.

It says, ''If he have committed sin, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults,'' notice this, not to an individual on a one way street but, ''Confess your faults one to another.'' It brings up the whole matter of confession of sin.

Confession of sin is an area that has been greatly abused. Sometimes people have confessed sins in such a way that it has brought great reproach on the name of the Lord. Let me give you a guideline in the whole area of confession that I think will be helpful to you. Never confess a sin beyond the circle of its influence. I want to repeat that because this is very important. Never confess a sin beyond the circle of its influence.

Let me show you what I'm talking about. In Psalm 90, verse 8, it says, ''Thou has set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.'' There are some sins in our life that are secret. There are some sins in your life, like your thought life, that evil thought you had this morning, that are known only to you and God. Those sins are to be confessed only to God. Secret sins confessed only to God. Do not confess a sin beyond its sphere of influence.

There are some sins that are private, sins that have been committed between you and another individual. That's why Jesus says that if your brother sins against you, you are to go and tell your brother between you and him alone. It is a private sin. If he knows about it; don't confess something that he may not know. If you have committed a sin against that individual and he doesn't know you have committed that sin, then don't confess it to him.

When I came to be your pastor here 23 years ago I had been here about six months, and a guy in our church came up to me and said, ''I've got something I want to confess to you.'' I said, ''Oh, you do?'' He said, ''Yes, I do. I want to confess to you that when you


came here I didn't like you, but I've been wrong and I've asked God to forgive me and I want you to forgive me.'' I looked at him and I said, ''Why did you tell me about it? I didn't know anything about it. It wasn't hurting me. Why didn't you just confess it to the Lord?'' Every time I see that guy for 23 years now I think about what he did.

Don't confess a sin beyond its sphere of influence. Don't hang out your dirty laundry in public.

I have heard about some of these confession meetings where people confess all kinds of gruesome and grotesque sins. There are private sins and private confession.

But there are instances where people need to confess their sins to those to whom they have sinned and against those they have sinned. I believe that there are some Christians who could get well if they would just get right with God and have an old-fashioned mourner's bench experience.

Then it says in verse 15, ''And the prayer of faith shall save the sick.'' It is very particular in the terminology here. ''The'' prayer proceeding from faith. I don't think this is a prayer that can be prayed on every occasion. I think this is a prayer which God creates in the heart of an individual. I believe it is a prayer which is birthed in the heart of God and deposited in the heart of the believer. There are some instances when people are sick and they ask us to pray for them, and God seems to create in our heart a prayer of faith that God will heal and that God will touch that individual.

I believe in faith healing. I'm just dubious of some of these faith healers. I don't find Jesus doing anything like some of these faith healers do. The faith healing business today has been turned into a racket and a money making proposition. I see poor, helpless, needy people come to some of these faith healers and they don't get healed and they walk away and their lives are wrecked psychologically and emotionally because they didn't get healed, and the impression is given that you didn't get healed because you didn't have enough faith.

That's not what the Bible says. The Bible says, ''The prayer of faith shall heal the sick,'' not the faith of the sick person but the faith of the person who's doing the praying.

It's not always God's plan for somebody to be well. It is not always God's plan for somebody to be healed. When people give false hopes and when people tell other people that if you just have enough faith you can get healed, they do great damage to some of the sweetest people in the world.

I know a dear lady in Rome, Georgia, that after her first child was born she developed crippling arthritis. I think she was one of the godliest women I've ever known. Janet knows her quite well. We lived on the same street with her. I have known of that precious lady to get herself up on her crutches and to get in her car and drive across town and go into homes and win people to Jesus. I've seen her gather young people into her home at night during the days of the ''Jesus Movement'' and teach the Bible to young people. That precious woman who never had a pain free day in her life with crippling arthritis would go to her Sunday School class and teach a class of ladies. She was a marvelous, wonderful Christian.


Of course, she wanted to be healed and, of course, we prayed that God would heal her, but it wasn't the prayer of faith. It was not God's plan. God had another plan in her life. She went to a drive-in fast food place one time and some thoughtless person came over to the car where she was and reached into the open window and grabbed her little cripple hand and pulled it out and said, ''God didn't keep His promise to you, did He?''

It is the prayer of faith that will save the sick. It is the prayer of faith when it is the plan and it is in the purpose of God for people to be healed; then they will be healed. Do you believe God heals people? Of course, I believe God heals people.

Let me ask you a question. How many of you have ever gotten sick? How many of you got well? See what I'm saying? Most of the time it's God's will to heal people. But sometimes God has another plan. Sometimes God works through these times of sickness and these difficult times of diseases and God is just doing something in their life that we do not understand. It is in the realm of mystery.

I was down in Boca Raton at Bible Town a few years ago teaching the Bible down there. There was a wonderful Christian down there who had been quite ill, and the song leader that night got up and said, ''Some of you have been asking about Bro. So and So and how he's doing.'' He said, ''He's doing well.'' They said, ''Do you mean that he's healed?'' He said, ''Oh, no. He died. He's doing very, very well.''

We are going to get our final healing one of these days, and when we go into the presence of the Lord there will be no sickness, no sorrow, and no death. We'll all be healed in the presence of the Lord one of these days.

A Splendid Cure.

It says in these verses, ''Pray one for another, that ye may be healed. Then in verse 15 it says, ''And the Lord shall raise him up.'' When God heals you, then give God the glory. When God does the healing work in your life, take the days remaining that He has given to you and live those days for the honor and the glory of God.

In closing I want to say to you that there is one sickness that is the worst of all sicknesses. It is sin sickness. In Isaiah 53, verse 5, it says, ''But he was wounded for our transgressions.'' He's talking about sin. ''He was bruised for our iniquities.'' He's talking about sin. ''The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.'' Healed from what? We are healed from sin.

First Peter 2, verse 24, says, ''Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.'' You were healed from your sin problem. The greatest problem of all, the greatest disease of all is the sin problem and the sin disease.

You remember when Jesus said to that man, ''Son, your sins be forgiven thee''? Somebody said, ''Who can forgive sins but God?'' Jesus said, ''That you might know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins,'' He said, '''Rise, take up your bed and walk.''' What Jesus was saying is, ''I'm going to do what you can see on the outside so you will know what I can do on the inside.'' The same Jesus who can heal your physical body is the Jesus who can heal your soul of sin sickness. When He does it, it's a miracle indeed.


I heard about a little boy who had been ugly to his mother. He was feeling sorry and repentant of it. His mother had one of those little slates on the refrigerator where you could write notes and then erase them. The little boy wrote on the chalk board, ''Dear Mom, I'm sorry I was ugly. If you forgive me, then wipe this out.'' Of course, you know she did.

When you confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you, He does. He doesn't rub it in. He rubs it out.

Let's bow our heads in prayer.

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