"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."
At times when a verse is singled out by itself, the translation can be lost because the overall context is missing. However, after reflecting on the need for a Biblical foundation of faith in verses 13-14, James now completes his thought and offers comfort and encouragement to those who not only pray to God in times of need, but believe He is mighty and able to answer their prayers. It is a powerful affirmation knowing that God is faithful to those who love Him and bestows grace and mercy upon His elect as He sees fit. It is paramount to remember that our spiritual genealogy affirms this truth. "Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations" (Deuteronomy 7:9). We have been chosen by God and given the opportunity to accept His free gift of salvation if we are willing to lay down our pride and selfishness by admitting we are lost without Him. For we know that our salvation does not depend on the might of our intellect or the strength of our will, but in our willingness to obey and submit under the authority of Jesus Christ and His Word. Our identity is linked with the Father through the blood of the lamb. Therefore, in confidence, we can be assured that He hears our prayers and meets our needs.
It is unequivocally paramount to clarify that answered prayer or unanswered prayer is not solely dependent on us, lest we think more highly of ourselves than we ought. Our perspective is severely limited compared to God's. So the minute we place expectations on God that His love or justice is measured by how and when He answers our prayers (in the way and time we think He should), our faith becomes conditional in nature. In essence, the storm tide of trials crashes in and begins to wash our foundation of truth back out to sea. Consider the following examples Scripture declares as various reasons our petitions to God go unanswered. Our prayers may be hindered because they have wrong motives. "You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions" (James 4:3). Our prayers not align with His sovereign will. "We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him" (John 9:31). Our prayers may reflect how self-centered and indignant we are toward others. "Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered" (Proverbs 21:13). Our prayers may be disregarded because we have ignored our Biblical foundation of absolute truth. "If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination" (Proverbs 28:9). Or simply put, our prayers may not reach the Lord's ear because sin has separated our fellowship with Him. "Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear" (Isaiah 59:1-2).
At times, we must wrestle with questions that penetrate our hearts deeply because of unanswered prayer. Questions that tempt us to doubt whether God is supremely in control. Questions that seek to brand and label God as fire and brimstone rather than love and just. Questions that leave us more confused than comforted. Questions that assume God has forgotten or abandoned us most in our time of need. Questions that defy logic or common sense. Questions that run counter to our experiences and emotions. There are an infinite amount of circumstances that can play Russian roulette with our psyche and leave us embittered, hardhearted, angry or depressed. But as followers of Christ and believers in the absolute truth of Scripture, we should not be surprised at the costs associated with our identity in Jesus. For accepting Christ as Lord and Savior does not mean life will suddenly result in prosperity and comfort. Rather, the reality of life in a fallen world is magnified when we live for Christ. We see how seeds of doubt can grow into weeds of abandonment to God because we know how frail our hearts were prior to accepting Christ, and how easily we can fall back into unbelief if we allow tempestuous thoughts to question God's sovereignty when prosperity and comfort are no where to be found.
The amazing truth of Scripture is that God operates counter to our logical thinking. Consider how James opened his letter: "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds" (James 1:2). Only Biblical Christianity takes such a radical and illogical perspective as to count trials as joy, or tests of faith as opportunities for sanctification. Therefore, we who trust in God understand that our prayers of faith can result in healing if the Lord wills. Conversely, we know that our prayers can result in continued suffering or loss if the Lord wills as well. Both avenues are possible outcomes for hearts that offer petitions to God trusting solely in His sovereignty. Yes, we believe God is all-powerful and can perform miracles, but our faith is not contingent upon whether our prayers are answered as we see fit. We do not need to see signs and wonders to believe Jesus is the Christ and can provide the miracles we so desperately seek. Rather, we rest in the assurance that all things come to fruition in His way, in His timing, and for His glory, which makes it easier for us to accept whatever comes our way for better or worse. "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).
The power of prayer for the believer in Christ is that it seeks to align our hearts with the heart of God. Prayer magnifies the reality that we need help. We are not fully equipped to handle all the struggles life throws our way. Therefore, we need the Lord's wisdom, counsel, healing and deliverance. There is a greater need though, and James clearly calls that out as forgiveness in verse 15. Forgiveness in many ways is the linchpin to our prayer life. It magnifies the role sin has in separating our fellowship with God, which directly impacts our prayers. Therefore, we must be diligent to confess our sins to the Lord, for "the Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Moreover, we must be willing to reconcile with those who we have sinned against and/or have sinned against us, before offering our petitions to the Lord. "So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift" (Matthew 5:23-24). For a man that is callous and unwilling to reconcile with others will not himself be forgiven by the Father if he remains steadfast in his pride. "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:14-15).
Forgiveness in its purest form is healing. It mends our broken hearts and restores our relationships with others and our supreme relationship with the Father when we own our sin and repent for the damages we have inflicted upon Christ. Why then would repentance not be the prerequisite with which we approach the throne of grace in prayer? God longs to spend intimate quality time with us, but we cannot have fellowship with Him if sin continues to blatantly be present in our lives. We must repent, for only then will our prayers of faith have any chance of being answered. Bottom-line, there is no guarantee that God will respond to our prayer requests as we prefer. What we can be certain of though is that if our intentions are pure and our sins confessed, our prayers will be heard. And the Lord will act according to His sovereign will for our ultimate benefit and to the glory of His name if we believe His character to be as righteous as Scripture declares and His purposes pure and holy. "The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him" (Psalm 103:6-13).
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Friday, January 22, 2016
James 5:13-14 (Devotion)
"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 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."
Undoubtedly, there are moments in our lives when we experience trials and triumphs. We transition through various seasons of life in which our faith (or lack thereof) is tested to varying degrees through hardship and prosperity. It is in those moments when temptation looms dangerously close to our hearts with questions that flood our minds, such as, "Do we continue to remain faithful to God, when like Job, life is virtually unbearable with strife and calamity? Do we slip into laziness when our lives become comfortable and mundane? Do allow our hearts to become filled with anger toward God when life seems unjust or unfair? Do we take personal credit for the blessings God pours down and exalt self over the Creator?" In others words, when push comes to shove in our lives and we are faced with all the good and bad life has to offer, do we rely on ourselves or God? In truth, all the peripheral questions that flood our hearts and minds from the moment we enter this world till the day we breathe our last, boils down to the issue of faith. What do we believe and who do we trust as the source of our salvation?
Jesus had a tremendous amount to say regarding our foundation of faith, but none more important than what Matthew records in his Gospel account. "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it" (Matthew 7:24-27). The significance of what Jesus teaches is that when our lives are overwhelmed with suffering, abound with joyful blessing, or stricken with sickness, the foundation our faith is grounded upon will determine our sinful reaction or righteous response to the season of life we are facing. This is easily recognizable by the role that emotions play in our thinking. Are we constantly driven by our feelings in times of trial that we are consumed day and night and incapacitated to receive Biblical truth and accountability from our community of faith? Or in contrast, are we counter-cultural in our thinking and resting in the absolute truth of Scripture which instructs us to "trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones" (Proverbs 3:5-8)?
In truth, our flesh desperately seeks to self-protect in times of strife by relying on our experiential knowledge regardless of how limited it is compared to the sovereignty of God, but we must resist logic and trust in the Lord even when we do not "feel" like it will make a bit of difference in remedying our plight. Similarly, when our lives are quantified as prosperous and the blessings of God are being poured forth in abundance, are we tempted to become malnourished in our daily diet of Biblical truth and becoming too comfortable or lazy in our spiritual disciplines? Jesus addressed this type of foolish thinking as well to warn His followers of the dangers of misinterpreting the blessing of God as justification for laziness. "And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’" (Luke 12:16-20).
What we must remember is that our responses to life's circumstances are grounded in our understanding of who God is as written in His Word. We cannot separate ourselves from that foundation of truth if we declare ourselves as born-again, followers of Christ. For without the Bible as our compass in times of trial, how else will we resist the urge to blame God and assume a label of victim when life turns sour quickly? The entire premise of spiritual self-empowerment is to rid our lives of anyone or anything that interferes with our right to be the master of our own domain and ultimate authority of our destiny, but that is absolutely NOT the Gospel. Biblical perspective concerning God's sovereignty is the complete antithesis of that. Consider the words of John the Baptist as a perfect example of how counter-cultural the Word of God truly is to self-empowerment: "He (Jesus) must increase, but I must decrease.” He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him" (John 3:30-36). John not only provides the answer for how we must live our lives according to Biblical truth, but explains what the consequences will be for those who choose to trust in themselves rather than the author of our salvation, Jesus Christ.
What we must grasp considering what James wrote in this final section of his letter is that prayer and praise are devoid of value if we do not reconcile what our foundation of faith is. For what benefit do we realistically seek to obtain in asking for prayer and anointing of oil if we do not believe in the ultimate source of authority who is able to answer our prayers? Prayer requests are common even for those who do not believe Jesus is the Christ and Savior of the world, because unbelievers who pray or ask for prayer are desperate for ANY divine intervention that will answer their heart's desire. Let us be clear though. Such beliefs are conditional in nature and reflect a spiritual emptiness that does not grasp what true Christianity is all about. God's desire is for our sanctification, and at times that constitutes pain, suffering, trial, or illness which may tempt us to doubt He loves us or cares about what we're going through. Or perhaps, God may be abundantly blessing us to test our allegiance to Him as the source of our prosperity. In either case, we simply cannot predict the reasons behind the sovereignty with which He acts, but we can choose to accept Him at His Word that His will be done to the glory of His name, because He is Holy and worthy to be praised regardless of our past, present or future circumstances. "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen" (Philippians 4:19-20).
Therefore, our response is simple. If we believe God is who He says He is in the pages of Scripture, then we must simply trust Him unconditionally to move and act in our lives without fear of what the enemy throws our way. For we know we are loved by God, and that is the ultimate foundation of our faith which we cling to throughout every season of our lives. May we remember the promises of God that testify to this truth and remind us of our identity in Christ so that we have the perspective needed to apply James' teaching obediently. "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:31-39).
Undoubtedly, there are moments in our lives when we experience trials and triumphs. We transition through various seasons of life in which our faith (or lack thereof) is tested to varying degrees through hardship and prosperity. It is in those moments when temptation looms dangerously close to our hearts with questions that flood our minds, such as, "Do we continue to remain faithful to God, when like Job, life is virtually unbearable with strife and calamity? Do we slip into laziness when our lives become comfortable and mundane? Do allow our hearts to become filled with anger toward God when life seems unjust or unfair? Do we take personal credit for the blessings God pours down and exalt self over the Creator?" In others words, when push comes to shove in our lives and we are faced with all the good and bad life has to offer, do we rely on ourselves or God? In truth, all the peripheral questions that flood our hearts and minds from the moment we enter this world till the day we breathe our last, boils down to the issue of faith. What do we believe and who do we trust as the source of our salvation?
Jesus had a tremendous amount to say regarding our foundation of faith, but none more important than what Matthew records in his Gospel account. "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it" (Matthew 7:24-27). The significance of what Jesus teaches is that when our lives are overwhelmed with suffering, abound with joyful blessing, or stricken with sickness, the foundation our faith is grounded upon will determine our sinful reaction or righteous response to the season of life we are facing. This is easily recognizable by the role that emotions play in our thinking. Are we constantly driven by our feelings in times of trial that we are consumed day and night and incapacitated to receive Biblical truth and accountability from our community of faith? Or in contrast, are we counter-cultural in our thinking and resting in the absolute truth of Scripture which instructs us to "trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones" (Proverbs 3:5-8)?
In truth, our flesh desperately seeks to self-protect in times of strife by relying on our experiential knowledge regardless of how limited it is compared to the sovereignty of God, but we must resist logic and trust in the Lord even when we do not "feel" like it will make a bit of difference in remedying our plight. Similarly, when our lives are quantified as prosperous and the blessings of God are being poured forth in abundance, are we tempted to become malnourished in our daily diet of Biblical truth and becoming too comfortable or lazy in our spiritual disciplines? Jesus addressed this type of foolish thinking as well to warn His followers of the dangers of misinterpreting the blessing of God as justification for laziness. "And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’" (Luke 12:16-20).
What we must remember is that our responses to life's circumstances are grounded in our understanding of who God is as written in His Word. We cannot separate ourselves from that foundation of truth if we declare ourselves as born-again, followers of Christ. For without the Bible as our compass in times of trial, how else will we resist the urge to blame God and assume a label of victim when life turns sour quickly? The entire premise of spiritual self-empowerment is to rid our lives of anyone or anything that interferes with our right to be the master of our own domain and ultimate authority of our destiny, but that is absolutely NOT the Gospel. Biblical perspective concerning God's sovereignty is the complete antithesis of that. Consider the words of John the Baptist as a perfect example of how counter-cultural the Word of God truly is to self-empowerment: "He (Jesus) must increase, but I must decrease.” He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him" (John 3:30-36). John not only provides the answer for how we must live our lives according to Biblical truth, but explains what the consequences will be for those who choose to trust in themselves rather than the author of our salvation, Jesus Christ.
What we must grasp considering what James wrote in this final section of his letter is that prayer and praise are devoid of value if we do not reconcile what our foundation of faith is. For what benefit do we realistically seek to obtain in asking for prayer and anointing of oil if we do not believe in the ultimate source of authority who is able to answer our prayers? Prayer requests are common even for those who do not believe Jesus is the Christ and Savior of the world, because unbelievers who pray or ask for prayer are desperate for ANY divine intervention that will answer their heart's desire. Let us be clear though. Such beliefs are conditional in nature and reflect a spiritual emptiness that does not grasp what true Christianity is all about. God's desire is for our sanctification, and at times that constitutes pain, suffering, trial, or illness which may tempt us to doubt He loves us or cares about what we're going through. Or perhaps, God may be abundantly blessing us to test our allegiance to Him as the source of our prosperity. In either case, we simply cannot predict the reasons behind the sovereignty with which He acts, but we can choose to accept Him at His Word that His will be done to the glory of His name, because He is Holy and worthy to be praised regardless of our past, present or future circumstances. "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen" (Philippians 4:19-20).
Therefore, our response is simple. If we believe God is who He says He is in the pages of Scripture, then we must simply trust Him unconditionally to move and act in our lives without fear of what the enemy throws our way. For we know we are loved by God, and that is the ultimate foundation of our faith which we cling to throughout every season of our lives. May we remember the promises of God that testify to this truth and remind us of our identity in Christ so that we have the perspective needed to apply James' teaching obediently. "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:31-39).
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
James 5:12 (Devotion)
"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."
James 5:12 is perhaps one of the more peculiar Scripture passages James wrote because of its placement within chapter 5 of his letter. It falls between sectional headings of "patience in suffering" and "the prayer of faith" which should help discern its meaning, yet on the surface it doesn't seem to fit. One could propose that it bridges these two paragraphs, maintaining a pattern of consistency and flow of thought from James to his readers. For it is undeniable that the meaning of James 5:12 in and of itself is integrity of one's word, yet the contextual placement of it has perplexed Biblical scholars since it was first penned. Why would James make this statement now? It is tempting to ignore the context surrounding verse 12 and simply address the point James addresses, for this passage forces a man to look in the mirror and ask himself, "Are my words trustworthy or manipulative and dishonest? Do my words support or contradict my actions? Can I be counted on for what I commit to?" Make no mistake, verse 12 places a spotlight on the integrity of a man's word, which should offer insight to its corresponding verses surrounding.
Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary defines an oath as "a solemn affirmation or declaration, made with an appeal to God for the truth of what is affirmed. The appeal to God in an oath, implies that the person imprecates his vengeance and renounces his favor if the declaration is false, or if the declaration is a promise, the person invokes the vengeance of God if he should fail to fulfill it." In summary, an oath is a serious declaration to God that requires honesty and sincerity of heart, coupled with a willingness to be held accountable in judgment for the oath's fulfillment. That is why in a court of law, a witness questioned under oath is accountable for the truthfulness of his/her testimony. For the Christian man or woman, an oath made to God (in essence) helps measure spiritual maturity. It reveals whether we trust God unconditionally in the midst of trial, confusion or misunderstanding, and calculates the spiritual weight of character and integrity of our words. In truth, it reveals not only whether we can be trusted to fulfill the commitments we make and stand by the words we speak, but also whether we trust in the sovereignty of God that defies human logic and experiential understanding to preside over the trajectory of our lives, for better or worse according to His divine will.
Let us not misconstrue ourselves into interpreting James' statement as one that abolishes oaths altogether. There is nothing wrong with making an oath with God-honoring intent or being under oath as in a court of law. The important takeaway is that we fulfill our oath to God without reservation, which points to James' exhortation that our “yes” be yes and our “no” be no. Our speech must be resolute with conviction and application so that it can be trusted by others and held accountable by God. Otherwise, we are questionable in our motives and conditional in our respect for God's supreme authority. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that James would conclude his message of patience in suffering by affirming our oath under God to trust His sovereignty in our words and actions. Patience can only be maintained with clear focus on the task at hand to endure trials with complete faith in the sovereignty of God, and that same sentiment holds true in our firmness of speech that establishes our integrity. Moreover, it should also come as no surprise that it points to the prayer of faith which demands that our sincerity of speech not preclude our prayers from being answered. We do not know when we pray whether God will answer yes, no or maybe, but we can be unwavering in our faith of His will and timing as we appeal to His grace and mercy in supplication during times of need.
Inevitably, the risk we take when we are influenced to stray from our word, and more importantly the Word of God, is condemnation. That is a serious warning that echoes the same teaching Jesus gave concerning oaths during His sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:33-37). At that time, the Pharisees were using oaths to give accreditation to their behavior in order to tempt people into believing their intentions were God-honoring, their hearts were pure, and their words truthful. They used oaths to manipulate others rather than to affirm their integrity, and Jesus swiftly admonished that behavior and the use of oaths in such manner when He declared that man not take an oath at all. Jesus' concern, as it always is, focuses on man's heart and his need for clarification and understanding. Hence, man should not be concerned with having to prove the validity of his word at all times if his word is resolute, his intent pure and genuine, and his willingness to be held accountable according to his word universal. In the end, we glean immense wisdom from this teaching as it relates to patience in suffering and prayers offered in faith when we ensure that our "yes" is yes, and our "no" is no. Because more often than not, God will position us in situations and circumstances when this teaching will be applicable and the validity and integrity of our word will be paramount to identifying us to others as followers of Jesus Christ when we exude patience in suffering and offer prayers of faith to God.
James 5:12 is perhaps one of the more peculiar Scripture passages James wrote because of its placement within chapter 5 of his letter. It falls between sectional headings of "patience in suffering" and "the prayer of faith" which should help discern its meaning, yet on the surface it doesn't seem to fit. One could propose that it bridges these two paragraphs, maintaining a pattern of consistency and flow of thought from James to his readers. For it is undeniable that the meaning of James 5:12 in and of itself is integrity of one's word, yet the contextual placement of it has perplexed Biblical scholars since it was first penned. Why would James make this statement now? It is tempting to ignore the context surrounding verse 12 and simply address the point James addresses, for this passage forces a man to look in the mirror and ask himself, "Are my words trustworthy or manipulative and dishonest? Do my words support or contradict my actions? Can I be counted on for what I commit to?" Make no mistake, verse 12 places a spotlight on the integrity of a man's word, which should offer insight to its corresponding verses surrounding.
Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary defines an oath as "a solemn affirmation or declaration, made with an appeal to God for the truth of what is affirmed. The appeal to God in an oath, implies that the person imprecates his vengeance and renounces his favor if the declaration is false, or if the declaration is a promise, the person invokes the vengeance of God if he should fail to fulfill it." In summary, an oath is a serious declaration to God that requires honesty and sincerity of heart, coupled with a willingness to be held accountable in judgment for the oath's fulfillment. That is why in a court of law, a witness questioned under oath is accountable for the truthfulness of his/her testimony. For the Christian man or woman, an oath made to God (in essence) helps measure spiritual maturity. It reveals whether we trust God unconditionally in the midst of trial, confusion or misunderstanding, and calculates the spiritual weight of character and integrity of our words. In truth, it reveals not only whether we can be trusted to fulfill the commitments we make and stand by the words we speak, but also whether we trust in the sovereignty of God that defies human logic and experiential understanding to preside over the trajectory of our lives, for better or worse according to His divine will.
Let us not misconstrue ourselves into interpreting James' statement as one that abolishes oaths altogether. There is nothing wrong with making an oath with God-honoring intent or being under oath as in a court of law. The important takeaway is that we fulfill our oath to God without reservation, which points to James' exhortation that our “yes” be yes and our “no” be no. Our speech must be resolute with conviction and application so that it can be trusted by others and held accountable by God. Otherwise, we are questionable in our motives and conditional in our respect for God's supreme authority. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that James would conclude his message of patience in suffering by affirming our oath under God to trust His sovereignty in our words and actions. Patience can only be maintained with clear focus on the task at hand to endure trials with complete faith in the sovereignty of God, and that same sentiment holds true in our firmness of speech that establishes our integrity. Moreover, it should also come as no surprise that it points to the prayer of faith which demands that our sincerity of speech not preclude our prayers from being answered. We do not know when we pray whether God will answer yes, no or maybe, but we can be unwavering in our faith of His will and timing as we appeal to His grace and mercy in supplication during times of need.
Inevitably, the risk we take when we are influenced to stray from our word, and more importantly the Word of God, is condemnation. That is a serious warning that echoes the same teaching Jesus gave concerning oaths during His sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:33-37). At that time, the Pharisees were using oaths to give accreditation to their behavior in order to tempt people into believing their intentions were God-honoring, their hearts were pure, and their words truthful. They used oaths to manipulate others rather than to affirm their integrity, and Jesus swiftly admonished that behavior and the use of oaths in such manner when He declared that man not take an oath at all. Jesus' concern, as it always is, focuses on man's heart and his need for clarification and understanding. Hence, man should not be concerned with having to prove the validity of his word at all times if his word is resolute, his intent pure and genuine, and his willingness to be held accountable according to his word universal. In the end, we glean immense wisdom from this teaching as it relates to patience in suffering and prayers offered in faith when we ensure that our "yes" is yes, and our "no" is no. Because more often than not, God will position us in situations and circumstances when this teaching will be applicable and the validity and integrity of our word will be paramount to identifying us to others as followers of Jesus Christ when we exude patience in suffering and offer prayers of faith to God.
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