The Book of James: Faith That Works – Week 7
February 19, 2023
James 5
James proclaims the worthlessness of riches, not the worthlessness of the rich. Today’s money will be worthless when Christ returns, so we should spend our time accumulating treasures that will be worthwhile in God’s eternal Kingdom. Money itself is not the problem. It is the love of money that leads to evil. This is a warning to all who are tempted to adopt worldly standards rather than God’s standards.
In verses 14,15. People in the church are not alone. Members of Christ’s body should be able to count on others for support and prayer especially when they are sick or suffering. The elders should be on call to respond to the weakness of any member and the church should stay alert to pray for the needs of all its members. Prayer, especially corporate prayer, is essential to the life of the church.
In 5:16 “Admit your faults” can be translated “Confess your sins”. Jesus has made it possible for us to go directly to God for Forgiveness, but confessing our sins to one another still has an important place in the life of the church. Our most powerful resource is communion with God through prayer. The results are often greater than we thought were possible. Prayer should come first. Since God’s power is infinitely greater than our own, it only makes sense to rely on it- especially because he encourages us to do so.
