Mirror, Mirror
Practical Christianity - The Book of James • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Who here has looked in a mirror before? Good, I’m glad to hear that is a shared experience among all of us!
What is the purpose of a mirror? To reflect an image so that you can see yourself. A mirror - by it’s very nature - draws attention not to itself, but to the one who it is reflecting.
Did you know we are mirrors too? We reflect someone far greater than ourselves. That’s Christ. So, how are you doing at reflecting Him?
Sermon series
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back,
let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
Big Idea: We reflect Jesus to those around us.
When you are captured by the mercy, grace, and love of God, it changes you. Here James addresses three ways that real relationship with Jesus is going to shape you.
Here James shows three ways that we start reflecting Jesus to those around us.
12 - In Your Integrity
12 - In Your Integrity
Verse 12 addresses the nature of our speech again. Integrity should characterize our speech. Real relationship with Jesus promotes integrity.
Integrity goes a long way, doesn’t it? People get a reputation pretty quick for either having integrity, or lacking it. Recently we’ve been watching the TV show “the Rookie,” anyone know it? The premise is charting the lives of these police academy grads from rookies up through the ranks. You meet many characters on both sides of the law. One of these is a man named Oscar. Listen to what our token rookie - officer Nolan - thinks of Oscar:
Video - Oscar and Nolan.~25 seconds
Did you notice how Oscar has got that reputation of being “the worst person in the world?” Why? Because among other things he’s completely self-serving and cannot be trusted. He has like zero integrity.
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.
Remember last week we left off with James admonishing the believers to be patient in trial and suffering. Especially considering that many of the believers were being oppressed by the rich. James reminds them that Jesus is coming soon, and will bring justice.
And then we get this verse…
It might feel like it’s out of context. Why move to this? In actuality, this verse connects what comes before and what comes after, and addresses again the idea of speech in James.
James starts with “above all” not meaning that this is more important, but again it’s a “listen up” statement.
James then calls on the believers not to “swear” or make an oath. People used to swear by lots of different things. It was a way to validate what they were saying. The problem was that oath-taking had become very common-place, and frivolous (Cornerstone). It didn’t really mean what it used to mean. Integrity - honesty in your speech - was seriously corroded.
Did you know? In the Old Testament oath-taking was actually permitted:
If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
God Himself has taken oaths in His own Name:
For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself,
Is James countermanding the OT law? Or what God has done? Not at all. Remember that the purpose of an oath was to validate the truth. In his time, it seemed to have lost that function.
So James calls for a different - grace-filled - way of living: Let your yes be yes, and your no be no. Consider Jesus’ words in Matt 5 37
Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
Jesus and James make the same point: the integrity of our speech should be so good that if we say yes, people can trust it. If we say no, people trust it. This doesn’t mean we have to refuse say, an oath in court to tell the whole truth. Rather it gets at the heart of the matter: let honesty be the policy.
James, 1 - 2 Peter, Jude & Revelation Commentary
Integrity should characterize Christians, and integrity will flow from wholehearted reliance on grace.”
Remember that a big theme in James is that right theology leads to right action. Faith without works is dead, and the mouth is the fountain of the heart. So when we speak with integrity we demonstrate a heart that has been captured by the holy, righteous, unchanging God. He is trustworthy.
Jesus showed us trustworthiness when he said “yes” to the cross. He went through it, even though it was awful. God promised - way back at the beginning to send a Savior. He did it, in His timing. That is the same trustworthiness that we rely on now while we wait with great anticipation for the coming of Christ.
Let the integrity that characterizes our God be the same for us - His people. If you have a real, life-changing relationship with Jesus, God’s Spirit will be working to establish a pattern of honesty and integrity in your life that comes from grace. It points back to God and shows people that He is trustworthy; full of love, mercy, and grace. A real relationship with that God will start to work integrity into your life.
13-18 - In Your Faith
13-18 - In Your Faith
Our prayers become faith-filled, joy-filled, and bring healing physically and spiritually.
As we continue forward in this conclusion, James addresses prayer. If the speech problem was frivolous oath-taking, the answer is prayer. Committing everything to God.
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
James starts by addressing two opposite ends of the scale: suffering, and rejoicing.
If you are suffering - mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, come to God in prayer. If you are in a place that is good, rejoice and praise God.
I asked last week what you do when you get in a tough spot. Let’s flip the question: What do you do when times are good, or you’ve done well, etc?
Maybe we breathe a sigh of relief, or wait on edge for the other shoe to drop haha. Maybe temptation sets in, “hey, I’m doing pretty good for myself - go me.” Or “look, I’m a self-made man or woman. I have done all this.”
When times go well, it’s usually not the time we turn to God. Maybe we need to flip that. When times are good - that’s the time to praise God! Remember James’ words:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
So let us turn to God in suffering and call upon Him. Let us turn to Him in the good times with praise.
Now James turns to the very ill:
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.
The word for sick here has been used for spiritual sickness. However it is also used for physical sickness and in this context it best fits this way. And notice: This sick person is not just having runny-nose issues. They are seriously ill, to the point that the elders “pray over” him. Not only that, but the elders - spiritually mature leaders in the church - are to anoint with oil the sick person.
Here when someone comes for prayer who may be sick, we will sometimes use the anointing oil. I will place some of my finger and draw a cross on their forehead with the oil. I do this not to guarantee healing, but to symbolize the healing power of God, and our trust in Him. By anointing that person, we are setting them apart for God. The anointing oil reminds us that God is our healer.
Notice how James continues:
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.
Wow! This is a bold statement! What does this tell us? First, it shows us the power of faith. Did you notice how that anointing is done in God’s name? And our faith is in God. This tells us that it is God at work through our prayers and relying on Him.
James says two things happen when someone prays in faith: The sick are raised up, and are forgiven of sins. James is addressing - in part - sickness brought on by sin. Forgiveness of sins therefore can sometimes lead to physical healing. Moreover, when we have sin we’re holding onto in our lives, it can actually hinder the restorative work God wants to do. It separates us from God.
James advocates confession because sin hinders our relationship with God. Most often we confess our sins to God, and so we should. But James also advocates confession to one another so that we might be reminded of the forgiveness of our God and that we might pray for each other. It’s not a license for sin, nor is the catholic confession to the priest necessarily pictured. Instead, in healthy Christian community there is a time for confession and asking for prayer to overcome sin in one’s life. This time reminds us of God’s forgiveness. That’s a good thing.
When we come together to pray for the very ill, spending time even fasting prior, we are drawing closer to God. Praying in faith - even anointing with oil welcomes in God’s presence to that situation. Yet, the mystery is that healing is still in God’s timing. Sometimes immediate, sometime over time, sometimes not till heaven. It’s His prerogative.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Example of no healing at that time.
Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
James 3. Effective Prayer (5:13–18)
The straightforward teaching then is confidence in the efficacy of prayer. The result of prayer is always dependent on the will of God to heal in a particular case.
The prayer of faith is offered in faith, and part of faith is trusting that God knows best. - Got questions.
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
Sometimes we think it’s all about having enough faith. “Just have enough faith and you’ll be healed.” This is a problem in modern Christianity, propagated by a false gospel message that’s all about us and our prosperity. It’s not about “enough faith” but rather having faith and trusting God. Does prayer work or doesn’t it? We need to understand and have faith that it does.
Let’s take a moment and re-center on what James is trying to convey. The big idea is…
Big Idea: We reflect Jesus to those around us.
This is another way a real, deep relationship with Christ is going to change you. Your prayer life - and the prayer life of the church - will expand. We pray with faith for the sick.
James uses this picture of Elijah here to help us understand something: Elijah was just a person like us. He had skin, bones, no doubt scrapes and bruises. He got frustrated or angry, or felt happiness even as we do. He wasn’t some glowing demi-god guy. He was a regular person. A person who God used in extraordinary ways. Friends, Elijah prayed in faith. God heard his prayer and responded. While we don’t necessarily see Elijah praying for the drought in 1 Kings, we do see him praying for rain in 16. And it came!
So come together, confess sins if you need to, and pray in faith! Praying in faith, with the authority of elders in the church has power! Will everyone be healed? No, but there is power in prayer and we must not stop doing it! So we can be encouraged too - pray! If you have a living relationship with Jesus then exercise faith and pray. Come before Him confidence that God does hear you, and your prayers can accomplish much. Does God always heal how we would want? No. Does that mean our prayers were in vain? Never! Often, it is precisely because we prayed that miracles happen. When you have a real relationship with Jesus, prayer will grow in your life and as you get closer to Jesus and grow in understanding His heart and plan, your prayers will line up with His will and plan more and more often… resulting in more prayers answered as we hoped.
Prayer, not the person, is what God’s power is channeled through to the person. (Word Biblical Commentary, 211).
19-20 - In Your Vigilance
19-20 - In Your Vigilance
Real relationship with Jesus brings each of each into closer connection. We want to care about each other more and begin to lookout for the spiritual well-being of each person.
James ends his book with the following directive:
My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back,
let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
Notice there’s no final greeting, just this short statement. It sums up the book well.
If our big idea today is that:
Big Idea: We reflect Jesus to those around us.
How does this fit?
Because James addresses different Jewish-Christian churches in Asia Minor and calls them - throughout the whole book - to live in the truth. Know it, live it out. Right theology leads to right action. When you have actually been captured by the grace and love of God - real relationship with Jesus - the truth changes you.
So now, James tells these Christians to watch out for each other.
If someone wanders away tells us that this could happen to anyone. We are humans, fallible by nature. To wander away from the truth of the gospel here speaks to this entire letter. James has addresses the misuse of the tongue, oppression of the poor, living out your faith, partiality, and other sins. All of these problems are sins that like to creep in and draw us away from Christ.
Wandering away is not just picturing a couple of sins. We are talking about the rejection of Christ. Hebrews addresses this:
For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit,
and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come,
and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.
Apostasy - “Act of rebelling against, forsaking, abandoning, or falling away from what one has believed.” - Holman Bible Dictionary - is what is pictured in Hebrews. James might not be as strong as that, but it’s along the same line. When someone wanders away from the faith, they place themselves in grave danger, particularly of spiritual death.
When this happens, Scripture says that this is not unforgivable, but it is indeed very serious.
James calls on the church to be vigilant. If someone falls away, and someone else brings them back, there is great blessing in this. To save his soul from death is not physical death. That is a reality until the Lord returns. But to be saved from spiritual death is what James has in mind. Thus, if someone brings the wanderer back to Christ again, the wanderer’s soul is saved, and their sins are covered by the blood of Christ.
Why would James say this? Keep in mind, he’s been addressing sin in his book. Many different types, mostly focusing around our ethics. Now he calls on the church to be vigilant. If someone sees another wandering away from the faith, get involved! It’s not about condemning that person, beating them over the head with the Bible, or shaming them. Instead, in love you go to your brother and sister, and talk with them about what you are seeing. If something needs to be confronted, do so gently with grace. This is restorative in nature.
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
The idea here is that, when we have real relationship with Christ, we notice a change in our interpersonal relationships. As believers, we care about each other enough not to let people just do their own thing in sin. Instead, we approach and confront sin in love.
Remember Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?
You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
This is not a allowance for each of us to go find someone after the service and pick the spec out of their eye - so to speak. Rather, maybe you have a good relationship with someone in the the church. Perhaps you notice that they have started to wander from Scripture, or you’re concerned about something you’ve notice in their life that seems unhealthy. Ask God for wisdom, and then approach them about this thing. It’s good to gain a clear understanding of what is happening before confronting. If you are still concerned, tell them why. Confront the sin. Seek restoration, not condemnation.
By caring about others and not allowing them to continue in sin, we choose to exercise vigilance and restoration. That’s the difference real relationship with Jesus makes! We look out for our brother or sister’s spiritual well-being.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Big Idea: We reflect Jesus to those around us.
First in our integrity. God works in us integrity, so that we can let our yes simply mean yes, and our no mean no. We shouldn’t have to question it. James advocates that out of grace, we are changed. Our word is trustworthy.
Second is our faith. The prayer of a righteous person has great power when it is working. Not that we have power, but God’s power comes through prayer. Real relationship with Jesus causes us to come to him in suffering and in ease. In mourning and rejoicing. Moreover, when someone is sick, we pray over them. Our God is able to save and restore! We trust Him in this.
In our vigilance. James calls us to be vigilant. If we see someone wandering away from the truth, we need to go and try to bring them back. In doing so, that persons sins are forgiven and they are saved from spiritual death.
We are like a mirror, reflecting to those around us our Savior, Jesus.
This conclusion to Jame’s letter addresses these things and calls us to reflect Christ in our daily lives.
So today, I would like to end our series by doing just that.
Gather where you are with two or three other people. Take a minute or two a piece, and be honest about where you are at. Maybe you have a priase item you’d like to share. Maybe you need prayer over something. Perhaps there’s a sin in your life you’ve been struggling with that you need to confess. Take a few moment now to do that. We agree together that what is said now will remain in this space.
Ending like this today gives us a minute to really reflect Christ’s love, grace, and mercy to others. It allows us to encourage and build one another up. It allows us to give glory to God through our actions.
Maybe you don’t know Jesus here today, or you think this is strange. That’s ok! Join a group, and just be honest about that. Realize that God loved you so much he sent Jesus to die for you, so that you too can be saved, and can experience these things. So if you feel God is calling to you right now, don’t wait! Give your life to him. or ask someone in your group more about it! They will help you!
Let’s take time to reflect Jesus to each other, and then I’ll close with prayer.
