Biblical Eldership Church Leadership

James’ Instruction to the Sick

DEAL WITH SIN

James adds a second promise to his instruction: “and if he has com mitted sins, they will be forgiven him.” James leaves open the possi bility that sin may have caused the sick person’s illness. God does, indeed, chasten His erring children with the rod of physical sickness. Petty fighting and boastful divisions in the church at Corinth brought God’s disciplining hand down upon the transgressors in the form of sickness, and even death. Paul writes: “For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be condemned along with the world” (1 Cor. 11230-32). Among James’ readers we find “jealousy and selfish ambition” (James 3214); “quarrels and conflicts” (James 421); “lust” for worldly comforts and possessions (James 4:1-3,13,16); discrimination against the poor (James 221-13); complaining against one another(4211; 529); and a lack of practical Christian unity, faith, and love (James 1222-27; 2214-26). Thus James is acutely aware that in some cases sin may be the underlying cause of physical sickness (James 5212). When visiting the sick, elders also must be aware of the possibility that sin may be the cause of the sickness. A person who is willing to call on the church elders is more inclined to confess sin and receive total physical and spiritual healing. Assuming that a genuine confes sion has been made, James promises that the sick person’s sins will be forgiven. So the visiting elders may need to deal with far more than sickness. Their visit may turn out to be a time for spiritual counsel, confession, encouragement, or restoration. Although sickness may occur because of sin, we should emphati cally state that not all sickness is a result of personal sin. The book of Job makes this point crystal clear. James also makes this plain by add ing the qualifier, “if he has committed sin.” Many devout men and women of faith and prayer have suffered from illness for reasons other than personal sin. Paul himself suffered from some infirmity that be came a means of guidance for him (Gal. 4213,14). If his “thorn in the flesh” refers to a bodily infirmity, his bodily infirmity also became a means of spiritual development and protection (2 Cor. 1227-10). How ever, if a suffering member’s sickness is due to sin, elders must be prepared to deal with the situation accordingly.

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