Note for study: The Word of God is powerful and full bodied.
These are some thoughts on James.
The hope for all of us is that we hear from the Lord as we read
and integrate what we have learned into our lives.
This is by no means every explanation possible.
The word of God is alive and this is just what the Lord exposed to me.
Keep digging for more, the riches and richness of God’s treasure
is way beyond one person or any certain teaching.
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven,
neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. v 12
Be not proud and boastful with your promises and words.
For by thy words thou shalt be justified,
and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Matthew 12:37
The book of James has a lot about speaking words, I’ve noticed,
and how it affects our walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is any among you afflicted? let him pray.
Is any merry? let him sing psalms. v 13
Always focusing on the Lord Jesus.
Is any sick among you? 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: v 14
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up;
and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. v 15
Confess your faults one to another,
and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. v 16
Our prayers are held in high regard by God, but we must have clean hands.
If we ignore any sin in our life or ignore the urgings or the corrections
of the Holy Spirit or disregard God’s word,
our prayers are not considered righteous.
Therefore the Lord hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight. 2 Samuel 22:25
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge,
giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel,
and as being heirs together of the grace of life;
that your prayers be not hindered. 1 Peter 3:7
Our prayers can be hindered for some things.
Seek God as His word has many exhortations to be clean in His sight.
Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are,
and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain:
and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. v17
Elijah had no power without God. He prayed according to God’s will.
And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead,
said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand,
there shall not be dew nor rain these years,
but according to my word. 1 Kings 17:1
And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain,
and the earth brought forth her fruit. v 18
And it came to pass after many days,
that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying,
Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth. 1 Kings 18::1
Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; v 19
Let him know,
that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way
shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. v 20
Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee,
go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone:
if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. Matthew 18:15
We are our brother’s keeper.
And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother?
And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? Genesis 4:9
Abel’s blood was crying from the ground.
We are responsible when God prompts us to do something.
We will be held accountable for what we do and for what we don’t do
if we are disobedient when we know the Lord has asked us to do something.