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Be Patient and Persevering
In Lesson 11, James warns those who are rich about their conduct. However, he points out several things for which we may be guilty. We must treat the rich or poor fairly.
In today’s lesson, Be Patient and Persevering, James deals with our everyday Christian life. He tells us how we should act toward others, meet specific needs, and bring back those who err.
Be Patient
Are you looking for the coming of the Lord? Are you patiently waiting for His return?
Even in the early church, people had grown complacent in their faith. They were hoping for His quick return, but it had been many years since Jesus ascended when James wrote this epistle. As you know, we are very patient with most things and easily get distracted by worldly events.
So James tells us to be patient as we wait for the coming of the Lord. If you have any experience with farming or gardening, you can understand this metaphor. You plant and wait! Sometimes you do not wait patiently.
We are to look for His coming! He says to establish your hearts. In other words, keep in mind that the Lord will come when you least expect Him. Live your life as if you will see Him face to face today.
7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. James 5:7-8 NKJV
Do Not Grumble
Now listen to this! The scripture forbids grumbling. God punished the children of Israel very sternly when they grumbled. And what does it gain when the household of God complains against another brother or sister in Christ?
Verse nine tells us that the Judge is standing at the door. Jesus does not want us to bicker about anything. It keeps us from having an effective ministry. How often have you heard or been involved in someone complaining about how someone else has acted?
9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!
Our example is the prophets who stood before a people who did not always want to listen. In fact, they rarely listened. Instead, the prophets suffered and patiently tried to persuade the people of what God was telling them.
10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. James 5:9-11 NKJV
God wants us to be more like Job and less like the children of Israel wandering in the desert. So He sent His son to die for us and make peace between Him and us. He wants us to stand fast in what He has taught us, even as Job did.
Do Not Swear
12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment. James 5:12 NKJV
We usually think of swear words or curse words in our vernacular when we think of swearing.
What James is saying is to be very careful what we say. Let our answers be truthful and straightforward. When we are honest, our word should be enough. We should not need to swear by anything to affirm that we are telling the truth.
Meeting Specific Needs
Once we get our minds centered on the return of the Lord, stop grumbling, and decide not to swear, we can start meeting needs. You will find that there are needs all around you. Just pay attention. Be patient and persevering as you minister to others.
Start with your own life. If you are suffering, take it to the Lord. Likewise, if you are happy, don’t hold it in; sing praises to God. We noticed earlier” that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” God wants to bless us, but we need to do our part.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 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. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. James 5:13-15 NKJV
James says if we are sick, call the elders. Do we do that? No is the usual answer, or in some churches, the question is,” Who are the elders?”. The point is that what he taught as practical Christianity is not practiced today.
Note that the prayer of faith does something. It will save the sick, but it will also bring the forgiveness of sins. That is a compelling statement. How much would you like to be able to pray for someone and see them healed and forgiven of their sins?
Think about what James is saying!
He gives an example of what your prayer can do when you pray believing.
Confess to one another
James does not stop with this admonition. Prayer is the key to many things, but it starts with caring for each other.
First, we are to confess our sins to one another. Then we are to pray for one another that we may be healed. Note that it says that “ you may be healed.”
Your prayers can be extremely effective when you live a righteous life and devote yourself to prayer. Look at his example of Elijah. Elijah was a man just like us. He believed, and God responded to his prayers.
When we are patient and persevering God will respond to our prayers also.
16Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. James 5:16-18 NKJV
God is not a respecter of persons; He responds to prayer the same way He always has. He may answer instantly, or He may delay His answer. But the key is always our faith and that we are praying in His will.
Bring Back the Erring One
The last point of today’s lesson is the importance of working to bring our brothers and sisters who stray back into the fold.
How often have you seen a person within the church who gets too busy for God? Or a person becomes so involved in some worldly pursuit that they give up living righteously.
What is our duty as Christians? Is it not to go to that person and reason with them?
I have often heard people commenting about a brother or sister who has turned to sin and drifted away. They see what is happening and yet are unwilling to go in love to the person and try to bring them back.
Evangelism is not just reaching those who don’t know Jesus. As Christians, our first duty is to the household of God. When we see sin seeping into a person’s life, we need to go to them.
You may save their soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. James 5:19-20 NKJV
Please take time to reread these scriptures. They can change your effectiveness as a follower of Jesus.
You can join us anytime. Following are links to the Previous Lessons from James: Faith Grows Through Trials – Lesson 1, Tempted by God – Lesson 2, Doers of the Word – Lesson 3, Impartial – Lesson 4, Faith – Works What Saves – Lesson 5, The Untamable Tongue – Lesson 6, Fighting and Quarreling – Lesson 7, Friendship with the World – Lesson 8, What is submission to God? – James Lesson 9, Judging and Boasting – James Lesson 10, Rich in What? – James Lesson 11, Be Patient and Persevering – James Lesson 12 and the last Critical Points of James – James Lesson 13