| The following was sent to us by Br. Tom Adams |
Evidently James had a good understanding of human failings, how these effected the New Creature, and what it took to contend with and overcome them. He knew that patience is needed and built as these things try our faith. From the first through the fifth chapters, he enumerates many of these, calling them - sins. What he wrote about has benefits for us spiritually. An attempted 'list' follows:
| # | Sin | James ref. |
Where it leads | Antidote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LUST | 1:12-15 | Temptations (trials) - being drawn away of one's own lust leads to death; | Endurance 16, 17 - (pray for in faith), not erring, because every good gift is from above. |
| 2 | WRATH | 1:19, 20 | is of man, which worketh not the righteousness of God; | Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. |
| 3 | FILTHINESS | 1:21 | Impurity | Purity & Sincerity without ulterior motives & hidden schemes. |
| 4 | SUPERFLUITY OF NAUGHTINESS | 1:21 | Overflowing of malice | receive with meekness the engrafted (implanted) word, which is able to save your being. |
| 5 | HYPROCRISY | 1:22-25 | Intellectual hearers of the word & not doers; | be doers (obedient) of the word, not hearers only. |
| 6 | AN UNBRIDLED TONGUE | 1:26, 27 | an unruly tongue (lacking in a circumcised conscience), not being what you claim to be, thus having a vain religion | visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and keeping unspotted from the world. |
| 7 | RESPECT OF PERSONS | 2:1-9 | regarding earthly appearance & race or color (i.e. partiality or favoritism) | remember God has chosen the poor of this world, remember Jesus' commandment (John 15:12) and fulfill the royal law of love (Matt. 22:37-40). |
| 8 | KILLING | 2:10-12 | Slander by words comes from ill-will, ill-wishes in the heart (motivation, attitude) | so speak as one that will be judged by the law of liberty. |
| 9 | PRACTICING NO MERCY | 2:13-16 | being forgiven your debts, as a child of mercy, and not extending mercy to others | practice mercy, forgiveness, compassion, understanding, long-suffering, patience, tenderness, kindness, (2:17-26) faith without works (mercifulness) is disregarding the imputed righteousness (Ransom denial). |
| 10 | SPEWING OUT BLESSING & CURSING from the same mouth | 3:9-12 | Practice being a sweet person (loving), looking for the good in every situation, in others, in yourself. Self-abasement has it's limits, can be overdone, stifling, & counter-productive, & tends to be discouraging, which may lead to an embittered spirit - looking for the worse in all directions. Conversely, avoid being all sweetness without judgment & wisdom (prudence) - it's like being "all heart & no head." | |
| 11 | HAVING BITTER ENVYING & STRIFE | 3:14-16 | results in wrangling (unquietness, confusion) and every evil work - hatred, suspicion, enmity, bombasticy, & lasciviousness of words | wisdom from above, pureness, peaceableness, gentleness, easily entreated, full of mercy, having the fruits of righteousness sown in peace by them that make peace, & without partiality, wrangling, & hypocrisy, |
| 12 | WARS & FIGHTING among you (in the body) | 4:1-10 | because of your lusts - selfish desires, self seeking, envy, asking amiss, adultery (friends with the world), self-dependency (lack of need of our head, Jesus) | Submit to God, resist the devil, draw nigh to God (our personal Father), clean hands (conduct), purify our hearts (be genuine without conflict of mind), be afflicted (mourn, be grave), have heaviness (sadness), and be humble in God's sight (walk humbly before). |
| 13 | SPEAK NOT EVIL one of another | 4:11 | not badly, degradingly, disparagingly, judgingly, in or out of the body of Christ | There is a judge, a law-giver - leave it to him, practice law of love. |
| 14 | BOAST NOT | 4:13-17 | speak (braggingly or not) of what you have done or will do, as if not dependent on our head, Jesus, but on one's own will. | Leave it to the Lord's will and rejoice in that - to remember in heart and mind that we are dependent upon Him, who strengthens us. |
| 15 | NOT DOING THE GOOD YOU KNOW HOW TO DO | 4:17 | especially knowingly disobeying - smiting or searing of one's conscience | Do all the good that you know to do (prudently with discretion), making, having a tender conscience. |
| 16 | TRUSTING IN RICHES | 5:1-6 | and taking advantage of others, living in pleasure, condemning & killing the just (principled ones) who as sheep do not resist; | Trust in the Lord's riches - the precious fruits of righteousness, and be patient to the end with stable hearts. (vss 7-8) |
| 17 | GRUDGE NOT ONE AGAINST ANOTHER | 5:9-11 | by grumbling, murmuring, or jealousy | Look to the prophets for examples of suffering affliction & of patience (endurance) (including JOB), for we count them happy who endure, and the LORD God, our Father, is very pitiful & of tender mercy (Psa.103:8-19). |
| 18 | SWEAR NOT BY HEAVEN or by earth or by any other oath | 5:12 | lest you fall into condemnation | Let your nay be nay, & your yea be yea - do what you say & say what you do, don't be two ways about things, don't be wishy-washy - be positive. |
There maybe more upon closer examination, however these provide the context leading to 5:14 where he asks: "Is there any sick?" to make us know he is referring to SPIRITUALLY sick, spiritually weak - unable to approach unto God, and therefore he still can & should call upon the Elders of the Church.
If you look-up the word 'sick' here given, GR #770 Asthenee: To be feeble, weak in the faith especially, or morally. Synonyms may include: Despondent, Depressed, Dejected, Disconsolate, Downcast, Defeated, Dis(low)spirited, Debased, Discouraged, etc.
When you check your expanded, the Pastor helps us to understand this is referring to a SERIOUS SICKNESS.
PLUS, Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy's listing of ailments that might be encountered, might be brought in wherein they may be found to be associated or resulting from wrong things said, thought, or actions.
This was orig. written c. 30 years ago by a much younger brother, whom the Heavenly Father was kind enough to give some insight there unto, because he needed to pay attention to the lessons given there, and he still does.