Well, let's again seek God in prayer and ask for his help as we study his word this morning. Lord, we thank you for the privilege of worshiping you in song. We thank you for the privilege of hearing your word read, of seeking you in prayer, and we come again in prayer and ask our gracious Heavenly Father that you would grant to us your Holy Spirit to illuminate our minds and our hearts so that we would receive the Word of God, so that we would believe the Word of God, so that we would act upon what we hear from your Holy Word. So please, exalt Jesus Christ in our midst, feed your sheep, save sinners. Be with us, we pray, in Jesus' name, amen. So in this day of emails and text messages, it may be that many have forgotten about the use of postscripts, PS. which were common in the days of handwritten letters. Maybe it's done in emails. I've never done it in an email. But in handwritten letters between intimate friends, postscripts were not unusual. For as the author was concluding his letter or her letter, he or she would then remember several important, often unrelated matters of concern that he or she felt compelled to address at the conclusion of the letter. And these were then added at the end of the letter in one or more postscripts. Well, this is what James the Apostle did as he drew his letter to a conclusion in chapter five. And I'd like you to now turn in your Bibles, whether a paper Bible, electronic Bible, please turn in your Bibles to James chapter five, and we shall begin reading at verse 12. James chapter five, verse 12, we see these concluding words of the apostle, these postscripts about various matters. So follow along in your copy of God's word. But above all things, my brethren, Do not swear, neither by the heaven nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes and your no, no, that you fall not under judgment. Is any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is any 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 shall save him that is sick, and the Lord shall raise him up. And if he have committed sins, it shall be forgiven him. And there we stop our reading of God's word. This is the passage we'll study this morning. So I'd like you to notice, first of all, in verse 12, exhortations regarding oaths. Exhortations regarding oaths. And notice under this heading, first of all, a priority. Notice James' words. But above all things, my brethren, With these words, above all things, my brethren, James may simply be endeavoring to be polite as he begins the conclusion of his letter. But I don't believe that is what James was doing. Throughout his letter, James repeatedly addressed the very important and vital matter of the use of our tongues, the use of our speech. And now as he concludes his letter, James turns the attention of his readers to this specific topic of speaking oaths or vows. James wanted to highlight this sin problem in which men, women, boys, and girls quickly utter oaths, a practice which was back then very common and sadly is common today. James believes strongly that the personal integrity of these Christians needed to be manifested in the way in which they made verbal commitments to others. James longed that these Christians would be salt and light by the use of their tongues in a world in which oath-taking was rife. In other words, it was very common. So that's the priority, above all things, my brethren, this is important. But notice, secondly, a prohibition, see there in verse 12. Swear not, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath. When James wrote, swear not, he was not referring to using vulgar words or curse words, which are, as an aside, clearly sinful for anyone to use. But the word swear here in verse 12 means to promise with an oath. And a little bit later in the same verse, James uses a different word which is translated oath, underscoring his concern. James is prohibiting invoking God's name for the purpose of emphasizing and, as it were, guaranteeing the reliability and or the truthfulness of what someone is speaking. And you know how that is in the offices in America, or even on social media, or in the university. And I'm very reluctant to even say these words, and I'm not going to say certain words, but you know how people will begin by saying, they'll say something that they're telling you this is the truth about themselves, or this is the truth about what they want to do, what they plan to do, and they say, I swear, and then they add some more words, you see. That's what James is prohibiting here. He's prohibiting this. Now oaths are not absolutely forbidden in scripture. The Old Testament law did not prohibit oaths, but required that a person be faithful to the oath that he had taken. For example, in Leviticus 19, we read, you shall not swear by my name falsely and profane the name of your God. I am Jehovah. In other words, you could swear in some circumstances in the name of God, but you had to do it not falsely and not in some worldly profane way. And furthermore, in the Bible, it's clear, God himself takes oaths to guarantee the fulfillment of what he has promised to strengthen the faith of his people. In Hebrews 6, we read, for when God made promise to Abraham, since he could swear by none greater, he swore by himself. So James wanted Christians to understand that when they speak the plain truth, they do not need an oath to accompany it. Christians, or indeed anyone, should not use oaths to intimidate others and to deter them from questioning the validity of their statements. No. You, if you are a believer, you are to speak the truth clearly. And if you're speaking the truth clearly, you don't need to invoke the name of God and swear by the name of God that you're telling the truth. Christians should be marked by always speaking the truth, whether one-on-one, or in a small group, or in a large gathering, or online, in social media. The Lord Jesus spoke very clearly as well, and very directly about this same issue. And it seems very likely that James, the apostle, was aware of what the Lord Jesus spoke and what he taught. We have no way of knowing whether he actually ever heard these words, but I'd like you to turn in your Bibles now to Matthew 5 and verse 33. Matthew 5 and verse 33. And as we read these words spoken by the Lord Jesus when he was here on earth, notice how they sound indeed almost identical to what James wrote in chapter five and verse 12. Matthew five, verse 33, it's the Lord Jesus speaking. Again, you have heard that it was said to those of old, you shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oath to the Lord. But I say to you, do not swear at all, neither by heaven, for it is God's throne, nor by the earth, for it is his footstool, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king, nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. And there we end the reading of Matthew 5. So turning back to James chapter five, you see the similarity with James prohibition. Do not swear. And again, it's not an absolute prohibition, but Christians should be speaking the truth and so should non-Christians. And for those of you here this morning, whether young or old, You don't know whether or not you're a Christian, perhaps, or you know you are not a Christian. You are not born again by the Spirit of God. You are to speak the truth. And when you have lied, that is sin. It's breaking God's commandment. And that sin of lying shows you that you need a Savior. And why did Jesus Christ, the son of God, why did he enter into this world? It was to save sinners from their sins, including individuals who may be liars. They lie as easily as they breathe. They breathe in and breathe out and don't even think about the fact that they're breathing in and breathing out. They didn't even think about it for weeks on end, months on end. And they're the same way with their speech, their lies. They breathe out lies. They don't even think about it. Well, Jesus Christ came into the world to save such liars from their sin of lying and from all sin indeed. So if you're a liar, It's not hopeless for you. You can trust in Christ and turn away from your lying and turn away from all sin and receive free, full forgiveness for your sins. But now, back in James 5, notice, thirdly, a prescription here given to us by James. A prescription here, we have seen a priority, a prohibition, and now thirdly, a prescription. But let your yes be yes and your no, no. With these words, James is prescribing the general principle which should guide us when we speak and make commitments, promises, and especially when we do have to make an oath. James is underscoring that a Christian's truthfulness in speech should be so consistent and so dependable that he never needs an oath to support what he says. James states precisely what the Lord stated in Matthew 5. Let your yes be yes and your no, no. Our simple word Your simple word should be utterly trustworthy as though it were a signed legal document to be presented in a court of law. In other words, when a Christian is committed to integrity in speech, he will not need to invoke an oath in order to emphasize his truthfulness. That's the prescription, let your yes be yes, your no be no. Speak the truth. Notice fourthly, a protection. James chapter five verse 12, that you fall not under judgment. And the Lord Jesus in verse 37, which we did not yet read of Matthew five, he likewise gives a protection. James says, speak the truth, don't swear that you fall not under judgment. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew five, "'For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.'" Both James and the Lord Jesus Christ want Christians, warns Christians rather, that speaking false or unnecessary oaths is a very dangerous matter. Listen to that again. The very dangerous matter to speak false or unnecessary oaths. Such false oaths may bring the Christian under the judgment of God. That's what James is saying. Such false or unnecessary oaths are evil in themselves and may indeed proceed from the devil himself. And therefore, Christians must protect their hearts and souls by speaking plain, simple truth. all of their conversations and communications. And as I've already said a little bit ago, whether they are spoken communications, or typed in a letter, or typed in emails, or typed in text messages, or typed in social media, Brethren, please take to heart these exhortations about what you do on social media. But now, secondly, in James 5, let's notice exhortations regarding life's common experiences. Look there in James 5, verses 13 through 15. James now addresses three common experiences among all Christians, among all people, and how they should respond, how Christians should respond in these situations. Notice the first common experience in verse 13, suffering. James asks the question, is any among you suffering? James knew his Old Testament well, and he also learned much from his half-brother, the Lord Jesus Christ, either directly or indirectly through the testimony of others. And James knew by observation and personal experience that suffering is a common reality in this fallen world. And you know, you don't need to be a philosopher with a PhD after your name to understand that there is a lot of suffering in this world. And the Bible makes it very clear that it is related to the reality of sin. From the Garden of Eden where the historic Adam and historic Eve disobeyed God and sinned and brought all of mankind into that fallen state to the very present hour. Suffering is tied to this reality of sin. Now, I did not say that if you're suffering, you are sinning. I didn't say that. But suffering is the result of the fall, you see. And James understood this. I do not doubt that James would have been very familiar with the words of Job, where we read, for affliction comes not from the dust, neither does trouble spring out of the ground, but man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward. The words of the Lord Jesus recorded in John 16 very likely would have been reported to James, or maybe he heard them. Jesus said on that occasion, in the world you have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Dear Christians who are suffering in one way or another right now, Remember that truth. In this world you will have tribulation and thus suffering, but be of good cheer. Jesus Christ has overcome the world. Christians will experience in their lives in this fallen world troubles, dejection, afflictions, and evil, all forms of suffering. At times, the suffering that the Christian experiences is due to persecution for the sake of the gospel. At other times, the suffering which a Christian experiences is due to the general wickedness of the ungodly which is inflicted upon everyone indiscriminately. Suffering can, of course, be related to matters of economic hardship, illnesses, or the death of a loved one in a family. A Christian can also experience suffering as a consequence of his own folly and sin, or the folly and sins of others within his family or circle of friends. Well, what should the Christian's response be? This is where Christians can be so different from the unconverted lost sinners all around them in the world. What should his response be? Look at verse 13. Let him pray. Here James used the most common word in the New Testament for prayer. It's used more than 80 times in the New Testament. A word which has a very general meaning and application. And using this general word for prayer was not a mistake on James' part. The praying that James encourages is the petitioning of the one true and living God of the scriptures. for the spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical strength necessary to persevere through the suffering itself, whatever that suffering may be, whatever its nature may be, and thereby to honor the Lord Jesus Christ by continuing to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ even in the midst of suffering. You see, this is what Hannah did in the Old Testament. She prayed in the midst of her suffering. She was childless, and her husband's second wife was constantly persecuting her, verbally ridiculing her. It was extremely painful suffering for Hannah. And she prayed, you see. That's what she did. This is what King David did, or even before he was king. Many times in the Psalms we see that David, he prayed because he was suffering. And this is what the Lord Jesus Christ did. When he suffered the righteous wrath of God, hanging on the cross, bearing the sins of all of his elect from all of the ages, willingly carrying the sins of all of the elect upon him, he was indeed suffering supremely. And what did he do? He prayed, Father, forgive them. They do not know what they're doing. Into your hands I commit my spirit. You see, that's what he did in suffering, and that's what you must do as a Christian. It's easy to have a self-pity party, to go off in the room all by yourself, to close the door, to turn off the lights, sit in a chair or fall down on the bed and just cry and moan and complain and think about how horrible your situation is. No, no, no. When you are suffering, pray. But notice the second common experience that James points out in verse 13, is any cheerful. Thankfully, Christians do have seasons when they are cheerful, and when they are in good spirits, when they have peace of mind, and when they have courage to face each day's troubles. However, seasons of peace and joy and prosperity can also become seasons of forgetting the living God. who is the giver of every good and perfect gift. And similarly, Solomon warns that we can easily forget God when he has given us abundance and riches which do bring cheer to the possessor. In Proverbs 30, we read this. Solomon wrote, give me neither poverty nor riches, feed me with a food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, who is Jehovah? See what Solomon was warning. When you are rich, prosperous, and we in America are rich compared to probably 99% or at least a lot of the world, it's easy to forget God. It's easy to deny God. But what should the Christian's response be when he is cheerful? Verse 13 tells us, let him sing praise to prevent forgetfulness of God and his numerous mercies. One of the means to not forget is to sing praise to God. Christians who are presently cheerful, and that would be more than a few of you here in this auditorium this day, Christians who are presently cheerful, not in the midst of suffering, must remind themselves of who their God is in all of his glorious attributes. His patience, His goodness overflowing. His love. You must remember your God and all of His wonderful works of creation. All of His wonderful works in providence. You must especially remember your God and His amazing work of redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ. You must remember the death of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, the present intercession of Christ. Just think about that. So many people would love to have access to King Charles there in the UK, citizens, to get some special request granted. Others would love to be influential perhaps with the President of the United States and have access to the President of the United States or access to the UN to be heard by all of those people in the UN building. but you have access to the living God through prayer and through singing praises to him, remembering his present intercession for you. Jesus Christ the Lord is presently interceding for every single one of his people. What a wonderful thing to sing praise to God about. Arise, my soul, arise. Shake off your guilty fears. Remember the bleeding sacrifice appears before God on your behalf. So as the Christian thinks on these truths, he must sing praise to God so that he will not forget God. He must give praise to God in times of cheerfulness. And like our prayers for support in times of suffering, singing praise should characterize the Christian life. So think of the Apostle Paul and Silas. in the jail in Philippi. They were suffering unrighteously, and they were offering prayers, no doubt, to God, but were also told that they were singing praises to God. So my point in mentioning that example of Paul and Silas, it's not just when you're cheerful that you are to sing praises to God. When you are sad, you are to sing praises to God. When you're troubled, you are to sing praises to God. It's a wonderful medicine that God has given us to be used for His glory and for our good. But now notice in James 5 verse 14, the third common experience in life. Is any among you sick, James asks. Sickness is, of course, a form of suffering. And due to its common reality, James wanted to focus the minds of his readers, his hearers, upon this specific form of suffering. And in the context here, it is clear that James is referring to physical sicknesses, which are the result of a serious disease, or perhaps a serious injury. And this is clear when one reads the instructions that follow James' question, is any among you sick? James tells us, he tells us that such Christians should call for the elders of the church, that the Lord will raise that one up. So James was not referring to a sickness such as the common cold or the common winter flu. Rather, he was referring, and here I quote Pastor Chansky, he gave me this phrase here, as well as other ideas and helps. James was referring to a state of illness or injury which incapacitates someone to a great degree. And that's Pastor Chansky's quote, I agree with him. So is any among you sick? James was referring to somebody who is very, very seriously sick. But what should the Christian's response be? Look at verse 14. First of all, let him call for the elders of the church. Now there are several matters to note here with those words. First, since the one who is sick is instructed to call for the elders to come to him, We may assume, as I've already said, that the sickness was serious enough to restrict the mobility of that individual. Secondly, the seriously sick Christian is to take the initiative. You see that there. Let him, the one who's seriously sick, let him call for the elders of the church. So the seriously sick Christian is to take the initiative and call for the elders of the church to come and visit him or her. And although responsible and godly elders will usually be aware of such serious sicknesses of members of the church, it is possible that they may actually be at times ignorant of the gravity of a particular sickness in your body. We do not read your minds. We do have eyes, we have ears. We seek to be aware of all that's going on in people's lives. But you see, the one who is seriously sick is to take the initiative. And when that one calls upon the elders of the church to come, that sick individual is to do so without hesitation. The elders are so busy, they're so busy, so busy. You'd be glad we're busy. If we're sitting around playing computer games all day, then you should be concerned. So you shouldn't say, well, the elders are too busy. No. And when you call and ask for the elders to come, you should not be annoyed or irritated that they didn't already initiate a call to you. That's not what James is saying here. But notice third, James speaks of elders, plural, indicating that he assumed that most churches would have more than one elder. Now sometimes that's not the case, but we should be thankful to God that the risen Christ has given us more than one elder. Even as Pastor Carlson said earlier, he made it through the adult Bible class. I think he feels worse than he's revealing. And we're very thankful that Pastor Huffmeyer could be preaching tonight in his place. So usually churches would have more than one. So the first instruction, let them call for the elders of the church. But secondly, notice in verse 14, Let them, the elders, pray over him, over this seriously sick individual. Having called for the elders of the church to come, the elders are then to pray over him. In James' words would seem to indicate that this sick Christian is bedridden, for the elders are told to pray over him. And praying for the sick as well as for all of the flock in their care in the local church is indeed the duty of elders, and it's also their privilege. And as they pray, the elders must remember the many encouragements to pray. And of course, there are elders sitting here this morning. But if you're not an elder, you should still listen to these encouragements. from the scriptures given to elders to pray when they go to visit someone who is seriously sick. In Matthew 7, the Lord Jesus said, ask and it shall be given you. The Lord Jesus Christ said on another occasion, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, remove hence from your place and be cast into the sea, and nothing shall be impossible unto you. We have as elders, you have as the people of God, many wonderful promises to encourage us to pray whenever we are personally sick or whenever someone else is sick, and especially when they are seriously sick. But now notice thirdly, In verse 14, the elders are to anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And if you've read this passage in James many times, you probably are very glad that I'm standing in this pulpit preaching this portion because it's very mysterious. But it's not that mysterious actually. So before we proceed to the matter of anointing him with oil and what does that mean, I want you to understand that James' priority in this passage is prayer to God. That's his overarching priority in this passage. In the concluding words of his letter in verses 13 to 18 of chapter five, James addresses the subject of prayer seven times. Prayer is the concern of James, and anointing with oil is clearly a subordinate issue. Notice also the words, in the name of the Lord, They follow the words anointing him with oil. They clearly have reference to this action of anointing with oil. But those words also clearly have, and probably primarily have, a reference to the words, let them pray over him. Let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. They are to pray over the very seriously sick man or woman in the name of the Lord. James may mean that this as this anointing was done, the elders were also to call upon the name of the Lord for him to be healed, the sick man to be healed. James and the elders whom he was instructing in this letter, they had no superstitious confidence in special anointing oil. Praying in the name of the Lord also had reference to the authority by which the healing was done. As we read in Acts chapter three, you don't need to turn there. But Peter said to the man that was lame from his mother's womb, silver and gold have I none. But what I have, that I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk. So you see, Peter was invoking the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was healing the man under the authority of Christ, with the power of Christ. And James, I believe, is referring to this reality. The healing that James is referring to is not found in the actual anointing oil, but in the power of the risen Lord Jesus Christ. But we still need to ask the perplexing question, and you need to keep with me here. I know you have to be thinking. We still need to ask the perplexing question, what did James mean by those words anointing him with oil? Well, this practice is only mentioned in one other place in the New Testament. And I'd like you to turn to Mark chapter six, please. Mark chapter six and verse 12. This is the only other place in the New Testament where this anointing with oil of the sick is mentioned. There is another place where oil is used to clean a wound, but that's different. So Mark 6, verse 12. And they, the 12, went out and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them. That's the other passage. So theologians and scholars have debated the meaning of this practice for centuries. But it is important to notice there's only two places in all of the New Testament where this reality is brought before our minds. So that should tell you something. But I agree. with the conclusions of Pastor Chansky regarding this matter. And in turn, he and I agree with the judgment of John Calvin and many others as well. And here I quote John Calvin, this anointing with oil is likely symbolic. Calvin wrote these words, I indeed allow that the anointing oil was used as a sacrament by the disciples of Christ, but I cannot agree with those who think that it was medicine. But as the reality of this sign continued only for a time in the church, the symbol also must have been only for a time. that the gift of healing was temporary, all are constrained to allow, and events clearly prove, then the sign of it ought not to be deemed perpetual or continuing. And there I end the quote. Calvin was saying, look, this was something that was special and unique for the apostolic age. We need to also note that anointing a sick person is not only mentioned here as we've already seen in Mark 6, 13, but we need to mention that healings were accomplished in the scriptures without anointing oil at all being involved. Healing was not necessary to be connected with anointing oil. So by way of analogy, when we read 1 Corinthians 14 and Paul's instructions regarding the use of the gift of speaking in tongues, We understand that this was a special gift given to some during the apostolic age, enabling some Christians to speak a foreign language which they had not previously learned, and that this was a temporary gift given to the church which ceased when the apostolic age ended. And likewise, the miraculous gift of healing connected with the anointing of oil during the apostolic age ceased when the apostolic age ended. But with that statement, I do not mean that Christians should cease praying for the seriously sick that God would heal them. God can, God does deliver individuals from serious sicknesses as Christians pray to God through the Lord Jesus Christ and ask for God sovereignly, graciously to show mercy and deliver someone from a serious sickness or disease. God does do that. So I'm not saying you should not pray that way. But this special anointing with oil, all that we have just seen here with James, like the speaking in tongues of 1 Corinthians 14, I believe is now a reality for the past. But now let's look at verse 15 of James chapter five. The fruit of the prayers of the elders are seen in verse 15. The prayer of faith shall save him that is sick, and the Lord shall raise him up. And if he have committed sins, it shall be forgiven him. So the prayer of faith is not some special charismatic gift which only a few possess. No, James is underscoring the truth that believing prayer, believing that God hears you as you pray to him through the Lord Jesus Christ, believing prayer then is efficacious prayer. Such believing prayer for another who is sick shall save him, that is, deliver him from his sickness by the mercy of God. We must remember that the Lord Jesus frequently taught his disciples of the necessity of praying in faith. Have faith in God, he said to his disciples. He then said to them, I say unto you, all things whatsoever you pray and ask for, believe that you receive them and you shall have them. You see, the Lord constantly, frequently emphasized to his disciples the necessity of praying in faith. That's not some supernatural, charismatic, Pentecostal reality. That's being a Christian, saying that when I come to God in prayer, the true and living God actually does hear me. though there are nine billion people on the planet earth or whatever the population may be, though there are how many ever Christians on the earth, the fact is the infinite God hears my voice and my prayers. I believe that. Do you believe that? You see, sometimes We get discouraged because we don't see the answers to our prayer. And sometimes we allow this sin, and it is sin of unbelief, to start to creep into our thinking and into our affections. Is God really hearing me? Why would he bother to hear me? But he does. This is the wonder of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. That when he saves a sinner, he brings that sinner into communion with the living God. And so that is what is being emphasized here. We are to pray in faith. Faith in the God who sovereignly accomplishes his will. However, when we pray, we must always acknowledge and submit to the overruling sovereign and providential purposes of God. And therefore, the prayers of the elders on behalf of the sick for their healing must be qualified by a resignation that God's will is supreme. Indeed, every Christian who prays must willingly, wholeheartedly, and cheerfully submit his or her desires and prayers into the hands of their gracious, loving, sovereign, all-wise, and omnipotent God. God can do all His holy will. If you are praying according to God's will revealed in the Word of God, God can answer that prayer, but it's not your will that is to be accomplished, it is His will that is to be accomplished. Remember how the Apostle Paul, who could perform miracles, He writes to Titus in Titus 3 verse 20, that he left Trophimus sick in Miletus. Paul, couldn't you have healed Trophimus? No doubt he could have. Maybe Paul prayed for Trophimus to be made well. Probably he did. But he ended up leaving him there in Miletus sick. It was not the will of God that Trophimus would be delivered from his sickness. Why? Think of Johnny Erickson Tada. What a wonderful testimony she has been, those of you who know who she is, of God's grace, living decades as she has in a wheelchair. She has said without self-pity, without wanting to bring attention to herself, you can find this, it's not difficult to find her testimonies, that every day she wakes up and she begins praying and she's in pain. and everyone has to do everything for her. But she is a marvelous example of the saving grace of God. Though sometimes God does not answer our prayers as we wish, because he is all wise, he is sovereign, he is still loving. But we must submit our hearts, our wills, our lives, and our prayers to the sovereign purposes of God. But here in James, James goes on, he says, the Lord will raise him up. When God answers the prayers of the elders on behalf of a sick individual, it is the Lord who then raises him up off his sickbed, and all glory goes to God. And if he have committed sins, it shall be forgiven him. Now, James understood from the scriptures that sometimes there is a connection between sicknesses and sins. For example, David in Psalm 32 made that connection between his poor physical health and his refusal to confess his sins to God. He kept silence and his bones wasted away through his groaning all the day long. But then he acknowledged his sins unto God. He didn't hide his iniquity. He confessed his transgressions and the Lord delivered him from his physical problems. But James also understood from the scriptures that it was not wise to make an automatic connection between sickness and sin as was done by Job's friends. Job, you're experiencing all of this because you clearly have sin in your life. You're hiding it from us, you're denying it, you're just adding sin to sin because otherwise you wouldn't be suffering this way. No, James understood there's not always an automatic connection and we should not make it between sicknesses and sin. And notice in verse 15 that James uses the word if with reference to sins which a sick believer may or may not have committed. James assumes that under the stress of a serious sickness, A believer can indeed and should examine himself whether or not there is any wicked way in his heart. And James assumes that such a believer, if they see wickedness in their heart in the midst of sickness, would then confess that sin to the Lord. And James assumes that in conjunction then with the prayers of the elders, requesting that God would save him who is sick, that the Lord would indeed graciously forgive him for his confessed sins and deliver him off of his bed of sickness. So that, my dear brethren, is a lot, and that is the passage. And by way of quick review, before a few closing words, we see exhortations regarding oaths in verse 12. We see exhortations regarding life's common experiences in verses 13 to 15. But I ask this simple question. Do you pray? Do you pray? Do you pray in every circumstance of life? Not just when you're in a tough spot. Do you pray? Do you pray daily as a Christian? Do you praise? Do you praise God for the little things in life that you have? Do you praise God for the big mercies he has given you? Do you praise God for the trials in your life? I'm not saying that you should praise God for sin. I'm not saying that. Thank you, Lord, for this sickness. I don't like it, Lord. I want it removed, but I thank you for this sickness so that I can learn more about what it is to trust you in the midst of difficulty. Do you praise and sing hymns of praise to God when you're cheerful, but also when you're sad? And when you are sick, do you examine yourself to find out if there is some hidden sin that needs to be repented of and confessed. Are you submitting your heart, your will, your life to the all-wise, gracious, sovereign will of God in your life? We all have regrets as Christians. We can look back and say, I wish I could do that over, but I cannot. We all have regrets, but are you looking forward and upward? Are you looking for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you leaving the past in the past and trusting in Christ today and for the future? Are you submitting yourself to God? These are just simple questions. But lastly, are you trusting in Jesus Christ and his blood that he shed on the cross for the forgiveness of all of your sins? Sins of unbelief, sins of impenitence, whatever the sins may be, are you trusting in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of your sins? And if you are not, begin trusting in him now. Throw the whole weight of your heart and soul and life upon the living Savior, Jesus Christ. Call upon him and ask him to forgive you for all of your sins and cause you to know the reality in your mind and in your heart experientially to know the reality of the Lord Jesus Christ's love and forgiveness for you, a sinner. Amen. Well, let's close in prayer. Father, we ask that you would take this portion of your holy word and use it for our spiritual and practical good. We pray, Father, that you would make us a praying people, individually and corporately. Make us, Lord, a praising people, individually and corporately. And Lord, help us to be men and women of faith in Christ. We recall when Jesus was on this earth, He marveled when he saw little faith. He also marveled when he saw great faith. And we pray that you would help us by your grace to be men and women, to be men and women who are believing in all that the scriptures have revealed, to be believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. We ask for these mercies in his name, amen.