THE BOOK OF JAMES
(“The Righteous Man”)
James 5:16-20 (NASU)
16“Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 17Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.”
(James 5:16-18)
(A) PRAYING LIKE ELIJAH
(1) If I told you that, as Christians, every one of us can pray as effectively as the prophet Elijah – many of you would probably say to yourself, “Yeah, right!” “Next thing you’re going to tell us is that we’re all going to be taken up to heaven in a whirlwind” (c.f. II Kings 2:11-12). Actually, I’m not going to tell you that – what I am telling you is that this morning’s text says our prayers can be as “effective” as those of “Elijah” – albeit, perhaps not for the reason we think (c.f. James 5:16-18).
(2) A brief review of Elijah’s life (as recorded for us in Scripture) indicates that on one occasion, when the widow of Zarephath’s only son died, he PRAYED to the Lord, saying: 20“… ‘O Lord my God, have You … brought calamity to the widow with whom I am staying, by causing her son to die?’ 21Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and called to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord my God, I PRAY You, let this child’s life return to him.’ 22(And) The Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned to him and he revived” (c.f. I Kings 17:20-22).
Then there was that time on Mount Carmel, when Elijah engaged “450 prophets of Baal” in a contest to see whose God really was God – with the true God being the One who answered the prayers of His prophet(s) with fire (c.f. I Kings 18:19-24). So the prophets of Baal prayed, and jumped around, and cut themselves all day long – but nothing happened. [What Scripture actually says is that “no one answered, and no one paid attention” (c.f. I Kings 18:25-29) – because, as Paul says, “an idol is nothing” (c.f. I Corinthians 8:4, NIV; 10:19) – or as Scripture says elsewhere: 16“(idols) have mouths, but they do not speak; they have eyes, but they do not see; 17they have ears, but they do not hear, nor is there any breath (or life in them) at all …” (c.f. Psalm 135:15-17).]
But back to Elijah – when it was his turn, he built an altar out of stones, prepared a sacrifice, poured water all over the wood under the sacrifice, and then PRAYED: 36“O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. 37Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again” – whereupon fire from the Lord came down out of heaven, which not only consumed the offering and the wood, but also the stones of the altar, as well as the water he had poured all over the wood to make it humanly impossible to ignite (c.f. I Kings 18:30-39).
(3) “And you’re telling us that as Christians our prayers can be as effective as Elijah’s? You’re telling us that our prayers can be just as effective as those of a man who raised the dead, and called down fire from heaven? You’ve got to be kidding!”
Actually, of course, I’m not the one telling you this – James is – and he’s writing by inspiration of God the Holy Spirit (c.f. II Peter 1:20-21). So it’s actually God, speaking through James, who’s telling us Christians, in verse sixteen of this morning’s text, that “the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (c.f. James 5:16) – and then goes on in the next two verses to hold up the prophet “Elijah” as an example of the kind of person (and prayers) he’s talking about (c.f. James 5:17-18).
I should add that James is not suggesting our prayers will raise the dead or call down fire from heaven – but that they will be effectively used by our Heavenly Father to accomplish His purposes in us and through us, just like He used the prayers of Elijah – that our prayers, coupled with the mutual confession of our sins to one another (c.f. James 5:16), will be effective in maintaining and restoring the spiritual health of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
(B) RESETTING THE BIBLICAL CONTEXT
(1) Before we go any further, however, let’s reset the biblical stage. The first verse of this morning’s Scripture lesson (verse sixteen) (c.f. James 5:16) marks a transition in James’ flow of thought.
For one thing, in the previous two verses (c.f. James 5:14-15) he’s been addressing a specific group of Christians, who have become spiritually “sick” – i.e. who have grown weak and weary of heart on account of persecution (c.f. James 5:1-11), or some other kind of intense or prolonged suffering. In this morning’s text, however, he’s speaking to ALL believers when he says (in verse sixteen): “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed …” (c.f. James 5:16).
Likewise, in the previous two verses (c.f. James 5:14-15) it’s “the elders of the church” who are to do the praying – while here in this morning’s text (c.f. James 5:16-18), it’s the members of Christ’s church AS A WHOLE who are told to “confess (their) sins to one another, and pray for one another” (c.f. James 5:16).
Finally, the steps outlined in verses fourteen and fifteen (c.f. James 5:14-15) are to be taken AFTER Christians become spiritually weak and weary – while the steps described in verse sixteen (c.f. James 5:16) are normally to be taken BEFORE Christians become spiritually sick. In other words, “confessing our sins to one another and praying for one another” will actually help us deal with some of the harmful issues in our life, before those sinful attitudes or actions drag us down into the depths of spiritual depression or defeat.1
(2) Even though there is a transition in James’ flow of thought, the overall emphasis is still on prayer – as evidenced (in part) by the fact that the word “pray”, or “prayer”, or “prayed” appears seven times in verses thirteen through eighteen (c.f. James 5:13-18).
In verse thirteen, for example, James asked: “Is anyone among you suffering?” – and his inspired remedy for those believers who are, is that they “must PRAY” (c.f. James 5:13).
In verses fourteen and fifteen he asked: “Is anyone among you sick?” – and this time his inspired answer for Christians who are, is that they “must call for the elders of the church” to come “PRAY over” them – because “the PRAYER offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him” (c.f. James 5:14-15).
In verse sixteen of this morning’s text James exhorts all Christ’s redeemed people to “confess (their) sins to one another, and PRAY for one another so that (they) may be healed” – after which, as an incentive to do so, he adds that “the effective PRAYER of a righteous man can accomplish much” (c.f. James 5:16).
He then goes on in verses seventeen and eighteen to hold up the prophet “Elijah” as an example of someone, just like you and me, whose “PRAYERS” were “effective” – in this particular instance, by withholding rain for “three” and half “years”, and then (after “he prayed again”) the rains returned (c.f. James 5:17-18).
(3) It’s this emphasis on “effective prayer” that we’re most interested in this morning – because the whole point of the text is that the prayers we offer “for one another” in our own day and time, can be just as “effective” (c.f. James 5:16) as the prayers of “Elijah” (c.f. James 5:17-18). The thing we want to find out, or course, is see how and why this is so.
IDENTIFYING THE RIGHTEOUS MAN
(1) As we’ve already noted, the first part of verse sixteen says: “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed” (c.f. James 5:16). I’m not going to repeat what I said about this verse last time – but I do want to encourage you to find another Christian with whom you can enter into this mutual ministry of confession and prayer on a regular basis.
I will say, that as far as the confession part goes – I don’t think it means we have to dreg up the past and confess every sin we can think of. Rather, I think the mutual confession of sins starts from this day forward – serving as an aid to help us from this moment on. (Of course, if there are some unresolved sins in our past that are affecting us in the present, those do need to be confessed – no matter how far back they go.)
And as for who we might share this mutual ministry with – it can be any brother or sister in Christ, including our spouse (although ordinarily, if it’s not our spouse, I think men should be paired with men, and women should be paired with women). The point is to find someone who is willing to faithfully pray for us – who is willing to lovingly keep what we confess to them private – and who is willing to courageously hold us accountable in the future. They also need to be willing to let us do the same for them.
(2) Moving on, then, to the last part of verse sixteen, James gives Christians an incentive to pursue this mutual ministry, saying that: “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (c.f. James 5:16). In other words, if we are reluctant to enter into such an intimate relationship with another believer (as most of us are) – if we are loath to get so deeply involved in the life of another brother or sister in Christ (and allow them to get deeply involved in our life), so that we are mutually praying for each other’s spiritual health, including the repentance of specific sins, and the forgiveness of those sins – if we are not anxious to obey the two one-anothering commands found in verse sixteen, James essentially says, “Consider this – your mutual prayers will be far more “effective” than you realize – your mutual prayers “can accomplish much” (c.f. James 5:16) more than you think – indeed, they can have a significant impact on your life, and the life of your brothers and sisters in Christ!
(3) We’re going to start breaking down the last part of verse sixteen by trying to answer the first of three questions – namely, who is the “righteous man” (c.f. James 5:16)? What kind of person is he? And, can if be said of any of us that we are a “righteous man” or a “righteous woman” in the sense in which James uses the word here in verse sixteen?
(a) The Greek word translated “righteous” (“dikaios”) is used elsewhere in the New Testament to describe (for example) Mary’s husband, Joseph2 – saying: “And Joseph her husband, being a RIGHTEOUS man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly” (c.f. Matthew 1:19) – hence, we see that a righteous man does not cause other people unnecessary pain or embarrassment, even when they disagree.
The word is also used in the Gospel of Luke to describe Zacharias and Elizabeth (the elderly parents of John the Baptist), saying: “They were both RIGHTEOUS in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord” (c.f. Luke 1:6). This tells us righteous people do not ignore God’s laws and commands – rather, they are constantly striving to obey each and every one of them.
Elsewhere, Simeon (who recognized that the infant Jesus was the promised Messiah) is said to have been a “RIGHTEOUS and devout” man (c.f. Luke 2:25) – while Joseph of Arimathea (who gave up his own tomb so Jesus could be buried in it) is said to have been “a good and RIGHTEOUS man” (c.f. Luke 23:50). The Book of Acts says that a Roman Centurion named Cornelius was “a RIGHTEOUS and God-fearing man” (c.f. Acts 10:22) – the Book of Hebrews says Abel was a “RIGHTEOUS” man (c.f. Hebrews 11:4) – while Peter refers to Abraham’s nephew as “RIGHTEOUS Lot” (c.f. II Peter 2:7).
(b) Now, if you know what the Bible has to say about these men, you know some of them were certainly more (or less) “righteous” (at least outwardly) than others – which leads us to observe that the Greek word translated “righteous” in this morning’s text is used two different ways in the New Testament. However, it seems to me that both have something to tell us about the kind of person James had in mind when he said that “the effective prayer of a RIGHTEOUS man (or woman) can accomplish much” (c.f. James 5:16).
The first way this word is used in Scripture is in what we will call a “spiritual” sense3 – because it refers to our eternal condition as a result of putting our complete trust in Jesus Christ (or not, as the case may be). Regarding the latter, Paul says in Romans chapter three that apart from Christ, “there is none RIGHTEOUS, not even one” (c.f. Romans 3:10). On the other hand, two chapters later he said that “through the obedience of the One (meaning Jesus) the many will be made RIGHTEOUS” – i.e. in the sight of God (c.f. Romans 5:19).
In a spiritual sense, then, a “righteous man” (c.f. James 5:16) is someone who has been saved by repenting of their sins and professing faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior. What’s more, they are NOT “RIGHTEOUS” in or of themselves – rather, their “righteousness” comes from Christ. They are “clothed in the righteousness of Christ,” as we sometimes say (c.f. Galatians 3:27; Philippians 3:9). As Paul states elsewhere: “(God the Father) made (God the Son) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God in Him” (c.f. II Corinthians 5:21).
(c) Here’s the point, so far as this morning’s text is concerned – no where in Scripture has God promised to hear the prayers of those who are not His elect, covenant people – in fact, He says just the opposite (c.f. John 9:31; Psalm 18:41; 34:15-16; Proverbs 15:29; etc.). If He does happen to hear the prayers of the wicked from time to time, it’s only because of His common grace and mercy – or because their prayers happened to fit within His sovereign will – or because those who are His people (whose prayers He has promised to hear) were praying for the same thing (in which case, it was the prayers of the redeemed that were answered, not the prayers of those still lost in their sins).
The point is, that ordinarily, those outside Christ have no biblical assurance God will hear any of their prayers – except for a prayer of repentance and faith, as in: “God be merciful to me, the sinner!” (c.f. Luke 18:13; John 6:37).
(d) That means one answer to the question of who the “righteous person” is of whom James speaks, is that he is a Christian – which would certainly fit the larger context of the book, since we’ve repeatedly said that James is writing to believers – to people he addresses again and again as “brethren”, “my brethren”, or “my beloved brethren” (c.f. James 1:15; 5:7, 12; etc.). Conversely, this also means that no non-Christian can claim the promise made in the last half of verse sixteen – i.e. no non-Christian can expect his prayers to be “effective”, or to “accomplish” anything (let alone “much”) – simply because no non-Christian is the kind of “righteous man” (c.f. James 5:16) James is talking about.
(e) So then, does being a Christian guarantee that our prayers will always be “effective” (c.f. James 5:16)? Not necessarily – for there is a second way the word “righteous” is used in Scripture (c.f. James 5:16), and that’s in what we will call a moral sense3 – which has little or nothing to do with a person’s salvation, but everything to do with their personal conduct and the quality of their life.3
A good example of this usage is found in First John chapter three, where the apostle compares the ACTIONS of Cain and Abel, saying (in part): “… Cain … was of the evil one and slew his brother (Abel). And for what reason did he slay him? Because (Cain’s) DEEDS were evil, and his brother’s (DEEDS) were RIGHTEOUS” (c.f. I John 3:12). A few verses earlier, John also said (in the NIV): “… he who DOES what is right is RIGHTEOUS …” (c.f. I John 3:7, NIV). Paul used this Greek word the same way in First Timothy chapter one, when he said that: “… the … law is not made for a RIGHTEOUS person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious …” (c.f. I Timothy 1:8) – in this instance, it’s obviously the quality of a person’s life that’s in view, since the comparison has to do with differences in personal conduct.
(f) Here’s the point, so far as this morning’s text is concerned – a Christian’s prayers may become “ineffective” (c.f. James 5:16) because of sin in their life that has not been confessed and repented of.
Numerous passages of Scripture speak of this – here’s a sample. In Isaiah chapter one, God said: “… when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. (Because) Your hands are covered with blood” (c.f. Isaiah 1:15). [In the next two verses God provided the remedy for unheard prayer, saying: 16“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, 17learn to do good …” (c.f. Isaiah 1:16-17) – i.e. confess your sins and repent! And then I will listen to your prayers!]
First Peter chapter three says: “… the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (c.f. I Peter 3:12) (which implies that He will not “attend to their prayers”) – the Psalmist said: “If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear” (c.f. Psalm 66:18) (The solution? Repent, and stop regarding wickedness in my heart!) – Peter told Christian husbands to live with their Christian wives “in an understanding way … and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, SO THAT YOUR PRAYERS WILL NOT BE HINDERED” (c.f. I Peter 3:7) (the implication being that if we mistreat our wives, the Lord won’t hear our prayers) – the Book of Proverbs says: “The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous” (c.f. Proverbs 15:29) (that’s self-explanatory) – and again: “He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, even his prayer is an abomination” (c.f. Proverbs 28:9) (The solution? Repent, and start putting God’s law into practice once again!)
(g) So, a second answer to the question of who is the “righteous person” of whom James speaks, is that he or she is a Christian whose life reflects their profession of faith. They are not perfect by any means – but they are repentant (after the example of David, whom Scripture describes as a “man after God’s heart” – c.f. Acts 13:22). The “righteous man”, whose prayers “can accomplish much” (c.f. James 5:16), is not without his “besetting sins” (c.f. Hebrews 12:1, KJV) – nor is he free from his own spiritual ups and downs – nor does he always walk in a manner worthy of his calling in Christ Jesus (c.f. Ephesians 4:1; Colossians 1:10). In fact, sometimes his sins interfere with the “effectiveness” of his prayers. But, “by God’s grace” (c.f. I Corinthians 15:10), the overall direction of his life IS one of Christ-like righteousness. By God’s enabling grace, he constantly repents – and then, having been cleansed and forgiven once more (I John 1:9), continues his “pursuit of righteousness” (c.f. I Timothy 6:11).
This is who the “righteous man” is, of whom James speaks in our text (c.f. James 5:16) – he or she is a Christian, just like you and me, who is striving (“by the strength which God supplies” – c.f. I Peter 4:11) to walk in a manner worthy of their calling in Christ (c.f. Philippians 1:27; I Thessalonians 2:12). And James says that “the effective prayer of (such a person) can accomplish much” (c.f. James 5:16) – just like the prayers of “Elijah” did (c.f. James 5:17-18).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1MacArthur: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary;
James; p. 279.
2BCS: Strong’s Concordance; Word #1342.
3Blanchard: Truth For Life; p. 383.