How One God exists eternally in Three Persons

Matthew 28:18-20  "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."

Introduction:

When it comes to understanding God as being “one God that exists eternally in three persons”, I’m reminded of a statement I heard years ago by a Bible teacher, namely that God is “One what” and “Three Who’s”. The doctrine of the Trinity as so expressed in this statement can be described as a compound doctrine composed of four fundamental truths about God in the scripture: Monotheism, Christ’s Deity, The Holy Spirit’s Personality and God as a Personal God.

First, monotheism (“mono” = “one” and “theos” = “God”) or the reality of God being One God in regards to His Divine essence or nature (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Matthew 22:37). God’s oneness of being is without dispute in both Old and New Testaments (Genesis 1:1; 1 Corinthians 8:6). The “Oneness” of God in the Bible is not just a bare oneness, but evidently is hinted at in the Old Testament as God being One God that has the capacity to relate within Himself as a “compound unity” (see Genesis 1:26 i.e “make man in “our image”). This One God revealed Himself not only as the Creator (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1) but also Personally in regards to His redemptive dealings as the Father (Deuteronomy 32:8; Hosea 11:1; John 17:5).

The second fundamental truth revealed about God in the Bible has to do with the Deity of the Son – the Lord Jesus Christ. As we noted earlier, the Old Testament hints that God is a compound unity”. He is identified as “Father” nearly ten times in the Old Testament Who has with Him a Second Personage – the Son (Psalm 2; Proverbs 30:4). The New Testament fully reveals this Personage to be none other than “The Son” who came as the fullness of God in human flesh (John 1:14; Colossians 2:9). Jesus Christ repeatedly asserts His Deity (John 8:58); eternal pre-existence (John 17:4-5) and other Divine qualities (Matthew 28:18) that He retained but chose to not access for the sake of His assumption of true humanity (Philippians 2:5-11) in His sojourn on this earth. The New Testament equally asserts both Old Testament Monotheism and Christ’s Deity as comprising the singular identity of the One God (1 Corinthians 8:6-7).

Then the third fundamental truth that describes this idea of God being “one God that exists eternally in three persons” is that truth of the Personality of the Holy Spirit. In so far as Jesus Christ is equal in all respects to the Father in their sharing of full Deity, the Holy Spirit is described by Jesus as being another Person of like kind to Himself and the Father (John 14:16; 15:26; 16:8-15). 

The New Testament bears witness to the Holy Spirit’s Deity (Acts 5:4-5) and to His sharing in the One, undivided Divine essence with the Father and the Son (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14). The Three Persons of the God are not mere manifestations or modes of being. All three Persons equally and mutually indwell the other to such a degree that to speak of the Divine essence is to refer to the Father, Son and Spirit. Each Person in turn contains the totality of the Eternal, Divine essence that the other two equally share in like manner. In ways that we cannot fully comprehend - the Persons of the Godhead retain their distinct identities while equally and eternally sharing in and expressing the fullness of what it means to be the One True and living God.

By understanding God as monotheistic in regards to His essence, the Deity of the Son in His relationship to the Father and the Personality of the Spirit in His relationship to the Father and Son, we then come lastly to the fourth truth comprising the doctrine of the Trinity– God as a Personal God. Over time many people have sought illustrations from the physical world to illustrate this profound truth of God being “One” and yet “Three” at the same time. All analogies eventually break down despite their initial aid in helping people to approach this truth. 

I have found relational language to be the most effective – since Jesus Himself employed such language (see John 14:23). Many Bible teachers have found relational language as the closest way possible in describing this otherwise incomprehensible truth of God. The Father for example is the Eternal great Lover and thus Source of relationship between the Persons. Such eternal love expressed by the Father would be impossible without an Eternal Beloved – the Son. As both the Father and Son have always loved One another from all eternity – hence the Holy Spirit is that Person Who expresses this love between the Father and the Son – all three Persons of course being One God that exists eternally in three Persons. These four fundamental truths of monotheism; Christ’s Deity; the Holy Spirit’s Personality and God being Personal rounds out attempting to explain the statement: "one God existing eternally in three persons”.

God is infinitely perfect

James 1:17 "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow."

Introduction:

Today's post will attempt to sketch out an answer to the following question: How is God infinitely perfect?

To begin, when we talk about God in regards to His perfection – we can speak of His perfection in two ways – which then lead to the necessary conclusion that He is infinite. 

First – God is essentially perfect. God is His own reality, complete in an of Himself – i.e what theologians term “Aseity” (Isaiah 43:10-11; 44:6; Romans 11:36). Perfection in the Bible refers to completeness, soundness, fullness and without dependence on another. The Biblical doctrine of the Trinity is important due to its insistence upon God existing as three persons who are dependant upon one another but not on anything outside of themselves. 

Writers of times past have shown for example that God is love – with the Father loving, the Son receiving such love and the Holy Spirit being the Personal expression of such love between the Father and the Son. Undoubtedly all of God's attributes or characteristics could be expressed in this similar fashion. 

God is therefore necessarily the explanation for His own reason for being. All other things – the universe, people, planets, angels and so on do not possess this quality of aseity or essential completeness. God would be God with or without the created order – and chose to create out of sheer pleasure and desire to overflow His unending glory (Habakkuk 2:14; Romans 8:22-25). Hence God is essentially perfect (Psalm 89:14; James 1:17).

The second way God is perfect is in regards to His moral perfection. God is fundamentally good through and through. Whenever Moses requested God to reveal His glory – God, Yahweh, responded by putting on display His “Goodness” (Exodus 33:17-18). All other moral perfections with holiness leading the list (Isaiah 6:3) include God’s mercy, grace, justice, wrath, benevolence and love for His people (Exodus 34:6; Jeremiah 10:23-24; Habakkuk 1:13; Jude 1:24-25). Such a being as God must by necessity be infinite and hence infinitely perfect. God’s moral perfection asserts He is the Absolute standard by which all morality is measured. Hence, “goodness” and “badness” do not become such when God declares them to be so. Rather, God being His own standard of goodness, holiness, love and so on is the final Determiner of what is good.

In order for God to function as essential and moral perfection – He must by necessity be infinite. By essence (i.e Being) He is unchanging or immutable (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8); not fully comprehended by any lesser mind (Romans 11:33-35); having no boundaries to mark His presence or immensity (1 Kings 8:27); without beginning nor end with regards to His duration (Psalm 90:1-2; Hebrews 1:5-14) and the Creator of all things (Genesis 1:1; 1 Corinthians 8:6). Moreover, Scripture reveals that such a God must then be all knowing or omniscient (Psalm 147:5; 1 John 3:20); all powerful or omnipotent (Psalm 139:13-16; Matthew 28:18); everywhere present or omnipresent (1 Kings 8; Psalm 139:7-12; Colossians 1:16-18); all wise (Psalm 139:22-24; Jude 1:24-25) and as already mentioned – all good (Psalm 139:17-22; Matthew 19:17).

Closing Thoughts
Therefore in conclusion, we can note that: 1). God is both essentially and morally perfect. 2). God by necessity is infinite. 3). God is therefore infinitely perfect and by converse, perfectly infinite.

A fresh vision of God

Ezekiel 1:1-3 "Now it came about in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the river Chebar among the exiles, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. 2 (On the fifth of the month in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile, 3 the word of the Lordcame expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in theland of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there the hand of the Lord came upon him.)"

Introduction:

Have you ever had one of those days where you know in your heart and mind that you need a fresh vision of God? I've had such days and on one of them I decided to turn to the prophet Ezekiel. Ezekiel's book is interesting in that it opens up with a full-length vision of God on His throne. The prophet was situated with a group of fellow Jews who were nearly 800 miles from their homeland. Their capitol city Jerusalem had fallen to the Babylonians and they were people without a home. I am sure the future laid uncertain in their minds as they both wondered and wandered. It was a dark and bleak time. The prophet sat with these exiles along the river Chebar. In what seemed to be the middle of nowhere God literally revealed Himself. Ezekiel received a fresh vision of God at a time where he most desperately needed it. Today I want to outline the first few chapters of Ezekiel to explore what exactly He saw. 

It must be observed that the vision can be divided into three sections, based upon three key words we find in Ezekiel 1:1-3. First, Ezekiel "saw visions", hence we will see God visually in this text. Then in Ezekiel 1:3 we are told that Ezekiel heard the Word of God, hence we will hear God audibly in this vision. Then finally, in Ezekiel 1:3 we are told that Ezekiel had upon his life the "hand of God", hence we will feel God or sense God in this text. Seeing. Hearing. Sensing. These are the three movements and headings we will explore. What is equally remarkable about this vision is that it can be divided into seven parts. Both the numbers "three" and "seven" are considered numbers of significance in the Bible - both used to describe God in His infinite perfections. So with those preliminary thoughts, lets consider in brief this fresh vision of God in Ezekiel 1-3.

I. Seeing God. Ezekiel 1:1-28

a. The glory of God. 1:1-4 

b. The holiness of God. 1:5-14

c. Will of God. 1:15-21

d. Majesty of God. 1:22-25

e. Sovereignty of God. 1:26-28

Ezekiel here beholds One God Who is Hidden as the Father. God in the Person of the Father is unseen, hidden from the eyes of His creation. Only the Son has beheld the Father directly (John 1:18). Only by faith can we see Him who is unseen (see Hebrews 11). 

II. Hearing God. Ezekiel 2:1-8

Ezekiel heard the voice of God summoning and calling Him. The Father was hidden and we could say the Son was heard. This vision is similar to what Isaiah had beheld in Isaiah 6 some 150 years prior to Ezekiel. We also can note that the Apostle John some 600 years after Ezekiel saw Jesus the Son in similar fashion. Jesus is the Living Word, co-equal to the Father and is the living voice of God. When the Son came He came in human flesh. Full Deity flowed through the thin filament of His humanity and full humanity was embraced by the Person of the Divine Son. He spoke. Before he became man, He was ever God. Ezekiel, I believe, saw the Son and heard His voice in His pre-incarnate (before the flesh) existence. 

III. Experiencing God (i.e the hand of God)

Ezekiel experiences the seventh and final section of this glorious, opening vision of God. Ezekiel saw One God Who is the hidden Father and heard the visible Son. We understand in the New Testament that there is a Third Person within the Godhead - the Holy Spirit. He is the influencer who needs to be heeded. We see the Spirit working within the wheels of this vision and in the quill of Ezekiel. 

Ezekiel saw the glory, holiness, will, majesty and sovereignty of God. He heard the voice of God. In this final section He experiences, senses or feels the hand of God. He is being commissioned to communicate a hard but necessary message. A message mingled with grace and judgment, hope and warning, reminders from the past, clarity for the present and prophecies for the future. 

May we today meditate on this fresh vision of God. 

How Jesus took on the believer's 3 enemies and the confidence we have to win

Luke 4:1-3 "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry. 3 And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

Introduction:
How did Jesus approach to spiritual warfare? Well - obviously - it wasn't with a tank like the one pictured above. In both Luke and Mark's Gospel accounts of His temptation in the wilderness, Jesus went into that scene being both filled with the Holy Spirit and filled with the Word. Luke describes Jesus as being "filled with the Holy Spirit" and Mark elaborates on how Jesus was "impelled". For sake of completeness, Matthew's parallel states in Matthew 4:1 that Jesus was "led up by the Spirit into the wilderness." In all three parallels of Matthew, Mark and Luke - we find Jesus battling toe-to-toe with Satan by His utility of scripture. Unless we as Christians approach daily Christian life and spiritual warfare as a Spirit-filled and Word-filled people, we will fail in our daily fight of faith. Jesus supremely and perfectly modeled this for us and by His Spirit makes available the power to do as He did. Today we want to consider the enemies that Jesus fought in this wilderness temptation. The three enemies that Jesus faced and defeated can be described as the three common enemies of the believer. 

The three enemies of the believer that Jesus fought and defeated
The Devil or Satan
According to 1 John 2:14-17 there are three common enemies: Satan, the world and the flesh. Satan is the archenemy of the child of God (see 1 Peter 5:8). Thankfully we never have to deal with him directly, but more so indirectly through His vast-network of demonic agents (see 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Ephesians 6:10-13). For all intents and purposes, whether dealing with demons or Satan himself, the effects and difficulties are practically indistinguishable.  Jesus of course went toe-to-toe with Satan in His temptation, His earthly ministry and in His defeat of Satan at the cross (see Acts 10:38; Colossians 2:11-12; 1 John 3:8).

Who is the Devil? A brief sketch of his personage and career reveals the following:

1. He was originally a powerful angel named Lucifer (Ezekiel 28; Isaiah 14), perhaps an archangel, who got his eyes off of God and instead focused on his own beauty. Shortly after the creation week scripture records Lucifer, now Satan or the Devil, leading 1/3 of the angelic hosts astray, who in their fall became the myriads of demons occupying the various orders of the kingdom of darkness. (Revelation 12) 

2. The Devil or Satan is a creature who is a liar (John 8:44), a deceiver and prince of the power of the air who blinds the hearts of unbelievers (2 Corinthians 4:1-4). As a creature, the Devil communicates his malevolent intentions through the vast network of demonic hosts we see mentioned in Ephesians 6:12.

3. We know the Devil tempted Jesus on three occasions in Matthew 4, and the Devil's aim is to do all he can to discourage and divide the church. (Matthew 16:18)

4. According to 1 Peter 5:8, The Devil is a roaring lion prowling about seeking whom he may devour. 

This sketch lays out for us why it is the Devil is the believer's common enemy in spiritual warfare. Jesus defeated Satan so that by His power we could have victory as well through the spiritual armor He has supplied (Ephesians 6:10-18). But now let's look at the two other enemies of the believer that Jesus defeated...

The flesh and the world

In 1 John 2:16 we read of three primary weapons of Satan that comprise together what we call the flesh and the world: the lust of eyes (2:16), the flesh (2:16) and the boasting about what one has (2:16). Sometimes as Christians we wonder why Jesus didn't just wipe Satan out of existence. The closest we can come to answering that question is by remembering that we are described as those who are "more than conquerors". If we are to expect to walk, talk and act like Jesus, this means necessarily experiencing everything that he did in His time on this earth. It is only in the prospect of defeat that we can understand the blessing of spiritual conquest in Jesus' name. 

The world is that network of ideas and temptations organized and trafficked by the kingdom of darkness. Any thought or imagination arrayed against the authority of Jesus Christ derives from the world and entices the internal drives we call the flesh. The flesh is the combination of left over sin-remnants that operate in the natural drives that wants anything but God. How did Jesus fare in this deadly combination of external and internal enemies?

Satan did to Jesus what he did to Adam and his wife: he tempted in the realm of the drives, the senses or the lust of the eyes (Matthew 4:1-4; Luke 4:1-4). Next Satan appealed to Jesus much like Adam in the realm of the visual, of the heart, or the boastful pride of life by showing him all the kingdoms of the world. (Matthew 4:8-11; Luke 4:5-8) Then Satan appealed to Jesus like he did Adam by the lust of the flesh, the reliance of self by tempting Jesus to cast himself to the floor of the temple. (Matthew 4:5-7; Luke 4:9-13) All three of these temptations overlapped and intertwined like newly woven ropes. 

Would Satan be able to tie up Jesus like he had with the other great but sinful men of the past? Thankfully not. Jesus was sinless, they were sinful. Despite being in a barren wasteland in contrast to Old Adam's idyllic settings in Genesis 3, Jesus the New Adam soundly defeated Satan. Jesus as God in human flesh warred with Satan and won this first of many battles.

The confidence we have to win in spiritual warfare as Christians
What is the believer's confidence in winning spiritual warfare? None other than Jesus Christ. Jesus' approach to spiritual warfare (Spirit-filled and Word-filled) is to be our own (see Ephesians 6:10-18; 2 Corinthians 10:3-4). Secondly, the believer's common enemies of the world, flesh and the devil were all defeated by Jesus. So then the confidence (the letter "c" of our A,B,C's) of spiritual warfare is Christ Himself. We must remember that Jesus Christ is not stuck in history. He is made personally and powerfully available to us by the Person and power of the Holy Spirit (see John 14:23; Romans 8:10-11; Colossians 1:27). He in us and us in Him, seated together in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6-8). To know that Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20) means that the One who has already obtained victory over the world, the flesh and the Devil is the same One who can give me the desire to be Spirit-filled and Word-filled.  

When Jesus finished His battle with the enemy, Matthew and Luke tell us that He then began His public ministry in power and authority. He in His humanity knew He was doing the Father's will. He in His Deity submitted Himself to the Father and expressed in His humanity the desire to be submitted to the Spirit of God. This was Jesus' confidence. His confidence can be ours. 

Life Applications of James 5:13-16 that can be used in teaching or preaching or for private devotional use. P7 - A study in James 5:13-16

James 5:13-16 (NASB) "Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and 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. 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."

Introduction:  Over the past several posts we have been engaging in a thorough study of James 5:13-16 regarding the subject of God's provision of healing. As a pastor I often experience the direct impact illness and suffering has in the lives of church members, my own family and in my own life. The subject of God's healing power and will to heal has been an issue that I have found to be both encouraging and mysterious. 

Oftentimes when reading anything on the subject, one will encounter one of two extremes: either God wills all Christians to never be sick or He is in a general sense no longer performing miraculous acts of healing in the church. To offset these two extreme positions, this blogger has found James 5:13-16 to be very helpful in shedding light on this very personal, emotionally charged and what can be spiritually liberating subject.

We have considered thus far in this study:

1. The need for prayer when seeking God for healing

2. God's concern for those who are physically ill in the church.

3. We looked more closely at the act of anointing with oil and the manner in which God promises healing in James 5:14-15a.

4. We then focused attention on the spiritual benefits that are offered by God in the act of anointing with oil in the name of the Lord in James 5:15b.

5. James 5:16 shows why practical, pastor ministry need to emphasize God's provision and power to heal.

6. In the last post we considered the importance of praying after the event of "anointing with oil.

Today's post concludes our study by noting life applications for teaching, preaching or devotional situations.

Life Applications of James 5:13-16 that can be used in teaching or preaching or for private devotional use.

The ultimate goal of this study has been to take what we glean in observation and interpretation and apply it to people who need it the most. To bring home the life application of this series, I will take the headings we assigned throughout the study and render them into points for teaching, preaching and practical ministry situations.

1. Prayer is necessary to prepare for anointing with oil. James 5:13. Unless the person with the illness and the church leadership (and really the whole church itself) is prefacing this act with prayer, nothing will come of it.

2. Physical sickness is being described in James 5:14. This point may sound obvious, however the fact that so few churches ever think of anointing with oil as a first option necessitates the mention of this point. In terms of how serious the illness needs to be before calling forth the elders (in other words, if someone has a cold) can only be determined by the instructions contained in the passage itself. By consistent application of James 5:13-16, the ill patient and the leadership of the church can discerned through prayer when, where and how to exercise this act of anointing with oil.

3. People in the church requesting anointing with oil. James 5:14-15. We can note what it looks like from beginning to end when someone requests to be anointed with oil in the name of the Lord.

a. The request must be made to the representative church leadership. James 5:14

b. God can deliver healing immediately, eventually or ultimately following the act of anointing with oil. James 5:15a

c. Particular spiritual provisions such as forgiveness of sin and spiritual strengthening are guaranteed in the act of anointing with oil. James 5:15b

d. Anointing with oil in the name of the Lord can be done privately but is set forth as a public act in the life of the church, so that the church body can participate in encouraging the one who is sick. James 5:16

4. Persist in prayer for the sake of receiving your healing, whether immediately, in the near future or ultimately in Heaven. This final point is to underscore that God desires to heal and has the power to heal. The only element to which none are told is the timing. God wills to heal, this we know. However God determines when to heal. He can heal immediately, however He can also choose to heal that person ultimately when they leave this world. A third possibility may be that the person is healed eventually. When instructing people in the anointing of oil, I would urge them to not stop praying, but ever persist in being receptive to God's healing virtue. 

Let me lay down a few principles that flow from the above observations, and then illustrate. First, it is God's pleasure to heal His people, otherwise the Holy Spirit would not had inspired and moved James to write what he did in James 5:13-16. We can also note on at least 25 occassions in the Gospels where people came to Jesus or were brought to Him for healing, not one times does He refuse to heal them. 

Secondly, God has the power to heal (Psalm 103:3). We must remember that it is the power of Jesus Christ, not faith, that heals (Luke 5:17). 

Thirdly, personal faith receives healing. Faith is the God-given vessel that we have to receive all that He has to offer. Faith must be present to receive Jesus immediately in salvation (Romans 10:8-10). Faith must also be present and ready to receive healing whether it be at that moment or six months down the road (Luke 7:50) 

So then why do some people get healed immediately and others later on? This is the mystery side of healing. Some erroneously blame the lack of faith. Faith cannot do anything to effect healing. All it can do is receive it. The Apostle Paul for example prayed three times for His ailment to be removed, and yet God did not deliver Him of it. Are we to blame Paul for lack of faith? Hardly. The only answer we can give in understanding why some people get immediately healed, or later healed or even ultimately healed in heaven, and others don't, is due to the purpose of God. Hence, it is God's purpose that determines when the healing takes place.

To illustrate, whenever I travel, my cell phone is ever ready to receive a signal. At times when journeying in a mountainous area, the signal may not be forth coming. However, that does not mean the phone is useless. My phone's operation and readiness to receive does not make the signal travel slower or faster. All it can do is receive the incoming signal whenever it arrives. The signal will come through once I get through the other side. I may not know when the signal may come, but I best be sure to keep the phone on for the sake of receiving the signal. The suggestion is that this is how healing practically works at times, and the conclusions are drawn from the above study. There will always be the mysterious elements of healing that we do not know, however we must not grow discouraged nor doubt the goodness and power of God.

Well that concludes this study of physical healing and anointing with oil in the name of the Lord in James 5:13-16. My prayer is that readers will find this useful and beneficial in ministry and private devotional situations. To God be the glory!

Persist in prayer for the sake of receiving your healing, whether immediately, in the near future or ultimately in Heaven. P6 A Study on James 5:13-16

James 5:13-16 (NASB) "Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and 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. 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."

Introduction:  

We have considered thus far in this study:

1. The need for prayer when seeking God for healing

2. God's concern for those who are physically ill in the church.

3. We looked more closely at the act of anointing with oil and the manner in which God promises healing in James 5:14-15a.

4. We then focused attention on the spiritual benefits that are offered by God in the act of anointing with oil in the name of the Lord in James 5:15b.

5. In the last post we studied James 5:16, with particular interest in why practical, pastoral ministry needs to emphasize God's provision and power to heal.

Today's post continues on our study by noting the importance of persisting in prayer following the act of anointing with oil in the name of the Lord. Oftentimes when I have been involved in an anointing with oil of a fellow church member, there have been no visible healing effects. Why is that? Below will answer this question and suggest why persistent prayer must continue following the event of anointing of oil in the name of the Lord.

Persist in prayer for the sake of receiving your healing, whether immediately, in the near future or ultimately in Heaven. 

So then, why would James be speaking of continual, ongoing, fervent prayer?  This third question requires connecting James' final set of commands in 5:16 to his illustration of Elijah in 5:17-18. The final clause of James 5:16 reads: "the personal prayer of a righteous man has abundant mighty effects that continue working"). 

It is at this point that James consults the life of Elijah the prophet in James 5:17-18 as an example of a man who persisted in prayer. It is in 1 Kings 18:42-46 that we read of the Prophet Elijah and his assistant atop Mount Carmel after the mighty defeat of the prophets of Baal. No rain had fallen on Israel for over three years, and now Elijah was telling his servant to scan the horizon. Seven times he told his servant to go while he crouched on the ground with his head between his knees. After the seventh time, 1 Kings 18:45 states that: "In a little while the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy shower and Ahab rode and went to Jezreel."  

So then how do the commands pertaining to effectual fervent prayer in James 5:16, the illustration of Elijah in 5:17-18 and the verses on healing fit together? This writer suggests that the emphasis on persistance in prayer may be given in instances where instantaneous healing does not take place. That is, when a person is anointed with oil as prescribed in James 5:14-15, three outcomes are possible: instant, later or ultimate healing. I glean this point from the simple fact that if James 5:14-16 was guaranteeing instant healing 100% of the time anyone was anointed with oil, then there would be no need for "ongoing, fervent prayer".

There could be those instances where for reasons only known to God, the timing of the healing may not be in the event of the anointing. God may very well have additional purposes such as working forth a prayer life in the life of the sick person or the church members. Does a delay mean a denial? No. Because the text never leaves in doubt whether or not God wants to effect a healing. The only detail that is uncertain is whether the healing will take place in the anointing, at some point and time after the anointing or ultimately after the person has went on to be with the Lord. The point of the Elijah illustration is to underscore the need for persistent prayer, and to not give up on God nor His word.

More next time...

How anointing with oil fits into the church's overall ministry - P5 - a study of James 5:13-16

James 5:13-16 (NASB) "Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and 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. 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."

Introduction: 

We have considered thus far the need for prayer when seeking God for healing, as well as demonstrating God's concern for those who are physically ill in the church. In the third post of this series we we looked more closely at the act of anointing with oil and the manner in which God promises healing in James 5:14-15a. In the last post we focused attention on the spiritual benefits that are offered by God in the act of anointing with oil in the name of the Lord in James 5:15b. Today's post moves the study into James 5:16, with particular interest in

How God's power and provision to heal ought to be more emphasized in the church's teaching and pastoral ministry. James 5:16

Commentary: 

James 5:16 "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." (NASB)

The instructions James writes forth here in verse 16 are very public and very candid in how they portray a church family. It amazes this writer how freely James dispenses these instructions on administering anointing with oil as a necessary practice for the church, and how few churches practice it today. Could it be that developing greater love for one another and trusting relationships of care and concern are more important to God's plan for His church than chasing after success and size? The verb translated "confess" reinforces in its meaning the idea of full disclosure of one's personal status to one another (which of course presumes already developed trust between believers in their fellowship with one another).

Pastors, Elders and Deacons all need to work closely together in shepherding the local church membership with love and care. In that familar text of Romans 10:9 we read in the NASB - "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved". Here in James 5:16, the verb "confess" communicates that if a person is hiding any sin, they need to "unhide it" and tell those church members whom they trust or know (good elders and pastors develop such rapport with their people).  

The context indicates that those receiving the confession may need to do the same. It is then that James follows with the command for the membership in this circumstance to "pray on behalf of one another".  

Now the question is: for what purpose are these commands being set forth by James in verse 16? The purpose of the commands in James 5:16 and the place of prayer throughout the text is clearly stated. Church members are called to a higher degree of Christ-like compassion and love. 

Many churches today don't practice anointing with oil due to unfamiliarity or fear of introducing something wierd into the church's life. May it be suggested that whenever the pastoral leadership and church membership have grown close together in a mutual, trusting relationship, acts of compassion such as anointing with oil won't be viewed as wierd, but rather as requested acts of pastoral ministry. Moreover, increased familiarity with the scriptures' teaching on God's healing provision and the avoidance of extremes can diminish the sense of ackwardness concerning the teaching of God's healing provision.

Closing thoughts:  This then leads to another question: what ought we to do after the act of anointing with oil has taken place? Does the one who received the anointing and those who performed it continue to pray? If so, why? The first question can be answered with a simple answer: pray! The second question can also be answered with a short answer: "yes, both the receiver of the anointing and those performing it need to keep on praying". By seeing how much anointing with oil is to be a vital part of the church's overall life, God's provision and power to heal ought to become more central to the church's teaching and practical, pastoral ministry.

More next time....