134-Confessing to One Another#
134-Confessing to One Another
(JP Text Group - Happy Angel Compilation)
The topic of sharing is: Confessing to One Another
James 5:13-20:
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. 19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
Let us first pray:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You for giving us this time to worship and praise You here! As we enter a new week, we come to seek You again, to receive supply and strength from You. You grant us strength, and our lives can be empowered. Grant everyone the power to overcome, to glorify Your name in our lives. You work in each person's heart, guiding our hearts through the Holy Spirit, renewing our thoughts, making our thoughts more and more like Yours. Thank You and praise You! Bless every brother and sister who seeks You today, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray! Amen!
Do you all know what it means to be holy and beloved? What is holiness? It means to be without sin, not to sin, and to behave very well. So, how many people are holy? None. In the original text of the Bible, holiness means "set apart." You are a group of people set apart by God in this world. In God's eyes, you are holy people. You are also beloved! Who loves you? God loves you very much.
The devil also loves you very much; he loves to see you fall. If you are victorious, he gets very angry. If you have a very good relationship with God, he gets angry. He especially loves to see you fall, and when you crave this world, the devil is very happy.
Today, I want to share some information about confession through a passage of scripture. Continuing from last time, we talked about the need for patience while waiting for the return of the Lord Jesus. We need to have a patient heart. When we share the gospel with someone and they do not accept it, we can easily get hurt. If they do not believe, that’s fine, but if they slander us or even attack us, it can be a form of harm.
Once, Jesus led His disciples to Samaria to preach the gospel, but the people in the city did not accept it. Even when Jesus personally preached the gospel, they did not accept it. His disciples were very angry, and John said, "Lord, do You want me to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?"
Brothers and sisters, when sharing the gospel, there will indeed be some people who resist us, misunderstand us, or even slander us. What should we do? We do not need to argue with them; what we need is patience! Before the return of the Lord Jesus, we all need to have the character of patience, which is itself a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Verse 13 says: "Is anyone among you suffering?"
This suffering is definitely not self-inflicted; it does not mean suffering after committing a sin. The word suffering in verse 10 refers to: "Brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience."
The suffering mentioned in verse 13 refers to suffering for the sake of witnessing for the Lord and preaching the gospel. What should we do when we suffer? Should we stop preaching the gospel? When we share the gospel and others hurt us, should we say, "Forget it, just go to hell, I won’t talk to you anymore"?
What this tells us is: "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray."
God calls us to share the gospel. When others misunderstand you, slander you, or attack you, you should not argue with them but come before God. When Jesus preached the gospel, many people resisted and did not accept it; how much more so for us? We need to have a patient and flexible heart. In your suffering, God will personally comfort you. Amen! It says here that we need to pray when we suffer.
Next, it says "Is anyone cheerful?" When sharing the gospel, some people will accept it; not everyone will reject it. "If we are cheerful, we should sing praises to our God." When we pray for someone to be healed and God raises them up, aren’t we joyful? At that time, we should sing praises to our God! Hallelujah!
James makes it very clear here: if you are suffering, pray to God; if you are cheerful, you should also pray to God. No matter what kind of environment we encounter, we should always offer prayers to God. Whether the environment is good or bad, or whether life is difficult or joyful, we need to pray to God, acknowledging that God is our help in life. Amen! Earlier, we mentioned suffering, and then we talked about joy. What if someone is sick?
Verse 14 states: "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."
Here, the Lord says that when a believer is sick, he should seek the elders. In James' time, elders referred to those responsible in the church, whether elders, pastors, or teachers. In other words, when there are sick people among you, remember to call the church.
The Bible does not say that if you are sick, just pray. It means He knows each person's heart. Who does not know to pray when sick? The problem is that people become weak and even lose the heart to pray. How can you make them pray? At this time, remember the church; call the teacher, call the pastor, call the elders. Let these people come and pray for them.
I hope that if any of our church brothers and sisters are sick, they will call me, and I will come to pray for you. Amen! This is the attitude we should have among family. It says here that if you are sick, "you can call for the elders of the church, and they can anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord."
The mention of anointing with oil refers to olive oil. Olive oil was a common remedy in that era. In the four gospels, Jesus also mentioned that a man was beaten, and the Samaritan poured oil and wine on his wounds, bandaged him, and took him to an inn. When the Israelites went out, they had to carry wine and oil; wine can disinfect, and oil refers to the healing properties of olive oil, which was widely used in Israel. Many resources tell us that olive oil has healing properties for ailments ranging from toothaches to paralysis.
In our country, there is little teaching on this aspect, and even the understanding of communion has issues, let alone anointing with oil. I want to briefly explain this issue. In the land of Israel, olive oil has three uses:
The first is first-pressed olive oil, which in ancient times was used as lamp oil in the temple. When olive oil is lit, the whole room is fragrant.
The second is for healing.
The third is for cleansing, like soap.
When there is illness, call the elders, call the pastor, let them come and pray for you, anointing you in the name of the Lord. Here, the elders come with the name of Jesus Christ and with olive oil, both of which can heal. One is the name of Jesus Christ, which can be said to be a kind of spiritual faith; the olive oil is a visible faith. Actually, just using the name of Jesus is enough, but when people are weak, it is hard to see this faith. They hope their senses can perceive this faith. Many believers pray for healing without effect.
When they see someone with the same illness being healed by God, their faith will be uplifted because they witness something happening. The olive oil serves this purpose: it can release faith. Hallelujah! Anointing with oil is an external, tangible expression. Through anointing with oil, we know that in the Old Testament, oil was used to anoint priests, kings, and prophets.
When the elder, a person with God's special authority, anoints the sick person with oil in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, this person receives two kinds of faith: one is the external, visible faith from the oil, and the true faith comes from the name of Jesus Christ! Amen!
They perform healing in the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, and God will use both to heal the sick. Brothers and sisters, whether it is communion, declaration, or prayer, when you receive healing, it is actually the faith produced by this word that brings you healing! Amen!
There are many blessings in heaven. How do we access them? By faith! Hallelujah! Anointing with oil is an external, tangible expression! It can release the faith of the patient.
Jesus also did such things while on earth. Once, a blind man named Bartimaeus cried out, "Son of David, have mercy on me." Jesus asked him, "What do you want Me to do for you?" Bartimaeus replied, "Lord, that I may receive my sight." Jesus said, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." Through His word, Bartimaeus received his sight.
There was another blind man whom Jesus healed by spitting on the ground, making mud, and applying it to his eyes. He was not healed immediately; it was only after Jesus laid hands on his eyes that he could see. Brothers and sisters, sometimes we might find it disgusting that Jesus used spit and mud, but remember, it was Jesus' spit that He applied to the patient's eyes, saying, "Go wash, and you will see."
Why make it so complicated? Is Jesus' word powerless? Does He lack healing ability? The issue is that the blind man's faith had not reached that point; he hoped for something external that he could feel. When Jesus applied the mud to his eyes and told him to wash, he gained faith through that act. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, whether it is anointing with oil, communion, or declaration, these are all ways to release faith through God's word! Therefore, in life, we should use some rituals, and the ultimate purpose of these rituals is to bring us before Jesus Christ. For example, today as you listen to the sermon, this word can generate faith in you. And this faith can change your life, change your existence. Hallelujah!
The first point I want to share is God's Forgiveness and Confession.
Verse 15 states: "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 will save the sick."
We have been discussing that it is faith that heals the sick. The prayer of faith will save the sick; who raises him up? Is it not the Lord Jesus Christ? Thank You, Lord! You see, the prayer of faith will save the sick. Perhaps this sick person has been lying in bed, but anointing him in the name of the Lord will raise him up. It is not the ability of any pastor; many people are healed during preaching, but it is absolutely not my ability; it is the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am just a vessel!
When you pray for others, know that it is not your ability; it is simply in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that you heal and anoint him, and the Lord will raise him up. Have this faith when you pray for others! Hallelujah! It is the Lord Jesus who raises him up; we must clarify this issue. Many Christians end up chasing after some famous pastor. If it were not for the power of the Lord Jesus, what power would that pastor have? When you understand this truth, you will also possess the power of Jesus Christ. Thank You, Lord! The truth must be applied in life.
It goes on to say: "The Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven."
Here is a common confusion among people: what happens when a Christian sins? How are they forgiven? If a believer sins, does the elder pray for him, and then his sins are forgiven? If so, we would be like Catholics, seeking a priest to pray for us to have our sins forgiven. No, who is it that forgives?
"If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven." Why is this sick person's sin forgiven? Is it because the elder or pastor prayed for him? Of course not! Some might say that this person must have confessed to God. Does this passage mention that? No! Many times, people add their own interpretations to the Bible.
"If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven," who forgives him? Is it not the Lord Jesus who forgives him? He has sinned, and the Lord Jesus comes to forgive him. He is sick; who raises him up? Everything is done by God Himself. Is there anyone here who needs to do something? No! So we must return to the Bible.
Brothers and sisters, let me briefly share the difference between confession under the New Covenant and confession under the Old Covenant. Many people say that under the New Covenant, when we sin, we confess to God. That is correct; we fully agree with this view! The question is, how do we confess? What is the reason our sins are forgiven? Let's look at a passage.
Ephesians 1:7: "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace."
What is the reason your sins are forgiven? It is because of the blood of Jesus Christ! It is not because the pastor prayed for you; it is not because you confessed; it is because of the blood of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! You must understand this. The forgiveness of sins here is the same as the verse we just read: "If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven."
What is the reason? What does God see? God sees that he is already a believer in Jesus, and the blood of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, can forgive this person's sins. Hallelujah! The reason he is forgiven is not because of his behavior but because of God's rich grace. It is because of God's rich grace that this person's sins are forgiven.
Some may ask, how should we confess under the New Covenant? In the Old Covenant, after sinning, one needed to confess to God. Did David confess after sinning? Yes! David was very devout, confessing and crying, his tears soaking his bed. Was that confession thorough enough? Absolutely thorough.
But did he face punishment after sinning? Yes! Because he was under the law. Even if he confessed under the law, he still had to bear the punishment. Under the New Covenant, when we sin, we need to confess to God. How do we confess? "Lord Jesus, I lost my temper, but I believe the blood of the beloved Son has redeemed me and forgiven my sins." The consequences of sin were borne by Jesus Christ. This is God's rich grace. Heavenly Father, please give me the strength to overcome sin, to overcome my temper, and grant me Your gentleness! Hallelujah!
Do you see the difference? In the Old Covenant, when someone sinned, they would plead, "Please forgive me." At that time, Jesus had not yet shed His blood or made His sacrifice. Today, when we sin, we pray, "Lord, I have committed this sin, but I still believe Your grace is upon me."
Do you see the difference? One is fearful and trembling after sinning, while the other sees the love of Jesus Christ. They see the abundant grace of Jesus Christ, which helps them overcome sin. The New Covenant and the Old Covenant are completely different.
Let’s look at another passage, Hebrews 9:19-26: one is the Old Covenant, and one is the New Covenant.
For "when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, 'This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.'"
Although the Israelites lived under the Ten Commandments, they could not keep the Ten Commandments. They relied on the death of animals to have their sins forgiven. Amen, "He sprinkled the blood on the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. According to the law, almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood, there is no remission."
What is purified? In the Old Covenant, what was used for purification after sin? It was also blood, but it was the blood of bulls and goats. In this regard, the Old Covenant and the New Covenant are identical. Amen! In the Old Covenant, the blood of bulls and goats was used, but the blood of bulls and goats cannot completely remove human sin. Under the New Covenant, we do not rely on the blood of bulls and goats; we rely on the blood of Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus Christ can remove our sins and grant us forgiveness. Amen!
"It was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these." Under the Old Covenant, if you wanted your sins forgiven, you had to use the blood of these sacrificial animals for purification. "But the heavenly things themselves require better sacrifices." We are to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, not just the tabernacle; what purifies us should be the blood of Jesus Christ. "For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us."
"Not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another." How many times did Jesus offer Himself? Once.
"For then He would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself."
Whose sin did He put away? Our sin. Hallelujah! He took away my sin! Brothers and sisters, this is the blood of Jesus Christ. Why can God heal this person? At that time, he had already suffered from the devil's attack, forgetting his identity. Then the elder came and anointed him with oil, reminding him that the blood of Jesus Christ had already cleansed him, and the anointing oil represented that God had accepted him. When this person heard this word, his faith was restored, and God raised him up again. If he has committed sins, the elder tells him to believe that Jesus Christ offered Himself on the cross, and His shed blood is our true sacrifice, which removes our sins. Hallelujah!
Our sins can be forgiven; it is absolutely not the result of your confession to God, but because the blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed you. This is the result of what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross for you. As I mentioned earlier, you are holy and beloved. Why are you holy and beloved? Because the blood of Jesus Christ has wiped away your transgressions. Amen!
1 John 2:12: "I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake."
How are your sins forgiven? It is through the name of Jesus Christ, through what Jesus Christ did for you on the cross. Your sins are forgiven! "If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven." How is our relationship with God restored? It is through Jesus Christ offering Himself as a sacrifice, dying on the cross. He died, and we live! His shed blood cleanses our sins. Amen! This is the key point!
Therefore, our relationship with God is restored through the blood of Jesus Christ; it is absolutely not restored by your confession to God. It is not that. Amen! It is because Jesus died for you, becoming your peace offering with God. This is the first point of sharing. How should Christians under the New Covenant confess to God? They should say to God: "Lord, I did this today; I know it is wrong, but I believe that Jesus Christ has paid the price for this sin. Your shed blood has already forgiven my sin, so please give me strength to overcome this sin." This is confession under the New Covenant.
In fact, I prefer to understand it as repentance, because you return to God, looking up to what God has done for you, looking up to what He accomplished for you on the cross. This is repentance! Many people insist on calling it confession; I say, fine, that works too. But the Old Covenant is completely different. Amen! In the Old Covenant, confession was to obtain forgiveness from God; under the New Covenant, God has already forgiven you! Hallelujah!
The second point: Confessing to One Another is to People, Not to God.
Verse 16: "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."
Many people particularly like to read this verse, saying that we must confess. That’s right; we need to confess. They say, "Look, James 5 tells us to confess to one another." Is confessing to one another confessing to God? If it refers to our relationship with God, then does God also need to confess to you?
Does God need to confess to you? Confessing to one another refers to our relationships between people. Hallelujah! The cross has two aspects: the vertical one refers to our relationship with God. How is our relationship with God restored? Isn’t it through Jesus Christ on the cross?
Jesus offered Himself on the cross, and at that intersection, Jesus was hung there. Our vertical relationship with God is restored; each person has a personal relationship with God. Jesus has forgiven your sins and cleansed you; each person has a unique relationship with God.
The horizontal one refers to our relationships with others, and again, it is Jesus! If you want to have harmonious relationships with others, you must go through Jesus Christ to achieve peace. If you want to restore your relationship with God, you must rely on Jesus to restore peace with God. Jesus Christ is always the center of our lives!
This leads to a conclusion: "Therefore," you have said so much, why say "therefore"? Therefore, you must confess to one another. Brothers and sisters, if you have offended someone, you need to confess to that person, right? Is it necessary to confess? You must remember, this is what believers lack the most. Many people get this wrong. If you offend someone, and for no reason you scold a brother, then go home and say, "Lord, I really owe it; I am a sinner. I offended Brother Li; Lord, please forgive me for this sin." After praying, the next day, how do you treat him? You treat him the same way. This is a very wrong idea. If you offend someone, should you confess to them?
You should come before that person and confess to them, but this strength comes from God! It says here, "Therefore, you must confess to one another." Why can you confess to your brother? Because you know Jesus has forgiven you! This is the source of your ability to confess to your brothers and sisters. Hallelujah!
It says here to confess to one another. What does "one another" mean? It means mutual. For example, between me and Sister Wang, if I have offended her, hypothetically, if I have offended her, we should confess to one another. Did God say, "Go confess to the person you offended; this time your sin is more serious, and the other person is innocent"? Did He say that? No! Jesus means you should confess to one another because, in God's view, all problems do not arise from one side; they arise from both sides. Amen!
Once, Peter asked Jesus, "Teacher, my brother has offended me seven times; I have forgiven him. Is that enough?" Jesus replied, "Not seven times, but seventy times seven." Did Peter feel it was unfair? He offended me, and You want me to forgive him seventy times seven? This is too difficult. The book of James cuts into our lives.
When you have friction or conflict with your brother, you should confess to one another. Do not look at his mistakes; look at where your mistakes are. Amen! Is this strength difficult? Yes! It is very difficult! Generally, when we offend others, we can confess to them. The problem is, when others offend you, you still have to confess to them. This is the hardest part. But this is the biblical method to keep your heart from being hurt.
Colossians 3:12-13:
12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, and longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
The Bible makes it very clear: how do we have the strength to forgive others? You are the elect of God, holy and beloved. Hallelujah! Do you know you are holy and beloved by God? Knowing you are holy and beloved by God gives you the strength to forgive others. It goes on to say to put on mercy, which in the original text means "to wear." Knowing you are holy and beloved, you should put on mercy, put on kindness, put on humility, put on meekness, and put on longsuffering.
Our God does not say you must strive to have a merciful heart, you must strive to be kind, you must strive to be humble. No, God means I have already prepared all of this for you; just put it on. Amen! Brothers and sisters, do you know there is mercy from God? Put it on! If you lack gentleness, ask God for the garment of gentleness and put it on. Amen!
"Lord Jesus, I have a very bad temper; today I attacked others with words. I know You have already forgiven my sins. Please grant me gentleness so that I can treat others with a gentle heart." This is equivalent to asking God for this gentle character, and God will grant it to you. This is very important.
If anyone has a complaint against another, let them bear with one another and forgive one another.
Isn't it all mutual? Because they are all beloved by God, they are all chosen by God, so they wear God's mercy, God's kindness, God's humility, God's gentleness, and God's longsuffering. When they know they have this strength, they can bear with one another and forgive one another. Hallelujah! Why do they have this ability? They often meditate on how the Lord has forgiven us. We should also forgive others in the same way! Amen!
Take our church brothers and sisters as an example. If someone offends you once, let me ask you, do you offend Jesus more or do you offend people more? Which is more? We offend God more. Many times, we do things that hurt God, but Jesus Christ still forgives you. Especially when we were not yet believers, did we offend the Lord a lot? Too much! When others preached the gospel to you, you slandered them, mocked them, and insulted them. But Jesus forgave you. When we think of how Jesus forgives us seventy times seven, countless times, we can find the strength to forgive others. Amen!
Where does the power of confessing to one another come from? It comes from knowing you are holy and beloved, and how Jesus forgave you, so you can confess to others. Amen! When you have conflicts with your brothers and sisters, please wear mercy and kindness, and confess to one another. Pray to God, "Lord, give me strength to have Your kindness and mercy." After praying, face your brother. Amen!
No matter who is right or wrong. God is not judging who is right or wrong; He wants you to restore your relationship. Amen! This power comes from understanding how much Christ loves you and how He forgave you, so you can confess to your brother. Amen! Brothers and sisters, these are some issues in life. They have nothing to do with salvation. This refers to how to be victorious in life.
I once preached a sermon about forgiving others to release yourself. For example, if someone offends me today, it seems like they are wrong, but in fact, I am also hurt. For instance, if the other person says, "You did this and that," and goes on to say a lot of negative things, even though I am the listener, my heart is also hurt. When they speak negatively about others, they are also hurt. Remember, the person who insults others harbors more bitterness in their heart. The person being insulted is also filled with bitterness. In such cases, whoever confesses first will be released first.
Brothers and sisters, what is being discussed here is the relationship between people; do not bring it to God. You should first confess to your brother, saying, "I’m sorry, I was wrong. I should not have let you misunderstand me or have this wrong impression of me. I did not do well enough." If you say this to him, you will be released! As for whether he forgives you, that is his business. You will be released in this matter! This is very important!
Therefore, you must confess to one another and pray for one another.
You should also pray for those who have hurt you, praying for them shows you see them from God's perspective. You are forgiving them in the way Jesus forgave you, and you will be released.
Matthew 5:43-44:
43 You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.
Jesus does not want bitterness to exist in our hearts, so pray for your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, and bitterness will not exist in your heart. Amen!
Luke 6:28: "Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you."
Is this issue difficult? Very difficult! But it is beneficial for you! Rest assured, Jesus said this is not for the benefit of your enemies; it is for your benefit. If someone curses you, you should bless them. If they curse you and you curse them back, both of you will fall into bitterness. If they curse you and you bless them, you will be in a state of blessing! Do you see the difference?
God does not want us to fall into cursing; He does not want your heart to be bound by curses. He wants your heart to be captured by blessings! Amen! So He wants everyone to be a channel of blessings, not a channel of curses.
"Pray for those who spitefully use you." What does it mean to pray for them? "God, have mercy on them, pity them." Your heart will not be harmed by this situation. Amen! This is confessing to one another.
"Pray for one another, that you may be healed." Many Christians do not understand this verse, saying, "Teacher Ren, I have prayed, why hasn’t God healed me?" It may be because of the following situation: you have not forgiven in your heart. Even if God heals you now, it won’t be long before you return to bondage, back to cursing, and this illness will bind you again. What is the way to completely resolve this issue? Forgive him, confess to him, and you will never be bound by this matter again. You can receive complete healing! Amen! Many illnesses come from anger, but when you can confess to the other party, you will not be angry because you have forgiven them with the love of Jesus Christ. You will be released, and your body will be healed! Amen!
Many times, we do not understand this aspect of the message and say, "Lord, why don’t You heal me?" When you are willing to give up hatred, your body will naturally be healed. If we say, "Lord, I am unwilling to forgive him; he is so despicable, his behavior is so terrible, he has deeply hurt me," but God says, "Confess to him, and you will receive healing!" Amen!
God does this not to condone those who hurt you but for your release! It is for your healing! If you are hurt by bitterness and become ill, remember to confess to that person! Amen! Many times, because we do not know, we unknowingly hurt many people, but I am completely unaware of this.
If someone among you tells me, "Teacher Ren, you hurt me with your words once." I would say, "I’m sorry, I apologize for what I said." But if you do not tell me, I will never know and have no way to confess to you. You will keep this grievance in your heart, and as it accumulates over time, you will become ill and never receive healing. Come to me; rest assured, I am not a legalist. Do not worry; I will not say, "You have so much bitterness in your heart; wait for God to deal with you." I will not say that. Rest assured, brothers and sisters.
Confessing to one another and praying for one another will lead to healing. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Why is there a special mention of the righteous? It is to let you know that you are justified by faith, and your prayers can be heard by God. God hopes you live a righteous life, and He hopes you live in the blessings of the righteous! Amen!
Verse 19: "Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins."
James encourages the brothers and sisters at the end: if anyone among you wanders from the truth, it means they do not recognize the truth and have not repented to receive life. Such people are particularly likely to hurt others because they do not have Jesus in their hearts and do not know what forgiveness and mercy are; they are still relying on themselves, so they easily hurt others. They have gone astray, and someone turns them back, referring to us. You must first turn back before you can help others turn back. If you help others turn back, it says, "Let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins."
You cannot say, "This person has hurt me; I will never share the gospel with him in my lifetime. Let him go to hell." This is also a form of bitterness in your heart. Use a merciful heart and love to save him. Regardless of the outcome, your willingness to do so is saving a soul from death. If this person listens to your advice and turns back, the Bible says, "Saving a soul from death covers a multitude of sins." Brothers and sisters, why is there so much sin in the world? Because many people do not know Jesus Christ! They do not know what Jesus Christ has done for us. Many people believe in the Lord but do not let the Lord enter their lives, so we lack horizontal relationships with others. God rarely makes us angry; generally, it is people who make us angry. We can get angry, feel bitterness, complain, and even curse. Most of the time, it is people who offend us, and we do not know how to resolve these matters.
God tells us here to "confess to one another!" Through what Jesus Christ did for you on the cross, how Jesus Christ forgave you, you should recognize that person through Jesus, forgive that person, and embrace that person. You will be released. So, the confession to one another is not to God; it is to people! Amen!
You must correctly understand the Bible! Finally, James encourages believers to actively think of those who have hurt you and those who have strayed from the truth, to reconcile with them so that they can reconnect with God through you. Because this brother has left the flock and gone astray, we should do our utmost to bring him back. The word "turn back" here is exactly the same as the word "repent." Amen!
How can a soul repent? By giving them the love of Jesus Christ. Only then can they repent. When they recognize the grace of Jesus Christ, they can turn back. Amen! Under the New Covenant, it should not be emphasized that you must confess to God every day and seek God's forgiveness every day. You should often repent to God!
The original meaning of repentance is to turn to God! This is repentance! A person who has strayed from the truth is originally here with God, but they have run off somewhere else. You help them turn back to God; this is how to bring a person who has strayed from the truth back. We need to bring people back to Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!
Jesus Christ not only resolves our relationship with God, but He also wants to resolve our relationships with others in life. Hallelujah! If there is someone among you who has been led away from the truth, what we need to do is rescue this sinner, turning them back from the wrong path, which can help this person commit fewer sins.
When a person truly understands the grace of Jesus Christ, they can avoid sinning and remain in the grace of Jesus Christ. The grace of Jesus Christ empowers people to overcome sin! If we leave God's grace, we will definitely sin. What we need to do is bring those under the law, those who are lost, back to the grace of Jesus Christ, which can eliminate many sins in the world. Amen!
Let us pray for the words we have received before God, turning to God, repenting to God. If I have offended my brother, or if my brother or sister has offended me, we should confess to one another. In this aspect, we have indeed not done well. When there are problems, we should not look at others' mistakes but look at our own issues. Then reflect on how Jesus Christ forgave us and how He embraced us, so we too should forgive others. This can restore our relationships with others and release us from sin, bitterness, and curses. Hallelujah!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for loving us like this. Your word is complete. You let us live in this world, thinking of how the blood of Jesus has forgiven our sins. The precious blood shed by Jesus Christ has completely reconciled our relationship with the Heavenly Father!
Lord, we will have conflicts with others and face many problems. The words of Jesus Christ tell us that we need to confess to one another. Yes, Jesus Christ has placed this strength within me. If I have caused my brother to stumble or my sister to stumble, please give me the strength to confess my mistakes and sins to them, restoring relationships between people, because You want us to be a united group, a harmonious group, and a model for the world!
We are the chosen people of God, holy and beloved. Hallelujah! Thank You, Lord Jesus! Thank You for loving us so much, loving our church, and loving each brother and sister. Everyone who seeks You will find You. You will grant us strength to become examples for all in life. May all glory and honor be given to You! Grant the brothers and sisters strength to live victorious lives this week! In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray! Amen!