James 5:9-11, 16
Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy…
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Devotion
In this passage, James is instructing the church to get right with God before Christ’s return. Obviously, there was grumbling and judgment going on in the early church. James reminds his readers of the example of the prophets in the Old Testament as they encountered suffering and persecution as they declared the words and will of God. He reminds them, “the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” As we have seen throughout this series, God’s people will bear the mark of the Father. If God is full of compassion and mercy, then His people ought to demonstrate these traits as well. Compassion and mercy are essential elements to experiencing biblical unity.
Later in the chapter, he instructs, “confess your sins to one another.” This is such a powerful statement. This is rarely seen in the church today. We are quick to confess our sins to God, but we are hesitant to confess our sins to one another. This kind of transparency frightens most people. We often live behind a mask, and rarely do we allow others to see what’s behind the mask. For there to be unity, there must be transparency. Unity only exists when we lay aside our masks and let people see who we really are. Because of God’s compassion and mercy, we can take off our masks for Him. Because of God’s compassion and mercy, we should be able to take off our masks around each other. The mission statement of Oak Pointe Church is “to know Jesus and make Him known.” We can only make Him known to others by being transparent with them.
Questions to Ponder
Are you one who likes to grumble or complain? Have you experienced God’s compassion and mercy? Do you daily confess your sins to God? How often do you confess your sins to someone else? How are you making Christ known in your community? What does compassion and mercy have to do with biblical unity?
Spend some time in prayer meditating on what God revealed to you today.