The Apostle John says that if we confess, then the Father will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And then James, in the fifth chapter of his epistle, gives us an additional but equally profound encouragement: we are to confess our sins to our fellow believers. This, I believe, takes confession to a whole new level, and is probably one of the more neglected commands of the New Testament.
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“You do not have because you do not ask God.” —James 4:2
I am a very big fan of self-sufficiency. If I can do something for myself, I will do it with gusto, and if I can’t do something for myself, that something will likely just go undone. Truly, I would rather neglect something of importance than express any sort of reliance on someone else.
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The third chapter of James is a difficult one for me to read and absorb. Anyone who knows me knows that I struggle with taming my own tongue. I tend to say what I think, express what I believe, and do so with the volume turned up to 11 and with little regard for consequences.
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Don’t show partiality. James says that in chapter two. This is something I struggle with because I think it’s in our nature to gravitate toward things that we like, things that are comfortable, things that make us feel valuable or important. I’m partial to things like blueberry pie, bacon cheeseburgers, and cereal that turns regular milk into chocolate milk.
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I have to admit, I love the contrast between how Paul wrote his letters and James’ own letter. Paul gives thoughtful greetings and prayers that are often predictive of what he will address in the body of his letter. It is beautiful and brilliant. James simply gets to it.
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