Lesson 17 Warring Against Our Flesh: Confessing And Prayer
Questions 2 and 3
It is indeed a joy to know that because Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again victorious over sin and death, and because of the work of the Spirit in us, we can be right with God and enjoy His favor and blessing forever.
But the Bible tells us to not only confess our sins to God but also to one another. Today, we want to look at James chapter 5. Let’s note both the instruction and the promise:
James 5:14-20 ESV 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 one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. (16) Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (17) Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. (18) Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. (19) My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, (20) let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
Question 2. What are the two problems mentioned in this passage that require confession and prayer (see verses 14 and 15)?
The two problems mentioned in this passage are physical sickness (verses 14-15) and spiritual sickness (verses 15-16 and 19-20) which, of course, is also called sin.