James series – “The Litmus Test for life”

James 5:19-20

My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, ²⁰ remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

My prayer as we go through the Correction Test is that we will refuse to let any of our brothers or sisters fail the tests by committing to remediating each other till we can pass the tests in front of us with flying colors. In order to do that, we are to see in our scripture the three products of test taking. 

The first product of test taking is:

1. Results that show the need for remediation

Because we can’t know what needs to be fixed if we don’t know what’s broken. Notice what James says in verse 19, “My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth…” James starts off by reminding us of who he’s talking to. He’s talking to his brothers and sisters in Christ. Remember that this is a letter that James wrote to the church he pastored in Jerusalem which was scattered abroad because of persecution. So, these were professing Christians he was writing to. Good, fine, upstanding church members. But just because you’re a fine upstanding church member doesn’t mean you are a Christian, does it? Just because you’ve been baptized doesn’t mean you’re a believer, does it? Just because you act religious doesn’t mean you’re saved and have a real relationship with Jesus. That’s why James spends the rest of his letter giving us a series of 12 tests to help us know whether our faith is real or not. Because only real faith is what saves us. In giving us those 12 tests, James showed us the perfect standard that’s required to pass them. 

When it comes to the Identity Test, we are faced with the question of whether our identity is tied to our work and what we do or Christ’s finished work on the cross? Is your identity based on Christ and what His word says or on the culture and what the world says?

What about the next test, the Poverty and prosperity test. What riches are you relying on? Are you living for the temporal things or the eternal? Where are you investing your time, talent and treasure? 

Bible test. Do you always receive God’s Word readily? Do you listen to it and learn from it? Do you allow it to change and conform you to Christ? Do the actions of your life put the Word of God on display as a witness for all the world to see? All the time? If not, you’ve failed the Bible test. 

What about the perfect standard that’s required to pass the preference test. Is God always exalted in the way that you treat others? Do you always love other people as you love yourself? Do you always look at others as people that Jesus loved enough to die for? Everybody? All the time? If not, you’ve failed the preference test. 

What about the works test? Is your faith always evidenced by your works? Do your works always show concern for God’s creation? Do your works always show complete and total trust in God’s Word? Do your works always show hope in God’s promises, or do you ever worry? Do your works always show service to God’s people? If not, you’ve failed the works test. 

And then James gets a hold of our tongue showing us the perfect standard that’s required to pass the tongue test. Does your tongue always declare God’s glory and holiness or sometimes spew garbage and hate? Do you ever try to manipulate or control people with your tongue? Do you ever trash talk, gossip or sarcastically cut people down? Do you ever back down on God’s truth and use your tongue to compromise with the world? If so, then you’ve failed the tongue test. 

As we look at our results from taking each of these tests, it makes us want to cry out enough! It makes us want to beat our breast with the publican and cry out, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” But we’re only half way through. 

James tested us further with the wisdom test. Do you rely on the wisdom of God’s Word or that of the world? Do you see the results in the confusion and strife that surrounds you? If you do, you’ve failed the wisdom test. 

Next, we were faced with the perfect standard required to pass the pride test. Do you promote self or the Savior? Are you ever selfish and greedy? If so then you’ve failed the pride test. 

What about the Treasure Test. Does my view of riches reveal that I am trusting in God as my source of security or in my treasures? Is money or the Messiah my master? Do I struggle with greedy pride that results in Hoarding Treasures, Defrauding Measures and Indulging pleasures? Is so then you have failed the Treasure Test.

Then we see the perfect standard for passing the patience test is anchored to our Hope in Jesus, resulting in our willingness to both work for Jesus and wait on Jesus. So, have you ever lost your patience? 

What about the integrity test? The perfect standard for passing the integrity test is that your yes always means yes and your no always means no. Is that always the case with you? Always? If not, then you’ve failed the integrity test. 

Finally, James gave us the affliction test. Have you always responded to affliction in the perfect way this test requires? Have you always responded perfectly as an individual and as part of this corporate body? If not, then you’ve failed the affliction test. 12 tests, how many of those can you say that you have passed? Because that’s the only choice, they are all pass/fail. You can’t get a B-. You either get a perfect score or a failing grade. It all goes back to what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:48, Jesus commanded, “But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” No B-’s accepted. But the Lord knows that. He knows that we have all failed. And He knows that we will fail. That’s why in verse 19 when James says “if” he uses a word in the original that means “if… and I know you will.” He says, “My brothers, if any of you fail these tests, and I know you have and I know you will….” You see, the Lord knows the results of the tests before He gives them to us. He knows that we are but flesh. He knows that we are fallen people living in a fallen world. That’s why He gives us grace. And look at how He gives us that grace. He gives us that grace by providing remediation.