In James 5 :15-16 the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up ; and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Confess
your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed.
The purpose of this passage is healing and the remission of sins. The norm here is that « the person » be restored to a conduct where he no longer sins . The apostle James does not congratulate this state, but demonstrates its abnormal character .
« The person » here must enter in normal state. In the same epistle, we can read in chapter 1 :27 what James considers should characterize the Christian. The Gospel of John, in chapter 5 :14 illustrates this reality when Jesus says
to the sick: Go and sin no more.
This exhortation reminds us that any illness, trial or misfortune can sometimes be the consequence of man’s sins, an abnormal state in relation to the will of God.
Healing and spiritual restoration therefore aim not only to cure, but also to encourage a journey towards holiness, by eliminating these moral irregularities which remain.