Read with Me
James 5:19-20 (HCSB)
My brothers, if any among you strays from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his life from death and cover a multitude of sins.
Lisen with Me
Too many Christians dismiss the seriousness of sin, the damage it causes to not only the people and things around the sinner, but to the sinner’s eternal future as well. The leaders of the early Church did not discount sin among Christians at all, seeing it as the existential threat that it truly is.
James was writing to Christians when he painted the picture of one of his readers wandering from the truth and ending up on the path that leads to death. It is only when that wanderer is put back on the right path that spiritual death can be averted, and their sins covered by the blood of Jesus.
But James focuses as much on those in the circle of the sinner as it is on the sinner themselves. The very fact of their fellow Christian leaving the path should alert and alarm those in the body of Christ who know them, putting them on high alert, on a literal search and rescue mission to get them back on the right path, snatching them out of the jaws of death.
This may involve confrontation with the sin and urging them to leave that path of error. It may involve the progression for confronting sin outlined by Jesus in Matthew 18: confronting them one-on-one, then being accompanied by elders of the Church, and culminating in bringing them before the whole body of the Church if the smaller efforts have not been successful.
But at the same time, it is important to remember the context of James’ statement. He just finished writing about the power of prayer in verses 13 to 18, including its effectiveness in gaining forgiveness for those who have sinned (verse 15). This was followed by his brief exposition on the prayers of Elijah which were powerful enough to stop the rain for 3 1/2 years.
Most people read the verses of the preceding section in the context of praying for healing. But they also apply to the process of turning sinners away from their sins so that they can find forgiveness and restoration. Therefore, fervent prayer should never be left out of that process.
Pray with Me
Father, it is easy to fall into the trap of believing that turning a sinner from the ways that will lead to their spiritual death can be accomplished by us, by the logic and fervor of our arguments. But You can reach more than the mind with the convicting power of Your Spirit (John 16:8-11). You can touch the heart and the soul as well. Lord, when I respond in love to someone who has wandered off the true path, help me to never try to do it alone, in my own strength, but to lift them up in powerful prayer, so that You can act in their life. Amen.