“Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” James 5:19-20.
It is important to understand that the one who wanders from the truth and becomes a sinner in “…the error of his way” is a Christian not an unsaved person.
As a result of being a Christian this errant sinner does not need salvation nor is he in peril of going to hell, rather, he is in peril of an early death.
If someone comes alongside this sinful Christian and helps him see the error of his ways and the sinner repents and returns to following Christ, then the one who has helped this person has saved him from death and stopped him from going on in his evil ways, piling sin upon sin, thus covering a multitude of sins both past and future.
For example, I have heard that many Jehovah’s Witnesses are Christians who somehow become entangled in their heretical teachings and go on to proselytize unsaved persons sending them to hell while the backslidden Christian is not destined for hell.
Such a thing is no different than murder, worse, since the Christian has set the victim on a course to eternal death. You can see how someone who falls into error can do great damage, and has to be stopped; often the only way to do this is through death.
The book of James spends a great deal of time discussing the worldly Christian, a double-minded man.
“Be diligent to come to me quickly; for Demas [a Christian] has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica…” II Timothy 4:9-10a.
“…he is a double – minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:8.
However, beyond that there are many things mentioned which need to be seriously considered by the Christian.
Trials, also known as the testing of your faith, come to us to make us more mature in our Christian walk. In fact this is what the word perfect is intended to mean, mature.
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character, and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:1-5.
Temptation is different, it comes when we are drawn away by our own desires and enticed. Dwelling on these lusts causes us to sin. By understanding this, a Christian or even an unbeliever can learn how to avoid destroying their lives.
“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full – grown, brings forth death.” James 1:14-15.
“Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, ‘Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?’ Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house. And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, ‘I am with child.’” II Samuel 11:2-5.
So the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to David.
“Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon. Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.” Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.” II Samuel 12:9-12.
The baby also died, II Samuel 12:13-23.
Think twice my friends. Just one teeny-weeny little indiscretion, just one harmless act of adultery, just one, caused King David to murder one of his most faithful and valuable soldiers, took his wife, lost the baby and spent the rest of his life haunted by death. Was it worth it?
We are exhorted to be doers of the word rather than just listeners. So many people read the Bible and walk away and forget everything they have read, they have learned nothing. Jesus would often call out the following plea.
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Mark 4:9b.
We are to avoid partiality when dealing with people. One person may be rich another may be a star, or a street beggar; God sees them all the same. Right Christian thinking sees them the same way too.
“The rich and the poor have this in common, the Lord is the maker of them all. Proverbs 22:2.
“Yet He is not partial to princes, nor does He regard the rich more than the poor; for they are all the work of His hands. In a moment they die, in the middle of the night; the people are shaken and pass away; the mighty are taken away without a hand.” Job 34:19-20.
The tongue is an uncontrollable fire, and whether Christian or unbeliever we all destroy, jobs, relationships, and reputations with our tongues. Such a great forest fire is set ablaze by a little match.
“Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue.” Psalm 120:2.
“You shall not go about as a talebearer [gossip] among your people…” Leviticus 19:16a.
“Let the lying lips be put to silence, which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.” Psalm 31:18.
“A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.” Proverbs 11:13.
“Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight.” Proverbs 12:22.
Humility, though disdained by men, is highly prized by God.
“Whatever may your virtues be, oh cultivate humility; be unobtrusive, meek, retired; seek to be useful, not admired.” anon.
Wars and fights come from our own selfish lusts.
The murder of six million helpless Jews along with the death of approximately twenty-five million plus combatants followed by famines and pestilences which wars always cause raised the total death toll to an estimated 150,000,000 human beings. World War II was caused by one demented man, Adolf Hitler, one man!
Brethren are not to judge one another because in doing so they are setting themselves up as judges and usurping Christ the great Judge, which is sin.
“For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.” John 5:26-27.
The ungodly rich who grasp and rob have an end and their victims need only wait until God requires it from those who committed such evil deeds. Christ will return and rule this earth with equity.
“The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor; let them be caught in the plots which they have devised. For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire; he blesses the greedy and renounces the Lord. The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts. His ways are always prospering; Your judgments are far above, out of his sight; as for all his enemies, he sneers at them.” Psalm 10:2-5.
“His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue is trouble and iniquity. He sits in the lurking places of the villages; in the secret places he murders the innocent; his eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless. He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den; he lies in wait to catch the poor; he catches the poor when he draws him into his net. So he crouches, he lies low, that the helpless may fall by his strength.” Psalm 10:7-10.
The Christian is to endure patiently these ungodly men for Jesus Christ, the Judge, is standing at the door.
“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16b.
If a Christian wanders from the truth, the godly Christian must prayerfully attempt to turn them back to save their life.
“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16.
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” II Chronicles 16:9.
Effectual Fervent Prayer, James 5:19-20 taken from godisrevealed.com posted on 10-20-11, updated on 12-10-20.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission, all rights reserved.