Bringing Back

I sin. I sin in my thoughts, motivations, words, attitudes, and actions. When this happens, my husband may look at me in a certain way or ask, “Do you think that’s the right thing?” I’m thankful he loves me enough to help me see where I am wandering from God’s truth. I am often blind to my own sin, or I think it’s insignificant, but any deviation or wandering takes me further and further from God’s truth if left unchecked and not repented.

Although I enjoyed math in school, geometry was my least favorite math class. However, I think geometry is helpful in understanding wandering from the truth. In the below angle, the initial point wandering begins is barely noticeable, but as our wandering continues, it takes us further and further from truth.

As we come to the end of James’ letter, his final words are a call to action that summarize his overall theme of genuine, living faith.

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.[1]

James 5:19-20

The past two weeks we looked at James’ teaching on prayer and physical healing (vs 13-18). Now he turns to an eternal issue: spiritual restoration, a call to repentance.

“My brothers, if anyone among you” – Brothers refers to believers and the anyone is among these believers, but there is still uncertainty as to who exactly anyone designates. They could be the one with dead faith (vs 2:14-26) or the unbeliever (vs 5:1-6). Since the anyone is among the believers, they are likely professing Christians.

“wanders” (planaō) – When my husband and I were in Paris, we wandered through the city. We took our time walking around seeing the sites. Wandering also brings to mind the Artist Paint Pots in Yellowstone National Park. There are signs warning visitors not to wander from the boardwalk. The Paint Pots are pretty, but they are near boiling temperatures. How should we understand James’ use of wanders? Douglas Moo states that wanders “should not be restricted—as the English word could be—to an inadvertent or unconscious departure from ‘the truth’; it was widely used to describe any deviation from the ‘way of righteousness’, whether willful or not[2]

Truth is not confined to specific doctrines, but rather to be understood as the Gospel and all it encompasses. The second chapter in the Biblical worldview curriculum we use with our youth group teaches that we can know what is real because there is absolute truth. James is operating on the same premise. The Gospel is absolute truth. It is true for all people, at all times, in all places. It never changes. We often hear, “That may be true for you, but it is not true for me.” Or, as we see the book of Judges playing out today with everyone doing what is right in their own eyes. This mindset says truth is relative.

But that is not what God’s Word says. It is not what James teaches. There is absolute truth. The Gospel is truth. The early church battled false teachers presenting other gospels, false gospels. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). There is only one truth.

Paul succinctly summarized the Gospel in his letter to the Corinthian church: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Why was Jesus crucified, buried, and raised to life? For our sin. He took our sin on the cross, bore the Father’s wrath in our place. In His death, resurrection, and ascension, He conquered sin and death that we might have His righteousness imputed to us.

When someone sins, they deviate from the “way of righteousness.” They are deviating from the truth of the Gospel because their actions, words, and life are not consistent with the Gospel. This is what we learned in James 2. Actions cannot be divorced from genuine, living faith, from truth.

“someone brings him back” – James wrote to my brothers, the church body. Bringing back the wanderer is a community responsibility. It is not a job solely for the pastors or elders. Paul Tripp wrote a book called, Instruments In The Redeemer’s Hands. His title is a good description of who we are, and Who enables us. Each of us who belong to Christ are instruments for God’s restoring work. And that is James’ goal: restoration.

James continues in verse 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.” The phrase “brings back” was used both for salvation and returning to the truth the wanderer knew but from which he had deviated. These two understandings fit with the two possibilities for anyone – the unbeliever or the professing Christian with dead faith. Both need to be brought back to the truth. Both need saving faith.

“will save his soul from death” – Paul wrote: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). The sinner’s destiny apart from Jesus is eternal death. James exhorted believers to bring the wanderer to Jesus that the sinner might be saved. God’s Word, the Gospel, saves (vs 1:21).

Bringing back a sinner from his wandering will also cover a multitude of sins. Cover commonly meant God’s forgiveness (Psalm 32:1; 1 Peter 4:8). In salvation, our sins are completely removed. On the cross, Jesus took all of our sin in exchange for His righteousness. This covering of sins is not overlooking the sins as in Proverbs 10:12; 19:11. It is a total removal. God sees those in Christ with His righteousness.

A multitude of sins is covered. Earlier in chapter 2, James asserted that even one sin made one guilty of breaking the whole law (vs 2:10-11). One sin alone could condemn. God’s mercy and grace say: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

We are often apathetic towards those that are wandering from the truth. We are lazy, fearful of what others will think of us, or feel inadequate, but James reminds us that the unbelieving sinner and the one professing faith but having dead faith needs to hear, believe, and receive the Gospel. We are instruments in the Redeemer’s hands.

I began with an example in my life because I think James’ words are also a caution to us. We cannot lose our salvation, but this side of heaven, we continue to sin. We deviate from the ‘way of righteousness.’ We are often blind to our own sin and need others to restore us or we need to do the same for a brother or sister in Christ. Paul instructed the Galatian church: “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch yourself, lest you too be tempted” (Galatians 6:1).

Throughout his letter, James has shown us examples of genuine, living faith versus dead faith. Are we deviating from the ‘way of righteousness’ in trials, being doers of the Word, showing partiality, taming our tongues, seeking godly wisdom, pursuing worldliness, trusting in ourselves, and suffering?

James ends his letter abruptly without any personal greetings, but he ends his letter as he began it with an exhortation to Gospel action. Genuine, living faith will be evidenced in our words and actions. Genuine faith will restore the one who is wandering. Genuine faith lives and shares the Gospel.

Reflection

1.     How has the Gospel changed your life?

2.     Who do you know that has wandered from the truth? How often do you consider that they are destined for eternal death? What holds you back from sharing the Gospel? How does being an instrument in the Redeemer’s hands encourage you to be bold?

3.     When we think of others confronting our sin or us confronting another believer’s sin, we usually think negatively. It’s uncomfortable. It’s humbling. We or they might respond defensively or with anger. How does the goal of restoring alter your view, the way you respond when approached, and the way you might approach someone?

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jas 5:19–20.

[2] Douglas J. Moo, James: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 16, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 194.