October 7
“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.
The apostle James closes his Epistle on the subject of forgiveness. He writes about people who know the truth about the way of salvation; however, for one or more reasons they wander away from the truth. Maybe it is because of their own spiritual carelessness. They neglect keeping in touch with the Word of God, and their faith begins to waver and fade away. In other instances, they wander from the truth because of the temptation of their own sinful flesh.
People also wander from the truth because they yield to the temptations of the sinful world in which we live. They fall in love with the things of the world – its many pleasures, its sinful entertainments, and its wealth. In an effort to have more time to enjoy the things of the world, they wander from their faith and they think that they have an excuse for neglecting their prayer life, regular worship services, and reading and studying the Bible.
Then there is a third source of temptations: The temptations of the devil himself – whom Jesus called the father of lies – who loves to whisper in our ear that we would be much better off if we did not devote our time to prayer and worship, and that we would be much happier if we did not live according to Christian principles. He also comes with the temptation to say that we can put religious matters on the calendar for a later time. The devil strongly suggests that we say, “Later, Lord!”
It happens more often than we think that people wander from the truth. It happens to well-known children of God. Remember that Abraham lied about Sarah, his wife, when he told the heathen people in the community where he was living, “She is my sister,” Genesis 12:19. God forgave Abraham, and, as God had promised, Abraham was the ancestor of the Savior of all nations. Abraham is the only person referred to in the Bible with the expression, “He was called the friend of God,” James 2:23.
Think of King David, who watched Bathsheba taking a bath and then committed adultery with her and wandered from the truth of God’s Word. The Lord sent the prophet Nathan to call David to repentance and faith. David was forgiven, and God kept His promise that a descendant of David would be the Savior of the world.
Think of Jacob, who persuaded his brother, Esau, to sell his birthright for a bowl of soup, and who deceived his blind father, Isaac, to receive the blessing of the firstborn, which normally Isaac would have given to Esau. Yet Jacob was forgiven, and it pleased God to have Jacob as an ancestor of the Savior Jesus.
When someone wanders from the faith, we should make every effort to turn the person back to the faith. We should know and believe “that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” The apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness,” Galatians 6:1. Peter wrote, “Above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins,” 1 Peter 4:8. We witness for the salvation of souls knowing that Christ died to save all people, and, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin,” 1 John 1:7.
“Oh, let me never speak
What bounds of truth exceedeth;
Grant that no idle word
From out my mouth proceedeth.
And then, when in my place,
I must and ought to speak,
My words grant pow’r and grace,
Lest I offend the weak.” Amen.