James: A Letter from Jesus’ Brother
Bring Back Wanderers– James 5:19-20
Congratulations, Mercy Hill! This morning we’re wrapping up our series on the book of James. Including today, we will have spent 21 Sundays studying this powerful letter. It has impacted my own heart and life, and I trust that God has used it to impact yours.
So today we are coming to the end of this letter. Let’s turn to James 5:19-20. If you need a Bible, go ahead and raise your hand and we will bring one to you. James 5 is on page 1013 in the Bibles we are passing out.
Remember that this letter was written by James, who was one of the leaders of the Jerusalem church. He wrote it to a group of believers who fled Jerusalem to avoid persecution, many with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. So he wrote this letter to them to strengthen them, encourage them, warn them, and help them.
So how does he bring this letter to a close? What final thoughts does he give them? Look at what James says in James 5:19-20 –
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.
So James’ final word is – if one of you wanders from the truth, bring them back. Which in our context would mean, if there is someone in your home group who you see is wandering away from the truth, then James would urge you to do all that you can to bring them back. So let’s unpack what that means and how we would do that.
First of all -- how could we tell if someone was wandering from the truth? Think about those sitting around you this morning. Think about those in your home group. Are any of them wandering from the truth? That’s a question James wants us to ask.So what would it mean to wander from the truth? Notice that there is truth. There is a true story of the universe, which God has revealed to us through His word.
Truth starts with God. God has always been, existing in the fellowship of the Trinity, full of joy in beholding His perfections and power and wisdom and goodness.
Then we read about Creation. God created all of this so He could share with us His joy in beholding His perfections. God promised Adam and Eve and all of us that if we would bend the knee before Him, then He would provide for us, guide us, and satisfy us forever in Himself.
The next truth is how we responded: Sin. We all refused to bend the knee in trust to Him. All of us tiny created beings refused to humble ourselves before our all-powerful, infinitely wise, completely good Creator. This was so wrong that we were all condemned to be punished forever.
But the truth does not stop there. The next truth is – Salvation. God came to earth in the person of Jesus, so we could see even more clearly God’s power and goodness. And on the Cross, the Father punished Jesus His Son with the punishment we deserve. And so, if we will turn from our pride and self-sufficiency and idols and trust Jesus as our Savior, our Lord, and our all-satisfying Treasure, we will be completely forgiven, restored into relationship with God our Father, and for the rest of our lives, He will guide us, provide for us, strengthen us, forgive us, and satisfy us with His love and presence.
And this truth of salvation leads to the truth of Mission. Jesus calls us to devote our lives to encouraging fellow believers, and helping our neighbors, work associates, and unreached peoples come to know God through trusting Jesus.And there’s one last truth. Mission will end with Restoration. Jesus will work through us to save men and women from every nation, tongue and tribe, and when that has been accomplished, He will return to earth and bring history to a close. He will cast into Hell Satan, and those who have continued in rebellion against God. And He will gather all those He has saved to enjoy Him and worship Him together forever in the new heavens and new earth.
That’s the truth. God. Creation. Sin. Salvation. Mission. Restoration. All of us who are trusting Jesus know that truth. But we can either live in that truth, or wander from that truth. And James wants us to be alert to whether our brothers or sisters are wandering from the truth.
So what would that look like? How could you tell if someone was wandering? The way we can tell is because when we are living in the truth of God, Creation, Sin, Salvation, Mission, and Restoration – we will live the way James has called us to live. And if someone is not living the way James has called us to live – they are wandering from the truth.
So let’s do a quick review of how James has called us to live – so you can think about if you know anyone who is wandering from the truth.
James 1:2 – count it all joy when we are going through various trials. So if a brother is not counting his trials as all joy – he is wandering from the truth.
James 1:21 – receive with meekness the implanted word. So if a sister is not devoted to enjoying God’s Word – she is wandering from the truth.
James 1:26 – bridle your tongue. So if someone in your home group is not bridling his tongue from speaking slander, or gossip – he is wandering from the truth.
James 1:27 – care for widows and orphans. So if someone is not caring for widows and orphans – he or she is wandering from the truth.
James 2:1 – don’t show partiality to the rich. So if someone is favoring the rich and popular, and ignoring the poor and weak – he is wandering from the truth.
James 2:16 – care for each other’s financial needs. So if someone ignores the financial needs of his brothers or sisters – he is wandering from the truth.
James 3:14 – don’t have bitter jealousy or selfish ambition. Jealousy and selfish ambition shows that someone is wandering from the truth.
James 4:1 – don’t quarrel and fight with each other. Quarreling and fighting shows that someone is wandering from the truth.
James 4:11 – don’t speak against each other. If a brother is slandering, gossiping, or judging – that shows that he is wandering from the truth.
James 4:13 – don’t make plans independently of God. If someone makes her plans without relying and depending on God – then she is wandering from the truth.
James 5:8 – be patient. If a brother is impatient in trials – that shows he is wandering from the truth.
James 5:9 – do not grumble against one another. If someone is grumbling against others, then he is wandering from the truth.
James 5:12 – don’t lie. Lying shows that someone is wandering from the truth.
James 5:13 – if you are suffering, pray. If someone is suffering without praying, that shows she is wandering from the truth.
James 5:13 – if you are cheerful, praise. If someone is receiving good things but not thanking God – that shows he is wandering from the truth.
James 5:14 – if someone is not confessing his sins to others and receiving prayer from others when sick -- that would show he is wandering from the truth.
And finally, James 5:19-20 – if someone is not seeking to bring back someone who’s wandering from the truth – that would show that he also is wandering from the truth.
So do you know someone who is wandering from the truth? Can you think of someone who is wandering from the truth?
So what does James call us to do when someone is wandering from the truth? Read vv.19-20 again –
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.
If you see that a brother wandering from the truth, James calls you to bring him back to the truth. So maybe a brother is grumbling and impatient during trials, and then starts to slander and gossip against someone else. That shows he is wandering from the truth. And James says – bring him back.
But what do we usually do? Sometimes we say – “That’s between them and God; they will work it out.” Or we say – “Who am I to try to bring them back; I’m not perfect.” Or we say – “Surely there’s someone else stronger than me who could bring them back!”
But if we talk that way – we are disobeying God’s Word. Through James God says that if you see a brother or sister wandering from the truth – you are to bring them back.
So how do we do that? Let me give you five key words.
Do this humbly – aware that you are also a sinner needing God’s grace, and aware that you could be tempted to pride in the very act of bringing someone else back.
Do this lovingly – motivated by care for them. Love them, care about them, have compassion for them. Love is crucial.
Do this grace-fully – with a massive focus on God’s grace in Jesus. Let them feel God’s grace in your attitudes and your words. Encourage them that God’s grace will forgive them, that God’s grace will enable them, that God’s grace will strengthen them.
Do this truth-fully – using the truth of God’s Word. The Word is the sword of the Spirit, and they need God’s Word to fight off the temptations that are making them wander. So give them God’s Word.
And finally, do this prayer-fully – praying with and for them. As you pray with and for them, you will help them look to Jesus for help, and you will bring them God’s help.
Now one last question: Why is it so crucial that we bring them back? James tells us why – look again at what he says in vv.19-20 --
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.
So if you bring back your wandering sister, two things will happen. First, you will save her soul from death. This can’t mean just physical death, because you are not saving her body from death, but her soul. So you will save her soul from everlasting death in Hell.
And second, you will cover a multitude of her sins. When the Bible talks about your sins being covered, it’s talking about your sins being covered – forgiven – by Jesus’ blood shed on the Cross. So if you bring your sister back, you will save her soul from everlasting death in Hell, because her sins are covered by Jesus’ blood.
So what happens if I do not bring my sister back? That would mean my sister might not end up saved from everlasting death in Hell, because her sins would not be covered by Jesus’ blood.
So can you see how absolutely crucial it is that we bring back that brother or sister? It’s not like he is a sheep wandering towards a little two foot drop. It’s like he is a sheep wandering towards a 5,000 foot drop. What’s at stake is there very salvation – their eternal destiny – heaven or hell.
Now this raises a lot of questions. Let me just deal with one. Does this mean that you can be saved at one point and then lose your salvation? No. I see too many Scriptures which teach that when God saves you, He starts a supernatural change in you which He will continue until the end of your life – He will keep you persevering in faith until the end. So everyone whom God saves will persevere to the end and enter heaven; no one whom God saves will go to Hell.
But the Bible also teaches a second truth: that we must persevere in faith until the end if we are going to make it to heaven. This does not mean someone can lose their salvation; it means that if someone does not persevere until the end, they never were saved.
But the point is that your brothers and sisters must persevere in faith if they are going to make it to heaven. And God has called you to help them – by bringing them back when they start to wander – because their wandering, if it continues and does not change, would result in them not being saved.
So can you feel how crucial that is? When you see your brother or sister wandering, they are wandering towards eternal death in hell because their sins are not forgiven. What’s at stake is eternity. So it is crucial that we go to them humbly, lovingly, grace-fully, truth-fully, and prayer-fully – and seek to bring them back into the truth.
So what does this mean for us?
It means we need to be home group communities in which, when someone wanders from the faith, we lovingly and earnestly seek to bring them back. We should lovingly and humbly be getting in each other’s faces. I need this. You need this.
And specifically – is there someone you know who is wandering from the truth? Then understand: as far as you are concerned, their eternity is at stake. If you don’t go to them and seek to bring them back – their soul could die forever in hell because their sins are not forgiven. But if you do go to them – you will save their soul from death and you will cover a multitude of their sins.
So go to them – with tears, and humility, acknowledging your own sin. Plead with them to see the truth of God’s Word. Urge them that there is grace and forgiveness and power in repentance. Warn them that if they don’t repent they are risking eternity. Pray with and for them. And you will save their soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.