Today’s message is from James 5:19,20. It’s short and it’s a repeat of one of my “Prayer Meeting Messages” from five years ago. I used to e-mail short messages the night before each Wednesday prayer meeting and then read them at the prayer meeting. This is the last of a series of messages I wrote from the book of James.

Remember, as always, that all scripture is breathed by God. It is able to make you wise for salvation. And it is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:15-17)

My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins. (James 5:19-20 –NIV)

Before I talk about these verses, I’m going to very briefly review the book of James. It’s a letter addressed to “the twelve tribes scattered among the nations.” James starts his letter with the following instructions:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4 – NIV)

I’ll tell you that I have an extremely hard time considering it pure joy when I have any kind of trial, let alone many kinds of trials. But, the fact is that for those of us who belong to Jesus, God is testing our faith. He’s testing our faith, not to see how much faith we have, and certainly not to cause us to fail, but to train us so that we will become mature and complete.

As James proceeds through his letter, he exhorts us to “become quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” He tells us not to just listen to the word of God, but do everything it says. He tells us not to show favoritism and to keep the Ten Commandments, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. He tells us to tame our tongues.

James tell us about two kinds of wisdom, the earthly unspiritual wisdom that results from envy and selfish ambition and comes from the devil and the heavenly wisdom. The heavenly wisdom is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. He says that peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

James tells us to be humble and submissive to God. He warns us about covetousness and “desires that battle within us,” and exhorts us to be humble and submit ourselves to God and resist the devil and he will flee from us. He tells us to be patient in suffering.

Finally, James tells us to pray in all situations. When we are in trouble, he tells us to pray. When we are happy, he tells us to sing songs of praise. If we are sick, he tells us to call the elders of the church to anoint us with oil and pray for us and that the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well.

And now let’s look at today’s text, James 5:19, 20: “My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”

These verses are the closing verses of James' letter -- maybe what he wanted his readers to be sure and remember. He says, “My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth...” He is speaking to fellow believers -- those who are saved by grace through faith and not by works but as a gift from God. He is speaking to those who God purchased for himself by the precious blood of Jesus. And he is acknowledging that some of them (some of us) may wander from the truth. What is this truth that some may be wandering from?

We look at these verses and maybe assume that James is talking about some that have fallen into sin. After all, he has spoken about murder, adultery, pride, envy and every kind of strife. These things do represent a wandering from the truth. People who do these things have left the road of the “Thou shalt nots.” But these sins are really the results losing sight of the greater truths -- the truth that God is almighty and that he made us according to his own will and for his own purpose -- that he holds us in his hands and gives us every breath that we breath and every beat of our hearts -- the truth that he didn't spare his own Son but gave him up for us all -- the truth that Jesus was willing to leave his glory, take the form of a bond-servant and become obedient even to death on the cross and shed his blood for our sin in order to give us life -- the truth of the gospel!

The truth also includes the truth of James 1:2-4 -- the truth that God permits us trials to test our faith -- not in order for us to fail and for him to condemn us, but for us to learn to persevere so that we may become mature and complete, not lacking anything. He loves us and wants us to become like him. In his purposes he does not fail!

James says that if anyone wanders from the truth and someone should bring him back, he should remember that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him (literally, will save his soul) from death and cover over a multitude of sins. Jesus told his disciples (and we are also his disciples), not to fear the one that can kill only the body, but rather to fear the one that can destroy both the body and the soul in hell. God's intent for us is that our souls not be destroyed in hell, but that we may be in his presence forever with no more death or mourning or crying -- for him to be our God and us to be his sons (and daughters). By bringing someone back who has wandered from the truth, you are participating with God in accomplishing his purpose of saving that person. He is your brother in Christ and God will save him, but you have the opportunity of participating with God in his work of saving that person.

James also says that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way not only will save his soul from death but will also cover over a multitude of sins. When I have read this in the past and also as I read it just today, I wondered whose sins are covered over. If I turn a sinner from the error of his way, are his sins covered over, or are my sins covered over, or is it someone else's sins. I looked at several commentaries and they said that it was the person who was the sinner who had wandered from the truth whose sins were covered over -- and maybe also the sins of many others whom that person would influence. I supposed that the expositors would not say that it was my multitude of sins that were covered because only the blood of Jesus can cover sins. But nevertheless, there is a great blessing in turning a brother back to the truth, and an even greater blessing in turning someone who is dead in his sins and transgressions to Jesus our Lord and savior! Pray for all of us to have this blessing many times over.

Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever! Amen.