Sep. 17, 2025

“ENCOUNTERS WITH GOD”

“PATIENCE IN CORRECTION”

JAMES 5:19-20

Prayer for the Straying (5:19-20)

James 5:19-20 “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20let 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.”

These verses deal with our ministry to a fellow believer who strays from the truth and gets into sin. The verb err means "to wander," and suggests a gradual moving away from the will of God. The Old Testament term for this is "backsliding." 

Sometimes a brother is "overtaken in a fault" 

Galatians 6:1 

But this backsliding is also dangerous to the church. A wandering offender can influence others and lead them astray: 

Ecclesiastes 9:18

The origin of this problem is found in the statement "wander from the truth" James 5:19

The truth means, of course, the Word of God.

John 17:17 

Unless the believer stays close to the truth, he will start to drift away. 

Hebrews 2:1

The outcome of this wandering is "sin" and possible "death" vs.20

What are we to do when we see a fellow believer wandering from the truth? 

Do believers need to be converted? Yes, they do! Jesus said to Peter: 

Luke 22:32.

It is important that we seek to win the lost, but it is also important to win the saved. If a brother has sinned against us, we should talk to him privately and seek to settle the matter. 

Matthew 18:15 

That word gained means "won." It is the same word translated "get gain” in James 4:13.

If we are going to help an erring brother, we must have an attitude of love. 

1 Peter 4:8 

"Seeking the lost" is a common Bible picture of soul-winning. In Luke 15, Jesus pictures the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son, all of whom needed to be found and brought back to where they belonged.

Proverbs 11:30 compares evangelism to hunting: "he that catcheth souls is wise" (literal translation).

The soul-winner is also an ambassador of peace 

2 Corinthians 5:20 

God has not declared war on this world; He has declared peace!

Here are a few questions to assist you:

1. Am I becoming more and more patient in the testings of life?
2. Do I play with temptation or resist it from the start?
3. Do I find joy in obeying the Word of God, or do I merely study it and learn it?
4. Are there any prejudices that shackle me?
5. Am I able to control my tongue?
6. Am I a peacemaker rather than a trouble-maker? Do people come to me for spiritual wisdom?Am I a friend of God or a friend of the world?
7. Do I make plans without considering the will of God?
8. Am I selfish when it comes to money? Am I unfaithful in the paying of my bills?
9. Do I naturally depend on prayer when I find myself in some kind of trouble?
10. Am I the kind of person others seek for prayer support?
11. What is my attitude toward the wandering brother? Do I criticize and gossip, or do I seek to restore him in love?
    

Don't just grow old-grow up!