James 5:19-20

Hey, hey, good morning, good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. This morning, we're going to finish up the book of James, James chapter 5, verses 19 through 20. What about saving somebody's soul? Saving someone's soul. Let's have some coffee. We'll pray. We'll get into God's Word. Let's pray.
Father, we thank you so much for this day. We thank you for the joy of your salvation. We thank you for your word. We thank you for the sunshine. We thank you for the birds chirping in the air. We thank you, Lord, for the many good gifts that you give us. Please bless us as we read your word. Please teach us, Father, to walk in your ways. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Here we are at James 5, verses 19 and 20. 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."
Well, we need to ask ourselves, A, what's this about? B, what's the best verse to summarize this? And C, what are we called to do in response to these words? So, what's this about? You see your brother sinning, you go, you do Matthew 18 in a biblical, loving, gentle way, and they turn from their sin as you've saved their soul from death. There's a lot to kind of go through. There's a lot of biblical theology behind this. But brethren, if any of you among you wonders from the truth and someone turns him back, So you're going the way of unrighteousness, you're going towards sin, and somebody lovingly turns you away from that sin, turns you towards truth, turns you towards holiness. What does it say?
He who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul. We were not meant to be our boy Christians alone by ourselves in the wilderness. No, we're a flock of God, we're his people, but we also are brothers and sisters. We encourage one another, we admonish one another. This is why the book of Hebrews, right? Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves as is the manner of some. Because we need to provoke each other towards love and good deeds. We need to encourage each other. We need to remind each other of the truths of God's Word. So as we go towards sin, God graciously gives us brothers and sisters to speak truth into our lives, to turn us back from that sin. They saved our soul, our person, from death. We were going the way of death and it turned us towards life. It's a wonderful thing. brotherly thing.
Now, there's a way in which you can do this, right, where it's mean and cruel. I'm not sure that's what this is saying. Sometimes you need to say hard things. But when Paul talks about getting into these confrontations, right, specifically with brothers and sisters in Christ, if you who are spiritual see your brother sinning, restore him with a spirit of gentleness. Unless you yourself are tempted, right? We can't be filled with pride as we do this if we're the one chasing after our brother. Now, I know I've been the one who's been chased before, and I'm so glad that God has given me friends who will speak truth into my life, say hard things to me, and say, hey, I think you're being prideful with this.
Now, I remember I said something in a sermon one time, and one of my friends in the congregation said, I'm worried, Brian, that you broke the third commandment here. And when you read that quote, it used the Lord's name in vain. And I had to go back and reread the quote, and I think he was right. So I had to confess that sin to the Lord and tell myself never to use that quote again, right?
And so there, praise God. People will confront about sin. Praise God. And people will help us see the errors of our ways. I think we can be praying that we would have such Christ-like friends. It's amazing when we see the love of Jesus Christ as He confronts even His disciples about their sins.
He'll ask them hard things. He'll show them when things are wrong. You think about it, right? One of his closest, right? Jesus had a whole bunch of disciples, but he's got especially the twelve of the twelve He's got three and you have Peter James and John and and when Peter will say just outrageous things, right? Even when Peter would rebuke Jesus, right? Let me say get behind me Satan I'm sure that hurt for Peter But Jesus was doing a loving thing there we think of I Paul confronting Peter to his face about not eating with the Gentiles and having this double hypocritical standard type stuff and that's a loving thing to do.
It's a biblical thing to do. We do it with gentleness but with also being serious. And hopefully we grow from that because we don't want to walk in the way of error. So we're not lone Christians. It's a blessing from God to have others in our lives who will correct us when we're wrong.
So that's what this is about. What's the best verse to summarize this? Well, it's only two verses. They're great verses though. So what do we call it to do? Well, maybe you're the one who's been hesitant. You've seen your brother. Specifically, this is talking about other Christians here. The rest of the world, they're going to just keep on sinning, right? We're not their judges. God's their judge.
But for those in the church, maybe it's me, and you've been afraid to talk to me about some sin. Or maybe there's another member in the church and you've been weary not knowing how to talk with them about sin, I pray that you'll go to God and ask for wisdom and that you'll have courage. And not to be nitpicky, not to just criticize and be overly harsh with people, but out of a true love for someone else's soul, warning them and caring for them and pleading with them to go on the way that leads to life and not to death. But maybe you're the one who's going to be confronted sometime.
I hope that these words will stay in your heart, that you'll have the humility of Christ. That the Holy Spirit will strip away pride. And that as we receive correction and rebuke, that we would turn from it. That we would thank our brothers and sisters for pointing out sin in our lives. that we would heed it when it's biblical, when it's true, and we would walk more and more in love. I think that's what James is doing here. He has said some hard things to the people, talked to them about lying and preference, false religion and hypocrisy. He has said some hard things and he's turning them away from death and he's turning them towards life.
May we also, as slaves of Christ, servants of Jesus, do the same. Let's pray. Father, we pray that you would, by your Spirit, make us humble, that we would listen, turn from our sinful ways, When we might have those we love who would confront us about sin, we pray that we would be able to listen, not become defensive, but we would reflect, looking at Your perfect Word. And if these things are so, that we would turn away. Lord, that we would turn from death unto life.
Thank You for the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses us from all sin, and for the work of Your Holy Spirit that sanctifies us. In Jesus' name, amen. Well may you be conformed more and more to the likeness and image of Jesus. May you walk in His ways. May you love Him. And may you become more and more like Him. I'll see you next time.