Turning Back

My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. (James 5:19-20)

This is the end of the book of James. In some ways, it's a strange text. I mean, he was writing about praying and healings and Elijah. You know, "The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much" (James 5:16). And then, the logical next step ... this text ... seemingly out of nowhere. I mean, good stuff, but ... kind of random.

It's in there, so we should pay attention to it. What is he saying? We have a job to do. We are supposed to turn sinners to the truth. He doesn't offer us a "reward" or anything. It's not for us. It's entirely for the sinner. It will "save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." And that's a good thing. So I'd like to point out the point ... it's not for us. It's not something we gain from. This is one of those "outward looking" things. Do it ... for them.

Here's an interesting thing. It says we're supposed to "turn him back." The word there is "to turn back, to return, to revert, to be restored from to a previous state." The sinner in question, then, isn't an unbeliever. They can't go back to being right when they never were. This is someone who "strayed." This person was "among you." They were once in "the truth." This isn't evangelism. It's rescue. It's about stopping the trajectory that leads to destruction ("save his soul from death"), not lost salvation. It's about restoration. That's what we're offering when we love our sinning brothers and sisters enough to turn them back to the truth.