Read James 5:13-20
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. 19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 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.
1. Verse 19 talks bringing people back who have wandered away. Why do you think this is after the passage about effective earnest prayer? What’s the connection?
2. What do you think it means to “cover a multitude of sins?”
3. Why do you think that James closes out his letter by talking about bringing a person back who wandered from the truth?
1. Verse 19 talks bringing people back who have wandered away. Why do you think this is after the passage about effective earnest prayer? What’s the connection?James reminds us of the need to confront those who have wandered from the truth. Wanders from the truth is a good picture. Most people don’t wander deliberately – it just sort of happens. Nonetheless, it still gets them off track and possibly in danger.Many start off in the faith then backslide and wonder off.And someone turns him back: This shows us that God uses human instruments in turning sinners back from the errors of their ways. God does not need to use such human instruments, and sometimes He does not. The Apostle Paul – or rather, Saul of Tarsus – was not converted through any human instrument, save perhaps the prayers of the dying martyr Stephen for him. Yet no one preached to him, but Jesus decided to meet him directly. One reason God uses human instruments is because it brings Him more glory than if He were to do His work by Himself. In this way God is like a skilled workman who makes incredible things using the worst of tools. After the same pattern, God uses earthen vessels to be containers of His glory.2. What do you think it means to \”cover a multitude of sins?\”There is a blessing for the one who loves his brother enough to confront him, and who turns him from the error of his way. He has saved that soul from death and covered a multitude of sins.3. Why do you think that James closes out his letter by talking about bringing a person back who wandered from the truth?James concludes with this because this is exactly what he has endeavored to do through this challenging letter – to confront those who have wandered from a living faith, endeavoring to save their souls from death, by demanding that they not only hear the word, but do it, because a living faith will have its proof. We are to be a blessing to believers as well as un believers. God has been squeezing my heart lately to go visit those believers in hospice and encourage them that glory awaits them. Even if it's to draw a picture that points them to his great love for them. Honor God in the doing. Honor God in all we do and say.
1. It is so important to bathe those who have wandered from the truth in prayer. Before we reach out, connect, say something or do anything, we need to seek God and hear Him and His battle plan for bringing the lost sheep back into the fold. This is what happens in prayer. It is also important that the entire interaction with the \”wanderer\” been done out of love and with the power of the Holy Spirit. Without the effective earnest prayer, this is less likely to happen and will be fleshy. 2. To cover a multitude of sins, means to forgive and let go, not gossip, not \”share\” and not focus on the wrong doings of the past. We act like Jesus, who covered us with His blood, and does not hold our sins against us but forgets our sins, according to Hebrews 8:12. 3. Most of James letter is urging the readers/listeners to clean up their own life, submit further to God. I feel like he closes out the letter by urging these people to now go and share this message, bring this truth, to those around them so that they may do the same.