James, the
“servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ”, gave many
instructions to the “twelve tribes scattered abroad”.
Among the last of them concerned both a person who “erred from
the truth” and the “one who converts him”. In James
chapter five and verse twenty which is the final verse of his letter,
James continued his thoughts concerning the person who turns “a
sinner from the error of his way” where we read:
Let
him know, that he which converts the sinner from the error
of
his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of
sins.
The verse begins, “Let him know, that he which
converts a sinner from the error of his way ...” James began
with the words, “Let him know” which in Greek is the
phrase “ginosko autos ginosko” and means “allow the person to
come to know, perceive, feel and understand” “that he which”
or “the person to whom James is referring” “converts” or
“turns, causes to return, brings back and about” “the
sinner” which refers to “the person who strays, is especially
wicked and stained with certain definite vices or crimes” “from
the error” or “straying, wandering, and deceit or fraud”
“of his way” which means “the sinner's traveling, course
of conduct, journeying and way of thinking, feeling and deciding”.
James focused upon the person who aids another to “turn from” his
or her “sinful and heathen” practices or activities.
The verse goes on to say, “...shall save a
soul from death, and hide a multitude of sins.” James
continued, “shall save” or “keep safe and sound or
rescue” “a soul” which means “a living human being”
“from death” or “out of and away from the separation
from the soul and body by which the life on earth is ended with the
implied idea of future misery in hell” “and shall hide”
which means “veil and hinder from the knowledge of a thing” “a
multitude” or “a great number or assemblage” “of sins”
which means “missing the mark, errors, wandering from the path of
uprightness and honor to do or go wrong”. The result of
“converting” a “sinner” from their “evil
ways” is not only to “hide” their “sins”, but also to
“rescue” them from “eternal separation” from God.
When we think through these words of James, we
understand the importance of “converting” those who have
“strayed” from the Lord Jesus. Sometimes people get off track,
and when we notice they do, we are to take action and “rescue”
them. It is certain we shall “hide” their “abundant
number of sins”, but more importantly we shall eternally keep their
walk with Jesus Christ in tact. As we close out our study of the book
of James, let us ask ourselves two questions: First, have we gone
astray from Jesus and are in need of being “converted”
from our ways? Second, do we know someone who has “gone astray”
and is in need of being “rescued”. If either question can be
answered “yes”, let us be busy about bringing about the change
that has eternal implications.
Next
time we shall begin a new book in the Old Testament named “Amos”
and
see what the LORD did with a picker of pigs,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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