190 likes | 355 Views
Saving The Sinner. James 5:19-20. Saving The Sinner. Tonight we wrap up our study of the book of James We end up tonight with the last 2 verses of chapter 5 There is a lot of truth that is taught in these 2 verses that we need to know while we live as God ’ s people. Saving The Sinner.
E N D
Saving The Sinner James 5:19-20
Saving The Sinner • Tonight we wrap up our study of the book of James • We end up tonight with the last 2 verses of chapter 5 • There is a lot of truth that is taught in these 2 verses that we need to know while we live as God’s people
Saving The Sinner • Jesus made it clear that we are to love people (Matt. 22:39) • He also made it clear that this command included everyone, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ (Lk. 10:29-37; Jn. 13:35; Gal. 6:10) • So an erring soul should be important!
Saving The Sinner • So James addresses the erring sinner in the last 2 verses • Perhaps he does so because of what was previously stated in 5:1-11 • There are some biblical truths we learn from James words in chapter 5 that we should heed
Saving The Sinner • 1. Possibility of Apostasy • The first thing we learn from James is that it is possible for one to fall away • “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth…” • Many in the religious world teach that once you are saved, you are always saved
Saving The Sinner • 1. Possibility of Apostasy • There may be some in the church that believe that as well • The Bible teaches something completely different • Paul told those who clung to the old law, “…you have fallen from grace” (Gal. 5:4)
Saving The Sinner • 1. Possibility of Apostasy • Some argue that those who have fallen away were never really saved in the first place • The language of the Bible teaches us otherwise • Listen to the description given to the one who has fallen away in Hebrews 6:4-6
Saving The Sinner • 1. Possibility of Apostasy • Again, II Peter 2:20-22 teaches us that going back into the world is possible • We also see examples in the Bible of those who fell away • Demas forsook Paul and went back into the world (II Tim. 4:10)
Saving The Sinner • 1. Possibility of Apostasy • Simon the sorcerer had just been converted when he sinned and was told to repent because he needed forgiveness (Acts 8:9-24) • Judas was an apostle of Jesus, yet he too fell back into the ways of the world because of his love of money (Matt. 26:14-16)
Saving The Sinner • 2. Responsibility to Restore the Erring • James clearly teaches here that it should be our duty to bring back the one who wanders • We see the same thing stated throughout scriptures • Jesus spent an entire chapter on the idea of restoring the lost (Luke 15)
Saving The Sinner • 2. Responsibility to Restore the Erring • Paul commanded it in Galatians 6:1 • Paul said that it was the job of the spiritual to restore those who wander away • “And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire…” (Jude 1:22-23)
Saving The Sinner • 3. Sin Condemns • Perhaps we do not take sin as seriously as we should sometimes • Maybe that’s because we take God’s forgiveness for granted or that time will always be on our side • However, James teaches the seriousness in sin
Saving The Sinner • 3. Sin Condemns • James teaches that when we turn a sinner back that we save a soul from death • We may not like that word death, but it is there • When sin is fullgrown it brings forth death (1:14-15)
Saving The Sinner • 3. Sin Condemns • “Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son in Mine; the soul who sins shall die.” (Ezek. 18:4) • “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23)
Saving The Sinner • 4. God Forgives • James also does not want us to forget a very powerful lesson • God does in fact forgive our sins • Even if we wander away from Him, we can still come back to Him as long as there is life in our bodies
Saving The Sinner • 4. God Forgives • If we do our best to live life right, we have the blood of Christ to washawayall of our sins (I Jn. 1:7, 9; Rev. 1:5) • James spoke of the forgiveness of sins that God offers when we pray about it (5:15) • We should be forgiving also (Matt. 6:14-15)
Saving The Sinner • 5. Forgiven Sin is Forgotten Sin • James uses the word “cover” in connection with the idea of sin and salvation from them • That word “cover” means to hide, veil, or hinder the knowledge of a thing • When God forgives, He no longer remembers or bringsup our sins any more
Saving The Sinner • 5. Forgiven Sin is Forgotten Sin • Can something truly be forgiven if it is brought up over and over again? • God tells us that He will not bring them up again • “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins” (Is. 43:25)
Saving The Sinner • 5. Forgiven Sin is Forgotten Sin • That idea is not only stated in the OT, but also in the NT as well • Hebrews 8:12 and 10:17 both state this very thing • “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember nomore”