Bonus Day - 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting
Bonus day - James 5:19-20
SCRIPTURE:
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.
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.
LESSON:
We finished our corporate fast yesterday but we didn’t quite make it to the end of James!
We only have two verses left! So I decided to add a bonus day to our daily devotionals based on these last two verses. Let’s see what God has in store for us today.
First, I want to note that it is possible to wander away from God’s truth. James makes it clear that to wander away from God’s truth has terrible results. The end result is not just a physical death but the death of your soul. This is a total separation from God for eternity.
There is a debate among theologians about whether you can “lose” your salvation. The Wesleyan-Arminian versus Calvinist debate on eternal security has raged on for centuries. While humanity's free moral agency is something that we cannot deny and that scripture clearly teaches, we also must acknowledge that God is never surprised and has predestined the “times and dwellings of all mankind” according to his will and for his purposes. Both man’s free will and God’s sovereignty are fully taught in scripture and must be studied and understood by the serious Christian. But what is not up for debate is what we have just read. The reality that it is possible to wander from the truth.
I often have conversations with Christians whose child, grandchild or friend has become entangled in sexual sins. Both heterosexual and homosexual relationships. Often the person is wrestling with what God’s word says and how they can still be a part of this person's life.
I typically share something like the following: “God’s word is clear that this is sin. This person is loved by God and because God loves them he wants what is best for them. He knows that sin will always destroy everything it touches. What do you think?”
The person who is wandering from the truth might respond:
All of these answers and many others are what “wandering” from God’s truth looks like. “Wandering” from the truth is how we spiral out of control. Romans chapter one describes it as a slow spiral that begins when we exchange the truth of God for a lie. The moment our position on the truth becomes compromised is the moment we are in danger as well.
Sin is always destructive! Not just from a physical, financial, emotional or relational level but on an even deeper level. The level of the soul. That thing that is the deepest part of who we are. The more we allow sin to rule in us the faster we become hollowed out in our very core. This is why James exhorts us to turn back those who have wandered from the truth. It’s a soul saving act!
So how can we effectively turn back those who have bought into the lies of the devil and wandered far from God’s truth? I would like to break this down into two parts. Our POSITION and our POSTURE.
The most effective way to turn someone back to the truth is to first know the truth yourself. This is our POSITION. The truth of God’s word is where you must begin and end. You have to know what is true! This means that you must study. It means that you must learn and grow in the knowledge of God’s word. You must be a theologian. Someone who studies God and strives to understand him through his revealed word.
Don’t allow someone's opinion or the culture to move your position on God’s word. Don’t allow your fears and insecurities to define your position. Don’t position yourself as a conservative or a liberal, or a pro this or pro that, or even a Wesleyan or a Calvanist! Your family of origin and your church background shouldn’t be the definition of your position. Rather anchor yourself as a person of truth. Your POSITION must be God’s word.
The second part of turning someone back to the truth is our POSTURE. Our POSITION in God’s word allows us to define what is good or evil and what is an acceptable kind of lifestyle. It reflects the just and holy nature of God. But it is our POSTURE that reflects the heart of God. If our POSITION is the law then our POSTURE is the redemptive acts of Jesus.
We find a clear example of Jesus’ posture in John chapter eight.
Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.
7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
Clearly Jesus is not condoning sin. His POSITION is that adultery is wrong and that she should not continue to sin. But his POSTURE is redemptive.
Because God’s love is not conditionally based on what we do, we also won’t make conditions for our love to be given. Because God’s love is given freely without reciprocity, we will continue loving those who refuse to love us in return. This does not mean we can’t set healthy boundaries. We may have to set boundaries in love. “I cannot be a part of _____________ but I want you to know that I still love you.” Because we know sin will destroy everything it touches, we take a POSTURE of love and refuse to accept them continuing in a life of sin.
Ultimately sin destroys everything it touches. And eventually God will judge all sin. But a redemptive posture is not one of judgement or destruction. Instead of casting stones of judgment we are implored in scripture to speak the truth in love. The idea here is to turn someone away from judgement and destruction. This means that our POSTURE is not a posture of acceptance but rather a posture that is anchored in the truth of God’s word. A posture that offers a better way. Our posture must be such that we never throw people away, or shun them, or give up on them. Instead we seek to show them God’s redemptive love.
One last thought. You might feel afraid to stand up for the truth of God’s word because of our own lack of study or your own lack of faith. Let me encourage you to just be rooted and grounded in Christ and not be deceived by the well crafted arguments of human thinking. It is ok not to have all the answers when talking to this wayward person, because it is less about winning an argument (even though we have the truth on our side) and more about being a faithful witness.
“I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong. And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.” Colossians 2:5-8 NLT
For all of those who have someone they love who has “wandered” from God’s truth and been deceived by the lies of this world, I pray with you that your loved ones will turn back to God and be saved! Don’t let your POSITION shift but allow your POSTURE to be anchored in God’s word and fed by his redemptive love.
We finished our corporate fast yesterday but we didn’t quite make it to the end of James!
We only have two verses left! So I decided to add a bonus day to our daily devotionals based on these last two verses. Let’s see what God has in store for us today.
First, I want to note that it is possible to wander away from God’s truth. James makes it clear that to wander away from God’s truth has terrible results. The end result is not just a physical death but the death of your soul. This is a total separation from God for eternity.
There is a debate among theologians about whether you can “lose” your salvation. The Wesleyan-Arminian versus Calvinist debate on eternal security has raged on for centuries. While humanity's free moral agency is something that we cannot deny and that scripture clearly teaches, we also must acknowledge that God is never surprised and has predestined the “times and dwellings of all mankind” according to his will and for his purposes. Both man’s free will and God’s sovereignty are fully taught in scripture and must be studied and understood by the serious Christian. But what is not up for debate is what we have just read. The reality that it is possible to wander from the truth.
I often have conversations with Christians whose child, grandchild or friend has become entangled in sexual sins. Both heterosexual and homosexual relationships. Often the person is wrestling with what God’s word says and how they can still be a part of this person's life.
I typically share something like the following: “God’s word is clear that this is sin. This person is loved by God and because God loves them he wants what is best for them. He knows that sin will always destroy everything it touches. What do you think?”
The person who is wandering from the truth might respond:
- I feel like God is love and love is so much bigger than I realized.
- How could this be wrong if they love each other?
- I feel like I need to approve of this relationship so that I don’t lose my relationship with them.
- Well at least they are in a committed relationship. That’s something right?
- We all struggle with stuff. God understands.
- I don’t think that is what God meant. We’re more enlightened these days.
- Shouldn’t we be more accepting of people?
- I know I shouldn’t empower them but if I don’t support them they may turn their back on me.
All of these answers and many others are what “wandering” from God’s truth looks like. “Wandering” from the truth is how we spiral out of control. Romans chapter one describes it as a slow spiral that begins when we exchange the truth of God for a lie. The moment our position on the truth becomes compromised is the moment we are in danger as well.
Sin is always destructive! Not just from a physical, financial, emotional or relational level but on an even deeper level. The level of the soul. That thing that is the deepest part of who we are. The more we allow sin to rule in us the faster we become hollowed out in our very core. This is why James exhorts us to turn back those who have wandered from the truth. It’s a soul saving act!
So how can we effectively turn back those who have bought into the lies of the devil and wandered far from God’s truth? I would like to break this down into two parts. Our POSITION and our POSTURE.
The most effective way to turn someone back to the truth is to first know the truth yourself. This is our POSITION. The truth of God’s word is where you must begin and end. You have to know what is true! This means that you must study. It means that you must learn and grow in the knowledge of God’s word. You must be a theologian. Someone who studies God and strives to understand him through his revealed word.
Don’t allow someone's opinion or the culture to move your position on God’s word. Don’t allow your fears and insecurities to define your position. Don’t position yourself as a conservative or a liberal, or a pro this or pro that, or even a Wesleyan or a Calvanist! Your family of origin and your church background shouldn’t be the definition of your position. Rather anchor yourself as a person of truth. Your POSITION must be God’s word.
The second part of turning someone back to the truth is our POSTURE. Our POSITION in God’s word allows us to define what is good or evil and what is an acceptable kind of lifestyle. It reflects the just and holy nature of God. But it is our POSTURE that reflects the heart of God. If our POSITION is the law then our POSTURE is the redemptive acts of Jesus.
We find a clear example of Jesus’ posture in John chapter eight.
Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.
7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
Clearly Jesus is not condoning sin. His POSITION is that adultery is wrong and that she should not continue to sin. But his POSTURE is redemptive.
Because God’s love is not conditionally based on what we do, we also won’t make conditions for our love to be given. Because God’s love is given freely without reciprocity, we will continue loving those who refuse to love us in return. This does not mean we can’t set healthy boundaries. We may have to set boundaries in love. “I cannot be a part of _____________ but I want you to know that I still love you.” Because we know sin will destroy everything it touches, we take a POSTURE of love and refuse to accept them continuing in a life of sin.
Ultimately sin destroys everything it touches. And eventually God will judge all sin. But a redemptive posture is not one of judgement or destruction. Instead of casting stones of judgment we are implored in scripture to speak the truth in love. The idea here is to turn someone away from judgement and destruction. This means that our POSTURE is not a posture of acceptance but rather a posture that is anchored in the truth of God’s word. A posture that offers a better way. Our posture must be such that we never throw people away, or shun them, or give up on them. Instead we seek to show them God’s redemptive love.
One last thought. You might feel afraid to stand up for the truth of God’s word because of our own lack of study or your own lack of faith. Let me encourage you to just be rooted and grounded in Christ and not be deceived by the well crafted arguments of human thinking. It is ok not to have all the answers when talking to this wayward person, because it is less about winning an argument (even though we have the truth on our side) and more about being a faithful witness.
“I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong. And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.” Colossians 2:5-8 NLT
For all of those who have someone they love who has “wandered” from God’s truth and been deceived by the lies of this world, I pray with you that your loved ones will turn back to God and be saved! Don’t let your POSITION shift but allow your POSTURE to be anchored in God’s word and fed by his redemptive love.
PRAYER:
Father, I pray for those who are uncertain about your truth. Help them to be grounded in your word. Reach those who have “wandered” from the truth. Help them to return to you. Shine your light into the hearts of those who we pray for. Save them from destruction so that we may see your deliverance and give you praise! You are worthy! Amen.
Father, I pray for those who are uncertain about your truth. Help them to be grounded in your word. Reach those who have “wandered” from the truth. Help them to return to you. Shine your light into the hearts of those who we pray for. Save them from destruction so that we may see your deliverance and give you praise! You are worthy! Amen.
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3 Comments
Great reading this morning. I have made every effort to apply this to my life.
This is good insight. I've always wondered what is meant by posture when it comes to relating to somebody who has wondered away from the truth. Especially when it comes to lost family members. And it's not about judging them in condemnation, but showing them grace standing for the truth and being a witness of Christ to them which can be difficult at times. I'm continuing to pray for their salvation and changing of their heart.
A deep, well-said reflection on where the rubber meets the road for us as Christ's disciples in any relationships with unbelieving loved ones. It's a difficult word, but it is GOD'S Word to walk out.