RECLAIMING THE WANDERER (James 5:19, 20)
Our text this morning instructs us as to our responsibility toward our fellow believers. Here is this brother or sister. They start to wander from the truth. They have started to stray from the paths of righteousness. They need someone to love them enough to bring them back again.
- THERE IS A DANGER THAT WE MUST AVOID
“My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth.” James is not addressing this remark to people outside of the church. Instead, he is pointing out a very real danger for a Christian. It is all too possible for a member of a church to gradually start to wander from the truth. The picture here is not of someone who has taken a sudden U-Turn or dramatically rushed into sin. He is speaking about a wandering, a gentle straying, a subtle loosening of one’s doctrinal or moral moorings. Backsliding never begins with a loud bang. It always begins quietly and slowly. This wandering from the truth takes many different forms. Firstly, it is possible to wander doctrinally. In 1 Timothy 1:19, Paul reminds Timothy of two men, Hymenaeus and Alexander, who refused to hold on to sound doctrine and ended up shipwrecking themselves spiritually. In 2 Timothy 2:17, 18, Paul refers to two men, Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. Secondly, it is possible to wander morally. We need look no further for a biblical example of this than King David and Bathsheba. But it is not only in the sexual area that people wander. In 1 Timothy 6:10 we are told, “for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Thirdly, it is possible to wander in our Christian service. In Galatians 6:9 Paul encourages us; “Let us not become weary in doing good.” He would not have said this if it were not a distinct possibility. We can easily become discouraged in our church work. In 1 Corinthians 15:58 we are reminded to, “always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.” It is always a sad thing to hear about people who used to be such hard workers in the church slowly grow cold and wander. None of us is so advanced in the Christian life, so prominent in church affairs, that we are beyond the reach of Satan. A dying saint once said, even on the brink of Jordan I find Satan nibbling at my heels. - THERE IS A DUTY THAT WE MUST EMBRACE
What is our responsibility towards a wandering brother? In 1 John 5:16 we are told, if anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray. This ought always to be our first port of call. But is that all that is required from us? No. James closes his letter with these words. “My brothers if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner away from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” The responsibility for restoring those who wander is placed fairly and squarely on the shoulders of the entire fellowship. We must love our spiritual family enough to be concerned about what we perceive to be a gradual wandering. Our marching orders are clearly spelled out in Galatians 6:1, Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. The Greek word for restore is used as a medical term for setting a fractured or dislocated bone. It is used in Mark 1:19 of the disciples mending their nets. Here then is a believer who has strayed. He needs someone to love him enough to reset that bone. He needs someone to love him enough to repair his nets and make him productive again. Proverbs 27:6 says wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses. David wandered into sexual immorality. Fortunately, he had a Nathan who was courageous enough to pursue him and lovingly confront him. It literally saved David from death. As a result, he could write Psalm 51 and say, against you and you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight. David’s broken bone was repaired, and his broken nets were mended. He was restored to usefulness. There are many wanderer’s today? Are we loving enough to be a Nathan and go after them with the goal of restoring them?