The Path To Perfection: Course Correction Series

The Path to Perfection: Course Correction

James 5:19-20

We conclude our study in the letter from James. The author of this letter is Jesus’ half brother, James. The letter of James was written during a time when Christians were persecuted. James 1:1 reads, “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion.”

The “twelve tribes” probably refers to Jews. These were Jewish Christians dispersed during persecution. And as these Jewish Christians dispersed and moved into new communities, they faced enormous trials and temptations.

This series is titled The Path to Perfection. Perfection here is referring to a mature faith lived out in daily life. Amid trials and temptations.

If you have read this letter from James you would know the trials and temptations these Christians underwent. Persecution, poverty, oppression by the rich, suffering of all sorts and sickness. And they were tempted by the love of money, favoritism, speaking evil against one another and tempted to doubt God and to wander from the truth they were taught.

This morning we will be looking at the final two verses of this letter from James. He wraps up his letter in chapter 5 verses 19 and 20. Read text .

19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Let me ask you a few questions. Have you ever seen another Christian do something wrong? What was it? Stealing. Gossiping. Lying.

Did you correct him or her? Why or why not?

Felt it was none of your business. Didn’t want to come across holier than thou. Everybody’s doing it.

James 5:19-20 tells us when we see another Christian wander from the truth we are to bring him or her back to the truth. That is what we are to do. I call this course correction. James also tells us why we are to course correct a wandering christian.

But James does not write to us the how to course correct. How do we bring a Christian brother or sister back who has wandered from the truth? I imagine there may be too many ways for James to write them all down.

Several years ago, I got a call from a young man who was struggling with viewing inappropriate content online. It would have been easy for me to quote him Bible verses. And then to pray for him and end the call.

Instead I asked him what triggered his temptation and eventual giving in. He said, “Sometimes it’s the abundance of sexual images in the media. But the times I give into the temptation is when I struggle with failure in other areas of life, feeling inadequate, depressed, angry or lonely.”

Then I asked him, “What is right about your viewing that stuff?”

He replied, “Nothing.”

I asked again, “What might possibly be right about your viewing that stuff?”

He said, “I don’t know.”

I said, “You view that stuff to soothe the emotional pains you feel. And seeking healing for emotional pain is right.”

Then we talked about what’s not right and what are better ways to dealing with emotional pains. He decided to learn to deal with the emotional pains rather than comfort himself with inappropriate content online.

More recently, another young man came to me with the same struggle. But as we talked I sensed the cause of his struggle went beyond comforting emotional pain. There were symptoms of mental illness or spiritual warfare. I encouraged him to seek professional help but he declined.

I share these two stories so you could see that two people wandering from the same truth of sexual purity taught in the Bible can have different causes and require different how to course correct. Furthermore, there is no guarantee of success just because we care enough to course correct our brothers or sisters in Christ.

James probably did not include the How to course correct. But James did call us to course correct and gave us four reasons why we should be involved. Let’s look together.

The first reason is that we are our brother’s keeper. Verse 19

John 1:12 reads, “ But to all who did receive [ Jesus Christ ], who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,”

For the Christian, God is our heavenly father. Jesus is our elder brother. We are God’s children. Siblings, brothers and sisters in Christ.

When my younger daughter was born, I repeatedly taught my older daughter that you are to love, help, protect your little sister. God says something like that to more mature Christians. “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” ??Galatians? ?6:1-2? ?