The verse in question, James 5:20, reads “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.” This verse points to the immense spiritual value and reward for those who help turn others away from sin and back to God.
To properly understand this verse, we need to first understand the context. James 5 discusses having patience in suffering, not grumbling against one another, and praying for and confessing sins to each other. Verses 19-20 serve as the concluding remarks, emphasizing the blessings for turning a fellow believer from wandering into sin.
Now looking closely at verse 20, the “wandering” refers to a believer who has strayed from the truth and fallen into patterns of sin. To “bring back” such a person means exhorting, instructing, praying for, and counseling them to repent and return to righteous living. When efforts to restore a wandering believer succeed, it “saves his soul from death.” This refers to the spiritual state of the person, meaning their soul is saved from continued descent into deeper sin and its consequences (see Romans 6:23, James 1:15).
“Covering a multitude of sins” means that restoring the wandering sinner absolves that person from the many sins they committed while straying. Just as Jesus’ sacrifice covers believers’ sins before God (Romans 4:7-8), so does the act of turning a sinner cover their multitude of sins from their wandering period. James emphasizes this great blessing in order to encourage the work of restoring straying brethren.
The covering of sins also applies to the one who restores the sinner. Just as sin can spread destruction in the body of Christ (James 5:16), bringing spiritual healing and wholeness covers over the corrupting dangers of sin and its effects. In other words, the restorer’s godly effort cancels out the negative impact of the other person’s sins they helped cover.
Additional aspects to consider about James 5:20:
- Restoring a wandering believer is not easy, and requires godly wisdom, patience, humility, courage, persistence, and God’s empowerment.
- Not everyone’s efforts will succeed when trying to turn someone from sin. But the goal is the same – to bring them to repentance and save their soul from death (Ezekiel 33:9).
- This verse applies within the church body. Confronting sin and calling believers to repentance should be done in love (Galatians 6:1).
- Turning unrepentant sinners from their ways is also a form of evangelism to the lost, covered elsewhere in Scripture (Jude 1:22-23).
- All glory goes to God who enables sinners to be restored through the work of believers (1 Corinthians 3:7).
In summary, James 5:20 highlights God’s desire for His followers to turn each other away from sin. It offers great encouragement that these efforts have immense spiritual value, both for the one restored and the restorer. When sin’s corruption is replaced with righteousness, God’s kingdom is advanced. That is why restoring wandering sinners covers over a multitude of sins, for both the helper and the helped.
1. The Immense Value of Turning Someone from Sin
James 5:20 first emphasizes the immense value of turning a fellow believer from wandering into sin. To understand why, we should consider:
- Sin is deadly and destroys spiritual life (James 1:15; Romans 6:23). When efforts succeed in getting someone to repent and leave their sin, it saves their very soul from death. This reveals how high the spiritual stakes are when someone wanders from the truth.
- Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). When His followers do the same for straying brethren, they participate in this divine mission.
- Restoring others reflects Christ’s restorative work of making people spiritually whole again (Hebrews 12:12-13). It is a high calling indeed.
- Turning a sinner from their ways cover their many sins, protecting them from compounded guilt and judgment (Romans 2:5-6).
- Helping preserve a fellow believer’s faith glorifies God and advances His kingdom purposes (Matthew 18:10-14).
In these ways, James 5:20 emphasizes the immense spiritual value of restoring wandering sinners. Their soul is saved from death, their sins are covered, and God is glorified. This is why believers must never give up on seeking to restore straying brethren.
2. The Role of the Church Body
An important aspect of James 5:20’s instruction is the context within the church body. Scripture contains many warnings against sin and calls to repentance. But James addresses believers exhorting and restoring fellow believers who are straying into sinful paths. Consider:
- James speaks of “brethren” confessing sins to each other and praying for one another (James 5:16). There is a close spiritual relationship.
- The “wandering” metaphor suggests someone who once walked in the truth but has lost their way (1 John 2:19).
- The goal is repentance and restoration to righteous living, not just stopping the sin. Only believers can experience this spiritual renewal by God’s grace (Titus 3:3-7).
- Paul teaches that believers are to judge and confront serious sin within the church body, not outside it (1 Corinthians 5:12-13).
So a key aspect of James 5:20 is the context of believers restoring fellow believers who are straying into sinful paths. This makes the body of Christ collectively responsible for keeping each other spiritually healthy and preventing the corrupting dangers of unchecked sin in the church.
3. Covering a Multitude of Sins
A beautiful promise in James 5:20 is that turning back a straying sinner “will cover a multitude of sins.” This covering has implications both for the restored sinner, and the believer who restores them:
For the Sinner:
- Their sins committed while in spiritual wandering are forgiven and blotted out when they repent (Acts 3:19).
- They are shielded from the compounded guilt and consequences of unchecked sin, which spreads like cancer (Romans 6:19-23).
- Escaping the entanglements of sin closes the doorways the enemy uses to gain footholds in a person’s life.
- They experience the joy and freedom of walking in holiness again (Psalm 32:1-2).
For the Restorer:
- In addition to the sinner’s sins being covered, so are the negative ripple effects and consequences of those sins on the church body.
- The restorer’s godly efforts help protect the flock from the corruptions of sin (1 Corinthians 5:6-7).
- Their time and work invested in the ministry of restoration is eternally worthwhile, producing spiritual fruit that remains (John 15:16).
- They gain spiritual wisdom from engaging in the fight against sin and darkness (Ephesians 5:11).
- There is special blessing for rescuing a wandering soul from death (James 5:20; Jude 1:23).
So in James 5:20, the promise of “covering a multitude of sins” applies both to the repentant sinner and the restorer. God blesses and rewards those who labor to turn others from sin by saving them from its consequences and corrupting effects.
4. With Caution, Wisdom and Discernment
While James 5:20 concerns confronting and restoring people involved in sin, believers must exercise caution, wisdom, and discernment in how this is applied:
- Not all spiritual wandering is known or evident. Discernment, not assumptions, is required (Matthew 7:3-5).
- Different strategies may be needed depending on the person, situation, and nature of the sin (Jude 1:22-23).
- Patience and persistence is needed. Restoration can be a gradual process (Galatians 6:1).
- Prayer is essential for God’s wisdom and power to be at work (James 1:5).
- Acting harshly or unlovingly usually backfires (2 Timothy 2:24-26). Gentleness and concern is needed.
- The goal must be repentance and restoration, not condemnation (2 Corinthians 2:5-8).
- Focus on your own conduct and guard against hypocrisy (Matthew 7:1-5).
In following James 5:20, Christians must exercise discernment in how they confront and seek to restore straying brethren. The situation and people involved often requires different strategies and careful ministry to facilitate true repentance.
5. With the Aim of Restoration
A key perspective from James 5:20 is that confronting sin aims at restoration. Several principles are important here:
- The purpose is always to turn the straying believer back to righteous living (Ezekiel 33:11; Jude 1:23).
- Convicting people of their sin is only beneficial when leading to their repentance and salvation (2 Corinthians 7:9-11).
- Patience and perseverance is often needed to see change (Galatians 6:1; Hebrews 12:11).
- Believers must guard their heart and motives when dealing with those in sin (Jude 1:22-23).
- God often uses His servants as instruments of rescue for people trapped in sin (2 Timothy 2:24-26).
- Restoring others should be an act of love, not condemnation (John 8:3-11; Romans 2:4).
Seeking to turn back straying brethren is a sober calling, not to be done carelessly or with wrong motives. The guiding aim must always be the hope of full restoration and reconciliation.
6. A Community Responsibility
James 5 reveals that restoring wandering believers is a community effort. Every Christian has a role to play in keeping the body of Christ spiritually healthy and holy. Consider:
- We must gently confront each other’s sins rather than ignore them (James 5:19-20; Matthew 18:15-17).
- Praying for each other’s weaknesses and struggles helps prevent sinful falls (James 5:16).
- Our fellowship and accountability provides protections against straying from the truth (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
- Expressing patience, care and forgiveness helps reconciliation after failures (Galatians 6:1-2).
- Our godly examples can help pull people out of sinful paths (1 Corinthians 11:1).
- Collectively we must nurture holiness and spiritual health in our congregations (1 Thessalonians 5:14-22).
Preserving the moral purity of Christ’s body is not just the job of church leaders. We each have a “one another” responsibility to help restore straying brethren from their sins whenever we can.
7. An Act of True Love
Though often difficult, seeking to turn others from sin is an act of true love. Consider:
- Love requires helping remove that which harms the loved one (Psalm 141:5). This applies to sin.
- The wounds of a friend are faithful when needed (Proverbs 27:6). Real friends confront.
- Turning sinners from their ways saves them from sin’s wages of death (Ezekiel 3:18-19; Romans 6:23).
- Jesus commanded Peter to “feed my sheep” (John 21:15-17). Feeding others involves nurturing holiness.
- God disciplines those He loves, as should we (Hebrews 12:6; Revelation 3:19).
- Love must be rooted in truth to avoid enabling harm (Ephesians 4:15).
Loving others means caring about the condition of their soul and eternity. Turning them from sin is an act of true love, even when difficult.
8. Reconciliation and Rejoicing
An amazing thing happens when efforts to restore a wandering sinner succeed – reconciliation and rejoicing:
- Backsliders who return cause celebration among the angels in heaven (Luke 15:7, 10). What an image!
- Reconciliation should lead to treating the person with forgiveness and comfort (2 Corinthians 2:5-8).
- Complete restoration to fellowship is possible by God’s grace (Galatians 6:1).
- The church body is made more spiritually strong and unified after reconciliation (2 Corinthians 13:11).
- Joy erupts because a soul is saved from death (James 5:20). This motivates continued ministry.
- Seeing victory over sin gives hope for future efforts to rescue others (1 Timothy 1:16).
When efforts succeed according to James 5:20, it leads to incredible rejoicing. God uses reconciled relationships among believers to build up His church in holiness and unity.
9. Empowered by God’s Grace
A key truth regarding ministering to backsliders is that God empowers the work:
- No amount of skill or argument can change a heart – only God enables true repentance (2 Timothy 2:24-26).
- We must depend on the Spirit to equip us and give us His words (Luke 12:11-12).
- Prayer is essential to the process (James 5:16). This is spiritual warfare.
- Ministering to wanderers is a stewardship of God’s grace (Ephesians 3:2).
- Evangelizing the lost depends on God drawing them (John 6:44). So does reclaiming backsliders.
- Thankfully, God desires repentance and restoration even more than we do (2 Peter 3:9).
In the end, all efforts to reclaim wandering souls for Christ rely fully on the empowerment of God’s Spirit and grace. This gives incentive for much prayer in the process.
10. With Love, Wisdom and Discernment
As a final recap, here are key principles for applying James 5:20’s exhortation today:
- Lovingly confront sin and call for repentance in believers who are straying (James 5:19-20).
- Exercise great caution, wisdom and discernment in how this is done (Matthew 18:15-17).
- The goal must be repentance, reconciliation and full restoration (2 Corinthians 2:5-8).
- Persistence and gentleness is required, trusting God to bring change (Galatians 6:1).
- Covering over sins applies both to rescuer and rescued (James 5:20).
- Rejoicing erupts over every sinner who repents (Luke 15:7).
- God’s grace alone empowers this ministry (Colossians 1:28-29).
- Fulfilling this calling requires prayer, love, courage, patience and hope.
The body of Christ is called to gently but firmly turn each other back from wandering into sin. In doing so by God’s power, the corruption of sin is purged and fellowship renewed. What an important mission for the church!