Wanderer and Restorer
Passage for Today
James 5:19-20
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.
Genesis 3:8-9
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
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.
Genesis 3:8-9
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
Questions
- What do you learn about God from this passage?
- What do we learn about our human nature?
- What has impressed upon your hear most through the book of James?
Devotion
By Lifeway
Restoration begins with confession. You can’t fix what you don’t recognize is broken. James’s letter doesn’t wrap up with final words of greeting like most of Paul’s letters. James didn’t close by naming particular individuals or by offering a broad theological expression of praise. Instead, he hammered home one final practical application of faith in action. If someone isn’t putting their faith into action, call them out and point them back in the right direction.
What a great note to end on. It rings in our ears with force and finality.
Wandering from the truth means we’re pursuing something less than God’s best for us in the gospel. This is a matter of life and death. This is why Jesus outlined a process to reconcile wanderers from the truth. While the process is often known as church discipline, the goal isn’t punishment but reconciliation. We pursue wanderers, hoping they’ll return to the truth and be reconciled to God and the community of the church. Because God has reconciled us to Himself at the cross, we help others find the same reconciliation we’ve found.
God is a God of pursuit. In the garden He looked for Adam and Eve after they had sinned and called out to them as they tried to hide in shame (see Gen. 3:8-9). When sin had infected the whole world, God came in the flesh—Immanuel, God with us (see Matt. 1:23). And in the end He will come again to restore all things and to bring about the consummation of His redemptive plan.
* This devotion was found at Bible.com titled “James: Faith/Works” by Lifeway.
Restoration begins with confession. You can’t fix what you don’t recognize is broken. James’s letter doesn’t wrap up with final words of greeting like most of Paul’s letters. James didn’t close by naming particular individuals or by offering a broad theological expression of praise. Instead, he hammered home one final practical application of faith in action. If someone isn’t putting their faith into action, call them out and point them back in the right direction.
What a great note to end on. It rings in our ears with force and finality.
Wandering from the truth means we’re pursuing something less than God’s best for us in the gospel. This is a matter of life and death. This is why Jesus outlined a process to reconcile wanderers from the truth. While the process is often known as church discipline, the goal isn’t punishment but reconciliation. We pursue wanderers, hoping they’ll return to the truth and be reconciled to God and the community of the church. Because God has reconciled us to Himself at the cross, we help others find the same reconciliation we’ve found.
God is a God of pursuit. In the garden He looked for Adam and Eve after they had sinned and called out to them as they tried to hide in shame (see Gen. 3:8-9). When sin had infected the whole world, God came in the flesh—Immanuel, God with us (see Matt. 1:23). And in the end He will come again to restore all things and to bring about the consummation of His redemptive plan.
* This devotion was found at Bible.com titled “James: Faith/Works” by Lifeway.
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