James:Tests of a Living Faith
Faith Tested by Restoration (5:19-20)
By Steve Budd
Section Summary
James calls on those with true, saving faith to pursue people who identify with the church, but have a dead, non-saving faith. This is a call to evangelism within the church.
Outline
My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
I. Who
A. "My brethren…" – James is addressing the true believers among the general audience of professing believers.
B. "…any among you strays…" – James is not talking about a believer who “loses his salvation”, but a professing believer who was never truly converted. Such a one is called a sinner. It is common in Scripture to refer to the unredeemed as sinners, but the term is not used to describe true believers. While it is true that Christians sin, it is not true that sin is a predominant characteristic in the life of one who has been born again. We have previously discussed the Doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints, which states that all true believers will indeed persevere to the end. God does not redeem us only to let us become “unredeemed”.
C. "…he who turns him back…" – James identifies true believers as God’s agents. Personal evangelism is the method God has put in place to bring sinners to Himself.
II. What
A. "…the truth…" – One who strays from the truth is not one who has “lost their salvation”, but one who has been exposed to the gospel and the fellowship of believers, but has never truly been converted by repenting and receiving Christ as Lord and Savior. We will expand on this when we get to the Hebrews passage below.
B. "…soul…" – James is most likely talking about the spiritual realm, not the physical.
C. "…death…" – Here, death is spiritual, eternal death, not physical. If one is not truly born again, the destiny of his soul is eternal death (Hell). Physical death is not in view, since everyone eventually dies.
D. "…a multitude of sins." – These are not the sins of the one who “turns him back”, but the one who has been turned back (born again).
E. "..turns him back…" (epistrepho) This term is used frequently in the NT to speak of a sinner’s conversion to God, not a “backslider’s recommitment”. (Lk. 1:16-17; Acts 9:35, 14:15, 26:18, 20; 2 Cor. 3:16; 1 Pet. 2:25).
"In the New Testament the term "sinner" invariably describes those outside the kingdom of God. A sinner, then, is one without God and Christ, and so in need of salvation; it is a word of characterization. True believers are to pursue those whose faulty doctrine and sinful lives give evidence that they have departed from the true faith. Such defectors from the faith they claim to believe are to be warned relentlessly, as illustrated in the epistle to the Hebrews." –John MacArthur
III. Related Scripture regarding “church evangelism”.
A. Romans 1:13-15. In addressing true believers in his introduction to this epistle (1:7a), he says, “I am eager to preach the gospel to you (saints, believers) also who are in Rome.” We are not only to preach the gospel to unbelievers, but also to each other. This preaching is not always for evangelistic purposes, as the truths of the gospel remind us who Christ is and what He accomplished on our behalf. Peter is also eager to remind believers of these things (2 Peter 1:12-13, 3:1) in order that we would live holy lives.
B. James 4:7-10. In this parallel passage to Jesus’ Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12), James is describing the characteristics of a true believer in hopes that professing (but not truly converted) Christians will see their lost and hopeless state and turn from their sin to Christ. True believers would read these words and have assurance that because these things were true of them, they truly belonged to Christ. We must remember that there are most certainly unbelievers among us in our local church, and we must never take for granted that all have been truly born again. That is James’ assumption in this passage.
C. Hebrews 6:4-6. This passage is used by Armenians and others to “prove” that a believer can lose their salvation. That thought is not in view here, or anywhere else in Scripture. A thoughtful analysis of the passage in light of the intended audience and the terms that are used will lead us to the conclusion that the author was pleading with unconvinced Jews (likely Pharisees) to turn to Christ. The author outlines five advantages these Jews had:
- They had once been enlightened. Indeed, one of their very own (Jesus) taught in their synagogues.
- They had tasted of the heavenly gift. As God’s chosen people Israel, they were benefactors of His general grace and blessings to the nation, even as unbelievers.
- They had been made partakers of the Holy Spirit. They witnessed and benefited from Christ’s miracles.
- They tasted the good word of God. Indeed, they had been entrusted with the very oracles of God (Romans 3:2).
- They tasted the powers of the age to come. On the day of Pentecost, such a demonstration of the Spirit’s power was displayed.
Judas is a prime example of one to whom this epistle might have been addressed. He walked daily with Jesus and perhaps more than anyone else, had all five advantages outlines above. Yet, he was lost.
Professing believers in our churches have many of the same advantages, yet remain unconverted. It would be a terrible thing to come so close to God and not repent and believe. Yes, there is a call for church evangelism.
D. Hebrews 3:12-4:2. Taken with the passage above, this is a sobering reminder that one should fear coming so close to eternal life, yet fall short. Let us plead with those who are “on the fence” in our congregations.
E. Matthew 7:21-23. In this sobering passage, Jesus reminds His hearers that a mere profession of faith doesn’t count.
James ends his epistle abruptly, and makes no assumptions about the spiritual condition of his audience, except that some remain unconverted. We will end this study in the same manner.
Yours in Christ,
Steve Budd
April 1, 2005
