James Expounds on Faith Volume 61

 Praying in Faith Part 6

James 5:19-20 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version

The Apostle James concludes his discourse to the scattered Jewish converts to our Lord Master and Savior Jesus Christ by reminding them of how he has warned them repeatedly in his letter of the sins that could so easily plague them (and we true believers today and those of every era and generation since James 🖋 penned this letter all those years ago) such as the sin of showing partiality or the sin of 🗺 worldliness or the sins that proceed forth from the tongue 😝 or the sin of boasting and many others. The Apostle wanted them to be watchful for themselves and for other true brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ so as to prevent ourselves and others from falling as the author of Hebrews so eloquently wrote with these words, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2) (NKJV). Since they and we all have our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to look to in all our times of trouble, testing, and temptation we should also and always while we remain here on the earth 🌎 as sojourners and pilgrims look to keep ourselves from falling back into our old sins and when we see any other true brother or sister 'in Christ' doing so we must do as James the Apostle declares with these words, "Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." (James 5:19-20) (KJV). The little English phrase 'do err' in verse 19 is translated by the Greek word planaō meaning to (properly cause to) roam (from safety, truth, or virtue): - go astray, deceive, err, seduce, wander, be out of the way. The little English phrase 'the error' is translated by the Greek word planē meaning somewhat the same as 'do err' and that is objectively fraudulence; subjectively a straying from orthodoxy or piety: - deceit, to deceive, delusion, error. The little English phrase 'shall save' is translated by the Greek word sōzō meaning (as used here) to save, that is, deliver or protect (literally or figuratively). The little English phrase 'shall hide' is translated by the Greek word kaluptō meaning to cover up (literally or figuratively): - cover, hide. In other words, the Apostle James is writing to those Jewish converts to Christ back then and to us now that there are some of us true believers in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who go astray from Him, that is, who wander away back into our old sins that He Christ has cleansed us from and washed us from in and by His Blood because we feed the flesh more than we feed our spirit man 👨 or woman 👩, for we should always heed the words written to us by the Apostle Paul declaring these truths, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:1-11) (NKJV). Some saints stray from true orthodoxy and piety by being deluded and decieved, however, when through hearing a word spoken by a true brother 'in Christ' in a sermon or reading a word from the Word of God on our own or being led to a passage of Scripture by another brother or sister in Christ that brings conviction of sin to the inner man 👨 or inner woman 👩 of the erring saint then that brother or sister is then turned back 🔙 from their err and they are often times delivered from physical death being rendered by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, for He will not allow His own to continue to blaspheme His Name instead He will take them home to heaven as the Apostle John declares with these words, "If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death." (1 John 5:16-17) (NKJV). The sin or sins that could lead to physival death are surely different for each brother and sister 'in Christ', however, the Apostle James declares that the brothers or sisters 'in Christ' who are responsible for leading the wayward son or daughter of God back to the right path i.e. the truth of the Gospel of Christ and of the Word of God will for themselves cover up a large number of their sins and even perhaps of the sins of the wayward child 🧒 of God.

Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of James 5:19-20, "This epistle concludes with an exhortation to do all we can in our places to promote the conversion and salvation of others, James 5:19, James 5:20. Some interpret these verses as an apology which the apostle is making for himself that he should so plainly and sharply reprove the Jewish Christians for their many faults and errors. And certainly James gives a very good reason why he was so much concerned to reclaim them from their errors, because in thus doing he should save souls, and hide a multitude of sins. But we are not to restrain this place to the apostle's converting such as erred from the truth; no, nor to other ministerial endeavours of the like nature, since it is said, 'If any err, and one convert him, let him be who he will that does so good an office for another, he is therein an instrument of saving a soul from death.' Those whom the apostle here calls brethren, he yet supposes liable to err. It is no mark of a wise or a holy man to boast of his being free from error, or to refuse to acknowledge when he is in an error. But if any do err, be they ever so great, you must not be afraid to show them their error; and, be they ever so weak and little, you must not disdain to make them wiser and better. If they err from the truth, that is, from the gospel (the great rule and standard of truth), whether it be in opinion or practice, you must endeavour to bring them again to the rule. Errors in judgment and in life generally go together. There is some doctrinal mistake at the bottom of every practical miscarriage. There is no one habitually bad, but upon some bad principle. Now to convert such is to reduce them from their error, and to reclaim them from the evils they have been led into. We are not presently to accuse and exclaim against an erring brother, and seek to bring reproaches and calamities upon him, but to convert him: and, if by all our endeavours we cannot do this, yet we are nowhere empowered to persecute and destroy him. If we are instrumental in the conversion of any, we are said to convert them, though this be principally and efficiently the work of God. And, if we can do no more towards the conversion of sinners, yet we may do this - pray for the grace and Spirit of God to convert and change them. And let those that are in any way serviceable to convert others know what will be the happy consequence of their doing this: they may take great comfort in it at present, and they will meet with a crown at last. He that is said to err from the truth in James 5:19 is described as erring in his way in James 5:20, and we cannot be said to convert any merely by altering their opinions, unless we can bring them to correct and amend their ways. This is conversion - to turn a sinner from the error of his ways, and not to turn him from one party to another, or merely from one notion and way of thinking to another. He who thus converteth a sinner from the error of his ways shall save a soul from death. There is a soul in the case; and what is done towards the salvation of the soul shall certainly turn to good account. The soul being the principal part of the man, the saving of that only is mentioned, but it includes the salvation of the whole man: the spirit shall be saved from hell, the body raised from the grave, and both saved from eternal death. And then, by such conversion of heart and life, a multitude of sins shall be hid. A most comfortable passage of scripture is this. We learn hence that though our sins are many, even a multitude, yet they may be hid or pardoned; and that when sin is turned from or forsaken it shall be hid, never to appear in judgment against us. Let people contrive to cover or excuse their sin as they will, there is no way effectually and finally to hide it but by forsaking it. Some make the sense of this text to be, that conversion shall prevent a multitude of sins; and it is a truth beyond dispute that many sins are prevented in the party converted, many also may be prevented in others that he may have an influence upon, or may converse with. Upon the whole, how should we lay out ourselves with all possible concern for the conversion of sinners! It will be for the happiness and salvation of the converted; it will prevent much mischief, and the spreading and multiplying of sin in the world; it will be for the glory and honour of God; and it will mightily redound to our comfort and renown in the great day. Those that turn many to righteousness, and those who help to do so, shall shine as the stars for ever and ever."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…