20240213

restore

James 5:19-20 (JDV)

James 5:19 My brothers and sisters, if any among you strays from the truth, and someone turns him back,
James 5:20 let that person know that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his throat from death and cover a great number of failures.

restore

Those brothers and sisters all around us as we pray and worship are in danger of straying from the truth they profess. Instead of denying that possibility because of our theology, James encourages us to take an active role in their restoration. I believe in God’s sovereignty in salvation, but I also believe in my own responsibility to help sinners turn back to God. To me, this is not a contradiction. I pray as if restoration is a task only God can do. But I also plead with a wayward soul to turn back from the error of his way. The prayer and the pleading are both parts of the ministry of restoration.