Digging Deeper – December 1, 2023
19 My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 20 you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.
James 5:20 (NLT)
WANDERING AWAY
Have you ever strayed from the path you were on and suddenly found yourself off course? Of course! This happens to many of us in causal activity – like shopping or sight-seeing. But James cautions those that wander “away from the truth” (v.19) – a sort of spiritual drift.
Most physical wandering is the result of one of two things: 1) a deviation from the proper route or 2) aimlessness. The Psalmist states that the Word of God is “a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105, KJV). It lays out the proper route for the Christian life. The Westminster Confession of 1646 puts it like this:
The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture.
That is to say, the Bible is a sufficient guide for faith and life. Those who have fallen into error started out by neglecting the Word of God. In theology, the term for a deviation from right teaching is “heresy.” Not coincidentally, this term derives from a Greek word meaning “choice.” When we consistently choose our way instead of The Way (the historic name for early Christianity), we are at risk of falling into error. God has given us His Word and the Holy Spirit to help guide us along.
We can also help others that are prone to drifting. Ecclesiastes 4:10 states, “If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” To this sentiment James would agree, for he stresses the restorative ability of Christian community.
Heed these final words of James. Choose today to stay the course of our Savior and to encourage others that walk alongside you.
Ryan Hoffer serves as NextGen Production Director at NorthStar. He holds an M.Div in Church History and enjoys playing the harp. He and his wife, Tiffany, live in Acworth and have three children.