Session 12

“Is it not enough to look after my own life?”

James 5: 19-20

Outline of Talk:

• This final passage of James brings us again into his concern for the “fellowship” which God’s people are. This is one reason why he uses the term “my brothers” (which, of course, includes women as well as men). He used this term a number of times – 1:2, 16, 19; 2:1, 5, 14; 3:1, 10, 12 and 4:11. In this fellowship there will always be people who stray from the truth and who give evidence of this by certain features of their thinking, attitude and lifestyle. You will need to consider some of these in your discussions.
• In this “wandering” from the truth we will come across the dilemma of trying to distinguish a backsliding saved sinner (who cannot again be lost) and an unsaved sinner. It is often impossible to tell to which of these categories a person who has wandered from the truth belongs and it is important not to make assumptions one way or another. But, actually, it does not really matter as far as our pastoral care is concerned. What is important is that someone has strayed, needs to be brought back and must therefore be the object of our recovery attempt, whether backslidden or unsaved. We can safely leave the reading of the heart to God!
•  It’s important to note how James uses “anyone” and “someone” in this context. Pastoral care is not a devolved matter, as if only the minister and elders were responsible for it. It’s for “anyone”; it’s the duty of each person within the fellowship to look out for the strays and wherever possible to go after them for their recovery. At the same time this pastoral concern is to be for “anyone” who strays; not the unconverted only, nor any particular group or type of people, just anyone!
• James uses remarkable language to describe what a “rescuer” actually achieves in bringing back a sinner from the error of his way. He says that “he (she) will save his (her) soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” While both the saving and the covering are ultimately things which God alone can do, nevertheless, so important is the recovery work of Christian pastoral care that it really amounts to a rescuing of those who have wandered. Hence the person doing the rescuing is said to have brought about the saving and the covering. It does remind us that God uses means – in this case his people – to bring about such ends as salvation and covering of sins and on the other hand this also reminds us of what our aim and purpose is in pastoral care and concern. It’s all to do ultimately with eternity, not time, and with everlasting life, not temporal security.
• The reference to “covering” sins may include more than that the person rescued and the rescuer are both involved in a course ending in sin being forgiven by God. It could include the idea that the rescuer is not to go public with anything to do with the lapse or failure in the life of the person being recovered, unless it is serious enough to require formal discipline by the Church – an important exception! A quiet “covering” in love (as in 1 Peter 4:8) is a crucial part of the recovery process – no gossip about faults found or boasting of achievement.

 Questions for Discussion Session:

 In what ways is it possible to “wander from the truth”? When you have listed a few, discuss how each of these will show in a person’s life?

 

 Concerning people belonging to the Church, which of the following might be “symptoms”, and why?

  1.     a falling away from church attendance;

  2.    being on good terms with people outwith the Church;

  3.     reluctance to be in Christian company;

  4.     a frequent smell of drink from a person.

 

• Are the symptoms always easy to see? How could they be covered up?

 How does the kind of pastoral care James speaks about here differ from an unhealthy inquisitiveness into the lives of others? Where do you draw the line?

 If you were to wander from the truth what kind of support would you need in order to bring you back?

 Being willing and active as a rescuer is important. How important is willingness to be rescued and why? Where this is lacking in someone you want to help what do you do?

 If you were to meet James (the apostle, not the minister!) tomorrow, what one question would you ask him from all that you have learned in these studies?

1. For your own use make a list of the points which were of most importance to you from this Bible Study on James.

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

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Posted in Study Questions; Posted 6 years ago by Elizabeth McGowan