James 5:19-20

Restore the erring -- James 5:19-20: To become a Christian you must hear the gospel (Romans 10:17), believe in Jesus (John 8:24), repent of sins (Acts 2:38), confess Christ as Lord (Acts 8:37), and be baptized to be saved (Mark 16:16). Sadly many become Christian and then turn back to walk no more with the Lord. The epistle of James closes with an admonition to restore the erring.

Teaching, prayer, reproof, pleading and every sincere effort should be put forth to recover the wandering backslider from his damnation. We have a great responsibility to take care of our own soul. We also have responsibility to watch over the souls of our brethren. A Christian can err from the truth, and it frequently happens.

Let us learn that: (1) A Christian can depart from the living God. (2) The brother who "errs from the truth" is now a sinner. (3) The brother who has erred from the truth needs to be converted. (4) The one who converts an erring brother "hides a multitude of sins." (5) There is nothing worse than living and dying without God.

There are no farewell greeting, and no formal close of any kind to the book of James, just heart touching words about saving the lost. Remember, "to save another's soul is the surest way to save one's own soul."