This is the final of 13 sessions loking at selected passages from the Book of James. Click here to read the introduction and for an overview.
Click here to see the 12th session.
Session 13
One of the most amazing aspects of Christianity is the opportunity for personal relationship with our Creator. Walking with God gives us the chance to be moved and changed from the inside out, to find personal guidance and direction from the One who made us. A lifetime spent with the Lord can be one of great growth and adventure — in many ways a life made just for us.
Being a Christian, however, isn’t meant to be an entirely internal experience. Of course, we’re called to share our faith with others, to be salt and light to those who don’t know God and to be in fellowship with other believers. We are to be, as Scriptures tell us, iron sharpening iron. We are to encourage, to spur on, to challenge, and to link arms—especially when things get hard.
What happens when difficulties cause one of our fellow believers to start walking away from God? What happens when one falls into open sin? That’s when we’re presented with a different kind of opportunity. James tells us that if we turn a sinner from his ways, we will save him (or her) from death.
Go beyond a simple idea of death, however, as in the end of life. Someone who has known the truth and chooses to deny it anyway loses a piece of his or her heart every day. That “death” is the long and painful killing of the spirit and the loss of joy and security.
We all have seasons when we feel closer to God and seasons when we feel further away. When a Christian tunes out to a larger degree, or no longer seeks a relationship with the Lord, it may well be time to step in, though only with encouragement and grace rather than judgment. The world offers us judgment enough; and sometimes when we’re in sin, we can justify not confessing it by telling ourselves nobody has the right to tell us what to do.
Should a loving rebuke be met with anger or defiance in return, don’t give up. Sooner or later, love always, always wins.
What the Word Says:
“My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (
How It Applies:
Though the chance to personally commune with God is a great part of Christianity, it’s not all of it. We’re also called to be in fellowship with other believers, being willing to encourage, spur on and offer help when another gets off track.
Questions for Group Discussion:
• Why do you think God might have set up a system in which we’re called to be iron sharpening iron in each other’s lives?
• Have you ever had another Christian pull you aside to talk about your sin? If so, what did that person do right, and what could they have handled better?
• Do you think God sees sin in our lives differently, depending on whether or not we consider ourselves Christians? Why or why not?
• In what ways might prayer play a part in having a conversation with a Christian friend who appears to be walking away from God?
• Role play a conversation between two Christian friends, one of whom has fallen into open sin.
