Back on Track

James 5:19-20

My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth, and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins.

Among the Christian population today, there seems to be a great amount of focus on evangelism and outreach and quite a bit of neglect in regards to accountability and discipleship. In my high school youth group, I remember outreach nights during which we would watch 30 people come to know the Lord. About 10 of them would come to church in the following weeks and we were lucky if one or two became regular attendees. I also watched as my classmates, who had attended church most of their lives, decided to rebel against the Lord and their upbringing and chose the world. I remember a feeling of helplessness as these people, whom I had been close to, drifted away from the truth.

Looking back on those years, I am ashamed that I didn’t claim the power God promises in this verse. I don’t know if it was fear of humiliation or a desire to let them make their own decisions, but I just stood by and watched as several friends slipped into sin and defiance toward God. As a child of God, my primary responsibility is to Him, not to my own popularity or status. God has given us the opportunity to not only bring people to Christ, but also to show them how to “work out” their salvation. He has given us the body of believers to support each other and to learn from each other. The body has also been established to reprimand and train believers who wander from the faith. While doing the work of God, He promises to go with us and to be our words so we need not fear the encounter or the outcome when feeling the responsibility to confront someone.

I heard someone say once that no one chooses atheism; it is just a gradual drifting away from God that causes people to eventually deny God. It is quite possible that little decisions here and there have caused them to take a giant step back and they have not even realized it. Your words of spiritual reprimand may be all they need to turn back to Christ. Today, I challenge you to consider the people in your life. Is there a Christian that has turned from the truth? Do you know someone who needs to get their life back on track? Don’t be afraid to speak the truth to them and point out their movement away from God. Be obedient to God’s direction in your life even if it may create an uncomfortable situation; their spiritual health is more important than a comfortable friendship.