How Can I Change? The Church

Part of the “How Can I Change?” series. See parts onetwo, and three.

The Church (Jas 5:19-20)

“19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”

What is the passage saying?

1. Believers are:

A. Prone to wander. Why do you think James ended with this admonition? Because he knows that we are all sinners and easily swayed (Jas 1:5-8). We are tempted and drawn away (1:14-15), needing to repent and humble ourselves (4:1-10).

B. In need of others. When we wander, who will be there to bring us back if we have cut everyone off from our lives, or, if we have never joined with others?

2. Believers must:

A. Bring others back. Judging by James message to his brothers, there were plenty of difficulties. People were in trials (1:2-4), unwise (1:5-8), and under temptation (1:12-15). There was anger, filthiness, wickedness (1:19-21), and an aversion to living the Word (1:22-25).

B. Forgive others’ sin. Because of their state, they had created conflicts over partiality (Jas 2), their words (Jas 3), and their own desires (Jas 4). Which means there was a lot of sin to be forgiven. This was James intention in verse 20. Covering the sins of others is based on God’s forgiveness. The wanderer will have his sins forgiven but the one who returns the wanderer may also have to forgive (cover) the sins committed against himself.

 

How is it connected to grace?

Titus 2:11-14 reminds us that individual believers are part of a people, not merely a lone ranger. That means that Jesus intends to use others “to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (14). The amount of “one another” passages in the NT and the focus on the NT Church should be ample evidence of those intentions.

The Church is a tool Jesus uses to change us. It is a blessed gift, not to be overlooked, belittled, or avoided.

 

What will it look like in my life? (How does that actually help me change?)

Example: Your friend Larry used to come to church regularly and talk to you about spiritual matters, but everything has changed. He rarely ever attends church (anywhere) and changes the subject whenever spiritual topic of conversation arise. What should you do?

Steps:

  • Pray for them
  • Meet with them
  • Listen to them
  • Point them to Christ
  • Walk with them
  • Forgive them

 

What can I Do?

  • Think of your three closest friends at church. Would you still come to church if they stopped coming?
  • Who is in place to bring you back if you wander? Have you talked with them?
  • Can you think of a once professing believer who is wandering? _________ What can you do?
  • Find an mature believer this evening that you trust to bring you back. Ask them to pray for you regularly.

 

“Lone Rangers are Dead Rangers” (Josh Harris, Not Even a Hint)

“We need to live in close enough community to suffer with those who suffer and rejoice with those who rejoice. And we need to know one another well enough to hold each other accountable for spiritual progress” (Ryken, City on a Hill, 88).

Resources:

Chart from Brantley, Robert, and Astra Brantley. “The Grace of God’s Accountability.” The Journal of Biblical Counseling 17, no. 3 (1999): 45–47.

Bridges, Jerry. True Community: The Biblical Practice of Koinonia. NavPress, 2012.

Challies, Tim. One Another InfoGraph.

Lane, Timothy S., and Paul David Tripp. “Change Is a Community Project.” In How People Change, 73–90. Greensboro: New Growth Press, 2006.

Middletown Bible Church. “Immature and Mature Believers Contrasted.”

Moore, Russell. “Miracle Together: Corporate Dynamics in Christian Sanctification.” In Acting the Miracle: God’s Work and Ours in the Mystery of Sanctification, edited by John Piper and David Mathis, 107–126. Wheaton: Crossway, 2013. Read a full review of the book here and get the free pdf here