THE MINISTRY OF RESTORATION

THE MINISTRY OF RESTORATION
James 5:19-20
"My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth...." (v.19)

JAMES’ CALL TO RESTORE THE backslider flows from his theme of healing and restoration (vv.14-16). He refers to believers ("one of you", v.19), who have wandered, though he could also be speaking of unbelievers generally ("a sinner", v.20). What happens when we see someone stray from the truth into error? We should "bring him back", in the same way we would seek to return a lost child in a crowded shopping centre to his parents.

Jesus' ministry was largely a ministry of restoration, turning men and women such as Matthew, the Samaritan woman, Zacchaeus, Mary Magdelene, even Simon Peter, back to God. When we return someone to God, we "will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins" (v.20). The sinner is delivered from spiritual death when his sins, though many, are forgiven. After a disaster, heroes are acclaimed who have rescued victims from physical death. How much more noble are those who wrest a soul from eternal death!

No less noble are those who guide backslidden believers back to the Lord. The task is not easy, for those who stray often know they are straying but lack either the desire or the determination to return. They need the love and patience of someone with a shepherd's heart to help them back to the fold. But when the lost is restored, even the angels in heaven rejoice (Luke 15.7)! James encourages his readers to pursue such a ministry of restoration.

In his book, Restoring Your Spiritual Passion, Gordon MacDonald talks about different people he meets. "I can think of certain people in my world whose company invigorates me, and when they leave, I am full of resolve, ideas, and intentions about God, self-improvement, and service to others. I can also think of people in my world whose presence exhausts me. And when they leave, I am ready for a long, long nap." It may be good for us to ask ourselves which category of people we belong to. Do we restore people, or do we exhaust them?

With that final exhortation, James ends his epistle. Without the usual personal references, farewell and doxology, this ending appears abrupt. But it makes a point: the final word for the erring is not condemnation but restoration. However strongly and vehemently he has spoken out against different sins in his letter, James concludes by asking his readers to restore, not condemn.

Do we condemn or do we restore?