Turning Sinners Back

September 30th, 2026
by Lance Waldie

James 5:19-20 My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, 20 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.

There are some in our churches today like the Sadducees whom Jesus denounced, saying, “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God” (Matt. 22:29). Jesus also warned of “…false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matt. 7:15). Paul and Peter said, “But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived (2 Tim. 3:13)… forsaking the right way, they have gone astray…” (2 Pet. 2:15). These in Christ’s Church will eventually reveal their true selves as apostates, those who go out from the Church after a time. John says of them that they go out “from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out so that it would be shown that they all are not of us” (1 John 2:19).

Yet there are others in the Church, genuine Christians, who are “sick” (5:14) and in need of restoration from sinful practices. These weak-stricken believers are like sheep that “stray” from the flock, except here they “stray” from “the truth” (Gr. alētheia)—from holy Scripture (Jas. 1:18). The English “planet” comes from “stray” (Gr. planēthē) to express how the luminaries were “wandering stars” (Jude 13), not fixed like the rest. Such straying might result in apostasy, or it may result in repentance and thus restoration. The difference between the two kinds of people is that true Christians, though they may stray for a time over the course of their lives, can be brought back into fellowship with Christ. False believers, however, will always be like wandering planets, unwilling to return to the truth of the gospel.

In 5:14-18 James put forth a plan of prayer for those within the Church who finally recognize that they are either unsaved or saved yet have backslidden to the point of being powerless to help themselves return to fellowship with Christ. Whereas strong believers regularly pray for one another, the weaker ones need the help that those in fellowship with Christ can offer them through prayer and encouragement (cf. 5:14-16). Since truth is a way of life, those who turn from it must be turned back to it. A Christian walking in the truth can aid in this.

Verse 20 speaks of the result of turning a sinner from the error of his ways. Since restoring those who stray from the truth is a labor of love, then like the return of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32, there is celebration if the straying one finds his way back to the truth. Now since all who from their faith are “sick” (5:14-15)—spiritually weak, then evangelism is not the solution, restoration is. It is revival that the straying believer needs, not redemption. They would thus be like the one lost sheep in a fold of 100 sheep that Jesus illustrates in Luke 15:3-7. Once the shepherd rescues it, the sheep is not saved; it is restored to the fold. “He who turns a sinner from the error of his ways” (v. 20) is therefore the Christian who leads a straying brother back to the truth. That he “will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” is a reference to the straying sinner, not the one who restored him. With his sins covered (cf. 1 Pet. 4:8), and his fellowship restored, the Christian who strayed is no longer in danger of death related to his rebellious sin. In Paul’s context in 1 Corinthians 11:26-30, he highlighted the fact that some in the Corinthian church had died—they “sleep.” This was the result of their sinful disregard for the Lord’s Supper. Therefore, those who repented of such rebellion could avoid an untimely death.

Food For Thought
Some wander from the Christian faith doctrinally, erring in their beliefs—perhaps becoming legalistic or charismatic over time. Yet others maintain healthy doctrine but stray from the truth in lifestyle. Their profession is orthodox, but their lifestyle is ungodly. Either way, such people need the loving confrontation of a brother in Christ to restore them. The NT is replete with exhortations for such: “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness” (Gal. 6:1). “We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak” (1 Thess. 5:14). “…with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 2:25). “…save others, snatching them out of the fire” (Jude 23). Swindoll says, “The intervention of loving Christians through prayer, patience, and perseverance will not only save that person from accumulating more sin and making a greater mess of this life, but also spare the church from the damage done by a wayward brother or sister.”