James closes his book with a good exhortation for us. For something to get done there must be someone to do it. There must be an instrument for any task. To boil water one needs an eye. But that eye must be on a stove that it turned on and plugged in. A pot is also needed to hold the water. It takes a lot to accomplish simple things.
God forbid that anyone would ever think he or she can convert another person. We are not instruments of conversion. We are instruments for conversion. James admonishes, encourages, and reminds us of our most important task—yielding ourselves as instruments to help those who err in the way.
James 5: 19Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
James uses powerful language. He was the earthly half-brother of Jesus. His brother in the flesh was also his Messiah, his Savior. Growing up he would have been told that Jesus was Mary’s son, but that his father was God. No wonder James writes so straight. Man’s greatest work will always be reaching the sinner and helping those who err from the way.
By his own words in verse 19 James tells us there is the possibility of erring from the truth of God. We’re saved, but we still sin. We can get off track and go wrong. The person who does that can be reached. He lets the person who tries to reach out know that what is done is far more valuable than he or she realizes. There are a lot of jobs absolutely necessary to have food, fuel, vehicles, and homes, but our most important task will always be to reach the one who has erred from the truth or never accepted the Lord.
The Bible says that a backslider is not happy in his sins. You may look at a person and think they’re hopeless, but in God’s eyes a person is reachable and convertible. Jesus has never had a problem touching and converting a person from sin or getting someone back on track. He needs working instruments to help him—that’s what we are when we let God use us. There has never been a person saved without the demonstration of God from another person. The Word of God comes through another Christian. We’re saved to be those instruments. He chose our bodies, our minds, and our souls to be turned around and used for him. Our tongue conveys the words of truth concerning the way of the Lord. We may feel used up sometimes, but we must continually say to the Lord “keep using me.”
Verse 20 tells us how important it is. He who yields himself to be used of the Lord has helped rescue a soul from death. The plan works. The stove works when we allow ourselves to be the pot that holds the water of the gospel. We foul things up when we don’t allow ourselves to be used. I want to be used. How about you? I can’t help save anyone, but I can be used like a pot on the stove.
Each of us needs to pray “Lord, here am I. Put me on the stove and use me.” To be used will be to see someone saved from eternal death. That is worth it all!
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 