“Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let 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 5:19-20)
We Christians are referred to as “sheep” in the Bible and by Jesus Himself. Natural sheep have a tendency to stray from the shepherd and from the rest of the sheep. So it is with Christians. A straying natural sheep is subject to predators, such as wolves, lions, bears and the like. Such an encounter would be sure death for the four-legged variety of sheep.
In the parable of the Lost Sheep, our Lord tells us the importance of the Shepherd going after the lost, straying sheep. James tells us that a wayward Christian is as helpless to defend himself as the four-legged variety of sheep. We know that the devil as a roaring lion goes about seeking whom he may devour. (I Peter 5:8)
You and I cannot convert a lost sinner from his lostness and give him eternal life, but we can convert a straying Christian from his wayward path. That is part of the duty and responsibility of a church. The Lord will bless you as you go about that task.
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