Title: Turn Back the Apostates
Contents
1. Words that begin
They say that human relationships are very important. There are people who succeed or succeed because of smooth interpersonal relationships, while there are people who have the skills but do not succeed because of poor interpersonal relationships. But the problem is that the reverse is also true. In order to make human relationships smoother, there are people who do not say the right things that the other person hates, so the other person falls into a pit, and there are people who listen to resentment because they are suffering. When it is necessary to refuse to make a relationship smoother, there are people who cannot refuse and suffer a great loss, and there are people who even fall into the abyss of despair from which they cannot recover.
A more important human relationship than an amicable relationship where everyone gets along is correcting mistakes without damaging each other's self-esteem and guiding them from wrong to right. Much more important than these human relationships is our relationship with God. Human relationships of love can be formed only when the relationship with God, who is in control of rise and fall, and life and death, is smooth, and true career and success can be achieved.
2. Turn back those who have turned away from the truth
There are church members who live without considering a relationship with God that is far more important than human relationships, and there are church members who live apart from God. Such unfortunate things happened even in the early church. James, the brother of the Lord Jesus, said, "My brethren, if anyone among you turns away from the truth, who deceives you."
The Greek word for “delusion” is planete (πλανηθ?), meaning “to wander,” “to wander,” and “to get lost.” Therefore, the meaning of deviation from the degree or truth is implied in the word.
Regarding thes aletheas (τ?? ?ληθε?α?), the Greek word for “truth,” C. R. Erdman called it “the gospel as the great rule and standard of truth.” This word means the whole of religious principles, and in the Old Testament it was almost equated with righteousness, and in the New Testament times it was called like a nickname for Christianity. Of course, here we mean the truth of the gospel, that we are saved only through faith in Jesus Christ.
In the early church, there were many people who once believed in the Lord Jesus and were saved and then returned to Judaism, or left the truth of the gospel because they were deceived by Greek philosophies or Eastern mystery religions. Even today, there are many heresies that lead away from the truth of the gospel and lead to destruction. However, the serious problem that is no less serious than the heretics is that the gospel is not the gospel but the false gospel is heard from the pulpit belonging to orthodox Christianity, ethics, morals, philosophy, psychology, alpha, vineyard, Darakbang, or non-evangelical theology are turned into the gospel, There are ups and downs messages that encourage greed. There are false stories that say that there is a certain religion or that there is a way of salvation, or that if you live a good life like a certain pope, you will be saved.
2 Corinthians 11:4 says, “If anyone goes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit from which you have not received, or if you receive a different gospel from which you have not received, you tolerate it well.” Said. Galatians 1:6 and below, “I marvel that you are so quickly departing from him who called you by the grace of Christ to a different gospel, which is no other gospel, except that some are disturbing you and trying to change the gospel of Christ.” I did. Galatians 3:1 says, “You foolish Galatians, who deceived you when Jesus Christ was clearly seen before your eyes on the cross?”
There is nothing more noble than to turn those who wander from the truth of the gospel and wander from the path of iniquity and perdition. Turning back to the Lord of eternal life is the greatest love, participating in the Lord's work of salvation, and giving the greatest joy to God. Luke 15:7 says, “I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.”
Therefore, we must spare no effort to bring back apostates to repentance. Henry (M. Henry) said, "Even though it may be irreversible by all our efforts, we cannot yet persecute him or destroy him. It is because we can still seek the help of the Holy Spirit of God.”
James, the brother of Jesus, who was once one of the brothers who tried to take care of the house after hearing that he was crazy after seeing Jesus, who, after teaching earlier about the healing and forgiveness of sins by the power of the Lord Jesus, is much more important than ever It taught me about the mission of gaining . It is important to lead unbelievers who do not believe in the Lord Jesus to the Lord Jesus of eternal life, and it is equally important to turn back those who deviate from the path of eternal life by believing in the Lord Jesus and being saved. It is more difficult and difficult to turn an apostate who is confident of knowing enough to know about the truth of salvation than an unbeliever who does not know what it is. How many people have you led or converted to the Lord Jesus? Sudden death does not wait for repentance.
3. Consequences of those who turn from their deceitful paths
James said, “Know that he who turns a sinner from the way he has deceived will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”
Commentary writers M. Henry, AE Barnett, and ECS Gibson, et al, commented that he who leads a sinner to the Lord not only receives the forgiveness of his own sins, but also saves the soul from death. . In particular, W. Barclay said, “He who has turned from the wrong way, that is, who has saved his brother, has also covered many of his own sins. In other words, saving the souls of others is the surest way to save your own souls (Daniel 12:3; 1 Tim. 4:16).” There is a Jewish proverb that says, “Whoever justifies another, sin has not overcome him.”
Commentators B. S. Easton, and especially Martin Luther, have argued that they benefit both humans, the converted soul as well as the convert soul.
However, no further explanation can convince us that man's salvation is accomplished by his good deeds, such as turning sinners from their deceitful ways. Forgiveness and salvation are only by God's free grace, not by human effort or good deeds. We can only respond to God's redeeming love and help apostates and unbelievers to turn to the Lord, but nothing more. Of course, to say that you cannot be forgiven or saved by turning a sinner to the Lord does not deny you the rewards and blessings of being faithful to the Lord's work. It is merely to show that the condition of salvation is not human merit.
In a word, the purpose of James is that the soul of a person who turns from the path of sin and perdition is saved from eternal death and a multitude of sins are forgiven.
4. Conclusion
It is a good thing to replenish a person who has suffered a loss of wealth, it is good to correct a derailed person, it is good to raise a person who is frustrated, and it is good to heal a person who is ill. is. However, the incomparable noble work of all the good works is the mission of turning people away from the truth of the gospel that leads them to salvation. It is a mission to turn those who live apart from the Lord Jesus, the Lord of eternal life. For those of us who have been saved by believing in the Lord Jesus, there is nothing more urgent and important than this mission.
(Poongseong Methodist Church. Book: Complete Commentary on 27 New Testament Books/ Interpretation of Difficult Scriptures I, II/ Salvation Before Jesus Came/Paul’s Understanding of Man/ Prosperous Prayer/ Seasonal Sermonbooks/ Sermonbook 18. T. 426 -3051)