By: Robert Serreyn
Question? What does the Word Death mean in James 5:20?
(James 5:20) 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.
Answer:
The word DEATH is in REFERENCE to Physical Death.
They Key to understanding verse 20 starts in Verse 19.
(James 5:19) Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him.
Verse 19
– Breathern = Believer / Christian.
– Err from the Truth = Backlide / Fall into sin.
– One = a Christian / Believer
– Convert = To turn back around to the Lord
– Him = The Christian / Believer that has Backslidden into sin
Verse 20
– Sinner = The BackSlidden Christian.
– Death = Physical Death
– Shall hide a multitude of sins = to have those sins confessed and forgiven by the Lord – 1 John 1:9, 2:1
(1 John 1:9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(1 John 2:1) My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
When a Christian gets comfortable in living in sin, IF that Christian WILL NOT heed to warnings from the Lord from either his Word or by other christians that the Lord puts into his or her path the Lord and REFUSES to confess that sin for what it is, then the Lord MIGHT have to put that Christian to DEATH PHYSICALY.
(1 John 5:16,17) If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. (17) All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
To CAUSE the early physical death of a christian IS NOT God’s Will for the christian BUT he will do it if need be, God rather use the christian for his Glory and Purpose which would result in them having happiness and blessings for serving and honoring the Lord with a life that is not filled with sin and ones own desires.
(1 John 2:16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
The MOST IMPORTANT thing to known IS Jesus Christ as savior, just simply believe that Jesus Christ went to the cross and DIED and shed his blood, was BURIED and three days later RESURRECTED from the dead to pay for your sins.
-Christ DIED for you – Romans 5:8
-Christ PAID your sins in full – 2 Corinthians 5:21,1 Peter 2:24
-BELIEVE (Trust In Completely) in Christ ALONE as the complete payment of sin for salvation – John 3:16, Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8,9
“For the wages(payment) of sin is death (eternal torment in hell); but the GIFT(salvation) of God is eternal life THROUGH Jesus Christ our Lord”. Romans 6:23
IT IS THAT SIMPLE – THE GOSPEL TRUTH