Somebody Loves You

Raul Ries: There's no possible way that any person that calls themselves a Christian can continue to live a life of sin. Yes, Christians do wander away, and they get deceived. Some will come back, and some will never come back because of the great deception. Amazing how God's word is so clear.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Somebody Loves You Radio, the Bible teaching ministry of Raul Ries and Diamond Bar, California. As we conclude our study of James today, Raul will urge us to stand firm in our faith, holding fast to God's truth and helping those who are spiritually struggling.

Some might be swayed by false religious ideas, while others may be enticed by sinful temptations, but we can be a source of strength in their weakness. Let's listen as Raul Ries begins our study in the book of James.

Raul Ries: There's so much in verse 19 and 20 for each one of us individually here tonight, that we need to have a heart for our loved ones and friends that are backslidden. For the lost, yes, but what about the backslider? Those that have come to the knowledge of the truth and have returned back like the dog going back to its own vomit, like a ship drifting away by the tides of the ocean, and not knowing that they're totally backslidden.

And it's sad to say that in the church, there are a lot of people that are backslidden, a lot of people that have left their first love. And yet when you read about the church of Ephesus, what is the first thing that he says to that church? He says repent and return. He says, and if you don't, I will go somewhere else and work. I'll leave you alone. You make the choice. God already made his choice to save you, to cleanse you, to wash you.

This is why in Galatians chapter 6, verse 1, Paul said, "My brethren," speaking to Christians again, "if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted." We as Christians, brothers and sisters that are mature, are supposed to love those that have fallen and help them, rescue them, not condemn them.

Think of all the churches that condemn people, or people within the church that condemn another person because you think you're better than them. No, you can't do that. Paul says you can't do that. We have to be able to help them. Why? Because I could fall tomorrow and then who's going to help me? Or should I say, who's going to condemn me?

It's really important, in such a condition, it's a very dangerous condition. We need to help people. It is very dangerous for the offender because if the offender is a Christian, we must remember what the scripture teaches. And what does the scripture teach in the book of Hebrews chapter 12, verses 5 through 12? What does he say? Listen.

"And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as sons: My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by him. For whom the Lord loves, he chastens and scourges every son whom he receives." If you endure chastening, God deals with you as sons, for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?

But if you are without chastening, check this out, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not a son. If you're not a real child of God, then you don't have to worry about it. Why? God is not going to chasten you. He chastens Christians because we have the Holy Spirit of God. We are sons and daughters of God. We can't get away with sin. We can't.

Check this out. He says, "Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the father of spirits and live?" Why? Because in our chastening, what did Paul say in 1 Corinthians chapter 11? They come to the communion table. You take the bread, you take the cup.

So I take the bread, I take the cup, but I'm living together with my girlfriend. I'm lying, I'm stealing from work, I'm cheating, I'm doing all these things, right? Watching pornography, and yet I'm sitting in the church and I'm receiving communion. He says, and anybody that comes to the communion table and receives communion in an unworthy manner, he says in the church, this is the reason some are sick, weak, and some have even died. Death can come.

The Bible is very clear concerning sin in the church among believers. He goes on to say this: "For indeed, for a few days, chasten us as seems best to them, but for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness then. For now, no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterwards, it yields peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen the hands which hang down and the feeble knees."

What is he saying? When you come to repentance, there's life again. There's peace. You're back on track. You don't have to feel guilty anymore. This is the worst thing that happens to people when they sin against God and people that live in the church and they'll take communion. And Paul says this is the reason there's so much sickness and weakness and so many people die before their time. Why? Because they live a life of hypocrisy, and we can't do that.

Guest (Male): You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. For biblical resources to lift your heart and direct your life, visit us anytime at somebodylovesyou.com. You can also email Raul with your prayer needs and questions about scripture. His address is pastorraul@somebodylovesyou.com. Now, back to more of today's lesson.

Raul Ries: Look what James says now, chapter 5, verse 19, pretty heavy. "Brethren," who's brethren? Christians. Christians. "If anyone among you wanders from the truth" of the scriptures "and someone turns him back," you see, turns him back. Here now, James, in talking to Christians, he's talking about those people that are backsliding.

This is suggesting a believer wandering away from the truth of God's word and that the scriptures not only have given warning to this person, but the scriptures have given warning to us on how to follow up and help that person that has erred from the truth. If any of you err from the truth.

For instance, the writer of Hebrews wrote this, Hebrews 13:9: "Do not be carried about with various strange doctrines, for it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have no profit to those who have been occupied by them." Again, talking of that freedom that we have, freedom that we have in the early church they would say in Corinth.

They would go down to the butcher shop, they would try to buy meat that had been offered to idols, and Paul says, if you know that it's offered to idols, you can buy it. If you're not going to feed it to a weak brother because it'll make him stumble, you can buy it, cook it, and eat it with good conscience because to you there's what, it's not demons in the meat. But to the heathens, they worshiped this meat to demons.

See, we're free, we have liberty. But I have to watch my weaker brother. You see, we're not all in the same maturity in Christ Jesus. And if I make someone stumble, God says as the mature Christian, I am responsible for that person that I made them stumble to make it right. To make it right. If not, they can become bitter or they can wander away and walk away from the Lord, and I will be responsible for doing that.

It's really important what James teaches here. Paul the apostle in Ephesians 4:14 and 15 says that we should no longer be children tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine or trickery of men or cunning craftiness or deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love we may grow up in all things unto Christ Jesus who is the head, Christ.

You see, Christians certainly need to be on guard against those people who are teaching false doctrines, including in the church, people that you may know that are seducing young believers to do things that are not lawful. We need to be responsible and stand up for righteousness, to defend righteousness and defend those young Christians that are trying to be swayed away by false teachers or even false doctrines.

And yet it is important that Christians be able to distinguish between the spirit of God and the spirit of error. Why? Because these ministers come from the devil. These are devil's workers, man, they work for the devil himself and they always want to deceive. Check this out, 2 Corinthians 11:13 through 15.

Paul says, "For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to what their works."

Their works. God's going to judge them for touching God's anointed, especially a new baby in Christ. I would not want to be that person that would deceive a young Christian and allow him to do whatever he wants to do. We have a friend, he's a surfer for many, many years, but he's tweaked. He's messed up, smoking marijuana all his life, calls himself a Christian.

And I have seen him sit and smoke his weed and take other Christians and seduce them and begin to smoke weed with him. I would not want to be in his shoes because many of those people that he did that to have walked away from Christ. And he's in his 60s and still doing the same thing for all these years, calling himself a Christian.

It's really important that we take heed to what God's word says, especially here Paul the apostle is talking about the privilege and responsibility of mature Christians to convert and restore the weak, straying believer that has walked away from Jesus Christ. We have to do that. We have to return them back to the Lord.

Watch this, this is pretty powerful, verse 20: "Let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins." He's talking about believers in sin. If you die in your sin, you shall perish. But if you repent from your sin, he says what, you will cover a multitude of sin.

Amazing how God's word is so clear. That only comes through repentance and confession of sin. 1 John 5:16: "If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin that does not lead to death, he will ask and they will give life to those who commit sin not leading to death."

And again, the sin unto death, they'll say, well, this means that God chastens that brother in the Lord, he dies and then he goes to heaven. No, that's not what the Bible teaches. No. Anybody living in sin will perish. Paul said, "Will not inherit the kingdom of God." And he says, "And such were you," but Christ has delivered you and set you free.

There's no possible way that any person that calls themselves a Christian can continue to live a life of sin. Yes, Christians do wander away, and they get deceived. Some will come back, and some will never come back because of the great deception. This is why it's really important for each one of us individually not only to understand the word of God, but to understand what the word of God declares.

1 Corinthians 5:9 says, "I wrote to you, my epistle, not to keep company with sexually immoral people." He's talking about the world, okay? "Yet, certainly I did not mean sexually immoral people of this world." Paul changes the topic. He said I'm not talking to the non-believers, they do whatever they want to do.

He says again, "or with covetous or extortioners or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world." I mean if we could not associate with the world, we couldn't go to work, we couldn't go to school, because they would pollute us. And yet that's the way the world lives. He's talking about Christians. Watch what he says.

"But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone who calls himself a Christian, a brother, who is sexually immoral or covetous or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner. No, don't even eat lunch with such a person." Why? Because when you break bread with person and person, you become one with them. You're not supposed to go to breakfast, lunch, or dinner with them if they're Christians and they're living like this. No way.

Check this out. "For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside?" I mean God judges the outside. Who's that? The non-believer. But he says, "Do you not judge those who are inside?" He's talking about Christians now. "But those who are outside, God judges; therefore, put away from yourselves that evil person."

And then in chapter 6:9, he says, "Do you not know the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you, but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord by the spirit of our God."

He's talking to Christians. Will not inherit the kingdom of God if you're living such a lifestyle. I didn't make the rule, so don't get mad at me. God made the rules. I'm just warning you as the shepherd.

Chapter 5 of Galatians 16 says, "I say then walk by the spirit of God, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh has lusted against the spirit, spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary one to another so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Holy Spirit then you are not under the law."

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are what: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, that is drugs. Sorcery is the word we get our word for drugs, and that's not aspirin, okay? Hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of anger and wrath, selfish ambition, dissension, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, wild partying and the like, of which I tell you beforehand just as also I told you in times past, that those who continue to practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Will not.

Be not deceived. Ephesians chapter 5, verse 3: "But fornicators and all uncleanness and covetousness, let it not even be named among you as fitting Christians, neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, dirty jokes, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

For this you know, that no fornicator, no unclean person, no covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." And check this out, "let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience." People that are telling you, yes, you're going to go to heaven, don't worry about it. Liars. Liars.

They're adding to the word of God. Nobody that lives a life of practicing sin as a child of God will inherit the kingdom of God unless there's repentance, true repentance, true faith to really be sorry for what I've done, to stand before God and say, "Jesus, you are my Lord and my savior."

Guest (Male): It is our prayer that this message has motivated you to be a person of unwavering faith, committing to daily time in God's word and following his instructions for a righteous, fruitful life. You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. If you'd like to hear today's lesson in its unedited form, we'll be happy to send a copy to you for a donation of five dollars or more. Simply call us at 800-634-9165 and mention today's study from James chapter 5, verses 19 and 20.

We'd also like to tell you about Raul's eight-part series titled "Traits of a Christian." It's available on both CD and thumb drive. With more inspiration to honor the Lord with obedient surrender, this study will also show you how to pursue unity with your fellow believers and share your faith with spiritual seekers.

To purchase Raul's eight-lesson "Traits of a Christian" series, visit somebodylovesyou.com or call 800-634-9165. We'll send you the flash drive for twelve dollars or the CD collection for twenty-two dollars. The number again is 800-634-9165. Our mailing address if you'd like to order by writing us is Somebody Loves You Radio, Post Office Box 4440, Diamond Bar, California, 91765.

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We are so grateful for your partnership. Every contribution you give enables us to keep sharing the Bible's life-shaping truth. Join us again as we begin a new series. We'll explore what it looks like to live under the umbrella of God's wisdom rather than solely relying on our own experience and understanding. That's next time on Somebody Loves You Radio. This program is sponsored by Somebody Loves You Radio in Diamond Bar, California.