The Possibility Of Our Falling

THE PERSON HERE IS A DISCIPLE

James was addressing one “among you,” a group he called his “brethren,” people who were his brothers and sisters in the faith. The word brethren means “one who shares with another a mutual life.”

Susie and I have two daughters, Wendy and Holly. We are their natural parents. They share our life. Our blood courses through their veins. Likewise, when we are born into God’s family, we share in His life. As Peter said, we have become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). We are God’s children, and thus we share with our brothers and sisters in faith—the life of Christ. We have a special relationship with one another. In a very real sense, we are more closely related to one another through the blood of Christ than to our own blood relatives who do not know Him.

So here James was talking to a group of believers about another believer—a brother or sister—“anyone among you.” This verse doesn’t apply to the person without Christ. James knew that it is possible for a true believer to wander from the truth, but that wandering doesn’t mean that such a fallen one is no longer a Christian. A person truly born into God’s family through the new birth (John 3) can never sever that relationship. James likened spiritual birth to physical birth: it only takes place once. When your physical child disobeys you, that behavior doesn’t sever the relationship. That behavior doesn’t mean he or she is no longer your child. That son or daughter has been born into your family, and although your fellowship might be damaged, your relationship can never be severed. James was saying that one’s fellowship with God might be damaged. But the good news is it can be restored.

James introduced this statement about the possibility of our falling with the word if. This is a warning for the future. If is like a flashing yellow warning light designed to get our attention as we approach various intersections of life: “if anyone among you wanders from the truth.” Life has many intersections. James was telling us to make sure that we see the caution light, we look both ways, and we do not make a wrong turn. The person he was talking about here could be any one of us believers.

THE PATH HERE IS DECEPTIVE

James said it is possible for us to “wander from the truth.” To wander means “to go astray.” It is a gradual moving away from the will and way of God. Jesus used the same Greek word when He told the story of the shepherd who had a hundred sheep, one of which “goes astray” (Matthew 18:12). How did that sheep go astray? It didn’t intend to do so. It just wandered from a little patch of grass here to a little patch of grass there, keeping its head down all the way, just guided by its appetite. Before the little sheep realized what happened, it had wandered away from the security and safety of its shepherd.

And that is the way we believers go astray as well. We never set out intending to wander from the Lord, His will, and His ways. Our straying happens gradually. Peter used this same word, saying, “You were like sheep going astray.” Then, acknowledging the possibility of our falling, Peter continued with the truth that it is never too late for a new beginning: “But [you who strayed] have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:25).

Wandering away from God can happen so subtly.

THE PLACE HERE IS DOCTRINAL

Note that James was saying that our wandering is “from the truth.” Jesus affirmed that He Himself was the embodiment of truth when, on the night before His crucifixion, He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). And, in His high intercessory prayer to the Father, Jesus prayed to God, “Sanctify [these disciples] by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17). James was warning us not to stray from the truth of God’s Word. We must never put our convictions on the shelf. If we don’t make a deliberate effort to stay close to the truth, we will wander from it. After all, we live in a world with lots of distractions.

And in this world many people are on a quest for unity at all costs and are therefore devaluing the importance of doctrinal truth in the Christian life. However, doctrine matters—and it matters greatly. If a culture believes that human beings are nothing more than descendants of monkeys, it will not be long before raw animalistic tendencies begin to dominate our lifestyles, greatly threatening a civilized society. On the other hand, if we believe that we are God’s special creations, knit together by Him, “fearfully and wonderfully made” and given an eternal purpose in life, we will begin to act like the human beings made in His very image that we are (Psalm 139:13–14, 16). If we believe we are not some random act of science but instead possess a spirit that can connect with God, that belief will affect our behavior. Never fall victim to the lie that doctrinal truth is not important. What we truly believe ultimately determines how we behave.

It is possible for any of us to wander away from the place of sound doctrine and truth. When we wander from doctrine, we will wander from duty. When we wander from belief, our wandering behavior is sure to follow. Yes, it is absolutely possible for any one of us to wander from a place of solid doctrine and God’s eternal truth. But the second chance is possible as well. It is never too late for any of us to find a new beginning.