James doesn’t end his letter with a typical farewell. There’s no soft goodbye, no warm benediction. That’s just not his style. James writes with clarity and conviction. Every word is deliberate. And how could it not be?
Imagine watching your own brother live a perfect life—never sinning, never faltering—and yet denying, for years, His claim to deity. Then imagine witnessing His brutal crucifixion. Feeling the heartbreak. Experiencing the doubt. Then—three days later—you see Him alive. Resurrected.
You spend 40 days walking with Him. You talk, eat, listen. Every moment is filled with wonder and awe. The man you once dismissed is now the risen King. And just when your heart begins to grasp it all, you watch Him ascend into heaven with a promise to return.
That kind of experience changes a person. It lit a fire in James that never went out.
Transformed by the undeniable truth of who Jesus is, James picks up his pen and writes—not casually, but with urgency. His letter is a call to live an active faith—a faith that reshapes us and overflows into the lives of those around us. A faith that matters in real life.
The Final Focus: A Wandering Soul
In his final chapter, James takes us through suffering and injustice. He points us to patience, prayer, and praise—practices that cultivate endurance and unity within the church.
But he doesn’t stop there. His closing verses shift focus to a believer who has begun to wander. Not someone outside the church—but someone within. Someone drifting from the truth, slipping quietly toward destruction.
We all know people like this. Maybe you’ve been that person. The drift rarely happens all at once. It’s often subtle, sparked by darkness, disappointment, or despair. Doubts creep in. Beliefs begin to bend. Sin takes root. Eventually, a shift in belief shows up in behavior, and a distorted view of God leads us to justify guilt rather than confront it.
What we believe about God always reveals itself in how we live.
Love That Pursues
James isn’t just calling us to notice the drift—he’s calling us to act. To love boldly.
And bold love? It’s rarely easy. It can be messy. Uncomfortable. Inconvenient. But the Gospel doesn’t call us to comfort. It calls us to restoration.
Restoring a wandering believer doesn’t come through judgment or shame. It comes through humility, prayer, truth, and love. It requires walking with someone—shoulder to shoulder—not standing above them. The church is not meant to be a passive audience. We are called to be active participants in one another’s perseverance.
James reminds us that our faith is not a solo endeavor. We need each other. We were made to notice when someone begins to drift—and to step in. To remind them of who God is. To light the way back to truth. To rekindle the flame of faith.
Be the Light. For One Another.
A.W. Tozer once said, “My fire is not large, it is yet real, and there may be those who can light their candle at its flame.”
You don’t need to have it all together. Your faith doesn’t have to be flashy or impressive. It just needs to be real. Because someone else might need your light right now.
Do you know someone who is wandering from the truth? Struggling in sin? Drifting from God?
Don’t wait for them to come back on their own. Go to them. Pursue them with grace. Speak truth in love. Pray for their restoration.
James spoke boldly then, and his words still carry power today:
Faith that saves you will change you. And faith that changes you will sustain you.
So let’s keep tending to the flame. Keep your light burning, even in the darkest of times. And don’t just be a light to the world—be a light for each other.
Let’s spur one another on in faith, in good works, and in perseverance. Let’s rekindle the flame—until Christ returns or calls us home.
“My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” James 5:19-20
ESV Study Bible. (2010). Crossway Books.
Tozer, A. W. (2015). The Pursuit of God (Updated) (Updated). Aneko Press.
From Talk Scripture: Rekindle the Flame | James 5:19-20
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rekindle-the-flame-james-5-19-20/id1786264764?i=1000698059618
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