What Does it Mean to Turn a Wandering Sinner Back to the Truth?

Summary

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Grace in Focus – What Does it Mean to Turn a Wandering Sinner Back to the Truth?

Episode Date: November 24, 2025
Speakers: Bob Wilkin (D), Sam Marr (C)
Length: ~13 minutes

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Bob Wilkin and Sam Marr analyze James 5:19-20, examining whether the passage’s promise to "save a soul from death" refers to eternal salvation or something else. The discussion highlights the distinction between justification and sanctification, with a focus on Free Grace Theology’s interpretation of key biblical terms. The hosts critique common evangelical interpretations, provide exegetical insights, and draw on scholarly commentary and parallel passages to clarify the practical implications for believers.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reading and Context of James 5:19-20

[01:17]

• Bob and Sam begin by citing the passage:
  “If anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, 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.”
• The focus is whether this salvation is from eternal condemnation or physical/temporal consequences.

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2. Eternal Salvation vs. Physical Death

[02:20 - 03:53]

• Common evangelical view: Salvation here is often interpreted as rescue from eternal damnation.
• Bob’s rebuttal:
  • Drawing on John 3:16, Bob points out that the biblical condition for eternal life is simply belief in Jesus, not “turning from the error of your way.”
  • “There’s nothing about turning from the error of your way. So I think it’s important that we recognize from the get-go that this can't be talking about saving a straying believer from eternal condemnation, because the condition for escaping eternal condemnation is belief, not repentance.” — Bob Wilkin [02:43]

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3. Critical Review of Other Commentators

[03:33 - 05:21]

• Peter Davids (cited by Sam):

  • Davids suggests James’ goal is to “save them from damnation and procure forgiveness for their sins."

• Bob objects:

  • Points out “brethren” refers to fellow believers, not non-believers.
  • “An atheist can’t stray from the truth because you have to actually believe the truth to stray from it, right?” — Bob Wilkin [04:22]

• Doug Moo (cited by Bob):

  • Moo connects the passage to “eternal death” as motivation for moral reform.
  • Bob responds: “Well, the context says nothing about eternal death. And it says nothing about damnation. It just talks about death.”
  • Reference to John 11:26:
    • Jesus says, “Whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.”
    • Bob emphasizes Jesus doesn’t attach repentance from sins to eternal life, only belief.
    • “We're secure by faith, not by turning from sins.” — Bob Wilkin [06:15]

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4. The Greek Text and Use of "Save" and "Soul"

[07:00 - 08:33]

• Bob explains the Greek words sozo (save) and psuke (soul/life) often refer to physical life, not just eternal salvation.
• Example: 1 Peter 3:20 — Noah and his family were saved physically in the ark, not spiritually.
• Throughout James, the term “brethren” always indicates believers.
• Quote from Zane Hodges:
  • “A Christian's efforts for the restoration of his brother...are life saving in scope. If successful, he will save a soul from death, but he will do more than that, since a restored sinner receives the gracious forgiveness of God…The restored sinner's multitude of sins are now out of sight through the pardon he has received.” — C quoting Zane Hodges [08:33]

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5. Restoration and Fellowship, Not Regeneration

[09:21 - 11:20]

• Bob relates James 5 to:
  • Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:4–7): The sheep is already in the fold (believer), and being returned is restoration, not initial salvation.
  • Prodigal Son (Luke 15): The son was always a son; his return is restoration to fellowship, not a new birth.
• “We need to see in James 5:19–20, a restoration to fellowship with God and an extension of the life. Because a person who walks in rebellion against God is going to shorten his or her life, whether they're a believer or an unbeliever.” — Bob Wilkin [10:27]

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6. Dangers of Over-Spiritualizing “Salvation”

[11:20 - 12:05]

• Sam: If all salvation terminology is seen as "eternal salvation," we miss practical instructions for believers.
• “You’re not going to understand what believers are supposed to do for one another if it’s always just eternal salvation.” — Sam Marr [11:34]
• Bob points out only one possible reference to new birth in James (1:18), which still doesn’t use the term "salvation."
• In James, the word “save” is always about deliverance from temporal difficulty.

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7. Exegetical Takeaways

[12:05 - 13:06]

• Bob:
  • The word “save” appears five times in James; all refer to rescue from hardship, not from hell.
  • “If you think everything is about regeneration...you're going to be sadly wrong about seven times out of ten in the New Testament. Because 70% of the time in the New Testament, the words save and salvation refer to being delivered from some difficulty in this life. And that's especially true in James.” — Bob Wilkin [12:35]
• Encouragement to study and teach this passage accurately, recognizing its true context and implications for Christian living.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “An atheist can’t stray from the truth because you have to actually believe the truth to stray from it, right?” — Bob Wilkin [04:22]
• “We're secure by faith, not by turning from sins.” — Bob Wilkin [06:15]
• “If you think everything is about regeneration or salvation from eternal condemnation, you’re going to be sadly wrong about seven times out of ten in the New Testament.” — Bob Wilkin [12:35]
• “You’re not going to understand what believers are supposed to do for one another if it’s always just eternal salvation.” — Sam Marr [11:34]

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Key Timestamps

• [01:17]: Reading James 5:19–20; setting the scope of the discussion.
• [02:43]: Bob outlines why “saving a soul from death” cannot be eternal salvation.
• [03:33]: Quote and critique of Peter Davids’ commentary.
• [04:44]: Discussing the term “brethren” and its implications for audience.
• [05:21]: Reference to eternal security in John 11:26.
• [08:33]: Zane Hodges’ commentary on restoration and forgiveness.
• [09:21]: Analogies with the lost sheep and prodigal son.
• [12:35]: Summary of the uses of “save” in James and the New Testament.

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Conclusion

Bob Wilkin and Sam Marr argue that James 5:19–20 refers not to a believer’s eternal salvation but to the restoration of wayward Christians, rescuing them from the temporal, often fatal consequences of sin and restoring fellowship. They caution against the tendency to spiritualize every mention of “salvation” in the New Testament as referring to eternal life, emphasizing the importance of proper context and exegesis for both assurance and daily Christian living.

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Transcript

[A]

The following is a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society.

[B]

In James 5, 1920, the soul of a wanderer can be turned back to the truth, saving their soul. Is this about eternal salvation? Hello friend. Thank you for joining us here on Grace in Focus. This is a ministry of the Grace Evangelical society. Our website faithalone.org where in our bookstore you can find Bob Wilkins latest book. The Gospel is still under siege and under events. You can get all of the details for our upcoming national annual conference. The dates are May 18th through the 21st, 2026. Our theme is going to be believe in Jesus for life. You will love it. We want you to be there. First timers get their registration fee waived and all of the Details [e-mail] Now with today's discussion, here are Bob Wilkin and Sam Marr.

[C]

Welcome everybody. We've got a little different format today. Rather than just addressing a. Bob wanted to go through a couple verses in James and just dive a little deeper than normal. And he's got a blog that's coming out soon associated with it. So we'll definitely recommend you to read through that as well. But Bob, what verses are we talking about today?

[D]

Yeah, at the end of James, in James 5, 19 and 20, he talks about the saving of the soul or the saving of the life of someone among you, among the readers that James is writing to who wanders away from the truth. And so he says if one of you can turn them back, you're saving his soul. Actually it says saving a soul, but some manuscripts read saving his soul from death. And so we need to interpret that. So maybe first we could begin by reading the passage and then I'll give a brief statement about how this verse needs to be understood in light of the Gospel of John. And we'll then quote some people and see what they say.

[C]

So this is James 5, 19 and 20. It says, brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, 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.

[D]

Yeah, so it sounds like what James is saying is that any one of us could save believer who wanders away and we bring him back. So if this is your child and you bring him back, you've just saved them from death. Let's say this is someone in your local church and they stray and you bring them back, you've saved them from death. Well, the way a lot of people interpret this is saving from eternal death. Saving them from eternal condemnation. But we know from John 3:16 that the condition for escaping eternal condemnation, not perishing and having everlasting life, is whoever believes in him. There's nothing about turning from the error of your way. So I think it's important that we recognize from the get go that this can't be talking about saving a straying believer from eternal condemnation, because the condition for escaping eternal condemnation is belief, not repentance. Having said that, a lot of commentators actually take that view. I think you have a quote there from Peter Davids in his commentary on James.

[C]

Yeah. He says James then concludes with the purpose of his work. He does not discuss sin simply to moralize or condemn. He discusses sin to point out to erring community members the results of their behavior and to bring them to repentance. He hopes to save them from damnation and procure forgiveness for their sins.

[D]

Notice, he hopes to save them from damnation. And he says these are erring community members. Community, meaning the believing community, of course. All through the book, he calls them brethren, my beloved brethren. And even in verse 19, he starts it out with brethren. And then he says, anyone among you, among the brethren, strays. So we're not talking about some atheist. Of course, an atheist can't stray from the truth because you have to actually believe the truth to stray from it. Right.

[C]

So at least we agree on that part. We're talking about believers.

[D]

Yeah, well, he doesn't quite say that, but he implies it when he says community members. I have a quote here from Doug Moo, who's a famous New Testament scholar, and he wrote a commentary on James. And here's what he said. It is by sharing with James the conviction that there is indeed an eternal death to which the way of sin leads, that we shall be motivated to deal with sin in our lives and in the lives of others. Notice he's talking about eternal death. Well, the context says nothing about eternal death. And it says nothing about damnation. It just talks about death. You Remember in John 11:26, Jesus asked Martha a question. Do you believe this? Well, what was it? He had just said that he's asking.

[C]

If she believes that I'm the resurrection and the life.

[D]

Right.

[C]

Whoever lives and believes in me shall Never die.

[D]

In 26. Yeah. That's a statement of the security of the believer. Right. But notice the Lord didn't say, he who turns from his wicked ways shall never die.

[C]

Right.

[D]

He said, he who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? And her answer is yes. Well, he said nothing about turning from sins. She said nothing about turning from sins. And of course, if you've read the Gospel of John, you know that repent and repentance don't occur anywhere in the Gospel of John. You know, the word believe occurs a hundred times in the Gospel of John and over and over again. Jesus said, the one who believes in him or believes in his name has everlasting life and will never hunger, never thirst, never die, never perish, never be cast out, never be plucked out of his hand. We're secure by faith, not by turning from sins.

[B]

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[D]

That James 5, 19 and 20 is talking about causing a fellow believer to turn back to the Lord after they've strayed in order to save them from eternal condemnation is an impossible view. I mean, even a child should be able to see what James is talking about here. He's talking about physical life and physical death. And you know, this idea of saving the life in Greek. As you know, we just did a class on James and exegeting James and translating James. Saving of the life. Here it's the word sozo and psuke that occurs in the Old and New Testament, the Greek Old Testament and in the Greek New Testament to refer to saving a physical life. For example, in First Peter 3:20, Peter says that Noah and eight souls were saved in the ark through water. And it isn't referring to them being saved from eternal condemnation. It refers to them being saved from physical death or premature physical death. And so I think it's pretty obvious what's going on here. And James was talking about someone among the brethren throughout the letter. He calls them brethren or my beloved brethren. In fact, in two one he says, don't hold your faith in our Lord Jesus Christ in the matter of favoritism. There's a good quote by Zane Hodges in his commentary on James that I think lays this out quite simply. Could you read that?

[C]

Sure. He says, thus a Christian's efforts for the restoration of his brother to the pathway of Obedience are life saving in scope. If successful, he will save a soul from death, but he will do more than that, since a restored sinner receives the gracious forgiveness of God. Thus the many sins created and multiplied by a man who turns away from God are all removed from view, which when that man turns back to God. The word rendered cover here means conceal. The restored sinner's multitude of sins are now out of sight through the pardon he has received. And the loving brother who turns him back is credited not only with the preservation of his fellow Christian's life, but also with making him clean, as if his efforts have removed from view the unsightly moral disfigurements which sin creates.

[D]

I love what he's saying here, and it's pretty simple. In fact, it reminds me of Luke 15. You remember, in verses four through seven, Jesus gives the parable of the lost sheep. The shepherd has a hundred sheep in the fold, and they're all righteous. And then one of the sheep strays, illustrating a believer who strays away from the Lord. And the shepherd goes, finds the sheep, carries him back, and puts him back in the sheepfold with the other 99 righteous. And he said, the Son of Man didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Well, the 99 were already righteous in their experience. And the one who strayed, he found and brought back. The principle there is not that they gained eternal life. The principle there is they got back in fellowship with God. You have the same thing later in Luke 15 with the prodigal Son, right? He goes off to the spiritual far country. The Father is looking for him each day and praying for his return. The Son comes to his senses after he experiences famine and want and discipline from God, and he comes back to the Father and gets back in fellowship. So we need to see in James 5, 1920, a restoration to fellowship with God and an extension of the life. Because a person who walks in rebellion against God is going to shorten his or her life, whether they're a believer or an unbeliever. So the believer who is in the far country and refuses to repent is curtailing their own life. Remember, James 1:15 says that same basic thing, that desire gives birth to sin, and sin, when it's full grown, gives birth to death. This idea that sin is death dealing doesn't just start in James 5, 19 and 20. It starts at the very beginning of the book.

[C]

This is a classic case of if you all you have a hammer, everything's a nail. If all you have is salvation doctrine, then every verse you see you're going to interpret as about eternal salvation. And not only is that misinterpreting, but you're now missing the true meaning of what's being said. You're not going to understand what believers are supposed to do for one another if it's always just eternal salvation. Eternal salvation. Because, I mean, if you read the book of James, there's no mention of those concepts.

[D]

It's all about, well, except one. 18, right? 118. You've been brought forth by the word of truth. But even there, it doesn't use the word salvation. It says brought forth.

[C]

And it's not in the context of either being spared from eternal condemnation or being brought into everlasting life.

[D]

I know we're about out of time, but let me make just a quick y', all. If you get time, look up the word save in James. It occurs five times. All five refer to salvation from difficulties in the life. None of them refer to eternal salvation. And the other thing that Sam just said is very important. If you think everything is about regeneration or salvation from eternal condemnation, you're going to be sadly wrong about seven times out of ten in the New Testament. Because 70% of the time in the New Testament, the words save and salvation refer to being delivered from some difficulty in this life. And, and that's especially true in James. So study this passage. Share it with your family. Share it in Sunday school in your Bible study. But this is a great passage to teach and as Sam said, we have a blog on this. I think it may have already gone up, but if it hasn't, it'll be going up this week. And in the meantime, let's all keep grace in focus.

[B]

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[A]

The proceeding has been a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society.