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James 5:19-20
19 Brethren [adelphos], if [ean] any [tis] of [en] you [humin] do err [planao] from [apo] the truth [aletheia], and [kai] one [tis] convert [epistrepho] him [autos];
20 Let [ginosko] him [autos] know [ginosko], that [hoti] he which converteth [epistrepho] the sinner [hamartolos] from [ek] the error [plane] of his [autos] way [hodos] shall save [sozo] a soul [psuche] from [ek] death [thanatos], and [kai] shall hide [kalupto] a multitude [plethos] of sins [hamartia]. KJV-Interlinear
19 My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth, and one turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins. NASB
In the Bible, several types of death are identified. The first is the obvious, physical death, wherein the soul leaves the body and the body is left behind to rot and decay.
The second type of death is spiritual death, in which the person is separated from God because of lack of salvation. Every human being is born physically alive, but spiritually dead. We typically refer to these folks as unbelievers. Faith in Christ causes a rebirth in the individual, and this rebirth is known as our spiritual birth. We are then, physically alive and spiritually alive. Once you have been spiritually reborn, you cannot revert back to an unborn status. Once saved, always saved.
The third type of death is carnal death, or when a believer commits a sin and becomes out of fellowship. Confession of ones sins, ends this death and brings the individual back into fellowship where the spiritual life functions normally. This applies to believers only.
The fourth type of death is sexual death, when the sexual functions of the physical body cease to function. This occurs in older folks, typically.
The fifth type of death is the second death. This applies to unbelievers only, and here, after they have died physically, they are held in Torments (the compartment for unbelievers in the underworld named Hades). At the end of human history, all unbelievers will be called out from Torments, and will stand before the Great White Throne of Christ. This a not a good place to be. They will then be cast into the Lake of Fire, and suffer the ultimate and final death, the second death, or permanent separation for all of eternity, from God.
The third type of death, the oscillation back and forth between carnality and fellowship, is in view here.
Blessing comes from God, to believers in fellowship only. All blessing comes to the earth from God through believers. The more mature believers there are, the more blessing comes into this world. The fewer mature believers there are, the less blessings come into the world.
Remember that God can look down through all of human history and see every human being that will ever be born, will ever be saved, that will ever grow up to spiritual maturity. The world may very well receive blessings now, that are intended for the benefit of future generations.
Maybe that is why we are still here!!!
Spiritual blessings from God, carry tremendous value. Blessings from God enhance ones spiritual life and compound themselves all of the way into eternity and beyond. So the value of blessings cannot be measured, they are so vast. Like the universe. How big is it. No one knows. Likewise, the value of blessings are beyond measure.
When you live your life in fellowship, then you repress sins and therefore enhance your blessings. If you lead someone or are instrumental in helping someone in their spiritual life, then you in effect cover up, bury permanently, many sins that would otherwise have been committed. This leads to phenomenal blessings with phenomenal value. Both you and that person or persons, benefit.
You and I are ordinary people. There is nothing special about either of us. We were shaped out of dust, and given life from God. Neither of which we can boast that we accomplished ourselves.
We are worthless in effect, and cannot earn nor even deserve anything in life.
God provided the planet we live on, the environment we live in, the people we live around. God gave each one of us a talent or ability or physical gift or gifts, when we were born physically. When we were born again, spiritually (when we believed in Christ), God gave us an additional spiritual gift or gifts.
God gave us all doctrine in order that we might become more than what we are, and it is through His spiritual provision and support, that we are even able to grow up in our spiritual life.
There is nothing we can claim as our own in this temporary temporal world, because it is all temporary anyway. But God did give us something which we can claim as our own personal and private and permanent possession, and that is our spiritual life, and all of the eternal blessings that attach to it. That value cannot even be measured.
And it (spiritual blessing) is even more real than all of the assets that you are typically familiar with such as gold, silver, jewelry, real estate, stocks, bonds, money, property of every type, and so forth. But unlike these tangible things which are temporary, spiritual assets are every bit as real, but they are permanent, eternally permanent.
Faith will carry you through untold pressures and adversities. But faith will not reveal its results nearly as quickly, if at all.
Sins like weeds, will spread like wild fire, but if pulled or removed they will have a tendency to vanish. Therefore sins, if left to themselves will spread and eventually choke out everything that is good, but if extinguished, then they might, just might, vanish in ones life, or in the life of another.
Therefore, prayer for ones self and for others is the best and most powerful weapon, and insurance policy, and warranty, and guarantee, for rewards, for profits, for blessings beyond imagination. Blessings or possessions that reach far into eternity, and blessings or possessions that will never be taken away, vanish, or be used up.
All you have to do is decide what is most important to you, and what you want out of life.
