What the Bible Says About Wandering from God | James 5:19–20

What the Bible Says About Wandering from God | James 5:19–20

August 9, 2026 · 44 min

As we come to the very end of the book of James, the letter closes on a subject you'd never expect — and it's one that touches almost every family. In this final message of our study in James, Dr. Abidan Shah preaches on backsliding: what it means to wander from the truth, how it happens, and what God calls us to do about the ones who have drifted away.Before he gets there, Dr. Shah makes an important distinction — you can't backslide until you've "frontslid." Many people we assume have wandered from the faith were never truly saved to begin with. From there, he walks through three things James teaches in these two verses: the reason for backsliding, the remedy, and the repercussions. The truth we wander from is doctrinal and behavioral — and ultimately it's a person, Jesus Christ. And the remedy isn't punting it to God or leaving it to the pastor. It's a fellow believer who cares enough to go after the one who has strayed, the way a shepherd leaves the ninety-nine.The message closes with the story of Robert Robinson, who wrote "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" at twenty-two and then drifted so far he called himself the most miserable man alive — until his own hymn, hummed by a stranger, brought him home. Whether you're the one who has wandered or the one God is calling to go bring someone back, this message is for you.Dr. Shah writes a personal letter every week — reflections on Scripture, faith, and living it out with clarity and purpose. Join the family: https://abidanshah.com/join~~~~GIVE: https://abidanshah.com/give/BOOKS: https://abidanshah.com/books/LISTEN LATER: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clearview-today-with-dr-abidan-shah/id1651006506~~~~0:00 – O Brother, Where Art Thou? The End of James6:16 – You Have to Frontslide Before You Backslide12:30 – The Reason: Wandering from the Truth19:00 – None of Us Are Immune — It Can Happen to Anyone24:30 – The Remedy: A Fellow Believer Who Cares31:00 – The Repercussions: Saving a Soul from Death38:00 – The Man Who Wrote "Come Thou Fount" and Wandered

Dr. Abidan Shah

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