29.08.07
James (15): What does it cost to save one soul? - James 5:19-20
The other day, when I was driving through the city, I was caught behind a 4×4. I’m sure many of you have in traffic queues behind 4×4. But what was strange about this car was that I couldn’t work out whether it has a back windscreen or not – maybe its owner had just cleaned it – it looked just like any other car, but I’m sure it didn’t have a back windscreen. That’s the way it is in the church sometimes – when James says, “if any one of you” in vs. 19 he is speaking to all those who profess to be Christians – they look like Christians, and act like Christians, and speak like Christians – they look as if they have a back windscreen – but they don’t really. They don’t really know the Lord Jesus Christ at all. We’ll see why that is later, but right at the end of James’ letter he is reminding us that not everyone in the church has their eyes focussed on Christ – not everybody is a Christian who says they are. It’s a warning to us all to make sure that we are truly saved and aren’t just going through the motions – and it is an encouragement to us to work with those who think they are Christians, but aren’t really, and bring them to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Read the rest of this entry »