Today we will look at a subject many Christians are interested in: how to bring about positive life change and experience the joy and freedom Jesus promised his followers. I have talked with many frustrated Christians who said, “I know the Bible says Jesus sets us free, but I don’t feel free, and I don’t know what I can do to turn that around.”
Our culture is obsessed with the notion of instant success. Millions of us buy lottery tickets each week, and when the American Idol tryouts come to cities across America, the line of hopefuls wraps around the block. Many of us also believe immediate success can be attained in the spiritual realm. We read stories of great spiritual leaders and think they became heroes of the faith because of how they responded at a decisive moment, but when we look a little deeper into their story, we discover God had been working in their hearts long before they exhibited any sort of spiritual boldness.
Salvation. We often hear that term in Christian circles, but do we understand what the word means? If someone were to ask you to define salvation, what would you say? If you are part of the 74% of Americans who check the “Christian” box when filling out forms, you would probably say something like, “salvation is about believing in Jesus and assuring ourselves a spot in heaven after we die.”
Most Christians understand salvation to be about preparing for the afterlife. It’s often explained like this: God the Father and God the Son made an arrangement (Jesus’s death on the cross) that would make it possible for our sins to be forgiven. Our part is to say “Yes” to God’s invitation by believing in Jesus. Our faith results in the forgiveness of our sins and guarantees us a home in heaven after we die.
Most letters written 2,000 years ago concluded with personal greetings and blessings, but James ended his with a call to action:
My brothers and sisters, if one of you wanders from the truth and is brought back, know this–whoever brings the wandering sinner back will save that person’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
James 5:19-20
James’s letter contains many warnings about sin, and one thing is clear: all of us are susceptible to it, so it is appropriate to close the letter with an encouragement to live in God’s truth. James speaks of truth in broad terms–anything and everything involved in the gospel. There will be times when we wander from the truth, and there will be times when friends and loved ones will go astray. When that happens, those still on the path are to extend a helping hand.
