James concluded his epistle by emphasizing the importance of turning a fallen brother away from sin and back to Christ.
“My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, 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” (James 5:19-20).
There are a few reminders for us in these verses.
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In the gospel of John, we read of many things that Jesus said and did. We also learn much about His character, origin, and mission. At the end of the book, we also have the acknowledgment that the gospel does not contain a complete record of Jesus’ life here on the earth.
“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25).
After learning all the things that John’s gospel tells us about Jesus, this verse telling us that there is much more that was not written down is also instructive for us. There are a few lessons here which we can learn.
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The new year is upon us. Many people are making resolutions. A good number of them will be making the resolution to spend more time studying the Bible or even to read through the Bible. If that’s what you’ve decided to do (and it is certainly a worthwhile exercise), here are a few resources online that can help you.
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As another year is quickly drawing to a close, we often use this time to take stock of our lives. We look back at where we have been and evaluate where we are now. We also tend to look forward to the new year and what might lie ahead, thinking about what we ought to do in order to get to where we want to be.
It is certainly a good exercise for us to consider where we are in contrast to where we have been and where we are going. While we are doing this, let us not forget our spiritual lives. It would be good for us to be taking stock of where we have been, where we are, and where we are headed.
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“Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
The two words James used to admonish Christians in their walk – submit and resist – both involve action. This should not be surprising. Earlier in the letter he commended an active faith while condemning a passive faith.
Regarding the active faith, James wrote, “Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18). Further on he said, “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24).
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Sin is not taken very seriously by many in our society. People ignore it, make excuses for it, and joke about it. This casual attitude is in stark contrast with the way God views sin.
There are three examples from the book of Genesis that clearly demonstrate to us just how much God hates sin. We will briefly look at each of these examples as well as how they compare with God’s view of sin under the gospel age.
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In Jeremiah 8, the prophet condemned the people of Jerusalem for their sins. The condemnation was not for an occasional misstep, but for the persistent practice of sin and their stubborn refusal to repudiate it: “Why then has this people, Jerusalem, turned away in apostasy? They hold fast to deceit, they refuse to return” (Jeremiah 8:5).
The deceit to which they held fast consisted of the lies of the scribes (Jeremiah 8:8) and of the priests who would say “‘Peace, peace,’ but there is no peace” (Jeremiah 8:11). They had become so accustomed to their sin that they were no longer “ashamed of the abomination they had done…and they did not know how to blush” (Jeremiah 8:12). They had replaced the Lord with “graven images” and “foreign idols” (Jeremiah 8:19).
After outlining this miserable state of the people, the prophet said, “Harvest is past, summer is ended, and we are not saved” (Jeremiah 8:20).
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What does “propitiation” mean? How is “justification” connected to salvation? What does “sanctification” look like in our day-to-day lives? The Bible uses some powerful words to describe God’s plan to save mankind. However, these words are not always easy to understand, especially when they are not part of our everyday vocabulary. This book explores key Bible terms that unlock the message of the gospel.
Big Words in the Bible examines five important words – Propitiation, Reconciliation, Sanctification, Justification, and Resurrection – using plain language to see how the Scriptures describe these concepts and how the apostle Paul employs them in his letter to the Romans. This book also contains an appendix with eleven additional articles to explore these topics further.
Whether you are new to the Bible and want to grow in your understanding or want a simple way to explain these core gospel doctrines to others, this book will be helpful. With a focus on the Scriptures, Big Words in the Bible helps break down these fundamental topics to shed light on the life-changing message of the gospel and the salvation found in it.
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