The Gospel According to James

If you have been a regular church goer for most of your life you may have heard the following illustration about the Gospel message and the responsibility of the people of God, disciples of Jesus Christ to that message.  To have the truth of the eternal destination of everyone on earth (one either spends eternity in joy in God’s presence or eternity in torment totally separated from God’s presence) and not share that truth with one’s neighbors, family, and friends is like having the cure for cancer and yet holding that cure close to oneself so that those who need it would not be offended by what may be said.

The world is sick.  The world is filled with sin, all stemming from one man’s decision at the beginning of creation to disobey God.  We who are children of God were once in the same predicament.  We were sick.  We were dying.  But someone faithfully spoke the truth of the Gospel message to us.  God opened our hearts to the truth, we repented, and by faith received eternal life through the grace of God.

In James 4:1-6 James explains the problem, the sickness which has infected the world.  But there is a hope.  There is a cure to the sickness.  It is not a hopeless cause.  And there are some in our midst, perhaps even ourselves, who have no idea that we are sick and in need of a cure.  May God prayerfully prepare us to hear of that cure and to share that cure with all around us.