We all know the type. “Sure I’m a Christian,” they say. And we look at their lives thinking, “Oh Really? I never would have guessed.” James knew the type also – and he attacks them in this passage. He gives us all a reminder that: Our good works are the only part of our faith that anyone will ever see.
James 2.14-26.mp3 (somewhat defective recording)
Here from Quepos, Costa Rica, is Kim Stilwell with a message from Ephesians 3.
Ephesians 3:11-21.mp3 (Kim Stilwell)
Jesus said, “You must be born again.” In this section of Ephesians, Paul highlights the meaning and extreme importance of conversion – the new birth.
Paul was transformed by meeting Jesus. He went from persecutor of the church to the most ardent spokesman for Christ and explainer of Christian doctrine. This is something like the big bad wolf not just being stopped from blowing down houses, but actually becoming the fourth little pig – and then becoming the world’s foremost scholar and chief defender of piggishness. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is real; it must produce real changes in the lives of those who believe it.
Central Reflections 