The Mission Is To Save Souls

James 5:20 "Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his ways shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins".

Jesus told Peter that He would build His church on the truth of the revelation to Peter that Jesus is the Christ the son of the living God. This is the simple truth which hold within it the power of God unto salvation. Jesus said the gates of Hell should not prevail against it, He didn't mean Hell wouldn't enter into the church, for most of us was full of hell when we enter in. What He meant was that the gates of Hell couldn't keep the truth of Peter's confession out of the hearts of them that heard, nor keep those who heard it prisoners of sin and the guilt of sin.

But the problem is many no longer proclaim this simple truth. Todays message seems to be one of the promises of earthly riches. This modern self proclaimed gospel seems to be more about who we are, than who God is. It tends to be focused more on the things we have or can receive than on the giver of all good and perfect gifts. We have become so afraid of hurting feelings, that we no longer have an effective message of salvation. With a world full of lost souls, most churches seem to grow via the Christian experience, in other words the church isn't growing we are just trading members with other congregations. This life we have been called into is about saving soul. Jesus died on the cross that we might have life everlasting with the Father, and this needs to be the message the world hears. Paul said he wanted to know nothing but Christ and Him crucified, because there is life in nothing else.

In our text today James tells us that  when a sinner is converted from his ways a soul is saved. Jesus died to save souls, so when one which is lost in darkness seeks the light of salvation our Father in heaven is glorified. Let not Jesus death be in vain in the lives of those whom we meet, share the good news of Christ and Him crucified that a sinner might change his ways and his soul might be saved.