Hello everyone!
At Castle Christian last week we studied James' teaching in James 2:14-26 that it is, indeed, our works that save us. Our faith isn't really faith if it isn't acted out. In this very important message, we discussed the reason this is such a controversial doctrine today and why "saved by grace through faith alone" is misunderstood to imply that what we do has no bearing on our salvation.
The doctrine of "faith only" (as it is often understood) is a product of the Reformation and a reaction to a very legalistic and corrupt time in the Roman Catholic church. We spent a lot of time talking about Martin Luther and his response to the Catholic church.
If you didn't hear that sermon, you probably should. You can download the message by searching for Castle Christian Church in the iTunes store, or you can click here to listen to the sermon on your computer: Faith or Faithfulness.
For that reason, we are going to do something very different this coming Sunday. We are going to watch a film on Martin Luther's life and ministry. This is a full-length film, so we're going to need to get started right at 10:00. Obviously, there will be food and we'll celebrate communion together. But the rest of the morning will be committed to watching this film and stopping it at certain moments to talk about it.
I think this is going to be a great Sunday and one which will help us understand a lot about the development of our faith!
Now, for the James Challenge! This week I'm posting the text of James from a translation called The Voice.
James
