What do people do when...
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What do people do when they realize the error of their ways and want to make up for it
all? Quite often, those who have been wronged are long gone out of the scene, if not dead
or moved to another state. James suggests that reversing the current lifestyle is one way
of responding to past sins. While we are justified by faith, James also reminds us that we
are responsible for living a Christian life.
Once a young man turned away a transient while he was immature and arrogant. He thought such homeless transients were irresponsible deadbeats. While in his middle-aged years at an office, his company got downsized and this same man found himself unemployed and looking for meals for his family. How humiliating this was! He found another job in time and relocated to another state. Now he feels bad about how he treated the homeless in his younger years. So he is active in his church's food pantry ministry.
For James, this would be a step in the right direction of covering a multitude of sins if one still has a guilty conscience. But is also a way to respond to one's salvation.
Once a young man turned away a transient while he was immature and arrogant. He thought such homeless transients were irresponsible deadbeats. While in his middle-aged years at an office, his company got downsized and this same man found himself unemployed and looking for meals for his family. How humiliating this was! He found another job in time and relocated to another state. Now he feels bad about how he treated the homeless in his younger years. So he is active in his church's food pantry ministry.
For James, this would be a step in the right direction of covering a multitude of sins if one still has a guilty conscience. But is also a way to respond to one's salvation.
