Let endurance have its perfect result.

James 1:1-18 (NASB) from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.

² Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

⁵ But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, ⁸ being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

⁹ But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; ¹⁰ and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. ¹¹ For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.

¹² Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. ¹³ Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. ¹⁴ But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. ¹⁵ Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. ¹⁶ Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. ¹⁷ Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. ¹⁸ In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.

^“ Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing…. “        James begins writing about how we are to view and persevere through the difficulties and trials we face       Here he is speaking of things and circumstances which affect us but are primarily outside our control. Things that we don’t choose in our lives, like sickness, persecution, financial struggles etc, we don’t choose to have these things touch our lives; but we can choose how we respond when they do. James says we should consider it all joy. Understand though that he says when you go through various trials. It is not that we find joy in the trial, leading us to live a life of affliction so as to seem righteous. The joy James speaks of is not in the suffering. Rather it is in the result, the perfect result, James says, is that we are made complete lacking in nothing.    Paul describes the same thing in Romans 8:28-29. He says: God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.          That’s the perfect result of our going through trials. We become conformed to the image of Christ. In Christ we have all we need, we lack nothing.

Unfortunately many believers have been deceived. They have allowed this truth to be twisted and take on a different meaning in their lives. They have been led to believe that we are to joy in the trial, that it is the trial itself that brings the joy. They say the affliction is their cross to bear and they continue to bear it. The cross is not a place or instrument of bearing affliction. The cross is a place, an instrument of overcoming affliction. Jesus is no longer on the cross. Romans 6:10 says: For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.      In the same way, even though we are told: “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.(Luke 9:23) We are to follow Him. Again, Jesus is no longer on the cross and He is no longer in the grave. If we are to follow Him in daily denying of ourselves, we are also to follow him in daily being raised up with Him. Like Jesus, the life we live, we live to God. Jesus says: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10) As believers we need to not listen to the thief, living a life that joys in affliction. We need rather to deny ourselves, seeking the perfect result, that we are conformed to the image of Christ, that in Christ we lack nothing, that we have life abundantly and live it to God.

It is true that some believers will never see the physical manifestation of their healing or their deliverance here in this realm. Ephesians 1:3 says: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. We are to pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven”, to pray and believe that the realities of every spiritual blessing that we have in heaven will be present and manifested here on earth.         

James then changes directions a bit and he speaks of how we are to respond and persevere under the trials of temptation. He writes:       Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. ¹³ Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. ¹⁴ But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. ¹⁵ Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.        Keep in mind that this, as all the letters in the New Testament, is written to believers, to the church. Verse 13 then could say: Let no believer say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. This speaks to any who say that they believe Christ and belong to Him, yet choose to live in a way that is contrary to God’s truth and righteousness, saying God created me this way. There is a hint of truth in the statement that God created us “this way”. He has given each individual a free will. That’s how He created us. God gives each individual the choice of how we will live. Verse 14 says:  But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.  What is a temptation to one person may not be a temptation to another. Yet each of us have our own weaknesses, our own areas of temptation that cause the lust and desires of our flesh, our self centered nature to rise up. So there is truth in saying God created me this way.

Here though is also truth:  No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13) There is no sin or failing when we are tempted. Jesus Himself was tempted. Hebrews 4:15 says:  For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.  Verse 15 says:  when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.   The temptation is not sin. It is our decision, our choice to yield to that temptation, that lust, that gives birth to sin.

The verse from 1 Corinthians says God gives us a way out. Later in his letter, James describes the way out of temptation. In chapter 4:7-8, he says:  Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  When Jesus was tempted He resisted the devil with the word of God and the devil did indeed flee.   The other part is equally important and effective for our escape, our way out of temptation. If we will draw near to God, He will draw near to us. I can assure you that the devil is not hanging out there.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, thank You for the way You have created me. You have not created me to sin, but You have created me fearfully and wonderfully. You have created me in Your image. Thank You for the way You use the trials and tribulations of my life to conform me, to recreate me into the image of Christ, Your Son, my Lord and Savior, my Redeemer and the one who restores me to that image You created.  Thank You, Jesus, that through Your death on the cross You overcame and were raised up to live in God and You call me to do the same,  to live an abundant life in You. Thank You also for providing a way out of sin and temptation. I choose today to resist and reject the temptation of the devil. I choose instead to draw near to You Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus, fill me I pray with Your Holy Spirit, that I may stand and live the perfected, abundant life You have given me.     Amen.