Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial

James 1:1-18 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.

I have been reflecting quite a bit about the circumstances and conditions in our nation and perhaps around the world. There are many who claim to be fearful of what is to come, filled with anxiety about what the future holds. All this fear and anxiety is based around the results of an event which happens in this country every four years. Other nations experience wars from without and within, bombs exploding in their streets, massive natural disasters, uncontrollable diseases and so on. Yet in this country there is fear over what will change, not because of a violent event, but because of an election. What is the basis for this fear and anxiety?  Some of course is being manufactured and manipulated by those who are dissatisfied with the outcome, those who lost their own power and ability to advance their plans and ideals. But whether manufactured or organic, there is fear and anxiety throughout our nation. What is at its root?

Today’s text says:   Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.      I must admit that I myself have a difficult time considering the trials I encounter to be joyful experiences. When finances are limited, when questions regarding health arise, when we lose a loved one, it can indeed give rise to stress, anxiety, grief and even fear. Yet through it all, I do have faith. These circumstances and situations that arise do test that faith, but the result of having faith tested is endurance, a strengthened faith giving an ability to endure more trials. For those who have no faith, or whose faith depends on a government institution or on their own abilities and understanding it is easy to see then why the circumstances in our nation would give rise to fear and anxiety. Everything that they built their faith and confidence in has been shaken. They cannot understand how this could happen.   

The text says:  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.       For the one who does not acknowledge God, how can he ask Him for wisdom? Hebrews 11:6 says:   And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.        The one who does not believe God is, will not seek God and so he will not be rewarded with Godly wisdom. That one will continue to seek human wisdom. They continue to go to the same sources which have deceived them. 1 Corinthians 3:19 says:  The wisdom of this world is foolishness before God.     1 Corinthians 1:25 says:    The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.         So there is a different source of wisdom for the believer than there is for the unbeliever. Each believes the other’s wisdom to be foolishness, but in the end only one has answers, only one can find peace and comfort in the midst of the trials and the chaos of life.

The text says:   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.      Our faith, which is strengthened as we persevere through trials, also is what gives us life. Ephesians 2:8 says:   By grace you have been saved through faith.      Through faith, faith in Christ, believing in Jesus the only begotten Son of God, we are granted eternal life (John 3:16) and we are promised an abundant life. (John 10:10)   The promise of eternal life means that we, like the psalmist can say:    Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.       Even death holds nothing for those with faith to fear. It is merely a shadow. It has no substance or lasting power over those who believe in Christ. The promise of abundant life means that for those with faith there is confidence knowing that:    God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

We who believe need to understand that this is indeed a fearful and trying time for those without faith or for those whose faith is based on human institutions and wisdom. Fear is a natural consequence of lack of or misplaced faith. For us, who believe though, fear is sin. In Revelation 21:8 it says:   But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.        Certainly we all have fears and doubts, we all worry at times. But to the extent that we allow it to rule our lives, to the extent that we believe the trials we face are bigger than the God of our faith, it is sin.  The text says:   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. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.     We must resist the temptation to fear and to worry, just as we resist the temptation to engage in any other sin.  

Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 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. 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.     We are the first fruits, in and with Christ, of eternal life and abundant life.     Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.     

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit thank You that by Your grace You have given me every good and perfect gift. You have given me eternal life and abundant life so that there is nothing I should fear. Holy Spirit empower me to walk victoriously in the fullness of my faith and graciously to express compassion to those who are without faith. In Jesus name, the name above all names, the only name by which men can be saved, I pray.    Amen