The book of James was written by James, Jesus' brother, who was a leader of the church in Jerusalem; not James the Apostle. The book of James was one of the earliest letters written to the Christians (A.D. 50) who were once part of the Jerusalem church residing outside of Palestine. After Stephen was martyred (Acts 7:55-8:3), persecution increased, and Christians in Jerusalem scattered throughout the Roman world. Because these believers did not have the support of established Christian churches, James wrote to them to encourage them during those difficult times.
The book of James is a concise, how-to guide on being a Christian. He gets right down to the hart of what it is to serve the Lord. It is written specifically to believers. James is dealing with function, not theory. He wants to know more about our walk and less about our talk. He wants to know about how we produce as a Christian, not if we just profess that we are a Christian. He’s concerned about our demonstration, not our declaration. He’s concerned that many of us settle for milk, when we should be eating meat.
James deals with our responsibilities as believers. Many believers expect God to do all the work. Many believers say, "I guess God’s not ready, yet." James is saying, "No, you are not ready yet. You’ve got some growing up to do."
Teen age years are difficult years. But if we hang in there, we will reach maturity and grow up. But along the way, there are growing pains. Many people think that growing old is the same as growing up. Some have been a Christian for many years and are still in a spiritual nursery. Some of us have been Christians for a long time, and we handle problems the same way today as we did ten years ago. We haven’t grown up.
James says "Consider it joy when you face trials of many kinds." I have found that trials come into our lives with no warnings. There is nothing that tells you that you are going to get sick. Or, there will be unexpected layoffs. These trials always show up at the most inconvenient time. And once they come, there’s not very much you can do about it.
There are three types of people. The first are those who have just gotten out of a trial. The second are those who are in the middle of a trial. And the third are those who are about to enter into a trial.
TRIALS ARE DESIGNED TO CHECK YOUR ATTITUDE (1:2)
James opens his letter with "greeting" which literally means "I wish you joy". He then goes on to define what that joy is.
This verse does not say, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, "if" you face trials of many kinds." It’s not ‘if’ - it’s ‘when.’ If you are alive and breathing, you’re going to face trials. The only way to be exempt of trials is if you die. So, when we face trials, how must we respond? Consider it joy.
When you run into a trial, instead of complaining and crying you should know that God is up to something - consider it pure joy! This doesn’t mean to feel good about the pain of your problem.
Our natural response is to consider the situation and ask why? It doesn’t make sense. James says you are to evaluate your trials from the standpoint of joy. If we have the right attitude about these trials, then we will be able to say, "Lord, I don’t know why this has happened - but I know you are up to something - You’re trying to teach me something. And because I know You are up to something, I’m going to praise You - not because of the pain I’m having to endure, but because of how I will mature because of this." That’s what it means to consider it all joy!
Your outlook determines your outcome. Your attitude determines your actions. It’s not about your feelings; it’s about your choices.
A. JOY IS A CHOICE
Happiness
and joy are two different things. Happiness is based on circumstances. You get
a raise, you are happy. Your favorite team wins, you are happy. Joy is not
related to circumstances, it’s related to decisions. So, even if the
circumstances in life leave you sad, you can still ‘consider it joy!’ v-3: "Because
you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."
Having
the right attitude about trials means to "know" what you are
facing. Some people do not know that God is trying to teach them
something, and therefore lose perspective on the whole thing. When you are able
to put your trials into proper perspective, then you will be able to control your
trials, rather than having your trials controlling you. But to do that you must
know. The problem today is that there are too many spiritual babies. When
things don’t go their way, they throw a fit and cry.
Trials are the launching pad for your next level of spiritual growth: "Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance" (v-3). The Word of God says that a trial is the testing of your faith. It’s a test. But it’s only a test.
Why don’t we like to take tests? Because that meant we have to study. The teacher knew that the only way to get you to learn the material was to give you a test. If we were never tested over the material, then we’d never study.
If you are going through a trial, then that means that God has already supplied you the information necessary to pass the test. If He’s going to test you on it, it means that it has been taught to you already. In life, you will be tested. Whether you’ve learned the Biblical principles of life or not, you will be tested. And it is your responsibility to pass the test. Teachers design tests to help us learn. And the joy of the teacher is for the student to pass the test. If the student passes the test, that means he has learned the material. The reason why some of us are still at the desk - taking the test - while many others have finished the test and left the room - is because we haven’t passed yet. If God has you in a test, He will not let you out of it until you score a passing grade. God wants to take you to the next level - but you must pass this test first. God wants you to graduate, but it won’t happen until you first pass the test. Why does God give us tests? There are three reasons:
A. TESTS IMPROVE OUR WEAKNESSES
B. TESTS REMOVE IMPURITIES
When a
goldsmith tests the gold, they would
put it in the fire. The impurities rise to the top, and the goldsmith is
therefore able to remove all impurities. Then, they keep it in the fire until
the goldsmith is able to see his face- his reflection in the gold. When God
tests us, His goal is to remove our impurities, and then to see Himself in you.
When you begin to look like Christ, all will know that you’ve been through the
fire and you’ve been tested.
This
means that we must endure the trial until its purpose has been made complete. We
must yield to the process like a doctor preparing us for surgery. You lay down
on the operating table. The nurse comes in and preps you. You are scared and
although you are tempted to jump up out of that bed and run out of that room,
you don’t do it. Because you know that the procedure must be done. The doctor
knows what he is doing. God performs spiritual surgery on us. These surgeries
are called trials. You don’t have to run from them. The Doctor knows what He is
doing. And even though you may not want to be there, this procedure must be
done. It’s for your own good.
In the
trials of life, don’t quit. Because if you quit and walk away, then it’s going
to be so much harder on you when you have to work your way back to where you
should be. Don’t walk away from the test that you are facing today - because it
will do you more damage for tomorrow. Don’t quit - just keep on keeping on.
The
butterfly - when it is ready to leave the cocoon has to fight and struggle. If
you were to cut the cocoon too early, then it will never grow up. The pain that
it endures to get out of the cocoon is what makes the butterfly beautiful, and
enables them to fly. Let the butterfly go through the trial
A. When we face a trial the first thing we should do is to
turn to God. v. 5 "If anyone lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives
generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."
B.
Wisdom means practical discernment. Wisdom from above helps us respond in the
right way. You see, most of the time, there is nothing you could do to change
the circumstances that have led up to your trial. But you can sure do something
about how you respond.
C.
When the weight of your trial is too heavy, and you feel that you can’t keep it
up, and you want to give up, God steps in and lifts the weight off of us. That’s
what God’s grace will do in the middle of your trial.
James addresses the issue of doubt. What is doubt? Faith says: "Yes," Unbelief says, "No." Doubt says, "Yes and no."
This is a double-minded man. This is a split-personality Christian. This Christian is unstable and perplexed. This is the Christian that wants to do it his way, and still want God to do it His way. It can’t happen, either you are the boss of your life, or Christ is.
TRIALS BRING US REWARDS (v. 12)
When we pass the tests of trials, we graduate. When we graduate, we walk across the stage, get a diploma and we get to wear a cap on our head. Verse 12 tells us what that cap is - what that reward is - it is the crown of life. God puts a graduation cap on our head.
I don’t know how long it will take you, but I do know He is faithful. God is waiting for you to pass the test. When you pass the test, then He’s going to reveal His plan to you.
A young man was in love with a girl and had a plan to make his move on her. He took her to the fair and convinced her to get on the big roller coaster, knowing that she didn’t like it. As the two of them took off in the seat of the roller coaster, the first sharp turn came and she quickly realized that she was in a trial. And it only got worse. With each sharp turn or sharp drop, she screamed louder and got a little closer to him. After six or seven turns, she was practically all over him. And he got what he wanted. God is in love with you and He has a plan. He allows you to face sharp trials and tests. You may scream and get very scared, but you also get a little closer to Him. And after a few difficult experiences, you are all over Him. God allows trials to come your way, so that you will be all over Him.
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