Faith Baptist Church
4258 Botetourt Road
Fincastle, Virginia 24090
(540) 473-2325
James 1:2-3
James 1:2-3 read...
The Christian life is full of testing. It comes in various forms. Testing from:
1. The indwelling sin nature with all the temptations to sin
2. People test you and I personally from time to time because they want their way
3. Negative and positive thoughts in our conscience test us as we battle right and wrong
4. Ill-treatment by society can test our sense of fairness
5. Satan can test us to see if we will abandon the plan of God
6. Various crises can test us with shocking unexpected news
7. Good fortune can test us and pull us into materialism
For the believer various elements and combinations of these tests are par for the course in this life. And they are allowed to come for a reason; a divine reason. Even when the worst of things happen God can turn it around and make it for our good, Gen.50:20.
Exposition:
v.2 “My brethren, [fellow believers], once and for all count [consider, Aorist, middle imperative verb of hegeomai] consider it all joy when you fall [are surrounded; a catch 22] when you find yourself surrounded by various trials.” And why? Ps.5:11 “But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: Let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: Let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.” The presence of God comes more clearly into view when we are experiencing trials in life. When life is rolling along smoothly for an extended period of time it is easy to forget God and get off track. Trials can serve to keep us on track with God. We are not called upon in this passage of scripture to sing a few stanzas of “Do Lord” or pump up our emotions, but rather we are called upon to recall resident Bible teaching in our souls.
v.3 Knowing this, [ginosko, this is experiential knowledge] Knowing this, that personally experiencing the testing of [the] faith works patience. God is testing you to bring his word to the forefront of your mind. So you may see his hand in getting you through your trial. The definite article the, tes pisteos, refers to the technical faith.
The kind of faith James says is tried during the time of our testing is the word of the Lord resident in our souls. Our personal faith can be in a number of sources, however, in times of testing it is the object of our faith that is being tested. God is showing us his abiding truth is alive and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing unto the dividing of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the soul.” Heb.4:12. The Lord shows us in our trials that he can take care of us if we will but trust him. The big issue of trusting the Lord is a part of every trial the Lord allows to come into our life.
Read Rom.5:1-5...
Ps.119:52 “I have remembered thy judgments of old O Lord, and have comforted myself.”
The Bible speaks of the child of God meditating every day upon the word of God. This has become a forsaken art and it has lead to many maladjusted souls in the world. If we would think through things we are doing in light of what God’s word says, life would not be so complicated and folks would not be so mentally and emotionally disturbed as they are today.
Homes would be happier and churches would be well defined as places of spiritual refuge. The lack of concentration upon the concepts and precepts of the word of God in the assembly has lead to emotionally centered worship services rather than divine inspired thought provoking challenges from the exposition of the sacred scriptures. Emotionally centered churches make the Christian experience hectic. And hectic churches make for hectic saints, and hectic saints are not good thinkers.
When we are disciplined as biblical thinkers we know how to focus during our trials.
Application: When going through various trials we must see several things.
1. God is present - Heb.13:5, Ps.23:4
2. God is allowing his word in you to become your reality- Jm.1:3
3. God is working out your testing for your good if you love him- Rom.8:28; Job 23:8-10
Our attitude is so important during times of trial as we reflect on our walk with the Lord. If we go through trials and we do not stop and ask God how he can show us his will in these trials we will miss out on their potential blessing to us. Trials do not hold us back; they offer us opportunities to understand God more clearly. This understanding builds our trust in God and our faith in his word.
Trials do not take joy away from us, they cause our joy to expand and mature if we endure the trial. This is why I say our attitude during trials is so important. We are promised we will have tribulations in this life as our Lord said in Jn.16:33. Hopefully most of our trials will not come by our mistakes, but by providential testing which God uses to enhance our understanding of his presence in our lives.
It bodes well for us to not bring undue trials in life upon ourselves by making poor decisions, even though we all make poor decisions at times. Here is where the abiding word of God in our souls, activated by faith and obedience minimizes many trials in life, Prov.1:33.
Because there is sin in the world and the sin nature yet lives on in us; and because Satan seeks to oppress the souls of men, we cannot escape life’s present sorrows. Job said a man is born to trouble just as sure as the sparks of a fire go upward.
But again, the key to getting through our trials is our attitudes. Our mental attitudes must be ready and prepared before the trials of life come. We cannot be ready for all of our trials, but we can be prepared for most. If we are ready we will not lose hope when the rug gets pulled out from under us. When we are in a catch 22 we will trust the Lord and find peace as we watch him demonstrate his power and his presence before our very eyes.