Patience in Sanctification
Notes
Transcript
James 5:7-12
James 5:7-12
Today we will be in our next to final sermon in the letter of James. Next month I will be one year since I first preached here and will be when I finish our time in this letter if the Lord tarries and wills. We are going to be reading James 5:7-12 as our text today and the title I have given todays message is Patience in Sanctification. Patience in Sanctification.
If you look at the headings in the ESV bible it titles this section patience in suffering, but we must remember what we have previously learned throughout this letter, that the purpose of suffering, for the sake of Christ, is part of our sanctification to be more like Him. This has been a large part of what the letter of James has been about. James has continually instructed the church how to handle persecution, and in handling the trials and troubles they experience, God will use those circumstances to continue to sanctify them and make them more like Christ.
As many of us have grown up, we have probably heard many times from our parents or grandparents, that patience is a virtue. Patience is something to be looked upon with high morals or standards. We can look at the fruits of the spirit in Pauls letter to the Galatians and we read that patience is a fruit of the spirit. James begins the ending of his letter with a reminder, that we need to have patience and wait on God. He started the beginning of the letter with the exhortation to count it joy and to endure the trials and temptations that are placed before us, and he reiterates at the end of this letter, that we are to be patient and wait on God.
We should not work to try and remove ourselves from the very places that God has placed us, in His will. We should not be working to try and get vengeance when we feel we have been wronged. We have been told throughout the letter, how God will take care of His people. We have been instructed and warned, there is judgement coming to those that do wrong against the people of God. After all of these instructions and warnings we are reminded that we must be patient. We must be willing to be still. It is in the stillness, in the waiting, in the quietest moment of our trials, that we can most clearly see the strength of mercy of God covering us.
Being still is not something that I am very good at doing. I am someone that is always looking for the next thing I need to get done. I am always looking for how I can make progress on whatever I think I am supposed to be doing. Many times I take on too much in my life because of this and I struggle because I have not been patient. There is nothing wrong with having a strong work ethic and working hard, but I can promise you that when I am not patient with where God has placed me, then I am wrong when I work so hard to leave the place where God has led me.
It is so easy to let our impatience take us off the very paths God has placed before us. When we look throughout the letter of James we are reminded over and over again, that we can trust the Will of God when He places us in hard circumstances, because we know the reason we are allowed to be there to begin with. God places us under trials and tribulations and allows pressure to be in our lives not to destroy us, but so that we will lean on Him, so that we will trust in Him, so that He can shape and mold us into the image of Christ.
9 “Woe to him who strives with him who formed him,
a pot among earthen pots!
Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’
or ‘Your work has no handles’?
The prophet Isaiah points out that the pots, the vessels that the potter forms, do not speak back to Him and tell Him how to do His job. When you look at how pottery is made, the potter will shape the vessel on the wheel. To us it may look like it is fine, but the potter may see a small imperfection, or a small flaw, and instead of finishing the vessel, they will mold it back down into a lump of clay, and begin to form it again to ensure that whatever they make is perfect. Once its formed, the potter then puts it through the fire, through extreme temperatures, to remove any impurities in the clay and to make the vessel strong. Before it is put through the fire the pot will still be soft and would be easy to collapse again, but once it is put through the fire the clay is hardened. The vessel is strong and it is ready to hold whatever it was designed for.
We are the clay and God is the potter. We must be patient as God shapes us and molds us. We must endure through the times that we are found with flaws and imperfections that God works on us to remove. We do not cry out against our God telling Him that He is wrong in the way that He leads us, but we must be patient and we must endure because we know that the end product that God will produce in our lives, will be His perfection. He will mold us into the very image of His Son and when we are glorified with Him we will no longer suffer, but we will be perfected. He molds and shapes us while on this earth, He places us through the fire to prepare us and enable us to be used by Him to accomplish the perfect purpose He has created us for.
We run the race with patience, knowing that God is preparing us and sanctifying us, and that we continue to press forward toward the calling of God.
12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.
We press on towards whatever God calls us to, patiently waiting on His return, and working to accomplish His will until we are with Him.
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Twelve: The Power of Patience (James 5:7–12)
God is not going to right all the wrongs in this world until Jesus Christ returns, and we believers must patiently endure—and expect.
Our text once again is James 5:7-12 and this is the Word of the Lord to His people.
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.
8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.
10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
This is the Word of the Lord, Amen.
James uses some form of the word patience through this section 4 different times but he also uses words for endure and perseverance. These are two different kinds of patience that can be exhibited in the life of the believer. We know the church was suffering from outside persecution, and because of this they needed to be able to have patience to endure through these persecutions for their faith, without fighting back against their persecutors. They needed to be patient in their suffering.
James also, has addressed issues with the conduct of fellow believers in the church body, and knew that there was patience needed to not fight amongst each other within the body of Christ. James continually reminds us in this section of the return of the Lord.
Jesus’ return for His bride is the blessed hope that we hold fast to as followers of Him. We know that this world is not our home, the circumstances we experience on this earth are but for a mere moment, and then we will spend eternity with our Savior and God!
13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
We were told by Jesus that we would have trouble while we are in this world. We will experience hard times. The life of the true believer is not going to be health, wealth, and happiness. This is what so many false teachers preach from their lecterns in todays world. That if you are not wealthy then you don’t have enough faith. If you are sick then there must be some sin in your life you need to repent of. If you are not happy all the time then are you really a Christian? These lies are spewed from the mouths of these people that have no basis in Scripture at all, and cause many to have doubt in their faith in God, or they believe in a false image of Christ altogether. Jesus told us in:
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
We are told we will have trouble, but we are also promised, Christ has overcome the world, so that while we have trouble we can have peace! This is a blessed hope. This is the foundation of true peace. Christ is King and Christ will triumph over the world!
I repeat this story often, but growing up I had a pastor that would tell us that if nothing seemed to be hard in our lives. If everything seemed to be going perfect then we might want to check our walk with God. If we are walking with God, and we are following Him, then we will have troubles and tribulations and temptations, but we will also have peace and endurance, and long suffering, and patience.
Invitation to James: Persevering through Trials to Win the Crown 13. The Moment of the Lord’s Mercy (James 5:7–12)
James has something very loving to say to his suffering friends, and to us. And it’s this: Hang in there, mercy is coming. Hang in there, keep going, stay with it, mercy is coming. If you’re living with disappointment, if you’re living with loneliness, if you’re living with tears, hang in there, mercy is coming. If you’ve been treated unfairly, if you’ve been rejected, if you’ve been forced into a life or circumstances you never intended, hang in there, mercy is coming. If you’re burdened with illness, or with aging parents, if you have a rough marriage or rebellious children, hang in there, keep going, persevere. Mercy is coming.
The Lord will return, and when he does, he will be full of mercy. There’s a time when he’ll come back, and when he does, he’ll make everything up to you. He’ll turn your disappointment and rejection into honor and praise. He’ll turn your illness into vibrant health. He’ll turn your loneliness into unending friendship and laughter. He’ll remove all the hardships and difficulties. And he’ll bring every joy or fullness that you’ve longed for.
Hang in there, the Lord is coming, and when he does, he will turn every sorrow into joy:
The two different words that James uses for patience in this section are long-tempered and endure. In verses 7-8, and verse 10 the word patience is referring to long-tempered, while in verse 11 it refers to a word that means “to remain under” or endure.
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Twelve: The Power of Patience (James 5:7–12)
Patience means “to stay put and stand fast when you’d like to run away.” Many Greek scholars think that “long-suffering” refers to patience with respect to persons, while “endurance” refers to patience with respect to conditions or situations.
What we must answer in this passage, the thing we must examine within ourselves, is how can we have this patient endurance in all circumstances we might find ourselves in, as we wait for the completion of that great hope, as we wait for the Lords promised return for His bride?
James gives us three different examples to encourage us and show us what patient endurance is.
The Farmer (James 5:7-9, 12)
The Prophets (James 5:10)
Job (James 5:11)
The Farmer (James 5:7-9, 12)
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.
8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
We have seen before though his letter that James likes to use examples that come from farming. He does this in verse 7-9 here. We may see in many sci-fi movies and shows people planting seeds, and they immediately spring up into whatever was planted and provide the food or flower. I remember playing a computer game growing up called SimFarm. I could go plant my crops and once I was ready, I could change the speed of the game to rush through the seasons and get to my harvest. We know in real life, this is far from reality. If you have ever planted a garden, or watched anything on farming and agriculture, when you plant a seed in the ground, that seed must be cultivated and worked. It takes time, and sun, and care for that seed to sprout into a small sprig of a plant. Then over more time and more care you will see the plant continue to grow and then over more time it grows into whatever was planted.
A great example of this is an apple tree. If you plant an apple tree from a seedling and cultivate it and watch it grow, it takes 6-10 years before you will be able to pick your first apple from the branches of the tree. The farmer that is growing these plants must be patient and wait for the fruit to be produced. James tells us the farmer willingly waits and is patient because the fruit is precious! It is worth waiting for. When James speaks of the rain here he is referring to the cultural knowledge that:
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Twelve: The Power of Patience (James 5:7–12)
Jewish farmers would plow and sow in what to us are the autumn months. The “early rain” would soften the soil. The “latter rain” would come in the early spring (our February–March) and help to mature the harvest. The farmer had to wait many weeks for his seed to produce fruit.
If it wasn’t for these two rains the farmer would not be able to raise a good crop. There was nothing the farmer could do to make the rain happen. He had to be prepared for it. He had to know the rain would come. He had to depend on God to send the rains when they were needed, but all the farmer could do was patiently trust and prepare.
There is a parallel that is drawn here between an earthly farmer and the spiritual farmer. James tells us in vs 8 to be patient and establish our hearts. We have talked about the parable of the sower that Jesus told in Matthew. That the sower went and threw seeds to be planted. Jesus outlines different types of soil that the seeds fell on, and the reaction those seeds had to that soil. This parable was relating our hearts to soil, and this is something James is speaking of here as well. The Word of God is the seed that is planted in our hearts, and it must be cultivated, and it must be nourished to grow us into spiritual maturity. We are told in:
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
God is patient with us. He is patient when we fall and when we stumble. His grace extends throughout our entire lives. The Word of God is the seed that is sown in our hearts, but it is God Himself that cultivates and grows that seed. Paul writes in:
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.
Paul planted the seeds of the Gospel in the heart of the church, Apollos worked to continue to give the Word of God to the church, but there was nothing either of them could do to force the church to grow. To force spiritual growth. It was only through God’s power that growth happened. We prepare our hearts, but we submit to God’s will and have patience knowing that God will grow us, through His Word, at work in our lives. We are told to be patient and prepare our hearts in vs 8 because, the Lord will be here soon. When the Lord is here we will be ready because there is mercy found at the feet of our Savior. Jesus told us that no man, not even He, knew the hour that the Father would have Him return again, but He tells us in:
42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
Be ready because the Lord is coming. Be patient in all circumstances, count it joy when you are tempted and tried, wait on the Lord and His way, because HE IS COMING! Mercy is coming! We look forward to the Lords return. We stay busy about the business and purpose God has given to us, and God works in and on our hearts to produce a harvest in our lives. God sanctifies us through the test and trials to produce the fruits of the spirit in our lives.
James tells us there are two ways to determine if someone is waiting patiently. In verse 9 we are told not to grumble against each other. Don’t be resentful of the blessing you see God do for someone else and ask why not me. To grumble about what God does for someone else and doesn’t do for you, whether it be that raise, or that promotion, or better health, is to say to the potter, to say to God, You’re not fair, You don’t know what Your’e doing. You aren’t good to me.
The Judge is standing at the door, ready to walk into the room and give the full reward He has promised, but instead He hears complaining and grumbling. The believer that is waiting patiently knows that God has promised His reward, and that God always keeps His promises. They won’t resent what God has done for others, but will rejoice in the mercy of God shown to others, knowing that God is a good Father, that wants to give good gifts to His children, and He will be good to them as well according to His will. They know that the moment is coming, that day is coming when the compassion and mercy of God will be poured out on their lives because Mercy is coming.
We are told in verse 12 the second way to determine if someone is patiently waiting.
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
That those who wait patiently don’t compromise their integrity. They don’t make false claims or try to shade the truth. James is talking here in verse twelve about when someone might insist something is true but it really isn’t true, in order to avoid hardship. Someone who is waiting patiently will not compromise their integrity to save themselves from trouble but they can be trusted that their yes is a yes of truth, and their no is a no that is true.
Invitation to James: Persevering through Trials to Win the Crown 13. The Moment of the Lord’s Mercy (James 5:7–12)
These are the two signs of people who are trusting God and waiting for his mercy—they don’t complain about their treatment, and they don’t compromise the truth. Because they know that when the Lord comes into the room, God’s full mercy and compassion will be poured on them.
The Prophets (James 5:10)
10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
The second example that James gives is the prophets. James tells us to look at their lives and what they endured to see a true example of patience in suffering. The prophets followed God’s commands. They spoke in the name of the Lord. They delivered the very words of the God of all creation to the people, but this did not bring a life of ease and luxury. This brought suffering and hardship to them. They were patient in the suffering and they did not give in but they held fast to what God had given them to do. They endured through the hardships knowing that Gods will and promises were better than any temporary relief they might have received.
We look at the prophet Jeremiah. Because Jeremiah proclaimed the word of God to the people He was arrested, and when he was placed on trial, people that he had known his entire life turned their backs on him and lied and testified against him. The judge had already determined Jeremiahs guilt before the trial was even started. King Zedekiah had Jeremiah imprisoned and he was thrown into a pit. He was eventually exiled to Egypt where he died. Jeremiah suffered patiently through it all and continued to declare the prophecies given to him by God.
Look at Daniel. He was taken from his home into captivity in Babylon. He was given a different name, forced to learn a new culture and language, and raised away from his people. When offered the finest foods of the kings palace he followed what God had told him to eat instead, and he prospered in his health. When he refused to follow the decree of the king to not pray to anyone other than the king, he was thrown into a den of lions for continuing to pray to the one true God. Daniel knew that Gods promises were better and he waited patiently and suffered with patience and we are told that God sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions, and Daniel lived as a witness to the power of the one true God.
Ezekial spoke the words of God to guide the people through captivity in Babylon. He was contradicted and humiliated by the elders publicly for the words he declared, and while enduring all of this his wife died also. Ezekiel was left alone in his pain and his rejection but he still held on and suffered patiently because he knew God was good.
These are just some of the prophets among many that we can look at and see they persevered, they endured, they were patient in suffering as they spoke in the name of the Lord, yet these trials are not all that we remember about them.
Jeremiah is the one that told us the old covenant would be done away with. That we would no longer be under the law but that God would make a new covenant with man and that God’s Spirit would be given to be within us.
Ezekiel revealed God’s plans to build a new temple. The temple that would not be made with human hands, a temple that would not be of this earth and this broken world, but a temple that would be filled with the majesty and the brilliance of Jesus!
Daniel, while he is known for the lions den, also was the one God used to give us a timetable of when Jesus would come to earth and would walk among us as our savior.
11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast.
Those who remain steadfast, those who suffer patiently and hold firm to the faith, are blessed. God’s goodness and mercy are coming! Just hold on and stand firm!
Job (James 5:11)
11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
Finally, James gives us the example of Job. We are told we are blessed if we persevere, but we can’t persevere if we don’t experience trials. We can’t see Jesus win the victory in our lives, if there are no battles to be fought. There has to be a willingness to be subjected and taken through the fire in order that we might come out the other side pure. There are blessings that come during the midst of trials that we experience. There are blessings that God gives us at many different points, but there is a blessing that James points out is found after we have endured. James uses Job as the example for this blessing.
The book of Job is a longer book but we see that Job is very blessed with a large family, wealth, servants, health. Job has an amazing life. Then we see Satan come before God and God asks Satan have you seen my servant Job? Satan says that God has given Job all these blessings and that is why Job follows God. If God would remove all of these blessings then surely Job would curse God.
We then see the story unfold as Satan comes against Job, all of Jobs children are killed, his property is stolen from him, even his health fails and his own wife tells him he should just curse God and die. There is nothing left for Job at all. He has gone from the highest peak of the mountain to the lowest part of the valley. We see Jobs response to his wife when she questioned why he still worshipped God after losing everything:
10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
When his friends questioned Job, he told them:
15 Though he slay me, I will hope in him;
Job asked God why multiple times though and finally demanded God give him an explanation at which point God asked if Job had a right to demand anything from Him, and Job’s response was that God had the right to do as He wanted and He owed no explanation.
Job didn’t know why this was all happening to him. He didn’t know that God was allowing Satan to tempt him, or that this was a test of his faith. His entire life he never got an explanation as to why these things happened to him, but he trusted that God would ultimately be good, and God was good. Mercy did come.
God restored Jobs financial wealth to more than it was before, he was given more children, he had more status in his community, he even got to see his great great grandchildren. There was a tremendous blessing that Job received from God for enduring and holding fast through everything he experienced, but he never knew, while on this earth, why he went through the suffering he did.
CLOSING:
Some may ask why if God is so merciful, would He allow Job to suffer in this way. The cry of many, against God, is why would He allow His people, even now, to suffer in so many ways. We may look at our circumstances and find ourselves questioning God many times, but God is patient with us. When we are tempted to question God we must look to the cross of calvary instead. This is where God declared His love for His children. This is where Jesus told us in John 10:11 the Good Shepard laid down His life for the sheep. This is why we love God, because Romans 5:10 tells us that, while we were still enemies of God He loved us so much that He died for us!
There are mysteries to how God works that our finite minds can never comprehend. I have quoted this before and I have this posted on my computer monitor at home as a constant reminder, John Calvin said:
“finitum non copax infinitum” The Finite cannot contain, or grasp, the infinite. (John Calvin)
There are many times that we cannot hope to grasp or contain in our finite minds, the measure of greatness that is found in the plans of the infinite, Holy God. God was glorified through Job, and Job was sanctified through the experience he endured. If there is nothing to endure then how can we learn endurance? We must remember, that no matter what the trial, no matter what the tribulation or temptation, God always remains in ultimate control of the life of the believer. Paul writes in:
7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.
8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Paul was given a trial, a trouble, and he pleaded for God to take it away but God reminded Paul that it is in our weakness, it is in our troubles, that God’s strength is seen. When we are tempted, when we are tried, we go to the throne of grace. We go to our good Father who loves us and wanted good things for us. We hold to His Word and His promises. We are told in:
14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
We have a high priest in Jesus, who knows and has felt the same temptations we feel, the same struggles we walk through, the same trials we experience. Because of Jesus we can confidently approach the throne of Gods grace and we are clothed in His mercy to carry us through these trials.
Just like Job we may never know the reason for our troubles. It may come as no fault of our own or no fault of others, it may be God showing our love for Him, for who He is and not what He gives in gifts or blessings, but for the salvation He has given, for the eternal promise we find our hope and strength and security in.
As we look to the cross we must know and declare that if God does nothing else for me, how could I ever question His love for me. In the cross HIs love is declared for all of eternity, and even if God never does anything else for me, I have reason to love and praise Him forever, for He has bought me out of slavery. He has given me a new name and He has clothed me in His righteousness.
Trust in God. Wait patiently and hold fast. Endure through the trials that come our way, knowing that there is a moment coming, there is a day that Christ will return, that the compassion and mercy of our loving God will cover us completely and all will be made right!
Hang in there. Be patient. Mercy is coming.
PRAYER:
Father I thank you that we can hold fast to the promises that are found in Your Word. That we can know that Mercy is coming. I pray that as we go through whatever circumstances or trials You allow us to experience, that we will endure faithfully, and patiently, and that You will use each one to accomplish Your will in us, and to further sanctify us to be more in the image of Christ in every way. I thank You that as we walk through these trials we can know without any doubt that we are not alone, but that You are always with us, that Your Spirit is inside us to strengthen us and encourage us, and that Your Son, Jesus, stands ready to advocate for us. You are so good to us God as we are a people that fail You so often, but Your mercy and Your grace cover all of our sins and all of our failures, and we can stand and come in confidence before Your throne of grace. Thank you that Mercy is coming and that we look forward to the day, Jesus, that You return to gather Your bride and that we spend eternity in the presence of our most gracious King and Father. In the most precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
BENEDICTION:
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
