Humbled for Glory: Embracing True Humility
Notes
Transcript
A. Rapport for the time
When do Trials come in your life? Can you imagine if you were told on January 1st each year by the Lord “This is going to be a hard year for you in this world.” All last names that start A-J 2025, K-R 2026, S-Z 2027 then we are going to mix it up more after that. This is not how the Lord uses trials in our life is it? This would be the opposite of relying up on the Lord in FAITH.
Faith—is the very thing that defines us as a Christian as we walk with him. Circumstances do not determine by relationship with the Lord. REPEAT.
B. Reading of the text
9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation,
10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away.
11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
C. Review of the text
In James we have been introduced to the joy of trials. Knowing that the trials drive us to rely upon the Lord in a greater way leads us to a relationship that is ever growing. To be completely honest it is an amazing thought that our relationship with the Creator of the heavens and Earth can be ever growing. Last week we jumped into looking at the wisdom of God in the midst of trials. We learned wisdom from God is far greater than man’s. Christians are to be constantly looking to the wisdom of God and prayer does that in our lives. God did not leave us alone to walk in a world full of trials, instead we understand joy as we talk with the one in whom we serve.
D. Relevance of the text
The text today brings about the question on what do you rely in the midst of trial? Christian have been called to live so differently in this world and have been empowered to do so. Our faith tells us that Christ is our guide and our salvation and to rely upon anything else is nothing worth it. Our identity in the Kingdom of God does not rely upon the things of this world. Beloved our identity this morning relies upon the finished work of Christ. THAT IS THE SWEETNESS OF THE GOSPEL.
T.S.
1. Celebrate Circumstances Boldly
1. Celebrate Circumstances Boldly
9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation,
The book of James is full of all kinds of challenges. This verse begins with talking to the lowly brother. The Christian who by worldly standards is lacking.
Lowly “Depicts a person who is of little significance in the world’s evaluation, even one who is oppressed by the world.”
vs. 9 & 10 looks at the lowly and then at the rich Christian. This lowly brother in vs. 9 is to boast. The majority of the time that we use the word boast it has a negative context. Paul uses this way often in the NT. Boasting for us in a worldly sense is bragging about what we have or something that we have done. It is ME centered and has not place in the Kingdom of God. James is telling the lowly brother to boast which makes it sound strange. From a worlds point of view what does a lowly brother have to boast about? They don’t have things to boast.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
5 Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds.
Exaltation—a position of high status, high position, high rank, prominence
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—
3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
GOSPEL!!!!
We boast in
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,
29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
T.S.
2. Forsake Fleeting Riches
2. Forsake Fleeting Riches
10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away.
11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
From the lowly Christian to the Rich in his humiliation. Before going a step further don’t thing you can count yourself among the poor. We in this room are wealthy no matter what even by worldly standards. The truth we need to understand that worldly standards mean nothing in the Kingdom of God. Both lowly and rich from the worlds point of view must come to the cross the same way. Our position in this world will never set our position in the Kingdom of God.
vs. 10 Like a flower of the grass he will pass away. The brevity of this life is so often not understood. We are promised nothing but that time will pass quickly.
4 Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.
25 “My days are swifter than a runner; they flee away; they see no good.
26 They go by like skiffs of reed, like an eagle swooping on the prey.
12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
One of the saddest things in this life to see is someone who is just trying to get by today. You know what I mean. To just survive and see the beauty in the Kingdom of Go and all that he has blessed us with.
vs. 11
6 A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.
“Picture from nature illustrates how divinely wrought Death and judgement can quickly end the wealthy person’s dependence on material possessions.”
Summary of what James is telling us in vs. 9-11
The trials that are going to come are going to lead a Christian to a deeper prayer life as we seek the wisdom of the Lord and choose to not place our hope in the things of this world but in the Glory of God in our life.
T.S. That is why vs. 12 has to be included in this train of thought because we persevere not in ourselves but by our faith in the promises of God.
3. Persevere for Promise
3. Persevere for Promise
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Blessed—Do you believe yourself to be blessed this morning? Do you know that as a fact!
To remain steadfast.
MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary
In this context, it also describes the passive, painful survival of a trial and focuses on the victorious outcome. Such a person never relinquishes his saving faith in God; thus this concept is closely related to the doctrine of eternal security and perseverance of the believer
3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,
5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:
6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,
7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,
The Trials show the genuineness of our faith. That we don’t count on worldly things but instead on the finished work of Christ.
Crown of life...
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
Paul tells us in Philippians..
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
