Faith Perseveres

James is the half-brother of Jesus, and a leader in the early church. At first he did not believe Jesus was God, but after the resurrection, he not only believed Jesus was God, he devoted his life and even his dying breath to teaching and leading others to follow Jesus.

Last week - significance of hearing from the half-brother of Jesus - things he teaches are things he learned from Jesus, not just as a student, but as a brother.

James is very practical. Right out of the gate James is going to not just give us some theology to think about, he is going to give us some theology to live out.

Let’s be real. No pretensions today. As we talk about difficulties and trials today and you see someone struggling - go sit with them.

James 1:2–18 ESV

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 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. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

I love how James hits us right out of the gates.

James can seem a bit disjointed. In the places where James seems to jump from one thought to another, you’ll often find he links the segments literarily.

v1 ‘Greetings’ and ‘joy’ v2

v4 ‘lacking’ and ‘lacks’ v5

2 Truths (we all know) about Trials

Trials are inevitable; our response to them is not. (2)

‘When’

This is not an if but when.

you would think this is a no-brainer, but I believe there are many who are evangelized into the church with grand notions that Christianity is a comfortable candy-land filled with sunshine and unicorns.

ILLUST - This isn’t what I signed up for. Lice at Prairie Camp?

Sometimes evangelism is like an Amway infomercial.

We tell them about a God who is love and loves them deeply. We tell them about the glory of the gospel and a Savior who came to give life and give it to the fullest. But we neglect to mention that while we still live in a world that life can still be hard. . . very hard.

I get it - trials don’t make the best selling tool. I’ve never seen this passage on the Evangacube or seen it represented on the wordless bracelet - ‘This dirt-brown bead, the one that kind of smells like poop - that represents life after you come to know Jesus but before the yellow one where Jesus returns and makes everything right.’

**However, while a promise of trials is not a good selling point in your gospel presentation, an understanding of how you can walk through ANY pain your going through with a mature faith that expresses itself with a solid joy that is rooted in a faithful understanding of the redemptive work of our good God is the deep answer to life’s pain that this world longs for and only Christianity affords.

**Trials are good because of our good God**

Like James, I don’t want to pull any punches, I don’t want to pretend anything about the Christian life. I want us to be real.

Just because you follow Jesus

Walking with Jesus never guaranteed walking away from difficulty in life.

Sometimes evangelism is like an Amway infomercial.

‘various kinds’

James is writing to the churches that had been scattered due to persecution. () - Any of you in witness protection running for your life because of persecution for your faith?

James is writing this for ‘various’ trials because trials can come at pretty much any aspect of our lives

marriage issues

health issues

financial issues

Your pain is YOUR pain.

Trials can be painful, but for the believer there is a purpose. (3-4)

(Eternal hope enables us to endure trial)

Here’s where Christianity diverges from the rest of the world

James 1:3–4 ESV

3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

‘Steadfastness’ - sometimes translated as ‘patience.’

patience = toleration until something is over.

steadfastness = strength to bear it.

So it’s not ‘grit your teeth until it is over;’ it’s a ‘BRING IT!’

‘perfect’ / ‘complete’ / ‘lacking in nothing’

Said three different ways to get the point across.

Endurance through trials creates a mature faith = ‘wholeness (perfect)

1 Peter 1:3–8 ESV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 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,

1 pet

All else is burned away.

When you lose everything until all you have is Christ, then you’ll come to realize that with Christ, you have all that you need!

James 1:4 ESV

4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letter of James B. Wholeness Requires Wisdom, Which God Gives to All Who Ask in Faith (1:5–8)

The spiritual perfection that is the goal of trials (vv. 2–4) will be achieved only when divine wisdom is present

2 Battles (we all face) during trials

Doubt (5-8, 13-15)

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letter of James B. Wholeness Requires Wisdom, Which God Gives to All Who Ask in Faith (1:5–8)

The spiritual perfection that is the goal of trials (vv. 2–4) will be achieved only when divine wisdom is present

Wisdom helps you in tests.

Wisdom helps you remain steadfast in trials.

ILLUST - my daughter and getting shots as a child. She did not understand the shots were good for her. More wisdom explains how the shots could actually be good.

The problem is, we sometimes operate out of what we FEEL to be REAL rather than what we KNOW to be TRUE.

I’m going through this trial because:

“God is punishing me.”

I must have done something wrong for God to allow this to happen. God wouldn’t let this happen to someone who was following Jesus - who hasn’t sinned.

Ummmm. . . Remember Abraham? Joseph?

I’ll get asked this from time to time - Is what is happening to me a test or punishment. I’ll give you five minutes to mull that over because the end result is the same - Go to God. Pray.

If you’ve sinned, go to God and confess it. If you’re not sure go to God and ask him. If your trial is not a result of sin but is a test, what does James say to do? Go to God. Ask him for wisdom.

“God has failed me.”

Some of you going through trials right now cannot understand how in the world God could be doing something good. You’re praying for an end to the pain, but James is calling to pray for wisdom.

**Because the goal is not comfort but maturity.

Praying for wisdom is the way for us to begin to understand from the perspective of maturity rather than only pain

“God hates me.”

1 John 4:7–8 ESV

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Some of you going through trials

“God is gone.”

God has NOT abandoned you

Matthew 28:20 ESV

teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

*The problem with each of these is the wrong view of God - they are born out of a view that God is not good.

If we allow any of these thoughts to grow, we can easily move from a place that calls us to remain steadfast in faith to a place that doubts God’s goodness. And if God is not good, why serve him?

The feeling is that you’ve been abandoned by God so you will abandon God.

The testing becomes temptation - a way to overcome the trial - or at least numb it’s pain through a means other than steadfast faith - sin.

‘trial’ and ‘temptation’ are related in words but vastly different in meaning.

Trials you are walking through are never meant to take you to a place away from the presence of God.

If this sounds like you - you’ve said one of those things - you need wisdom.

Matthew 21:21 ESV

21 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.

The doubting of the double-minded man is NOT a struggle of faith.

Weak faith - squinting to see, but aimed in the right direction

Double-minded - changing the focus on which you’re fixed.

Mark 9:22–25 ESV

22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

Mark 9:23–25 ESV

23 And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

Mark 9:23 ESV

23 And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”

Mark 9:

Comparison (9-11)

Temptation (

The other great battle we face during trials is Comparison.

faith equalizes us

James 1:9–11 ESV

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.

Trials level us

Faith equalizes us

Comparison separates us.

We ask, ‘Why am I going through this, when _______ is doing great?’ ‘Why is this happening to me and not to her?’

Where else is it easiest to compare than between the haves and the have-nots.

James was writing to churches filled with people - some of which may have lost just about - if not everything for Jesus.

Comparison makes us:

super judgmental

super sensitive

ILLUST - Not being able to have children - Christine saw pregnant people everywhere.

comparison separates us

>>Stop comparing yourself to others - focus on Jesus!

Trials level us

John 21:21 ESV

21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”

Faith equalizes us

Comparison separates us.

John 21:21–22 ESV

21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”

2 Joys (the believer has) in Trials

God is good . . . all the time. . . (16-17)

James 1:16–17 ESV

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

‘Do not be deceived’

God did not somehow become mean trying to lead you to sin.

** Recognizing the goodness God already gives will help you recognize that what he gives you is goodness.

Common grace - it all comes from God

From an unchanging good God.

The cross stands before all your suffering. (18)

James 1:18 ESV

18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

‘brought us forth’ = giving birth

Even when it feels as though God has forgotten you, James reminds us that the case is actually that God has always thought of you:

Ephesians 1:3–5 ESV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

Eph

The cross stands before as:

An example

Jesus knows trial. Jesus knows pain. Jesus knows the need for and struggle of perseverance of faith.

Isaiah 53:3–4 ESV

3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

Is 53:3-

As a way

Isaiah 53:5 ESV

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

Is 5

Jesus endured the trial not so HIS faith might be made perfect, but that your soul might be made perfect.

**Joy is inextricably tied to hope. Without hope there can be no joy in difficult times.

Conclusion

Authentic Christ

We said we were going to be real today. There is nothing more real than to realize that God is not looking from afar at your pain (if he’s looking at all), but that he has entered into your pain with you . He’s not abandoned you, forgotten you, mad at you, evil towards you.

He’s given his Son for you. Any anger you may have thought God had for you he dumped on Jesus for you.

**Like a dad holding his child while they receive the painful shots, it may feel as though God is holding you in a way to hurt you, when in fact, he is holding you to strengthen you, to complete you, to bring you to a place of deeper faith than you have ever known before - to bring to you a place that has wrenched every false and functional idol from your hand until all you left with is Christ alone. And in Christ alone you express a hopeful joy through an enduring faith in a good, good, good, God.

As we prepare to come to the Table, bow heads. . .

I want you to see how in what we are about to celebrate - this representation of Christ’s sacrifice for us - see how closely related the cross of Jesus is to the hope and joy we find through our suffering:

Romans 5:1–11 ESV

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Related Media

Related Sermons