The Perfect Work of Patience

James 1:1-8

2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

We can all attain to a certain amount of proficiency at most things we attempt, but there are few who have patience to go on to perfection. In the lives of almost everyone there has been at some time an attempt at well doing.

There was at least a desire to do right, and good resolutions were formed. Those who have done good for a time, the will of God have need of patience that they may receive the blessings promised to them who know how to wait.

Saints are those who let patience have its perfect work, who by patient continuance in well doing seek eternal life.

As a rule, the time required for the production of an effect measures the value of that effect. The things that can be developed quickly are of less value than those which require longer time.

You can weed a garden or build a house in a much shorter time than you can educate a mind or build up a soul. The training of our reasoning faculties requires a much longer time than the training of our hands.

And moral qualities, being higher than intellectual, make an even greater demand upon the patience of their pears.

Let us remember, where it is that we are to get patience, in the presence of temptations and sorrows. We must go in prayer, as our Master did in the garden of Gethsemane, to the source of all strength.

4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Patience consists in the holding still of some parts of our nature in calm waiting upon the Divine will, in order that other parts may be exercised and educated. The apostle's words show that he regards this grace of endurance as inexpressibly precious. The man who uses every fresh trial in such a way as only to increase his power of holy endurance.

If he would not go to His trial unprepared, it certainly is not safe for us to do so. Even so God gives his servants blows of trial when he desires to advance them to a higher stage of spiritual life.

Jacobs become prevailing princes, but not until they have wrestled with temptations and prevailed.

All through it has taken centuries, patience been slowly doing her perfect work. Humanity has been slowly advancing under Divine guidance. Our attitude towards the past should be one of deepest reverence.

We should look upon the whole field of past history as the sacred ground of humanity. God's dealings with our forefathers ought to have an undying interest for us.

In our inquiries into past history, we should be animated by a desire to discern the traces of God's patience doing her perfect work. The Divine Inspire of humanity with all that is good and noble was revealing to His servant.

This beauty is discerned by us, because God has opened our eyes to see it. This surely is an exemplification in the divine education of the world of patience having her perfect work.

The Bible teaches us, and as Christians we believe, that there is a regular course of temptations for us in this life, that there are a number of objects and wishes constantly presenting themselves to us in the natural course of things here that we should not give way to, but resist.

We see a vast number in the world who seem practically to believe that there are no such things as temptations in the world at all. Scripture is sharp and mistrustful about everything which the world offers.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

God is pronounced in the collect to be the Author and Giver of all good things. There is a splendid movement of God is described not only as the Author and Giver of all good things, but the "Lord of all power and might." It is impossible not to feel how much we owe!

The name of God is the character as revealed to us. His name describes to us what He is. We have reason to pray that our nature may be so corrected that the revelation of the Deity above us may be welcome and dear.

But implanting is not enough, whether it be of a seed or a graft. There must be growth. The word "increase" is familiar to us elsewhere in Scripture, as denoting an essential feature in the Christian life.

We ask that we may be nourished with all goodness, and kept in the same. When the Lord planted His vineyard with the choicest vine, He likewise fenced it. No one who has travelled in Palestine can have failed to observe the vast importance of the fence to the vineyard.

Conclusion

Now, this name of servant must teach us humility, that we submit ourselves to Christ, whose servants we are, and for His sake and by his example to serve one another, whereunto he exhorted (Matthew 20:25-27).

His example in washing His disciples' feet (John 13:4-7, 10, 17). Submit yourselves one to another, deck yourselves inwardly in lowliness of mind, for God resisted the proud and giveth grace to the humble.

Hereof our profession and calling putted us in remembrance, who are servants by calling, to serve God in spirit and truth, and to serve one another in the fear of God.

Servants ought to imitate such virtues as they find to shine in their masters. We are the servants of Christ, we are bound, therefore, to imitate his meekness, patience, humility, love, long-sufferance, liberality, kindness, forgiveness of offences, and the like virtues, which shone in the whole life of Jesus Christ.