Genuine Faith (Testing of Faith Part 2)

Scripture Reading Proverbs 2:20-33

Good morning.

Q. 28. How does Christ execute the office of a prophet?

A. Christ executes the office of a prophet, in revealing to us, by this Word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation.

Today we have much to pray about and much to be thankful for.

Pastoral Prayer

God’s Direction for the Church, Those that are dealing with Sickness and health issues. Clara Barker

Women’s Brunch, Small Groups, Operation Christmas Child

Let us Pray

Last week we started the book of James. We took a look at who was the author of this book and what his focus was. We saw that James was Jesus’ oldest half brother. Who God developed into one one of the pillars of the church. He became the leader of the church in Jerusalem and the head of the Jewish council. We saw that Paul went to him at times for council and support.

We saw that the book was written to Jewish Christians who were having some struggles with their faith.

The 1st chapter of James is giving the believer a test to see if their faith is genuine. We explored

James 1:2–4 (CSB)

2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

We as believers are to see trials from the point of view that God allows and uses various trial to bring glory to himself. The testing of our faith through these trials leads to spiritual endurance, that when fully developed will make the believer complete and mature. We are to keep an eternal perspective and come to the point that when we are tested, we are drawn closer to God verses repelled from God. James is developing this idea that when true believers are tested that they turn to God and not away from Him.

This is where we will start today. Open your bibles to James 1:2-8

James 1:2–8 (CSB)

2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, 8 being double-minded and unstable in all his ways.

You may be seated.

Verse 5 may look like a new thought but it is actually a continuation of verse 4. One of the areas that a believer will find that they are lacking is wisdom. This is also one of the tests believers experience throughout their lives.

Who here has it all figured out? Who here wishes they were wiser?

Wisdom has been perused in every generation and every realm of thinking. It has been talked about, longed for, purchased, and lost.

Philosophy

I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is I know nothing. Socrates

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” Aristotle

Literature

“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” William Shakespeare

“It is better to remain silent at the risk of being thought a fool, than to talk and remove all doubt of it.” Maurice Switzer

It has been pursued in art, science, philosophy, literature, religion, and any other intellectual endeavor. Even in the beginning wisdom was sought after.

Genesis 3:6 (CSB)

6 The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

But with everyone looking for it why does it seem that the world still cannot find it. Why have we always lived in times where common sense does not seem to be common, where we are more divided in our thoughts and conclusions than in our agreements.

James brings forth a single source of wisdom. God. Now when you think of it, this should be a no brainier. Why would we not go to the one who created the universe? Does it make sense to ask a baker how to time the valves an engine? Or a mechanic for the right amount of yeast for special kind of marbled rye bread? If you want to build a bridge do you go to English professor. We all know that you would never go to an engineer to ask how to spell the word professor?

James says if a believer lacks wisdom they should do one and only one thing. Ask for it. That seems so simple. But it does not work out that way.

Wisdom Defined

Before we dig much further it would be good for us to find what God means by Wisdom. What is wisdom? Is it intelligence or smarts. The ability to remember large amounts of information. Is it the ability to win a debate? What does wisdom mean in the bible?

The translated word wisdom is used in more than 1 way in the bible. It is a very common word in the CSB translation as it is used about 220 times. It can be used to describe the ability of a person or the knowledge of a person or to describe a trait of a person. It can be finite as in mans wisdom or true as in God’s wisdom. These are are some of the common ways the bible translates the word wisdom.

In this case wisdom comes from the Greek word Sophia and here it applies as

The trait of utilizing knowledge and experience with common sense and insight

When we first read this, we would likely read it simply as if any of you lacks knowledge or understanding… But that isn’t exactly how this is being used. This is saying if any of you lack the trait of wisdom. Does a person have the characteristic or quality of utilizing knowledge and experience with common sense and insight? This isn’t saying make me smarter this is saying, develop me into a person who is wise, who uses knowledge and their experience with common sense and insight.

Have you ever met that person who knows everything about everything but they lack any ability to actually use it. Or have you met that person who did not go to collage of maybe did not even get through high school but they they were the wisest person you know based on how they used the knowledge and experience that they had.

Joshua was describes as person with the trait of wisdom

Deuteronomy 34:9 (CSB)

9 Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites obeyed him and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.

So was Jesus

Luke 2:40 (CSB)

40 The boy grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom, and God’s grace was on him.

James says, If any of you lack wisdom, if you struggle with using the knowledge you have effectively then the solution is to ask for it. Believers are to ask God this type of wisdom.

Wisdom’s Source

Jesus also spoke of this in the sermon on the mount.

Matthew 7:7–11 (CSB)

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 Who among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him.

God gives to those who ask generously and ungrudging. Or simply without criticism. Maybe you are asking why would James say this? Why is God the source of wisdom?

First lets look at what scripture says about God’s wisdom

God’s Wisdom

God’s wisdom has no limits and is unmatched on this earth

Psalm 147:5 (CSB)

5 Our Lord is great, vast in power; his understanding is infinite.

Jeremiah 10:7 (CSB)

7 Who should not fear you, King of the nations? It is what you deserve. For among all the wise people of the nations and among all their kingdoms, there is no one like you.

Romans 11:33 (CSB)

33 Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and untraceable his ways!

His wisdom is beyond man’s

Ecclesiastes 8:17 (CSB)

17 I observed all the work of God and concluded that a person is unable to discover the work that is done under the sun. Even though a person labors hard to explore it, he cannot find it; even if a wise person claims to know it, he is unable to discover it.

Isaiah 55:9 (CSB)

9 “For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

God demonstrates his knowledge

Jeremiah 10:12 (CSB)

12 He made the earth by his power, established the world by his wisdom, and spread out the heavens by his understanding.

Job 12:13–16 (CSB)

13 Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are his. 14 Whatever he tears down cannot be rebuilt; whoever he imprisons cannot be released.

15 When he withholds water, everything dries up, and when he releases it, it destroys the land. 16 True wisdom and power belong to him. The deceived and the deceiver are his.

If we believe that God’s scriptures are given to believers to know what is true then there is nothing with more wisdom than God. He is all knowing, all understanding and as James says he will give to his children the wisdom that they ask for.

Proverbs 2:6 (CSB)

6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Ephesians 1:17 (CSB)

17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.

As Paul puts it, God will not only give us wisdom but will give us the Spirit of wisdom and understanding of him. Doesn’t this all sound great and terrific. If I want to be a wise person I just have to go home and ask him and he will give it to me without criticism and generously. Many churches would stop right there. Leave it like that and send you on your way to have your best life.

The problem with that is that man’s heart is the issue. We can ask all we want but scripture continues and says there is more to in than just simply asking. The believer must ask in a certain way.

James 1:6 (CSB)

6 But let him ask in faith without doubting. ...

The believer must ask without doubting. He must trust or have a strong confidence that God will provide this wisdom. They he must not doubt or hesitate. This mean he must not have divided loyalties.

James uses a word picture to describe this type type of person.

James 1:6 (CSB)

...For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind.

This person is unstable and is not mature.

Ephesians 4:14 (CSB)

14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.

A child believes what they are told. Who here would be defined as gullible? That would be me for sure. How many of you had kids that would believe anything you said.

Story about kids...

James says a person who asks God for wisdom but doesn’t expect God to supply it as the scriptures says is like an immature child and shouldn’t expect God to give it to them.

James 1:7 (CSB)

7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord,

Because he is

James 1:8 (CSB)

8 being double-minded and unstable in all his ways.

Double-mindedness is one of the characteristics of a sinner.

James 4:8 (CSB)

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

God seeks the whole heart of a person nit just a small portion of it.

1 Chronicles 28:9 (CSB)

9 “As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands the intention of every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you abandon him, he will reject you forever.

James gives this example as one of of the trials or test that a believer may go through as God uses trials to test the faith of a believer and to build endurance so that a believer is mature and complete lacking nothing.

Conclusion

As I said last week James is believed to be the earliest manuscript so its language is simple and to the point. Study of later writings such as Paul’s expands on these as Jesus continued to reveal himself to the early church. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth.

1 Corinthians 2:6–16 (CSB)

6 We do, however, speak a wisdom among the mature, but not a wisdom of this age, or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, because if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written,

What no eye has seen, no ear has heard,

and no human heart has conceived—

God has prepared these things for those who love him.

10 Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, since the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except his spirit within him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God. 13 We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. 14 But the person without the Spirit does not receive what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually. 15 The spiritual person, however, can evaluate everything, and yet he himself cannot be evaluated by anyone. 16 For

who has known the Lord’s mind,

that he may instruct him?

But we have the mind of Christ.

Believers have the Spirit of God inside of us. It should cause us to reflect that God knows everything inside of us but God has given us a mediator and advocate that will also give us the wisdom we search for. But we have to be doing what we are supposed to be doing. Like the Israelites in the book of Malachi, it is more than going through the motions of religion, it is about the heart of the believer. Will we be a people who are obedient to his word?

When Chris came he focused one one thing more than anything else and that was making the word of God center of each and every worship service. He has a high regard for God’s Word and I am thankful that God sent them to us for his season to be used by God for the edification of the church. As he moves on to other service to God we must build on he has left us. As we ask God for this type of wisdom. To be a people who have the characteristic of using knowledge with common sense and in line with God. We must take a step further in our faith. We must take the Word of God home with us. We must have it in our small groups and in our work places. We must be single-minded and not double minded. We may have to unlearn some things and relearn the correct things. This will be a focus for us for the near future.

There is a lot of uncertainty about what God has for us but we have the book of certainty and the God of certainty. We must lean into him as he will give us what we need. He will sustain each one of us in his will for our lives. We are in a test of faith of our own and it is by him and for his Glory what the end result will be.

Will you be a person who has the trait of wisdom?

Let us pray.

Communion

Luke 22:19–20 (CSB)

19 And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

20 In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

Benediction

Jude 24–25 (CSB)

24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

Romans 15:5–6 (CSB)

5 Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.