"Faith Worketh Patience"
Notes
Transcript
James 1:1-4 “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
I. Intro
I. Intro
James is one of my most favorite books in all the Bible. It is oftentimes referred to as the NT version of Proverbs. It has so many nuggets of truth that are relevant to our time today. Apparently, James was facing the same issues as we are still facing today. James was the first pastor of the church in Jerusalem of the 1st century. Although he was the brother of Jesus, he did not believe Jesus was the true Messiah until after he saw the risen Savior. 1 Corinthians 15:7 “After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.” James was part of the family that rejected Jesus as Messiah. The epistle of James is written to all the new Christians of the early church. These new believers were scattered across the land because of the widespread persecution of the saints. We think we have been through trials and persecution, we have no idea what true persecution is. The early church Christians we literally hunted down like animals and killed, burned alive, and tortured. Now that is real persecution.
II. Rejoicing in Trials
II. Rejoicing in Trials
The inevitability of Trials (v. 2)
Trials as a common experience for believers
Trials are something everyone goes through. There is nothing you can do to change that. All of us have been through many difficult trials in our lifetime. One good thing about trials is that at some point, they pass. It’s like a kidney stone, yes, they hurt and sting, while we are experiencing them, but they always pass with time.
1 Peter 4:12-13 “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”
Understanding the nature of trials in our own lives.
To get an understanding of trials in our lives, we must first understand why it is we have trials in our lives to begin with. When God created us, He never intended on us going through trials. We were designed to live a perfect life, in a perfect world. But something called “sin” got in the way of God’s plan.
Genesis 3:16-19 “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
Since man brought sin into the world, and since we were born sinners, we must go through various trials. It is necessary to mature us in our walk with God. A newborn baby doesn’t stay on milk or formula for his entire life, at some point he is transitioned to baby food, then to solid food. As Christians, this is what trials in our lives do. They transition us into a life full of trusting in God to lead, guide, and direct us.
The call to rejoice.
Finding joy in the midst of trials.
I know it sounds strange, to have joy in the midst of trials. How can one have joy during such a trying time? I know while we are deep in our trials, and don’t see any way out, the last thing on our mind is being joyful. But James instructs us to be joyful in the midst of our trials. However, he is not the only one who says this.
1 Peter 1:6-7 “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”
The transformative power of a joyful attitude.
One way to be joyful in your trials is by your attitude towards your trials. Having a joyful attitude can change your entire perspective and outlook on things. Instead of looking at the glass half empty, look at it half full. Look beyond your circumstance at all the many blessings God has placed in your life.
III. The Testing of Faith
III. The Testing of Faith
The purpose of testing
Strengthening and refining our faith.
The Greek word for ‘temptation’ found in v. 2 is (peirasmos) and it means simply tests or trials. As we go through trials, and we endure them, they make us stronger in our walk with God. As we lean on God to get us through our trials, we gain more confidence that we are able to lean on Him in our dark days.
Growing in maturity and spiritual endurance
As we learn to depend on God to carry us through our storms and let Him fight our battles for us, we will see that true dependence on God will grow and strengthen our character and faith in God.
The Greek word for ‘patience’ found in v. 3 is ( makrothymia) and it means to endure hardship, pain, or unhappiness.
So as we endure our own personal hardships through the testing of our faith, James says to allow it to have it’s perfect work, or mature us in our Christian walk. In doing this, James says that we will be perfect (mature) and entire (complete), wanting nothing.
IV. Conclusion
IV. Conclusion
In conclusion, my dear brothers and sisters, the passage we have explored today in James 1:1-4 offers us profound wisdom and encouragement for our journey of faith. We have discovered that trials are an inevitable part of our lives as believers. Rather than viewing them with despair or bitterness, James calls us to embrace them with joy. Because in the midst of trials, God is at work. He uses these challenges to refine our faith, strengthen our character, and produce endurance within us. Trials are not meaningless or purposeless; they serve a divine purpose in shaping us into mature and complete followers of Christ. We are reminded that we are not alone in our trials. As servants of God, we have a deep and personal relationship with Him. Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, stands by our side, providing us with the strength, comfort, and guidance we need to face any trial that comes our way. He has walked the path of suffering before us and promises to never leave us nor forsake us. As we conclude, let us pray for one another, that God would grant us the grace to endure trials with joy, knowing that the ultimate outcome is spiritual maturity and a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him. May we encourage one another and offer a helping hand to those who are going through trials, reminding them of the hope we have in Christ.