Good morning, I invite you to turn with me in your Bibles to the book of James. I’ll ask, did any of you have a trial this week? That was you assignment. When you left, you were supposed to find a trail.
Well, likely you had all kinds of trials. I hope that you at least tried to apply some of what we talked about last week. Last week we started looking at James 1. We talked about the surprise of Christian suffering and that we should count it all joy when we meet trials of various kinds. Basically we introduced the subject last week and mentioned that we have a host of resources to help us in times of trials. We focused on the fact that God is sovereign in times of trial. We learned about God’s plan, purpose and provision in times of trial. God is sovereign over our trials. He’s working through our trials and using them to make us better people. And in the midst of trials he provides for our greatest need: that of wisdom. There is a wealth of wisdom to be had, and all we need to do is ask God for it.
This morning’s passage continues to develop this same theme. What we’ll find is that we have even more reasons why we can remain joyful in times of trial. We have a wealth of resources from which to draw and every reason to maintain some degree of cheerfulness.
Some might read James and forget the context of chapter 1. But the verses we are reading today (9-18), are carrying through this same theme of “counting it all joy.” And so that we don’t forget the context, I want us to start our reading in verse 2.
As we look at this Scripture (and verses 9-18 in particular), I find that there are five more reasons why we as Christians may have joy in trials. Let’s consider each one. The first resource we have is God’s grace.
I. God’s Grace [9-11]
In verses 9, 10, & 11 James talks about one of the most common trails that people face. And that is financial trial. It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor or somewhere in the middle, there are trials when it comes to the whole realm of money.
If you are poor, you have several trails that you have to deal with. You have to sacrifice and go without certians. You have to depend on others. You have to trust that God will provide. You can faced with the temptation to steal to get what you want. You can certainly deal with things like envy and a disgruntled spirit. There are all kinds of different trails that fall under the umbrella of poverty.
And don’t think that because you have money in the bank that you don’t have difficulties. There’s still temptations all kinds of temptations. Greed is no respecter of persons or tax brackets. Rich people can be tempted to be miserly spirit and not share. They might not use their money in wise ways, but spend it on all kinds of sinful indulgence.
James, of course, doesn’t list all the problems. But he does give the remedy. How can you have joy in the midst of poverty or wealth? It is by focusing on God’s grace and the spiritual realities that accompany it.
He says that the poor man should boast (i.e. revel in or glory in) his exaltation. In other words, remember what God in his grace has given you. You might not have much in your pocket, but God’s grace has afforded you incredible riches. You have status (as a child of God); you’ve been exalted to the highest heavenlies. You might not get into the country club and get out on the golf course, but you have access to God. You have an eternal inheritance; you have eternal life. Because God has been gracious to you to take away your sin, you have more than you can ever imagine.
And God’s grace gives the rich man a good perspective too. We all know that wealth doesn’t guarantee joy. But you can have joy in the midst of wealth when your focus isn’t on the money. When you are focusing on God’s grace, there is real happiness.
He says that the rich man should revel in his humiliation. In other words, remember that without God’s grace, you’re nothing. You might have a lot of cash, but you’d eventually die and be completely destitute. That’s what he goes on to say in the illustration of the flower of the field. The point is that it doesn’t last long. If God’s grace wasn’t operative in your life, you’d one day find yourself swept away into hell.
So the rich man says, “I’m just a lowly sinner. God has graced me. I am forever indebted to Christ.”
So that’s one way you maintain joy. It is by keeping your focus on the redemptive realities that are yours in Christ. But along with God’s grace, you have God’s time frame / reward system.
II. God’s time frame / reward system [12]
In verse 12 James pronounces a blessing. He says, “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.”
One of the great things about trails, of course, is that they usually don’t last. They have a limited duration. Most of the trials we face may last a week. Some last for a couple months. There are some that last a lifetime (chronic pain; financial difficulty). But they all come to an end. And that’s what James says in verse 12.
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life. There’s an end to the trial. You can stand it. You can endure it. Even if it does last to the bitter end (the end of your life), there is an end. It won’t go one into eternity.
And he says that at the very end, there’s something waiting for you. There’s a crown of life. There is this reward for enduring these trials. If you remain steadfast, God bestows upon you this crown. You earn this blessing of eternal life.
Now, you are going to stop me right here and say, “Isn’t that works righteousness?” If I work and I remain steadfast, I get eternal life.” You might say that sounds like works righteousness and that my salvation is all up to me and the works that I do.
At first glance, that’s what it may sound like. But you have to remember the context. What did James say in verse 2-3? He said that the trials that you undergo produce steadfastness. One of the things that God does is put you in trials so that you can gain more steadfastness. God creates steadfastness through the trial. Now, here in verse 12 he says if you are steadfast, you’ll get eternal life.
This is really an argument for eternal security and the sovereignty of God in salvation. God not only saves you, but he makes you gain the qualities that you need to endure to the end.
That’s why we can rejoice in God’s reward system. He’s rewarding us for things He is doing in our life.
And that’s the key to joy in trials. We know the end is coming and we know the end will be full of great blessings.
Another resource we have for trails is found in verses 13-15. It is the resource of God’s nature.
III. God’s nature [13-15]
And this solves what might be a philosophical trail that we might have. We said last week that God is sovereign over our trials. Well, we know that some of our trials are spiritual in nature. They have to do with temptation. So here’s the conundrum we face: If God is sovereign over our trials, doesn’t that mean he is the one who tempts us? If that is true, then God’s an evil God, isn’t he?
But James clarifies that here in these verses. He says God cannot tempt anyone. Why? Because he’s not able to. It goes against his nature. He cannot be tempted and he doesn’t tempt anyone. In other words, God is not the author of evil. God is not only supremely sovereign, he is supremely good. As a result, God can only do that which is good.
Where then does the temptation come from? It comes from your own sinful inclination. He says in verse 14, “Each person is tempted when he is enticed by his own desire.”
That word enticed is a word that has to do with fishing. When you go fishing you bait the hook. You put a nice, big, juicy worm on that thing and you throw it in the water. And those fish find it enticing. They can’t wait to get their big lips around that thing. The fish has a desire for the worm. It is this desire that propels him.
And this is where temptation comes from. It is from your own sinful proclivity. God can put you through a trial, but the proclivity to error and sin lies in you, not God.
I like what Matthew Henry says here. He says, “Afflictions are designed by God to draw out graces, not our corruptions.”
Let’s think of it this way. When I was a freshman in college I had a very difficult time academically. I breezed through high school and didn’t have to study much. When I got to college, it was a lot different. You may imagine that it was a real shock academically. And there was one class in particular that I bombed. I’ve never gotten a grade so low in all my years. I admit that I just didn’t get the class.
Now, at the end of the semester, I had to take the final exam. I went in and the teacher passed out the test to each student and everyone started scratching in their bluebooks. Everyone except me, that is. I hadn’t studied. I had no clue what any of the questions meant. It was one of those experiences where I sat there for 10 minutes trying to think how long should I sit here until it is acceptable to get up and leave. Needless to say, I turned in a blank sheet. I bombed that course hard.
Now, think about my failure. Would it make sense for me to say, “That teacher was the most pernicious person I know. He put me in that situation and made me fail. It is his fault that my GPA was so low.”
That’s absurd, isn’t it? That test was designed by the teacher to do me good. It was to help advance me as a student. The failure was due to me and my own academic numbness.
That’s really what James is trying to say. God’s nature is good and he’s not to be blamed for evil. And if we blame God for our evil, that is a real evil itself. And it will not do anything to help our experience of joy.
Now, you’ll notice that our passage continues on. And it begins to unfold the soverienty of God a little more by talking about God’s providence. And this is another resource we have for boosting our joy.
IV. God’s Providence [16-17]
Look there in verse 16. It says, “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.”
This is simply rehashing everything we just said and mentioned last week. God is sovereign over all the affairs of men. Everything that happens is a result of God’s direct control. Every good gift is from above. How are we to view our trials? We should see them as a good gift from God. It is delivered to us from the hand of Heaven.
But more than that, let’s remember that in the midst of our miserable lives, how many blessings do we receive? Sure, there are many trials—and they are virtually innumerable—but how many good things have we received along the way? Are you breathing? Thank God you have air. Are you able to put food on the table? That’s a present from God.
James is here reminding you that your life might have troubles, but it has a tremendous amount of blessings too. And you shouldn’t be griping about those things you perceive to be bad. You should really be focusing on the fact that God has given so much good.
All in all, it is God’s nature to do good. His hand is open wide and he is liberal with his benevolence. And if we would take that to heart, just think about how much joy we’d have. If in every trial we could see it as a good thing, and see all the good that is being poured out upon us in the midst of that trial, that would be a real attitude changer.
But there’s one last thing I need to mention. If you cannot muster any joy out of these things, this last one should be enough. We should always remember this: God’s election.
V. God’s Election [18]
In verse 18 you see that James is a Calvinist. It says, “Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.”
When it says, “Of his own will” it means that God was induced to save you for no other reason than his own personal desire. It was not because of your will that you were born again. It wasn’t because he saw that you were a good person. It was exactly the opposite. You were a terrible person. But God, out of his grace and mere good pleasure, chose you. Out of his grace and mercy, he determined to save you. By an act of his will, your heart was completely changed.
So, let’s say that you come into the most horrendous trial that you can possibly imagine. You all have one, I know. You’ve thought about some situation that you think that you could not possibly bear if it happened to you. You come back to it time and again, and you think that if that ever happened, there’s just no way you could survive.
Well, the truth is, you can not just survive it, you can thrive in it. You can have joy. It is because of this: you are one of God’s elect. You are one of his chosen people.
That if all the world had seemed to go to hell around you, you still have this grace that beams bright: that you are not going to hell. That God’s supreme love and goodness is displayed in giving you what you do not deserve.
Well, likely you had all kinds of trials. I hope that you at least tried to apply some of what we talked about last week. Last week we started looking at James 1. We talked about the surprise of Christian suffering and that we should count it all joy when we meet trials of various kinds. Basically we introduced the subject last week and mentioned that we have a host of resources to help us in times of trials. We focused on the fact that God is sovereign in times of trial. We learned about God’s plan, purpose and provision in times of trial. God is sovereign over our trials. He’s working through our trials and using them to make us better people. And in the midst of trials he provides for our greatest need: that of wisdom. There is a wealth of wisdom to be had, and all we need to do is ask God for it.
This morning’s passage continues to develop this same theme. What we’ll find is that we have even more reasons why we can remain joyful in times of trial. We have a wealth of resources from which to draw and every reason to maintain some degree of cheerfulness.
Some might read James and forget the context of chapter 1. But the verses we are reading today (9-18), are carrying through this same theme of “counting it all joy.” And so that we don’t forget the context, I want us to start our reading in verse 2.
As we look at this Scripture (and verses 9-18 in particular), I find that there are five more reasons why we as Christians may have joy in trials. Let’s consider each one. The first resource we have is God’s grace.
I. God’s Grace [9-11]
In verses 9, 10, & 11 James talks about one of the most common trails that people face. And that is financial trial. It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor or somewhere in the middle, there are trials when it comes to the whole realm of money.
If you are poor, you have several trails that you have to deal with. You have to sacrifice and go without certians. You have to depend on others. You have to trust that God will provide. You can faced with the temptation to steal to get what you want. You can certainly deal with things like envy and a disgruntled spirit. There are all kinds of different trails that fall under the umbrella of poverty.
And don’t think that because you have money in the bank that you don’t have difficulties. There’s still temptations all kinds of temptations. Greed is no respecter of persons or tax brackets. Rich people can be tempted to be miserly spirit and not share. They might not use their money in wise ways, but spend it on all kinds of sinful indulgence.
James, of course, doesn’t list all the problems. But he does give the remedy. How can you have joy in the midst of poverty or wealth? It is by focusing on God’s grace and the spiritual realities that accompany it.
He says that the poor man should boast (i.e. revel in or glory in) his exaltation. In other words, remember what God in his grace has given you. You might not have much in your pocket, but God’s grace has afforded you incredible riches. You have status (as a child of God); you’ve been exalted to the highest heavenlies. You might not get into the country club and get out on the golf course, but you have access to God. You have an eternal inheritance; you have eternal life. Because God has been gracious to you to take away your sin, you have more than you can ever imagine.
And God’s grace gives the rich man a good perspective too. We all know that wealth doesn’t guarantee joy. But you can have joy in the midst of wealth when your focus isn’t on the money. When you are focusing on God’s grace, there is real happiness.
He says that the rich man should revel in his humiliation. In other words, remember that without God’s grace, you’re nothing. You might have a lot of cash, but you’d eventually die and be completely destitute. That’s what he goes on to say in the illustration of the flower of the field. The point is that it doesn’t last long. If God’s grace wasn’t operative in your life, you’d one day find yourself swept away into hell.
So the rich man says, “I’m just a lowly sinner. God has graced me. I am forever indebted to Christ.”
So that’s one way you maintain joy. It is by keeping your focus on the redemptive realities that are yours in Christ. But along with God’s grace, you have God’s time frame / reward system.
II. God’s time frame / reward system [12]
In verse 12 James pronounces a blessing. He says, “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.”
One of the great things about trails, of course, is that they usually don’t last. They have a limited duration. Most of the trials we face may last a week. Some last for a couple months. There are some that last a lifetime (chronic pain; financial difficulty). But they all come to an end. And that’s what James says in verse 12.
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life. There’s an end to the trial. You can stand it. You can endure it. Even if it does last to the bitter end (the end of your life), there is an end. It won’t go one into eternity.
And he says that at the very end, there’s something waiting for you. There’s a crown of life. There is this reward for enduring these trials. If you remain steadfast, God bestows upon you this crown. You earn this blessing of eternal life.
Now, you are going to stop me right here and say, “Isn’t that works righteousness?” If I work and I remain steadfast, I get eternal life.” You might say that sounds like works righteousness and that my salvation is all up to me and the works that I do.
At first glance, that’s what it may sound like. But you have to remember the context. What did James say in verse 2-3? He said that the trials that you undergo produce steadfastness. One of the things that God does is put you in trials so that you can gain more steadfastness. God creates steadfastness through the trial. Now, here in verse 12 he says if you are steadfast, you’ll get eternal life.
This is really an argument for eternal security and the sovereignty of God in salvation. God not only saves you, but he makes you gain the qualities that you need to endure to the end.
That’s why we can rejoice in God’s reward system. He’s rewarding us for things He is doing in our life.
And that’s the key to joy in trials. We know the end is coming and we know the end will be full of great blessings.
Another resource we have for trails is found in verses 13-15. It is the resource of God’s nature.
III. God’s nature [13-15]
And this solves what might be a philosophical trail that we might have. We said last week that God is sovereign over our trials. Well, we know that some of our trials are spiritual in nature. They have to do with temptation. So here’s the conundrum we face: If God is sovereign over our trials, doesn’t that mean he is the one who tempts us? If that is true, then God’s an evil God, isn’t he?
But James clarifies that here in these verses. He says God cannot tempt anyone. Why? Because he’s not able to. It goes against his nature. He cannot be tempted and he doesn’t tempt anyone. In other words, God is not the author of evil. God is not only supremely sovereign, he is supremely good. As a result, God can only do that which is good.
Where then does the temptation come from? It comes from your own sinful inclination. He says in verse 14, “Each person is tempted when he is enticed by his own desire.”
That word enticed is a word that has to do with fishing. When you go fishing you bait the hook. You put a nice, big, juicy worm on that thing and you throw it in the water. And those fish find it enticing. They can’t wait to get their big lips around that thing. The fish has a desire for the worm. It is this desire that propels him.
And this is where temptation comes from. It is from your own sinful proclivity. God can put you through a trial, but the proclivity to error and sin lies in you, not God.
I like what Matthew Henry says here. He says, “Afflictions are designed by God to draw out graces, not our corruptions.”
Let’s think of it this way. When I was a freshman in college I had a very difficult time academically. I breezed through high school and didn’t have to study much. When I got to college, it was a lot different. You may imagine that it was a real shock academically. And there was one class in particular that I bombed. I’ve never gotten a grade so low in all my years. I admit that I just didn’t get the class.
Now, at the end of the semester, I had to take the final exam. I went in and the teacher passed out the test to each student and everyone started scratching in their bluebooks. Everyone except me, that is. I hadn’t studied. I had no clue what any of the questions meant. It was one of those experiences where I sat there for 10 minutes trying to think how long should I sit here until it is acceptable to get up and leave. Needless to say, I turned in a blank sheet. I bombed that course hard.
Now, think about my failure. Would it make sense for me to say, “That teacher was the most pernicious person I know. He put me in that situation and made me fail. It is his fault that my GPA was so low.”
That’s absurd, isn’t it? That test was designed by the teacher to do me good. It was to help advance me as a student. The failure was due to me and my own academic numbness.
That’s really what James is trying to say. God’s nature is good and he’s not to be blamed for evil. And if we blame God for our evil, that is a real evil itself. And it will not do anything to help our experience of joy.
Now, you’ll notice that our passage continues on. And it begins to unfold the soverienty of God a little more by talking about God’s providence. And this is another resource we have for boosting our joy.
IV. God’s Providence [16-17]
Look there in verse 16. It says, “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.”
This is simply rehashing everything we just said and mentioned last week. God is sovereign over all the affairs of men. Everything that happens is a result of God’s direct control. Every good gift is from above. How are we to view our trials? We should see them as a good gift from God. It is delivered to us from the hand of Heaven.
But more than that, let’s remember that in the midst of our miserable lives, how many blessings do we receive? Sure, there are many trials—and they are virtually innumerable—but how many good things have we received along the way? Are you breathing? Thank God you have air. Are you able to put food on the table? That’s a present from God.
James is here reminding you that your life might have troubles, but it has a tremendous amount of blessings too. And you shouldn’t be griping about those things you perceive to be bad. You should really be focusing on the fact that God has given so much good.
All in all, it is God’s nature to do good. His hand is open wide and he is liberal with his benevolence. And if we would take that to heart, just think about how much joy we’d have. If in every trial we could see it as a good thing, and see all the good that is being poured out upon us in the midst of that trial, that would be a real attitude changer.
But there’s one last thing I need to mention. If you cannot muster any joy out of these things, this last one should be enough. We should always remember this: God’s election.
V. God’s Election [18]
In verse 18 you see that James is a Calvinist. It says, “Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.”
When it says, “Of his own will” it means that God was induced to save you for no other reason than his own personal desire. It was not because of your will that you were born again. It wasn’t because he saw that you were a good person. It was exactly the opposite. You were a terrible person. But God, out of his grace and mere good pleasure, chose you. Out of his grace and mercy, he determined to save you. By an act of his will, your heart was completely changed.
So, let’s say that you come into the most horrendous trial that you can possibly imagine. You all have one, I know. You’ve thought about some situation that you think that you could not possibly bear if it happened to you. You come back to it time and again, and you think that if that ever happened, there’s just no way you could survive.
Well, the truth is, you can not just survive it, you can thrive in it. You can have joy. It is because of this: you are one of God’s elect. You are one of his chosen people.
That if all the world had seemed to go to hell around you, you still have this grace that beams bright: that you are not going to hell. That God’s supreme love and goodness is displayed in giving you what you do not deserve.