Faith that Works: Faith under trial | Studies in the book of James

“Faith under trial”BibleClass.com.au Teaching Series

Series: Faith that Works: Studies in the Book of James Part: #2

Main Scripture: Selected ScripturesTeacher: Dr Paul Iles

Date: 10.02.2013

The MP3 audio of the study upon which this transcript is based and a learning guide are available from http://bibleclass.com.au/

Inline, direct scripture quotes are italicised. Block quotes are indented.The New King James Version is used unless otherwise stated.

This transcript has undergone minor editing to ensure readability.

Faith that Works

S

tudies in the book of James

IntroductionJames is confronting us with what a true faith is. He is testing it and showing us a lot of lessons about how it behaves.

We must test the reality of our faith by studying James because we live in a world of falsehood. Jesus warned us when He closed the Sermon on the Mount that we must be sure that we are standing on the right foundation, because there is a false foundation.

Therefore James takes up the challenge with us, showing us that true saving faith is both living and active. Last study we saw that we have a new nature, and James points out that this new nature has to be evidenced by the way we behave.

James’ examination is undertaken by looking in turn at all the situations we can face in real life as it is lived in this world. He then tells us how faith ought to respond to them. On completion of the study of James, you will be amazed at what your faith can do. You will be amazed at what God has put within you and the ability you have to deal with every situation in life.

A list of many of those issues is covered in the previous study.

Faith under trialsIn the first section of James, 1:1-12, James is looking at the Christian when we face trouble. When he talks about trials in this section, he is referring to the difficulties that beset absolutely everybody in life - not just the trials we face specifically because we are Christians. You might say that he has in mind the “ups and downs” of life.

The contrast that emerges is the enormous difference between the way the Christian deals with these problems as opposed to the non-Christian, because the Christian uses their faith.

Some people preach a brand of Christianity that takes away all your troubles. That is rubbish. As long as you are in the world, you will have troubles. Christianity is no escape route so long as this life continues. What Christianity does do it this: it gives us a faith whereby we know how to handle the trials. We are also told why they happen. We are also told what the correct response is to these situations. James then tells us what the ultimate outcome of our trials will be, which is quite beautiful.

Section Overview (verses 1-12)A trial comes

James 1 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

This is an incredible statement. James is telling his readers to reckon it a joyful thing when we face all the trials and ups and downs of this life. He then tells us why we would do such a thing: because, through it all, we can know that the testing of our faith produces patience. Patience here means endurance - the ability to keep on continuing on, so to speak.

Patience works

Follow the sequence given: first comes the trial. Then, through the trial, endurance is produced in you. Then see what’s next:

4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking noth-ing.

In other words, let the trial do its job in producing this ability to stand and continue in endurance. But he also tells us to let endurance itself do its work: that we may be perfect and complete. Perfect in this context does not mean sinless, it refers to wholeness and completeness in our Christian character, not immature but possessing understanding and strength of faith through our experience.

Wisdom is available5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without re-proach, and it will be given to him.

Many people say that James writes in a staccato, unrelated, disconnected sort of fashion. That is not right. The Bible is always one flowing whole, and when a man writes a letter it makes no sense for him to completely lack connection. This verse is very definitely connected with the situation of the person who is going through trials.

What happens when you’re in a trial? Very often you do not know what to do. James is telling that person, when they’re in that situation, to turn to prayer and ask of God. And God is a giving and generous God; He gives liberally. Furthermore, He never chides you or tells you off for coming to ask for wisdom in a situation.

Wisdom means to know what to do and how to do it.

Therefore, when you feel a lack of ability to face, go through or handle a situation correctly (notice we’re not talking about running away from situations, but rather handling them correctly), the right thing to do is to ask God for the wisdom you need. The promise here is that the wisdom shall indeed be given.

To those who don’t waver6 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;

But there are qualifications. When we are going to ask, we must ask in faith without any doubt in our minds.

The image of a wave on the sea indicates unpredictability. The person is being controlled by their feelings and their doubts rather than by their faith. If that is your mindset when you approach God - full of doubts and other thoughts - then it won’t work out. You will receive nothing.

8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Someone who characteristically lives like this, whose heart is not fixed on the Lord, listening and

trusting and obeying cannot be relied on for anything. That person is unstable.

It exalts the lowly

9 Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation,

Now if you didn’t read this carefully, you would think that James is going off in another direction altogether. He is not.

He is saying that, if you’re a lowly person socioeconomically, and the world doesn’t think much of you, then you can rejoice because the Lord is testing you, teaching you and blessing you. In effect He is going to exalt you - that is the outcome of trials.

It humbles the rich

But likewise, if you’re a rich person with lots of things to rely on - as it says in the Proverbs, the riches of the wealthy are like a fortress that they can hide behind and trust in1 - then when you are in a situation where God is testing you, be glad because you are being brought low into the role of dependence on God rather than being in charge of all your own affairs.

11 For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pur-suits.

Remember, rich person, every material thing that you have will not last. It will fade like a flower. And God will bring you into a situation where all your usual mechanisms of coping will be broken down and you will be exposed and in need. But that is really good for you, because you will learn not to trust in your riches, but to trust in the Lord.

Always remember that, “Whom the Lord loves He chastens.”2 And thereby the rich man will learn to trust in the Lord and the poor man will learn that he is something: a child of God.

All for the crown of life

Then he gives us the final outcome:12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

The person who endures temptation is the one who copes and deals with it properly and Biblically until the end. When it is over, that person will receive the crown of life.

Section in depth (verses 1-6)This is how true faith sees and handles the trials of life. Those trials may include sickness, strife and all kinds of trouble: any situation that causes you to be challenged and potentially overwhelmed. These are those trials which are common amongst all people.

The character and purpose of trials

The key teaching point here is that faith is being put to the test by such a trial. When you put

1 Proverbs 10:15.2 Hebrews 12:6.

something to the test, you are doing two things:

1. Finding out whether it’s genuine. For example, testing money to see whether it’s counterfeit So trials put our claim to be born again to the test. Is your faith true?

2. Testing its purity. For example, testing a silver coin for its real silver content. So trials will identify impurities that need to be removed.

Therefore trials test the reality of what God has done for us and also purify our faith in order that it might be strengthened and enriched in value. That is why adversity and trouble comes to us all.

Impurities include our misunderstandings about God and ourselves and our immaturity. Trials will teach us what we misunderstand, where we are wrong and so forth, thus leaving us with a purer faith which is much stronger.

Peter talks about the trial of our faith, which is more precious than that of gold.3 If you try gold, you are purifying it in order to increase its value. Our faith is more valuable and precious than gold, and like gold it is both tested and purified.

If you and I can see trials in this light when they come upon us, it will help us to adopt a right attitude to them and see life through a completely different pair of glasses.

When trouble comes upon people who are not saved - and I see this in my work all the time - their response is quite different. They do not know why the thing is happening to them. But the Christian knows full well why it is happening.

The instruction that we ought to count it all joy when these trials come upon us is quite amazing, but it must not be a reason for us to trivialise them. They are still trials and they are still serious. Hebrews 12 tells us that at that time they don’t seem to be a matter of joy; they are grievous.4

A right choice

The word “count” is a definite action. It is not a shallow thing, like just feeling happy about it. The instruction is to not act according to your feelings, but rather to take the promise of the word of God and accept the trial, realising that this issue is meant to be for your good. Therefore, I will count it that only good things can come out of this thing which seems to be bad. Therefore, I will not allow myself to indulge in emotions or thoughts other than those which belong to joy, because I know that the Lord loves me and He will prove Himself to me and I will learn from it.

Running away from the trial, or complaining about God, or forsaking the approach of faith are all the wrong ways to deal with a trial. The right way to deal with it comes out of the reality that there is a faith in me which is a new nature and a new way of thinking.

Peace in the storm

“Joy” does not refer to happiness in the sense that you feel elated and hilarious about the whole thing. The idea is, rather, a sense of peace within you. It is a deep and quiet thing. It is possible because of the foundational knowledge that you have from the Bible that the outcome of this will only be good. Actually, through trouble you will learn the truth about God, about yourself 3 1 Peter 1:7.4 Hebrews 12:11.

and you will be strengthened in your Christianity and your wisdom. You are being perfected in character.

The strange outcome of serious trials is that you can actually reflect on them and know that you are a better person for it. You can also see that you know the Lord better for it. You can see that you wouldn’t have been without it.

I can remember a situation in which a lady lost one of her children, which was the most horrific experience. I recall her speaking to me years later, and she said through tears, “I guess I wouldn’t be without that experience now.” That is a huge position to come to. She learned a lot about the Lord and other things and she knew that her child was better off in the hands of the Lord, whilst she herself had learned to live in complete dependance upon Him. That is but one example - I could recount many.

There is therefore no better equipment to deal with the trials, difficulties and troubles of life than a true faith.

“Count it all joy” is in the grammatical form whereby it conveys urgency. If you are sinking under the weight of trouble, allow me to say to you urgently: “Count it joy!” The devil will get in first and wreak trouble. Furthermore, this is something that is done once for all. In other words, it is your fixed and automatic attitude when the winds of adversity blow. And it is true that once you’ve done it once, you are able to face the next the next trial with greater strength.

The big picture

“Knowing that” indicates the thing that undergirds you; the reason why you are prepared to count it all joy. “That the testing of your faith produces endurance.” Endurance is the staying power of the believer. When the waves of trouble and the winds of adversity crash upon them, they are not swept or blown away. They may be shaken up, they may be wet and windblown, but they are still standing. They have not given up, nor have they walked away.

I would like you to think seriously about this: how many people have you seen run away in anger when they are upset or tested? It is common. They cut people off, they cut churches off, they walk away. This is not the right way to handle the situation according to the Bible. If someone stumbles them, it is not a reason in itself to justify walking away. God allowed it to happen.

I was speaking to someone recently and they were telling me about an adult child of theirs. Apparently they had been converted some years prior but had not been attending a church for some time. The excuse was, “They had a bad church experience.” Well count it all joy! Appropriate endurance! If you have a true faith, you will not be walking away from the Lord because of what someone else did to you. Never!

So it is clear that true faith produces strength, endurance and an ability to stand. But the only way you can do it is if you really know the Lord, because Hebrews 12:1-2 says:

1 ...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith

When God saved us, He gave us a faith that works! It is a quality that has been put into us as part of our new nature, which we received upon salvation.

James then points out that this process of endurance that we are going through must run its course so that we can be mature rather than immature: perfect, complete and lacking nothing. In fact, this is how the Christian lives - allowing the work of God in their soul through trials because there is an intended outcome that will be for our good.

Wisdom is available

Then comes the issue of wisdom. Afterall, James is a realist. He knows that the problems may be massive and that they may threaten to overwhelm you. Notice that he doesn’t tell us to run away or despair when we do not know what to do. Rather, he tells us to ask God for wisdom.

God has a full understanding of the beginning of our trouble, the source of our trouble, the reason for our trouble and also He knows the purpose of our trouble. It is such a comfort to realise that He knows the beginning and the end. It is therefore imperative that we ask Him for wisdom. Additionally, the truth is that He is a giving, generous God who does not chide or reprove us for asking.

Triumph in trials is normal

If you do not come into real troubles in your life, Hebrews 12 says that you are not a child of God. Rather, those who are endure are the children of God, in His family. It is therefore vital that you know what I am talking about when I refer to the struggles of faith in life.

The way that faith copes with these situations is vastly superior to the complaining, brooding, self-pitying attitude which naturally comes to all of us as natural men and women. It triumphs over the despair and the resignation that would otherwise be our lot. James trumps it with what seems such a hard saying: “Count it all joy” - but it’s actually a merciful one. It’s a mercy because that trial is turned into something which is a means of blessing, enabling us to endure them in such a way that they impact on us least of all.

It may be that the wave broke over you, but the truth for a person who deals with a trial in faith is that it did not destroy them. It did not embitter them or cause them to reseed into victimisation. Rather we received the blessing of God and grew in faith out of what seemed to be such a negative occurrence in life.

See you in the next study.

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