The Testing of Your Faith: Part 5

Perseverance, Faith, and the Testing of Trials

It's a blessing now to continue our study in the book of James. It's hard to believe but How fast time flies by on us, but the last message on James I got right here in my notes was December 2nd last year.

And we talked about part was part fourth that the series we're doing is testing of your faith. And we spoke and Talked about let endurance have its perfect work. So we talked about perseverance, right.

And we're going to continue to talk about perseverance. Because you see this throughout this whole book but mainly today. That was in we looked at verses 3.

Through 5.

But today we're going to pick up on verses chapter. I'm sorry chapter 1 of verses 5 through 12. So turn with me there and as you turn there, let me just tell you a little bit About this man James. He is.

He begins as we looked at He begins his little letter. It's it's it's one of the very first epistles that was written and Keith brought this to my attention. I didn't know that myself, but it is the earliest epistle.

It's a small letter that was written to the Jews dispersed and You could see as what all the way through this wonderful book. And of course he begins. Let me back up a little bit. He begins. I'm not saying he's in an apostle which he was but a bond slave of Jesus Christ such humility such humility and You see this throughout this thing throughout this epistle there's a series of tests and Trials through trials.

Usually that's when the test comes. It's through truck us because trials is gonna come to all of us. It's not if it's when and the key words to look at and look when when you study this this wonderful epistle is Faith.

Faith is crucial all the way through this this book, but it's maturity as well maturity. But there's a test. There's a series of tests. But faith is one of the key words I believe that you see pop up here and there faith endures trials.

Trials come and go but a strong Faith will face them head-on and develop endurance. So you see this thing that is constantly about us.

So.

Just to To read the verses. I'd like to read today's message. We're going to focus on praying for wisdom praying for heavenly wisdom just not earthly wisdom, but God's wisdom. There's a difference and we see this later on.

But we're going to focus on verses 5 through 12. But let me back up a little bit and for those that have not heard. But what we're going to see the whole context and the beautiful to see the whole. Let me begin by verse 1 and we'll read all the way to verse 12 and we'll see At the ending Application here.

We'll look at verse 12. Really at verse 12 begins another paragraph in a sense of the flow of things, but it can tie in to what he's saying here.

Hear the Word of God.

James a bond bond servant or a bond slave I should say of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ to the twelve tribes, which are scattered abroad. Greetings my brethren. Count it all joy when you fall into various trials Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

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

But let him ask in faith Without with no doubting. For he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man unstable in all his ways.

Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation But the rich in his humiliation. Because as a flower of the field he will pass away. For no sooner has the Sun risen with the burning heat. Then it withers the grass its flower falls and its beautiful appearance of perishes so the rich man Also will fade away.

Also, oh, I'm sorry fade away in his pursuits. 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.

God.

Richly blessed the reading of his word to our hearts and our ears this morning. So let's Let's pray as we seek the face of our God This morning our Father in heaven. We do. Thank you. What a glorious privilege today We have to be here to worship you and to your presence father.

We thank you for each and every one that's come this way to hear your word because father. That's what really matters. We need a word from you a fresh word. So father help us not take one second for granted.

We have just heard your word spoken and from Genesis from James and.

Our own.

Native tongue. Our own native tongue. Father may we just take a second to thank you today that we have your holy word preserved by your Holy Spirit. Through thousands of years of testing and it has stood the test.

It still stands your word endures forever. It's forever settled in heaven. Nothing's going to cause it to pass away. Heaven and earth to pass away, but your words are eternal. Father for thousands of years you've kept it accurate and it it stays accurate.

It's been attacked Through generation after generation, but it stands forever. Thousands of years you've preserved it. And even though it has made its way to us On a sea of blood father. We thank you for the men the godly men and women That took their lives.

They were martyrs because of this word. So this is how he's godly men and women loved your word that much. They were willing to lay their lives down for it. So father we thank you for your word. Thank you for your people that love your word father help us to love it.

That would be willing to die for it. Live and live for it as well. So name father now we ask that we need your blessed Holy Spirit to help us to hear your word. Jesus said it Blessed are your ears. To hear so father.

We need we need ears to hear your word. To receive your word to love your word. We need grace to love your word father. We need most important to obey your word help us not only be hearers, but to be doers of your word.

So father we ask for grace of your Holy Spirit for such a time as this we've come into your kingdom To glorify you your son. The Holy Spirit the one that is worthy the one father that you're well pleased in so father.

We would ask all this and his Wonderful glorious name and Jesus name we ask amen and amen. Or recognizing that trials are essential. That it is an essential means that God uses to perfect Christian character.

James Here the bond slave of the Lord Jesus Christ gives to us five keys that we've been looking at for persevering for enduring and that is What he is speaking about in chapter one. How can we endure?

How can we persevere? Perseverance is huge and We need faith. Living faith by the way, he talks about this. There's two kinds of faith. There's living faith and there's dead faith. Those that have been born again for the Holy Spirit regeneration Will show forth living faith and their living faith will show it by their works you see.

People's got it in reverse. They think it's the works and then they go to show that they're Christians. But no works does say something. We're we're created for his workmanship for good works. Jesus talks about you glorify your father in heaven by your good works.

But good works doesn't save us. All right, we know this it is living faith. That does the saving and it is God's gift to us and always remember this and we've talked about this. But it's critical to understand to get a grasp of this.

Faith and Repentance are gifts of God. They are the gifts the generous gifts of God and without that there is no Forsaking sin, which is repentance and turning toward God and Christ Jesus. That's faith.

So so it has to be a supernatural gift from God that God gives those good and some people say well, how can. How can God give something that he commands? Well, that's the beauty of it. He commands repentance, but he provides it in that wonderful.

You can't do it, but God does it even though he commands it. He provides it. And when Luther got a hold of that years ago, it was glorious. That's the gospel. So we've been looking at Five keys now. I'm gonna back up just a little bit one one of those essentials.

Then we're looking at one of the keys is a joyful attitude a joyful attitude through our trials were to be joyful.

That's a command.

But it's a supernatural joy right to go through trials. Oh. It's painful. It's tough it. God puts us through it. He ordains it, but it takes a supernatural joy. That's that's a fruit of the Spirit. Isn't it that God helps us to be joyful in that?

So he there's joy, there's a joyful attitude second would be owned we looked at an understanding mind. So we there's joyful attitude. There's an understanding mind and then we looked at the third key, which is crucial is a submissive will.

We're to have a submissive will these all these means are to persevere. Jesus said he that endures to the end shall be saved we're not. Actually, we are he's saving us and we are saved by his grace by faith but Enduring to the very end is when we stand before him and we're glorified.

And he says well done good and faithful servant enter into the joy of the Lord. You can rest assured when that happens Salvation's happened. It's full and complete. But as of right now God is still working on us, right?

That's sanctification. Regeneration is I like what J .C. Rowell said. He said don't tell me don't tell me about your justification unless I see some sanctification. And that's so true. In other words, it'll be evident and that's what James has talked about practical sanctification practical Christian living.

And by the way, you will not find any other epistle more practical in Christian living than the book of James. He is so practical right. Apostle Paul. He's a little bit more theological, right? He's the theologian.

But he brings it down to practical application as well. Paul is always like that. You always see all of his epistles the first half of it. It's theological and then he shows this theology moves into practical Christian living.

But you see from James from the get-go. He's practical all the way through but there is some theology here, right? There is because there's a study of faith. There's the study of God. There's the study of wisdom.

There's a study of all these great and wonderful glorious truths that he's given us now. So we looked at those three joyful attitude and understanding mine is submissive will. And today we will look at and we'll try to squeeze it in if I can.

We will look at the fourth and the fifth means of perseverance and trials and that is a believing heart and a humble spirit. We must have a believing heart. That's where faith comes in and a humble spirit and that's the attitude and we will see what James is talking about to all people.

There's no respecters of persons with God and then we will look at the reward and I'm gonna just pull this in real quickly at the application the Perseverance given to those and the reward that God has a crown of life to those who are faithful.

To endure to the end. So first of all, let's look at a believing heart a believing heart. Here we have this is the fourth means to persevere to endure in trials. And this comprehensive phrase is summarized in verses 5 through 8.

Let's look at these verses. Let me read them real quickly again. And now that this time I won't read it from the old King James. If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God that give it to all men liberally and upbraid if not.

And it shall be given to him. Don't you love that word shall? He guarantees it it shall and he says but let him notice the lets. That's a little word you could circle let him ask in faith, that's a submissive word that's something you have to do.

You must submit to his Lordship and to his authority to ask and You ask in faith nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed and let not that man. Think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.

A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. Well. It's obvious that if you look at verse the verse 1. The people that James wrote to his audience is the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad who were undergoing severe trials in their lives.

They had problems with their praying and you can be assured of that and you look you see this in James chapter 4 verses 1 through 3 if you look at that very quickly. Look at verses 1 through 3. He says this where do wars and fights come among you?

Do they not please your desires for pleasures that war in your members? You lust and do not have you murder and covet and cannot obtain you fight and war yet. You do not have because you do not ask. They have problems with their praying right you ask.

Okay. Okay, you come and ask. You do not receive because you ask amiss. That word amiss means you ask for the wrong reasons. You ask for the wrong desire. So they had issues with their praying. You can also see this in chapter 5 very quickly.

Chapter 5 verses 13 through 18 notice this. 13 through 18. Is anyone among you suffering. Let him pray. Is Anyone cheerful. Let him sing Psalms. Let anyone among you sick is it. I'm sorry. Is anyone among you sick.

Question mark. Let him call for the elders of the church and let him pray over him anointing with oil. In the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith. There's the key right there. You see Faith is it's what God is looking for.

Well, I quote this verse quite often brother Keith does tell him. It's a fantastic verse. It's it's from Hebrews 11 6 he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

We must believe that he is and see and it says notice was it without faith. It's not pleasing to God, okay. God God is pleased with faith you see this through the life of Jesus when he was here He was pleased there was little faith.

It was great faith. It was some faith, but we'll see later on about Peter That he doubted and he sunk in the water but There's you see this through the Gospels. God looks at faith and it's incredible to again God provides the faith.

But when we take the faith, we must exercise the faith and strengthen the faith encourage one another in the faith. Build up yourselves in your most holy faith. That's what scripture says.

So.

We see that is key a key ingredient here gives us this gives us and James gives us the record about that. If we were in the shoes of these people in that day We'd probably be having the same problems with our praying as well.

And I don't know about you. I still do. We fit that we could put those shoes on can't we we can we can make them fit? So James by the inspiration of the Spirit of God gives to them these dispersed Jews.

And gives to us as well. How to pray when we're facing and going through God ordained difficulties and trials and afflictions and persecutions he tells us how to pray and Then he says what should we pray about?

And he tells us exactly specifically what we should ask for in how to pray. Well, the first requirement for such belief is godly understanding. Of course, you must have a knowledge of the truth To get it and Especially when we are going through trials as believers in the faith We need a special measure of understanding to help us Through and that we need to drive us to ask of God to supply us the Understanding that James gives to us and what is that?

We're to ask God wisdom. We're gonna look at this wisdom from God heavenly wisdom from above God's wisdom and that's beautiful. It's a supernatural wisdom that God gives liberally He gives freely without respecters of purpose.

Isn't that beautiful that God does not have Favorites in his kingdom now, there's those I was talking to my daughter on the way here There's those that are closer to God than others those that are more holy to God.

But as a whole in the kingdom of God when God looks about his children you think of everybody is justified just the same way Spurgeon said this that there in the eyes of God you and I and even Before with when Abraham was justified by faith before God and in all the Saints They we come to the kingdom just the same way God looks upon us now.

These men may be holier and I'm sure they were much holier. But when it comes to justification It's all the same and you see God has no respecters of persons in that sense. Isn't that beautiful? God loves us all.

His children just the same.

There's a strong sound faith and what I love about this. I get emotional. You saw me this morning. I was holding back tears and I I mean it's it's part of me. But it's not based all that I believe is not based on my tears and my feelings it's not it's my will.

Now my toes have said this your emotions may show some love but it's it's not grounded in that. Now if I was grounded in my feelings, I'm gonna be stumbling and falling all over myself. I'd be up and down but it's grounded in the truth in the truth of God.

Now I may show emotions. Because I believe that's part of me. That's the way God made us. But I'm gonna tell you it's grounded on the truth. It's grounded in faith. Amen. Amen. There's a living faith.

But I want you to think of this. It's grounded on the knowledge of the truth and the understanding of the promises of God and I can say this. With everything within me Paul the Apostle says it is yes and amen.

And that's why Paul says let every man be liar and let God be true. I Think of this and we just went through celebrating the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. And if you read John chapter 1 This speaks about the word the word became flesh and in him was grace and he was full of grace and truth.

Full of grace and truth and it also says if you look at it. Are you later on you read in John chapter 3? He knows what's in man? Yeah, you see man's to pray man has fallen man is corrupt man is liars.

We need truth. Yeah, and here's Jesus comes and he presents himself as the truth. He's the meaning of all of it. Well, he's grounded in the truth. That's what James is talking about and James has a great deal to say about wisdom, by the way.

Don't you think of this? True God. God's wisdom. Paul the Apostle says this in 1st Corinthians who is our wisdom. Jesus Christ is our wisdom. But there is a wisdom That gives us that comes from God. That James is talking about in chapter 1 here in verse 5 and we see it also in chapter 3 verses 13 through 18 you have to turn there, but it's there as well.

The Jewish people were lovers of wisdom folks. They loved wisdom and and as the book of Proverbs gives evidence someone has said that I don't know who said this. But I found this in the commentary. It said that knowledge is the ability to take things apart, but wisdom is the ability to put put them together.

I think that's good. You know knowledge you could take and take it apart by detail, but wisdom you got to put it back together again. I like that. Yet wisdom is the right use of knowledge and by the way wisdom there's no there's there's no.

Let me put it this way wisdom is knowing how to make the right choices in life. And that's why Solomon asked that as the king of Israel before God and God was well pleased to give him wisdom. Because he knew he had to make the wisest of choices and I'm telling you if you look at Solomon.

This man had tremendous wisdom from God. God gave him that gift. Read the book of Proverbs read Ecclesiastes. It's incredible, but that's God's wisdom pouring through that man. It wasn't necessarily just Solomon's God's wisdom.

That's why it's inspired. It's not his words. It's maybe articulated in man's language, but it is the Word of God. Well all of us know people who are educated fools right they have brilliant academic records.

They're they're all puffed up in their knowledge. But they cannot make the simplest decisions in life. You see this everywhere and this is why the wise Solomon says in Proverbs 3 and I'm gonna quote this because it's one of my favorite verses and It stands as a a great verse to memorize for all Christians.

Chapter 3 verses 5 through 7 trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways. Acknowledge him and he will make your past straight that I love that. Don't you in all your do not be wise in your own eyes.

In other words He knocks pride right off its pedestal right there fear the Lord and turn away from evil. There's a decision right there with a fear God and by the way was what's the beginning of wisdom the fear of the Lord?

That's where wisdom starts. Starts right there is fearing God fearing God. There's wisdom heavenly wisdom, but the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. There is no wisdom in sin. That's why you see so many people going after sin.

They're blinded in sin. They're naturally they're doing what they is doing natural because they're Disobedient they're children of wrath the born that way as all of us were. And thank God the light comes the light comes through the gospel the light comes through the truth of God's Word.

And it's like let there be light and that's the power of God's Lord. Amen. Amen. Amen. Well, what is wisdom? What the wisdom is from above. James tells us how it looks like first. It's heavenly wisdom.

It's not earthly wisdom is from above godly wisdom. In verse 17 if you notice in verse 17, it's first. It's pure. It's absolutely holy it comes from God's a perfection then it's peaceable. It's gentle.

It's reasonable. See, it's reasonable. There's reason behind it. It's full of mercy. I love that. It's good full of good fruits and it's unwavering. It's unwavering without hypocrisy. That is the scriptures and and now here's a question for us as believers in Christ when you're going through a trial.

And going through afflictions and hardships and persecutions, you know, why do we need wisdom? Why wisdom? Why doesn't he pray? Why does he say ask of God for strength, you know, you need strength to go through it.

Well, that's true. Why not pray for grace you need God's favor to help us through it. Paul mentioned about his grace is sufficient for thee. Yes, I believe there's a time for praying for strength and grace.

I'm not to throw that out but specifically here and even deliverance. Lord deliver me from this. But no a lot of people that's going through trial. They won't ask for deliverance. They'll say well just give me the wisdom.

No, let me ask you why wisdom. This is what I put in my notes here. I personally believe this that we need wisdom and I got to thinking this is crucial. We need the wisdom from God above so we will not waste our opportunities Before us in this time that God has given and ordained in our lives.

That God gives us to in his providence to mature us and Make us more like his son Jesus. Let us not waste this. This time teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. Amen. See God.

That's what the the disciples that were persecuted for his name say they rejoiced because they said hey, this is coming my my lifetime. I'm purse. I'm being persecuted for the greatest man that ever lived the King of Kings the Lord of Lords.

They were rejoicing. They beat him on the on the back and they went away reach or they probably thought they were the world thought they were crazy. But they were rejoicing. Because they counted themselves worthy to be sufferers for his name's sake.

You see it's because God has ordained a trial in your life and my life and whatever he is ordained. What the trials are different, right? But whatever the degree of the trial God has ordained. So James says the goal the trials is that it may make that may that you and I may be matured complete not lacking nothing.

Not lacking anything. So if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask you God. So got the goal According to James is that we lack nothing. Spiritually, you see what I'm saying? It's not physically God is looking where does God look in the heart?

He doesn't see skin color he doesn't see that that's not the what God see. God sees the size of your soul.

He sees your heart.

But to turn test into maturity. The one thing you and I must not lack is wisdom. We must have God's wisdom in the trials. So God intends trials to produce endurance and maturity, but trials do not always lead to spiritual growth.

Now Wow pastor, why you say that. Because sometimes if you notice suffering can also create a sense of fear. You see this. It can happen to a child of God it can happen. You definitely see it in unbelievers life.

But there's fear. There's a despair and unfortunately a determination to look out for old number one it turn it can turn backwards a determination. To be selfish or even be angry toward God. I've heard people ask R .C. Sproul when he was living about being angry at God allowing Such hardships a loss of a baby or a family member and they asked R .C. Sproul.

Then he replied with a beautiful answer and he said he said my advice to you is repent repent. He said get on your face and repent. Because the way this person is looking at it is. They're resentful and angry toward God and we could we if we don't guard our hearts we could become this way as well when hardships and pain hits and saying Lord, why am I going through this pain and and you start saying why and.

Then it's almost like you're becoming deserving of mercy. That's the wrong perspective beloved. We all deserve hell. We all deserve wrath. We don't deserve to be here. Sproul even said we're deserving of nothing but but damnation.

And that is so biblical and that's true. Why does God save any of us? Because he's good. He didn't have to. So we're not obligated to receive to have mercy right, but we do deserve justice. See in the even in the abundance he talks about the rich later on in the abundance of things which also is a trial.

We'll look at that can lead to selfish indulgence. See all these things that say in Ecclesiastes. Solomon says God these things are gifts from God. But if we don't recognize the giver behind it these things become Idolatrous and once they become idolatry God hates idolatry.

We must recognize. We're the source of all these good things come from and it comes from our loving God. Every good and perfect gift comes from above.

You see.

We must realize that everything that God has given us in life our wives our husbands our children's and every good thing Is on loan to us from God and I'm gonna look at this. We're gonna look at this later.

Job understood that. Therefore James now says we need to ask God for wisdom. So we can gain from trials. That's how we gain from trials is ask wisdom not waste our opportunity that God gives us. So in James words, he says if any of you any of you listen closely.

Lacks wisdom. I like wisdom. I don't get on my face Lord. Give me wisdom. He should ask of God. Okay, I'm coming down and asking but he tells us how to ask in faith. God gives generously to all finding not.

Finding fault without finding fault. It will be given to him now. So James not only explains what to ask for which is wisdom. But he also describes to us how to ask. Isn't it beautiful that the Word of God is so specific and giving us Instruction.

I love what Keith brother Keith brings up all the time. It is our moral compass. Take away the compass. You're gonna be going in all kinds of directions. But it gives us where North is or South is where's East is West Northwest Southwest.

It tells us where to go and how to get there how to get to heaven. God's way on God's terms and nothing else. Well, he tells us how to ask and that we're to ask in faith and faith not wavering. Not to stagger at the promises of God.

I thought about this about Abraham how he did not stagger at the promises of God now. We know he had some failures before they didn't get to that that plateau of faith immediately. Did God had some lessons for him?

He lied in Egypt, right? You remember that? Yeah, he he failed remember and even what was still looking at the consequences today over there in the Middle East. But the consequences still about us because he chose a Hagar.

He he leaned on the arm of flesh. So you see that's encouraging to me. I don't know about you. But you know Abraham did not become he passed the test when he took his own son only son Isaac but before then God he failed some tests, but he learned from a beloved.

He learned from it and he became the father of our faith now. Let us break break this up for a second. Okay, let's look at the text. James encourages prayer and here's four. Successive successive get more words out phrases and in verse 5 verse 5 He says he says we should ask God first of all who gives God is a giving God.

Secondly God gives generously third to all. Forth without finding fault you see our good God. You see how good God is each element here that deserves our merits and our consideration first. Let's look at it.

James 1 5 literally reads that have asked the giving God. That's literally what the original translation says. Let him ask the giving God. That's the that's the literal reading. Yeah, don't you love that?

Let him ask the giving God. Yeah, it matches the final statement it will be given to him the old King James translation shall be given to him. James labels the Lord the giving God. God so loved the world that he gave His one and only son his only begotten son.

God loves a cheerful year because God is about giving. He gives and gives and gives. You see so many verses in Scripture it take me I mean Time and time again. No telling how many studies we can have if we just looked at how many times God gives and gives and gives.

And he constantly gives and he still gives out of his heart. Things we don't deserve we don't deserve. Well any and that's what he talks about we're gonna look at that. When God gives he always acts according to his nature and his character always that's the way God is.

Like it when God says he's love. He's love that's his nature. And when it says he's holy, that's his nature. That's his character. He's acting the way he always will be he never will change in that beloved throughout all eternity and that's what Moses says and in Chapter 90 of a song from everlasting to everlasting thou our God, you know what that means from vanishing point to vanishing point.

Other words infinity. It's infinite there's no limitations. There's no bounds. That's the way God is he never changes his love is. Is always like it is and has never changed. From the beginning of history to the end of history and from eternity to eternity.

Nothing's gonna change God on that. Well, that's the way is and what second James says God gives to all he gives generously to all and the word literally means simply Simplicity, I like that word. Simplicity simplicity is generous in this sense.

The simple gift is a pure gift. It is neither returns a favor previously given nor expects a favor in return beloved. There are no strings attached to it. God gives and he doesn't really expect anything in return.

But I tell you what to give you life would be a good gift. In other words God doesn't need you. He's self-sufficient, but to give back to him God's well-pleased. But you're not gonna earn no favor and no merit.

So no brownie points with God like that, right? But the simple gift neither pays back. That's what he's saying nor expects a payback. That is God's gifts do not become debts. So he delights in given it is his nature to give without calculating something in return.

Okay. Next the Lord gives to all he gives all that is he does not play favorites in his kingdom. We looked at that. There's no respecters of persons with God. God is a generous God and he gives to all his children.

Next fourth God gives without finding fault. Now I love this because what does it mean? It is possible even easy to do this to give and to add reproach to it. We do this at times we say well, yes, I can loan you some money.

But what happened to that money I gave you last month. I know I'm meddling. But anyway Yes, I will help you get ready for your trip. But watch out when that but comes. You should have started preparing two weeks ago.

That's reproach beloved that's reprimanding you see what I'm saying. God doesn't do that. In other words, God doesn't say With reproach which reproach is a part of this part of the form of a verb. It means to upbraid to severely reprimand.