The Glory of His Grace

3. Ask for Wisdom. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God”(Jas. 1:5, NKJV). I used to believe that this promise is for me, when I take exams in school; or when I buy something; or who I should marry; or how to make money. But then I realized that it is not a promise for all believers at all times. It is a promise only to those believers in times of trials.

This verse is set against the context of trials and troubles of the believers during the time of James. And so James is saying that in times of trials and troubles, we need wisdom. We need not just wisdom of men, but wisdom from God.

When Randy, Mylene’s eldest brother, visited her in the hospital, he prayed, “Lord, thank you for giving wisdom and strength to Henry.” Then I thought to myself, that’s really what the Lord did. He gave me wisdom.

When the doctor announced on Monday that Mylene had aneurysm, I needed the wisdom of God. I had to decide whether to go for brain surgery or coiling procedure. The Lord guided me to decide on the coiling. Then I had to decide whether to wait for the doctor to come back from the States, or to get her into the operating table by Wednesday. I said, “Dr., I don’t have the money yet, but let’s go on with the operation on Wednesday.” And we did. On Wednesday, they saw that Mylene’s aneurysm was already leaking blood. It could have been worse.

The noun, “wisdom,” is from sophia—“Good judgment in the face of the demands made by human and specif. by the Christian life” (BAGD); “the capacity to understand and, as a result, to act wisely—‘to be prudent’” (Louw-Nida).

We need God’s wisdom on how to deal with difficult trials. We need God’s wisdom on how to learn lessons that God wants to teach in trials. We need God’s wisdom on how to overcome trials in life. If you lack this wisdom, James said, “ask God.”

2. Know the Result. Why should we count it all joy when we are in deep trouble? James said, “For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (Jas. 1:3, ESV). “Steadfastness” (ESV) or “patience” (NKJV) is from the Greek, hupomone, “patient endurance, steadfastness, perseverance” (Newman).

From the Diary of John Wesley:

Sunday, A.M., May 5 – Preached in St. Anne’s. Was asked not to come back anymore.

Sunday, P.M., May 5 – Preached in St. John’s. Deacons said “Get out and stay out.”

Sunday, A.M., May 12 – Preached in St. Jude’s. Can’t go back there, either.

Sunday, A.M., May 19 – Preached in St. Somebody Else’s. Deacons called special meeting and said I couldn’t return.

Sunday, P.M., May 19 – Preached on street. Kicked off street.

Sunday, A.M., May 26 – Preached in meadow. Chased out of meadow as bull was turned loose during service.

Sunday, A.M., June 2 – Preached out at the edge of town. Kicked off the highway.

Sunday, P.M., June 2 – Afternoon, preached in a pasture. Ten thousand people came out to hear me.

Trials bring two results—Perseverance and Power.[1] Perseverance in Christ is the product of genuine faith in Christ. The persevering faith is a genuine faith. Thus, the truly saved believer is the truly persevering believer.

The Power of God comes through trials. It is only in times of trials, that we can experience the grace of God the most.

Paul suffered from a difficult physical disease. He said that God allowed that sickness to stop him from becoming spiritually proud. Three times he asked God to remove it. But God did not remove the sickness. God said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9, ESV). Paul experienced the grace of God. The grace of God brings the power of God in your life. The favor of God brings the strength of God in times of weakness. That’s why Paul wrote, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10, NKJV).

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[1] James Merritt, “When Your Faith Goes on Trial,” http://www.sermonsearch.com. Accessed July, 2009.

 

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials” (Jas. 1:2, ESV).  The verb, “count” is from hegeomai—“think, consider, regard” (BAGD); “‘to hold a view’” (Louw-Nida). You might say, “Pastor, how can I be glad when I’m sad about these tensions in my life?” Well, that’s the point! To count is to hold a view—a glad view of things. Look at your trials, not sadly, but gladly.

One thing I’ve learned in life is that you may not control what happens to you. But you can control how you respond to it. And so, “Respond with joy!” God says, “Count it all joy!”

“Pastor, isn’t it weird that we’re supposed to be glad in times of trials?” Well, it may sound weird to moderns today, but that’s God’s prescription for enduring trials. And it works! Stop looking at your trials with sadness. Start looking at your trials with gladness.

The word, “joy,” is from chara—“gladness, happiness” (Newman); “cheerfulness” (Strong). Stop complaining over your trails, but rejoice in them. Count it all joy! That’s how you endure your trials.

Note that the verb, “count,” is a command. We are commanded to be joyful when trials fall on us. We are commanded to rejoice when tensions surround us. We are commanded to be glad when troubles encircle us.

In the Greek, it literally reads, “All joy count it” (πασαν χαραν ηγησασθε; pasan charan hegesasthe) “All” here is from pasan, “full, absolute, greatest” (Newman). It is an adjective, describing the noun, “joy.” “All joy” means a full joy, an absolute joy, and the greatest joy! James said, “all joy count it.” He did not say, “some joy” and “some sadness.” He said, “all joy.” He did not say, “little joy.” He said, “all joy.” He did not say, “incomplete joy.” He said, “all joy.” Brethren, count it all joy when you face various trials!

The Jewish Christians of James’ day suffered in poverty, persecution, and social pressure. The rich maltreated the poor (Jas. 2:6-7; 5:4-6). Many were landless. Taxes were high. Bad things were happening to these good and godly people. Why? First, as noted in our previous posts—to prove the genuineness of our faith, James says; second, to produce persevering faith; and third, to perfect our faith in Christ.

Previously, we looked into the Experience of Trials and the Explanation of Trials. In what follows, we study about the Endurance of Trials. How do you endure trials and tensions in life?

1. Count it all joy. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials” (Jas. 1:2, ESV). James’ note of joy does not begin in v. 2. He gives a joyful note in v. 1—“Greetings.” The word, “greetings,” there is from the verb, chairo—“to be cheerful, be glad, rejoice” (Strong). It is not a noun, but a verb. It is a present infinitive, lit., “to rejoice,” or “to be glad.” Even in the midst of trials and troubles and tensions, James greeted them with a greeting of joy.

While Mylene was in the hospital, somebody said that I always managed to keep a smiling face. I smiled perhaps because I’ve run out of tears. I’ve already cried and cried oftentimes alone.

One of my favorite prayers of all time is that of Francis of Assissi. I remember seeing his prayer framed on the wall of the sala of Dr. Jose Latorilla years ago.

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.  Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. Where there is sadness, joy. O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that we receive.  And it is in pardoning that we are pardoned.  And it is in dying, that we are born to eternal life.

We endure trials by facing it with joy. We can then become His instruments of joy to those who are in sadness.

3^rd, To Perfect Your Faith. “But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:4, NKJV). “Perfect” here is not sinless perfection. It doesn’t mean that you won’t sin anymore. “Perfect” here is from teleios—“perfectly, completely, altogether” (BAGD); “pertaining to that which is fully accomplished or finished—‘complete’” (Louw-Nida). “Complete” is from holokleros—“a qualitative term, with integrity, whole, complete, undamaged, intact, blameless” (BAGD). We use the words, “whole” to mean completeness or fullness; and “wholesome” as moral blamelessness and integrity. Perfection and completeness are word pictures for the growing faith of a maturing Christian. God is in the growing and completing business. His goal is to make you mature in Christ. And sometimes, He will allow trials and troubles to develop Christ-like character in your life.

An imperfect, incomplete, and immature faith is a faith that believes in blessing without suffering. It believes in the favor of God without the perfecting trials of God. It sees the divine plan as a road to problem-free living. Yet this kind of faith confuses the favor of God with pleasure; and the trials of God with punishment. No, God’s favor may include pain; and His trials are meant to shape you more than punish you. The aim is to produce Christ-likeness, making all things work together for good in your life (Rom. 8:28).

The incomplete faith draws a wrong picture of God and frames it in a limited picture frame, with borders of our own making. (We must beware, lest we draw God according to our own image, which is idolatry.) This immature faith would trust God because of what it can get from Him; rather than serve God because He is God, regardless. It would treat God as a heavenly waiter on demand—one obliged to give them what they expect Him to give, because after all, doesn’t God want the best for me? But the best of God includes only those things that will develop virtues of faith, hope, perseverance, and Christ-likeness in you. Paul wrote, “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Rom. 5:3-4, ESV). God develops this Christ-like character only when you undergo trials. Trials then are divine interruptions in the journey of spiritual wholeness.

Sufferings are also God’s way of saving us from our innate selfishness.^[1] Haven’t you noticed that believers who go through troubles come out less selfish than they have ever been? Selfishness interrupts wholeness. But suffering interrupts selfishness and starves it. Through sufferings, God removes the self-centeredness of our hearts. He replaces it with a growing and enduring faith and hope in Christ.

Somebody sent me a text message one day. It read:

Our life is like a pencil. 1)     Everything you do will always leave a mark. 2) You can always correct the mistakes you make. 3) What is important is what is inside you. 4) In life, you will undergo painful sharpenings which will make you a better pencil. 5) To be the best pencil you can be, you must allow yourself to be held and guided by the hand that holds you—God’s.

Trials perfect your faith. Troubles sharpen your character to make it more like Christ. They are part of growing spiritually mature in the Lord. It completes your Christian character. It accomplishes Christ-likeness in your life. It makes you whole and complete.

How then should we handle trials? The Bible says, “Count it all joy when you meet trials” (James 1:2, ESV). Paul says, “We rejoice in our sufferings” (Rom. 5:3, ESV). Did you get that? Count it all joy! Rejoice in your trials. How do you rejoice in trials? Know that it will make you persevere in Christ. It will make you steadfast in Christ. It is God’s way of burning the selfishness of your life and forming Christ’s character in you! It will prove that your faith in Christ is genuine. It will produce a growing faith and hope in Christ.

Maybe you say, “Pastor, I haven’t yet put my faith in Christ.” If so, I urge you to call on Christ today. He is just a prayer away. Ask Him to save you and forgive you your sin. Repent your sin and He will forgive you. He will come inside your heart and live there in you.

Permissions: You may copy/paste or distribute this post in part or in whole, provided that you acknowledge the name of the author and do not change the words or word order or charge a fee beyond the cost of copying or distributing.

Disclaimer:  Every quotation or thought is diligently footnoted, but nobody is perfect. If there is any original thought which I failed to footnote, please call my attention. Once validated, it will be corrected immediately.

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[1] Bruce K. Waltke, Genesis: A Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001), 216.

 

2^nd, To Produce Persevering Faith. “For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:3, ESV). Now the proving of your faith is not for God’s benefit. God knows about your faith already. The proving of your faith is for your benefit.[1] “Steadfastness” (ESV) or “patience” (NKJV) is from the Greek, hupomone—“endurance, fortitude, steadfastness, perseverance” (BAGD); “capacity to continue to bear up under difficult circumstances” (Louw-Nida). It means endurance under strong pressure.

Note the verb, “produces,” from katergazomai—“bring about, produce, create” (BAGD); “‘to accomplish, to perform successfully, to do thoroughly’” (Louw-Nida). This means that the testing of your faith in Christ produces patience and perseverance effectively and completely. The verb tense is present tense. The testing of your faith in Christ produces steadfastness in Christ continually.

Remember Job’s wife? I can imagine she must have been a great Sunday School teacher and a wonderful Bible study leader. She must have been a faithful wife to Job and a loving mother to her kids. But then one day, she lost all her young sons and daughters. One day, she lost all her money. One day, she saw Job covered with boils from head to foot. Trials and troubles and tragedy struck her like lightning! Then she said to Job, “Why do you keep on trusting God? Why not curse God and die?” (I have often wondered which trial is worse—losing your children or living with a wife who wants you to curse God and die.) She went through the worse trials. But she failed the test.

When you trust God and serve Him because things are good, you are serving Him for the wrong reason. “We are not to serve God because things are good, we are to serve God because God is good.”[2]

Listen! If your faith in Christ is lacking understanding, shallow, lacking depth in the Word, and merely emotional, then the testing of your faith will break you! But if your faith in Christ is genuine, the testing of your faith will build you in Christ! It will make you endure under pressure. It will make you steadfast and persevering in Christ.

Perseverance in Christ is but an outward confirmation of an inward affirmation of the Word in your heart. Your steadfastness in Christ is an outer picture of the inner reality of your eternal security in Christ. It is the product of genuine faith in Christ. The persevering faith is a genuine faith. Thus, the truly saved believer is the truly persevering believer.

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[1] James Merritt, “When Your Faith Goes on Trial,” http://www.sermonsearch.com. Accessed July, 2009.

[2] James Merritt, “When Your Faith Goes on Trial,” http://www.sermonsearch.com. Accessed July, 2009.

The Explanation of Trials.

1^st, To Prove Your Faith. “For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:3, ESV). The noun, “testing,” is from dokimion—“genuine, without alloy” (BAGD); “‘to try to determine the genuineness of, testing.’” (Louw-Nida). Peter uses the same word, dokimion, in 1 Pet. 1:7—“that the genuineness [dokimion] of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (NKJV). Trials prove whether your faith in Christ is genuine.

Remember the parable of the soil? (Matt. 18) There are 4 kinds of soil, representing 4 kinds of hearts. But of the 4, 3 kinds of hearts do not have genuine faith. One is the road side soil. When the seed of God’s Word fell on the road side, the birds came and took it. The roadside soil represents those hearts who hear the Gospel. But they don’t understand the Gospel. Satan, represented by the birds, soon comes and snatches it away from their hearts. Their faith was never genuine in the first place. Are you this kind of soil? I hope that when you hear the Word of God, you understand it by faith.

Another kind of soil is the rocky soil. When the seed of the Word fell on rocky soil, it grew immediately, for it had no depth of earth. But when the sun came up, the plant died. It had no roots, no depth in the soil. Many hear the Gospel and receive it emotionally “with joy” (Matt. 18:20, NKJV). Some cry, some laugh, some fall down. But it is not rooted deep in the soil. Having no roots, it endures for a little while. When troubles and persecution come because of the Word, they soon stop following Jesus. Their faith also is not genuine. Are you this kind of soil? I hope that when you hear the Gospel, it will take root in your heart. When trials and troubles come, a rooted faith continues to follow Jesus.

There is also the thorny soil. When the seed of the Word fell on thorny soil, it grew a little. But the thorns came. They choked the plant. It died. People today hear the Gospel. But the thorns grow around their hearts. The thorns represent the cares of this world and the love of money. Because they love this world and money more than Christ, they stop following Jesus.  Again, their faith is not genuine. Are you this kind of soil? You love money more than God.  You love the things of this world more than Christ. And you stop following Jesus.

Trials prove whether your faith in Christ is genuine or not. When you find yourself enduring in Christ when things go from bad to worse, then rejoice!! Rejoice because you know that that your faith in Him is true and growing!

With Mylene still in the hospital, I came out of the hospital one morning only to find my car missing. It was towed away the night before. I parked in the parking zone. But I didn’t know that it was a no overnight parking area. There was no signboard anywhere. I planned to enroll my daughter. But before that, I had to get my car. So I went to the impound area and got my CR/OR. Then I had to go downtown to the CITOM office to pay the fine. I had to pay P2,400 to the city, including towing fees and taxi. I paid it all, while my wife was in the hospital and while my 8-year old daughter was waiting for me at home, wondering where I was.

God never promises you a problem-free life. But when God gives you problems, He gives you problems equal to your strength, and strength equal to your problems. 1 Cor. 10:13 says, God “will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (NKJV). How then should we pray about problems? Phillips Brooks wrote, “Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! Do no pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for power equal to your tasks.”

Expect the best from God, but prepare for the worst from Satan also. A life of obeying God is no guarantee of a life of escaping trials. No less than God called Job, “a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from evil” (Job 1:8, WEB). But the next day, Job lost all his precious sons and daughters and all his possessions. Daniel prayed 3 times a day to God. But a life of prayer did not spare him from facing the lions.[1] Clearly, God favored both Job and Daniel; but He allowed Job to lose all his children and assets, and Daniel to face the lions. The favor of God may include the trials of God. God’s favor does not translate into a trouble-free life. But the favor of God still operates despite the trials of God.

Maybe you cannot understand why you’re experiencing more problems now that you are a believer. Don’t be surprised, but rejoice in it. “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy” (1 Pet. 4:12-13, NKJV). Sooner or later, every true believer will experience trials. This does not mean that God’s favor is no longer upon you. To the contrary, God’s favor covers you in times of trials. His strength is made perfect in weakness. It is when you are weak that you can experience the strength of God (2 Cor. 12:10). Realize this: every trial is an opportunity to experience divine strength and divine wisdom for that trial!

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[1] James Merritt, “When Your Faith Goes on Trial,” http://www.sermonsearch.com. Accessed July, 2009.

 

The Surrounding of Trials. James said, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials” (ESV). The verb, “meet” (ESV) or “fall” (NKJV) here is from peripipto, a compound of peri, “around,” and pipto, “to fall” (Strong); “to fall into something that is all around, i.e. be surrounded with” (Strong); literally, “to fall around (into the midst of), to fall among as in Lu 10:30 lêistais periepesen (he fell among robbers).”[1] It means, “encounter, fall into esp. misfortunes” (BAGD). The picture here is some trouble or problem that falls on you and surrounds you. It means, “to experience somewhat suddenly that which is difficult or bad.”[2] It carries the idea of a difficulty that suddenly falls on you. Have you experienced a sudden difficulty that falls on you?

When Mylene had transient amnesia in Manila, it came suddenly. It struck her out of nowhere. She forgot her flight back to Cebu on Wednesday night. She forgot that she withdrew P15,000 from her ATM, for her office bills.  She forgot where she slept Tuesday and Wednesday. She was missing in action. Her cell was unreachable for 3 days. Her amnesia surrounded her. And her whereabouts surrounded our minds.

As if that were not enough, she was diagnosed with aneurysm. She had a bulge in her blood vessel. It could burst anytime. When it bursts, most people either get paralyzed, comatose, or die suddenly. It was a trial that suddenly fell on us and surrounded us. She had to undergo angiogram and coiling procedure. The whole thing cost us P500, 000.00 ($ 10, 638.00).

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[1] Robertson, Word Pictures, Power Bible CD.

[2] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene A. Nida, eds., Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains, s. v. peripi¿ptw, Bible Windows CD.

The Sense of Trials. The plural noun, “trials” in James 1:2 is from peirasmos, “period or process of testing” (Newman). It is from the verb, peirazo, “to test, scrutinize, examine, prove” (Strong).

What were the tests and trials of these believers? Some had a temptation problem. They were being tempted to sin (Jas. 1:14). Some had a tongue problem. They were murdering others with their tongues, while praising God with them (Jas. 1:26; 3:5-6). Some had a catering problem. They were catering to the rich, while snubbing the poor (Jas. 2:1-6). Scholars say that most of these believers in James’ time were poor. Also, they had a doing problem. Some were hearing the Word, but not doing it (Jas. 1:22). Some had a sin problem. They were committing sin that caused their sickness (Jas. 5:15, 19-20).

James called these problems, trials “of various kinds” (James 1:2, ESV). “Various kinds” here is from poikilos—“diversified, manifold”;[1]or what A. T. Robertson calls, “many coloured.”[2] Probably the most colorful life full of trials is Paul’s. He experienced:

far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure (2 Cor. 11:23-27, ESV).

One wonders if Paul had “the favor of God,” given all these trials and tribulations. If “the favor of God” excludes these trials in Paul’s life, then he does not experience “God’s best” for him. But Paul asserts that God’s favor still rests on him, despite these fiery trials.

And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Cor. 12:9-10, NKJV).

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[1] Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 2nd ed., rev. F. Wilbur Gingrich and Frederick W. Danker, trans. William F. Arndt and F. Wilbur Gingrich (Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1979), s. v. poiki¿loij.

[2] A. T. Robertson, Robertson’s Word Pictures of the New Testament, Power Bible CD.