Letter of James – Testing Creates Strength
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve Tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.
James 1:1 NIV
- Who was James?
- Brother of Jesus
- Did not believe until after the resurrection
- Head elder in the church at Jerusalem
- Strong and powerful who stood up for the under-privileged
And saw this as a means to make our faith real by our works.
- Who was this letter written to?
- Jewish Christians scattered abroad after the death of Stephen.
- It was written to Christians Jews and ultimately to those gentiles who became Christians. They were obviously struggling on their faith, tempted to turn away because of trials they were experiencing.
- Really written to anyone who is a believer.
What does the author tell the believers to do when in the midst of these troubles?
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4 NIV
Be joyful in the midst of the Trials no matter what that trial might be because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
The believer is strengthened by the power of testing so that in any given situation, like muscle memory our response is to consider it a joyful event.
Mark: How can I be joyful when I am in the middle of a divorce , or my spouse has left me, or I have been falsely accused , or someone is plotting against me but I cannot quite know for sure ? If God says to be joyful, accept the fact that it is possible. joy can be a response but it can also be but it is a proactive activity.
“Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
I Thessalonians 5:17-18 NIV
5 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people
1 Peter 2:15 ESV
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:15-20 NIV
What does the author tell the believers to do when they do not know what to do?
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
James 1:5-7 NIV
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