01. A Biblical Perspective on Trials

James 1:2-18 (part 1)

Introduction

Today, I begin a new sermon series on the epistle of James. Before we consider our first passage, I will provide some background information about the writer and the content of this book.

The author identifies himself in the opening verse: “1:1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.” Most agree that this “James” is the brother of Jesus. Although he expressed doubts about the Lord's claims while Jesus was still alive, James appears to have been converted after becoming an eyewitness to the Savior's resurrection (cf. John 7:5; 1 Cor. 15:7). As indicated in Acts 15, James was a prominent leader in the early Church. Paul refers to the same “James” as “the Lord's brother” in Gal. 1:19.

The dating of this epistle can be fixed between AD 44 and 49. In AD 44, a persecution involving those Jews which were scattered throughout the Empire began; they are the ones to whom this letter is addressed. The fact that James does not mention the Jerusalem Council, which occurred in AD 49, indicates that the epistle was written before that date. If this chronology is correct, it means that this letter is one of the earliest in the New Testament.

In terms of content, this book has a Jewish character and reference is frequently made to the Old Testament. Distinguishing elements include James' stress upon faith as it relates to trials and temptations, and as it relates to works in the Christian life which serve as evidences of genuine conversion.

As just noted, this letter is addressed to Jewish believers who were scattered throughout the Roman Empire and who were, in some cases, facing severe trials. James use of the phrase “to the twelve tribes” indicates his audience. He is writing to Jews who had believed in Jesus as their Messiah. It appears that these people were formerly associated with the Church in Jerusalem but were forced to flee following the death of Stephen when a persecution broke out against them.

This first sermon has to do with gaining a Biblical perspective on our trials in this life. In vv. 2-18, James talks about trials. First, he helps us understand the proper perspective on our trials by explaining their design. Second, James writes of discerning the purpose behind particular trials. Third, James distinguishes between trials which God ordains for us and the temptations to sin which arise from within us.

01. Gaining the Proper Perspective on Our Trials (vv. 2-4)

2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Most people, when preparing to write about the trials of this life, would not begin by saying: “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials”! By definition, trials are not pleasant experiences. Trials are… trials; they are times when we are pressed, times when we are strained and forced to endure extraordinary circumstances. Trials can cause us to fear, doubt, cry, worry and lose sleep. Trials interrupt the normal routine of life and can shatter our confidence and disturb our comfort. Trials hurt; they can be emotionally costly; they can cause everything else in life to come to a grinding halt.

So, how in the world do you do what James does in v. 2? As a pastor writing to people who are presently dispersed in strange places, presently suffering far from their homes, how do you tell them to rejoice even though you know they are in miserable, dangerous and frightening circumstances? How could he expect these believers to maintain a joyful countenance when they were being persecuted and when they were seeing friends and loved ones abused, and when they knew that returning home was an impossibility? What is joyful about that? How can such counsel be given to people whose entire existence has been turned upside down?

What kind of counsel would you give? What advice would you offer? James says “count it all joy, my brethren.” The difference between the counsel we might give and that which James gives is an understanding of the nature of trials. Notice what follows that first exhortation: “knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” (v. 3) It is knowledge or understanding of the nature of trials which permits the believer to face them and remain joyful. Perspective is the key, as it is in so many areas of our Christian experience. Trials “test” our faith. That is, they serve to demonstrate the quality of our faith.

The word translated “endurance” (hupomone) refers to a basic attitude or frame of mind, one which could be described as “patience” or “steadfastness.” In this case, James means having patience through or during a trial, so the translation “endurance” is good; the translation “perseverance” would be acceptable, too. Remember that James is writing to people in seriously threatening situations; yet, he tells them to be joyful and he tells them how they can be joyful: “know that your trial-the testing of your faith-has a design and the design is your endurance or perseverance in the faith.” This is a good thing and this perspective on trials is essential to a believer's peace of mind. Immediately, therefore, James teaches us that trials are not designed to destroy us, but to strengthen us; they are not given by God to see if He can make us fall, but are sent by God to train us to stand tall and firm.

Knowing what trials are designed to do makes us eager to let them accomplish their work in us. Knowing that trials actually purify faith, James adds: “Let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (v. 4) If trials do have the result described by James, then, by all means, the believer is going to want the full benefit of such testing. Trials will, in time, James teaches, make us “perfect and complete” so that we are “lacking in nothing.” The idea behind those two words, “perfect and complete,” is that of a process coming to an end after it has accomplished what it was designed to accomplish. Trials come to us periodically to advance our maturity with the goal of a whole and fully developed faith at some point in the future. Considered in this light, trials are more than helpful, they are necessary. It is only through trials that this maturing process can take place.

This is the perspective which James is teaching. If we put together all of the information which James supplies, then we can return to that first statement and understand how and why he says: “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials.” The testing of our faith is necessary, beneficial and completely desirable-if we truly want to advance in Christ. We are imperfect people living in this world. If we are to grow, then we must face that which causes maturity and, knowing the outcome, we can be honestly joyful and thankful.

02. Discerning the Purpose of Our Trials (vv. 5-11)

5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 9 But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; 10 and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.

This second point is taught in vv. 5-8 with an illustration following in vv. 9-11. The key to understanding these verses is remembering the context. Prior to this passage, James is talking about trials. Following this passage, the same general topic continues as he explains the difference between trials and temptations. Verses 5-11 must be interpreted as having to do with this prevailing theme. Therefore, when James writes “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God…,” he still is thinking in reference to the trials being experienced by these believers. He just explained the proper perspective on trial-they are designed to strengthen and mature us in the faith.

It seems clear, then, that v. 5 is written as instruction regarding the particular trials which believers experience. James is saying that if you do not understand why a trial has come upon you, you should pray and ask God for the wisdom to discern the purpose. God will give wisdom to the believer who is being tested so that he might understand the purpose of a particular trial and, therefore, benefit from it more quickly and endure it more gladly.

I look at v. 5 as a marvelous promise from God. However, I think very few Christians are aware of the meaning of this verse. Most interpret vv. 5 ff. apart from the context. But, if taken in context, the “wisdom” promised must have something to do with the trials we endure. James instructs his readers to pray to God and ask for understanding of their trials so that they will be able to see the goal which is being accomplished by their suffering. And this exhortation is accompanied by the promise that: “God gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” God does not desire to hide from you His purpose in testing you. The purpose of a trial, remember, is the refinement of your faith. How can you be strengthened and caused to grow if you don't even understand what God is doing or why He is doing it?

Having discernment regarding our trials is a tremendously comforting gift from God. Having discernment helps us fight against despair. When we can see the end for which a trial has come, when we can understand what it is about our faith which needs refinement, then we can be thankful for trials, as James implied in the previous section. Nevertheless, as I said before, I'm convinced that very few Christians avail themselves of this promise in God's word. Most believers, when passing through some trial, never think to pray and ask God to reveal to them what He is accomplishing. We just tell ourselves that we must accept whatever comes and in this way, we behave like fatalists. The fatalist resigns himself to endure whatever comes along, never looking for an explanation. But God is a Being with purposes, so His children should readily seek to understand why He has ordained them to suffer. 

Notice the important qualifier added by James: “But he must ask in faith without doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.” (v. 6) It does you no good, in other words, to ask God for wisdom regarding your trials if you don't really believe He will give you that wisdom. James says that you must ask “in faith,” that is, in the belief that God will do what is promised in v. 5. If you do not ask “in faith,” James warns, you are going to be tossed about like the surf of the sea. He means that you will be an unstable person and you will never know for sure whether you have properly discerned the purpose of your trial or not. One day, when you are feeling confident, you might assume you have rightly discerned the Lord's will. The next day, because you doubt His willingness to help in this regard, you might have a totally different apprehension of your situation. So, there you go, tossed this way and that, subject to the leading of an unpredictable conviction.

James describes such a man. He should expect nothing from the Lord because he is “a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (vv. 7, 8) The word translated “double-minded” means just that-“having two minds.” And the term rendered “unstable” means “restless” or “fickle.” Without faith in God's willingness to give wisdom, as James describes in v. 5, the man who is passing through a trial is going to be most unsettled. One moment, he may think that he has discerned the purpose of his trial, but the next, he may be convinced that he has no real understanding. He believes God and he does not believe God. He accepts God's promise to give discernment, but he doesn't really accept God's promise. His double-mindedness only ends up adding to the severity of his trial. He becomes a spiritual and emotional wreck, which only makes matters worse for him and all those around him.

As I stated, what follows in vv. 9-11 is an illustration of what James has just written. We'll return to this point next week, Lord willing, and see how James offers a practical application of his teaching to two different circumstances. Then, we will continue with vv. 12 ff. where James explains the difference between trials, which refine our faith, and temptations, which arise from our flesh.

Conclusion

I'll close with a few words of application based upon what James has said thus far. The first point had to do with gaining a proper perspective on our trials. With such a proper perspective and only with such a proper perspective, we can do what James says; we can “consider it all joy” when we encounter various trials. It's worth noting that the joy we can experience covers “various trials,” that is, whatever kind of trial we happen to face can be met with joy if we have the proper perspective. That perspective on your trials which will allow you to endure and grow in the faith has to do with knowing what trials are designed to do. Trials mature you, trials increase your comprehension of God and His ways, trials lead you to a more reliable understanding of life.

In 1970, my father was in a hospital in Durham, NC, due to kidney failure. He was in very serious condition when, about 5:30 PM one evening, we got a call telling us to come to the hospital because the doctors did not expect my father to live through the night. We were about five hours away, but we immediately got in the car and made the journey. It was on the night, while he was alone in the hospital room, that my father was converted. For the next fifteen years, he endured a harsh existence, one which was physically and emotionally devastating. I won't go into detail, but I will say that much of his life for those fifteen years was spent on a kidney dialysis machine-three times a week for six hours at a time. Naturally this affected our entire family; we were forever altered as a result of this circumstance which God ordained for my father.

It was just days after his death in 1985 that I had an opportunity to look at the Bible he had carried for all those years; I did this in preparation for the sermon I was to preach at his funeral. In the notes he had written in the front, back and margins of that Bible, I discovered that my father had a deep, strong and stable faith. I had known he was a believer during those years, but I had no idea just how closely he walked with the Lord and just how clearly he understood the trial God had ordained for him. My immediate reaction was one of aching regret that I had not spent more time learning from him what it meant to be a submissive Christian. It was so clear that he had a perspective on life which comes only with a prolonged testing.

The one recurring theme in his Bible notes was this idea which James explains-my father fully accepted his trial because he was convinced that it was for his own good and the good of others. At one point he wrote that he would not go back and avoid the trial even if he could because of all the good that had come out of it. In note after note, he praised the Lord for his suffering-and it was intense-because he believed that it was God's will and that his growth in the faith would bring honor to the Lord.

I learned more about the proper perspective on trials by reading those little notes in my father's Bible than I had ever learned before on my own. I saw an acceptance of God's will, not a reluctant acceptance, but a willing and grateful acceptance based on the design of God's trials. This is what James is talking about. By keeping in mind that trials are designed for all of these good goals, and more, you can be joyful-not celebratory, but joyful. Joy in the Christian life is not the same thing as celebration. Joy in the Christian life is that inner satisfaction we have when we know that God is in control and when we realize that He truly does have our good in mind as He ordains our circumstances. So, we don't celebrate and have a party in the midst of our trials, but we do have joy. Trials prove that God loves us and that He is preparing us for heaven.

Do your best to evaluate your trials in light of what James teaches here. If you don't, then you are going to compound your woe when you do pass through some difficult circumstance. And, let me add, that as we age as a congregation, we are going to face more trials-trials related to our health and trials related to our family as our children grow up. For most of us, now is the time to learn the lesson James taught to those first century believers who were facing such harsh circumstances, namely, that the testing of our faith produces perseverance and perseverance leads to our maturity in Christ.

Now is the time also to learn the second lesson taught by James, which had to do with discerning the purpose of particular tests which you face in this life. We have this marvelous promise from God. He tells us to “ask in faith” for wisdom when we are undergoing a trial; He promises to give us wisdom and discernment so that we might see the purpose of our testing at that particular time in our lives. We need to understand that this brings great stability to our lives. When we can see why a trial has come, when we can discern the goal of a trial, then it makes it so much easier to endure.

A number of years ago, I was in the middle of some trying situation. I don't even remember exactly what the issue was at this point, but I do remember that I was totally absorbed in it and the trial was causing me a great amount of anguish. It was at that time that I came upon this passage in James and read it in a manner which I had never employed before. I saw v. 5 and for the first time in my life, the verse made sense in context. Therefore, I did exactly what James advises and I began to pray for discernment. I asked God to give me an understanding regarding my situation. I wanted to know what outcome was intended by my trial.

One night, while I was sleeping, I woke up suddenly with a clear illustration of my trial in my head. At that very moment-and, as I recall, it was in the middle of the night-the purpose of my present trial became crystal clear. I remember thinking, “Now I understand exactly what is going on and why.” What happened was not a direct revelation of any kind, it was only God answering my prayer and allowing my mind to discern His purposes and the knowledge happened to come to my consciousness at that particular moment-no doubt because, even while I slept, my soul was greatly troubled.

I can tell you that I was so relieved, not because the trial was over, but because I understood why it was happening and I understood what was being accomplished by it. That was a definite turning point in my understanding of how to react to trials-that one in particular and every serious trial since. I now pray not just for the grace to endure, but for an understanding or discernment of why the Lord has ordained the circumstance.

We have this promise in Scripture: “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” We should make use of this promise. When you are tested, when your faith is being refined, pray and ask God for wisdom so that you might understand what is being accomplished. Imagine how much better that is than sitting around wondering and fretting, which only adds to your anxiety.