James 1:2-4

CHAPTER II

THE WAGES OF THE WISE

James 1:2-15

TRIALS PRODUCE STEADFASTNESS

Text 1:2-4

2.

Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations:

3.

Knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience.

4.

And let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.

Queries

7.

Is it really fun to be tempted? Should it be? In what sense would it be wrong to have pleasure in temptation?

8.

To the sincere Christian who hates both the thought and practice of sin, wherein is the joy?

9.

What is the real meaning of patience? Use a good Bible dictionary or commentary.. look it up!

10.

There is a progression of four qualities in these verses. The first of the four leads to the second, etc. What are the four, and the relationship between them?

11.

In what sense could a work be called a perfect work? (you might profit by looking up the word perfect in a Bible dictionary. Also look it up in an English dictionary and note how the word often has a different meaning today.)

12.

In the light of the possible good results of temptation herein described, why did Jesus, in describing the manner of our prayer, say: Lead us not into temptation?

13.

What ordinary part of an epistle is here omitted? (i.e., why do we classify this as a general epistle?)

Paraphrases

A. 2.

When you are subjected to the many kinds of temptations, my fellow Christians, look on it from the bright side, as if it were joy;

3.

for the result of the temptation that is resisted is that you have passed the test and are approved. This victorious testing results in in a bulldog tenacity.

4.

And, in order that you may become completed and accomplished, having everything worthwhile, continue to hang on like a bulldog and you will finish the course.

B. 2.

Dear brothers, is your life full of difficulties and temptations? They be happy.

3.

For when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow.

4.

So let it grow, and don-'t try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete.

Comment

Often the right use of affliction is of more value than the removal of that affliction. If God sees fit not to remove the affliction, then we can only count that the right use of the affliction must be of value. Thus, if out of some affliction we have only grief and sorrow, an occasion of sinning, a stumbling and faltering; but see no profit and no blessing, then, we must have been missing some opportunity. The opportunity may have been growth through resistance of sin; or it may yet be, as with Christ, preparation to have sympathy and compassion on others who have like sufferings; or it may be, as with Paul, the apostle, that we learn all the more to depend upon God's grace. To really know that God's grace is sufficient, might give us such an understanding of the grace of God as to make us far more effective teachers and workers for the Lord.

Intense pressure on common carbon makes diamonds. Likewise, the trial of one grace may produce another grace of even more value. While producing patience in you, God may be producing a diamond for this darkened world; and through the trial of your faith, He thus forms one of the most valuable jewels in His kingdom! God's ability to do the impossible, through the most unlikely subjects, is a continual and amazing demonstration of His grace in molding and making us. No wonder I am asked to look upon affliction as if it were nothing but joy!
God allows our faith to be tested with the expectation that we shall be approved when the test is completed. Proving here has that meaning. It is this successful trial of our faith that results in a bulldog tenacity to hang on. Patience is the concept of hanging on with a grip that will not let go. It is much more than long-suffering, and has no connection with a humble submission to any circumstance. Rather, it is the I-shall-not-be-moved attitude.

If we continue to hold out under all circumstances (literally, the word patience means to hold out under), without wavering, but hanging on unto the end, then, patience will have its complete (perfect) work. This will result in our gaining approval and being purified, as with a trial of fire. It will result in our gaining the crown of life. Its result will be that we shall gain every bit of the spiritual blessing and heavenly promise God has in store for us. Patience, then, can be said to be closely associated with our will. We choose to hang on. Without this continuous spirit of steadfastness, it is very unlikely that we shall finish the course, for both the temptations of the devil and the circumstances of this life are very much against the unstable man's continuing to the end without being led off course.

James is not in this section saying that temptation is good, nor that it is pleasure, but looking to the result of the successful trial, we look upon temptation as if it were joy. The temptation to sin should still be avoided and we should shun even its appearance. Satan will see to it, however, that we are not successful in our effort to shun every temptation. When it cannot be avoided, then, we should tenaciously hang on to Christ with a view to the end when He shall say to us, Well done. There are other kinds of sufferings we face that may not, necessarily, be temptations to sin. Yet, these too are temptations, by the very fact that our suffering is involved.

God has given us the promise that we shall not be tempted beyond our ability to resist. (1 Corinthians 10:13) Perhaps on the judgment day, we shall realize as never before that every sin we have committed is of our doing (James 1:13-14), and that we have absolutely no room for blaming God for even the circumstances that led us to sin. These very circumstances are God's efforts to make us grow and become approved, not to make us sin.