Trials and Maturity (James 1:2-18 Study of James- Part 2)

Trials and Maturity (James 1:2-18 Study of James- Part 2)

“Blessed is a man who endures trials, because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that He has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12)

In the Christian faith we will face many trials, it’s going to be hard and many end up walking away from the faith, which is not the best thing to do in the Christian faith. The bible tells us to have joy when we face trails in life and to enjoy it, we are blessed when we face it.“² consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

What is Endurance?

• It means to be able to hold on and to go throw it, not to fall and never get back up, but that when you fall, you get back up and be straighten. To be-able to endure throw the storms of life and hold on to Jesus Christ. See how it says,“must do its complete work”. God didn’t put us in the storm for nothing, it’s there for us to grow stronger (…mature and complete, lacking nothing…).

Example: Finding a Job. God can have us wait for 2 years, but it help’s us grow in patience.

This is a great example of how the christian faith isn’t a walk in the park, as a lot of teachers claim it to be. I know persecution (suffering trail; Many believers face) is not a walk in the park, maybe in USA it is, but not in other places in the world.

Now understand this, every believer goes throw the storm. It’s a testing of their faith. To know if they truly are saved. If they fall away then they never had been saved, but for them to endure in the storm, trusting God in the mist, then they are saved. Storms are put in our live to help us grow stronger with God. Unbelievers fall in the storm, because they don’t know God. (Judge yourself, and don’t judge other people. One of my pastors is an baptist, and he says always, we aren’t to judge other people’s lives or say rather or not their going to hell. I agree, but we sure can judge our-self’s or our own personal life, to make sure we are standing right with God.)

Asking for Wisdom

In our walk with the Lord, we can ask for anything, but in the period we face trails, we are to ask for wisdom. God will give it to us, if we ask, and not doubt, the wisdom of our God last forever, and we will see the world in new ways, but not like this world, its wisdom is like life, it will die out and be no more.⁵ “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should askGod, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind.  ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  ⁸ An indecisive man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:5-7)

Why ask for wisdom? Why not ask God to get me out of the storm? Think about that. Many people would be on their knee’s asking God, “Get me out of this storm God”. But we should be asking God, “Give me wisdom in this storm”. Out of the experience of the storm we grow.

Example: I personally have an awesome testimony about this. I’ve been looking for a job for 2 years, he (God) then gave one to me starting part time. I needed full-time. God only provided a part-time job that I work all day Saturday and Sunday. I miss church and that really made me sad, would cry out to God, “’Why!’?”. After 6 month’s of having this job, and trying to do everything I could to get another job or start a business. Finally, nothing was working, I just said, “Know what I’m going to just humble myself and clean bathroom’s the rest of my life and accept part time and the min. wage amount. God will provide for me, I will trust in him.”. I emailed my boss and asked for Monday to Friday to work in the pool, this coming summer, in 2013. He never email me back, so I prayed over and over. “God please give me max part-time hour’s in the pool that I can receive.”. I went Saturday, boss checking his email and then I walked around to clean something, but he looked at me and said, “Hey, yeah, your going to get hour’s this summer in the pool.” I thought, “Oh like last time, here and there hour’s”. I was great-full, thought awesome and also was sad inside, was hoping for more hours, but I was still looking at him, and then he said, “40 hour’s a week this summer in the pool.”. I didn’t want to look surprised, but I said, “Thank You, that is going to help me out a lot.”. I was asking God for max part-time hour’s to humble myself and God made it where this summer, I’m getting the max of full time hours.

• I told my own testimony to help you see that in the storm/trails. Pray, and be faithful to God. Know that he is there and trust in him. Also, I grew, even though I got that full-time job, I’ll still be thankful even if God gives me a part-time job after that full time job is done. We have an faithful God, so stay faithful to him, he’ll help you grow and he’ll do amazing thing’s that will surprise you. Never thought I’ll ever hear a manager say I’m getting 40 hour’s.

No matter where you are, behave where you are at in life. You’re blessed to be poor or rich. Pastor or preacher, what or where ever you are to be happy, and enjoy it.⁹ The brother of humble circumstances should boast in his exaltation; 10 but the one who is rich should boast in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a flower of the field. ¹¹ For the sun rises with its scorching heat and dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and its beautiful appearance is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will wither away while pursuing his activities.(James 1:9-11)

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Explaining more on Verses 9-11

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This is a fact, money is not something you want to run after. It can become your own God. Says the rich should be humble. “Rich should boast in his humiliation”. Why though? Boast means happy. Should be happy. Rich people seem to think highly of themselves and that will cause them to get sent to hell, but if they fall in their way’s or humble themselves then they would find Jesus and be saved, that’s why they should be happy.

Story: When I was trying to make money and save it. It took hold of me and money become my God for while, until I fixed myself and God got hold of me.

When Money get’s involved, then people need to be-careful, it can eat them alive. Step by step closer to hell. Be-careful.

Now, “The brother of humble circumstances should boast in his exaltation”. Why though? This is a blessing. God’s word promise us that if we humble ourselves, then God will exalt us.

Example: When I came to Christ. I humbly bowed my face down and deny myself with my knee’s bent over on my bedside. Then God told me to go preach this gospel. That minute, without me knowing until about 6 months later, he placed me firmly at the top of an ministry. Where pastor’s of churches stand, I was even above them. President and Founder of an unregistered ministry called Only Way Ministry. Because I humbly gave it all to God, he exalt me.

We are also reminded that we should by every effort to live lives that are humble, as humble as Christ, not because we are called to, but because rich or poor, we will show the world Christ in our daily lives. Not to only Pastors and Teacher, but to you students as well. To the church, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:2

Temptation

In trials, we will have to face the devil every time. The devil is out to kill our relationship with the Lord Jesus. He will come and try to get us to fall in his steps. This is called being tempted. He’ll say that we should do one thing or the easy thing, and not the Godly thing. He’ll tell us something, like, “your forgiven so sin; God will forgive you like he promise”. Don’t listen to that type of talk, if we sin because we think God will forgive us, we’ll fool’s. Were called to repent. The devil knows the word of God better than us. Most the time temptation come’s because of our own self, not from God, never from God, but the devil uses our evilness to tempt us. That’s why we are called to get rid of our evil with in. I see Christians going to school to become things that have nothing to do with preaching the Good News, see that’s a temptation. Many Christians want to make sure their own life is set, and then their go help others in need, that’s not how it works. Our evil desire’s, is that, which helps our self’s. We are called to deny ourselves. It’s sin to go our way. Stop what you’re doing and follow God‘s steps, or don’t call yourself Christian. ¹³“No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God.” For God is not tempted by evil, and He Himself doesn’t tempt anyone.  ¹⁴ But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires.  ¹⁵ Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.” (James 1:13-15)

Most of you may say, I need to go do this or that to help my family pay bills or something to that. I personally know people that had no job for 3 months and God gave them their food and water daily, as the bible promised. Trust in the Lord, with all you have and are. He chose and made us and has everything under-control, don’t worry about anything.¹⁶ “Don’t be deceived, my dearly loved brothers. ¹⁷ Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning. ¹⁸ By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the first fruits of His creatures.” (James 1:16-18)

Salvation is Given, not Gain

We are chosen, for it says, “By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth”.I want make it clear that there is nothing that can keep you from going to hell, if you truly are in a relationship with God though Jesus Christ. But we need to stay faithful to God.