Steadfast in Trials
James 1:1-12
Main Idea: Christians can joyfully endure hardships by looking beyond their trials with a gospel perspective.
I. Trials & Joy (1:1-4)
To “count it all joy” in the face of trials (of various kinds) means to adopt a mental posture that fights to see hardships as an opportunity for growth in the gospel.
We can have joy in the face of trials by looking beyond the trial itself, while recognizing two things:
1. Trials test & refine our faith
1 Peter 1:6–7: In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
“You don’t really know Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.” ~ Tim Keller
2. Trials form Christ-like character within us
2 Corinthians 4:16: So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.
II. Trials & Wisdom (1:5-8)
In order to approach trials with joy, we must have wisdom. James invites us to pray for wisdom by reminding us of God’s character and nature:
God gives generously
God gives to all
God gives without finding fault (“without reproach”)
To ask without “doubting” is to ask without being “double-minded” or having split loyalties; we can’t ask for wisdom from God while also looking for worldly wisdom. This leads to “instability” and being tossed to & fro like a wave in the ocean.
“I used to think the waves came from far away, making a journey from a distant land. When I got older, I found out that’s of course, not what happens. Waves are what happens when wind and tide take hold of the waters that are there all the time and make them dance to their tune. The waves seem to have character and energy of their own, but they don’t. They are the products of other forces upon them. The challenge of faith is the challenge to not be a wave.” ~ N.T. Wright
III. Trials & Eternal Perspective (1:9-12)
“One of the subtlest hindrances to prayer is probably the most pervasive. In the broader culture and in our churches, we prize intellect, competency, and wealth. Because we can do life without God, praying seems nice but unnecessary. Money can do what prayer does, and it is quicker and less time-consuming. Our trust in ourselves and in our talents makes us structurally independent of God. As a result, exhortations to pray don’t stick.” ~ Paul Miller
The gospel prevents our socio-economic status from being the primary factor in how we handle trials:
The poor (“lowly”) are not to fall into the trap of assuming better status will solve all of their problems, but instead boast in their “exalted” position in Christ
The rich are not to trust in their riches but instead boast in their “humiliation” in Christ; they have been saved by grace & mercy, not their own accomplishments
James is trying to move us from verse 2 to verse 12; in order to joyfully endure in trials, God’s people must look to the “crown of life” that is promised because of the finished work of Christ on our behalf.
“Jesus lost all his glory so that we could be clothed in it. He was shut out so we could get access. He was bound, nailed, so that we could be free. He was cast out so we could approach. And Jesus took away the only kind of suffering that can really destroy you: that is being cast away from God. He took that so that now all suffering that comes into your life will only make you great… Jesus Christ suffered, not so that we would never suffer but so that when we suffer we would be like him. His suffering led to glory… And if you know that glory is coming, you can handle suffering too.” ~ Tim Keller
