THE PERFECTING PURPOSE OF TRIALS

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on March 20, 2024 under AM Bible Study |

AM Bible Study Group: March 20, 2024 from James 1:1-4

Theme: We’ll experience joy in our trials if we remember God’s perfecting purpose in them.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

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This morning, we begin a study of the New Testament epistle of James. And it would honestly be hard to find a book of the New Testament that’s more practical than this one. In fact, it can rightly be thought of as the Bible’s own ‘counseling manual’ for the follower of Jesus. It’s a book that teaches us how to put our faith in Jesus into daily action in life’s daily circumstances.

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Let’s begin by considering the place that this little book has in the New Testament. It’s often associated with some other books, such as 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2, and 3 John, and the tiny book of Jude. Together, these New Testament letters are called ‘catholic’ epistles—not ‘Catholic’ with a capital ‘C’, of course, but rather in the truest sense of the Greek word katholou—which means ‘completely’ or ‘universally’. The Book of James is among those books of the New Testament that were not written to a specific church or a specific person, but were written instead for the benefit of the church ‘universally’.

And then, let’s consider the introduction of the book itself. James 1:1 reads as follows;

James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad:
Greetings (James 1:1).

Look at who we’re told that this letter is from. In the original language, the writer’s name is Iakōbos, which is a Greek form of the name ‘Jacob’. But over time, it came to be put in the English form ‘James’. And there are three persons in the New Testament who went by that name that could possibly have been the author of this letter One would be the disciple James the Less; but it’s not considered likely that he would have written this ‘universal’ letter. Another would be James the brother of John the apostle—the two sons of Zebedee. But since James of Zebedee was martyred early in the story of the Book of Acts (Acts 12:2), it’s not likely that he would have been the author. The only remaining ‘James’ that would have been the likely author is the ‘James’ who was the half-brother of our Lord (see Matthew 13:55); being one of the actual biological sons of Joseph through Mary.

And consider what a remarkable thing it is that the half-brother of our Lord wrote this book. The author of this little letter introduces himself as “a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ”. Do you have a brother? If so, is it likely that you would call yourself his ‘bondservant’? Not a chance! And it’s even less likely that you would call a half-brother your ‘Lord’. But this man James both called himself the ‘bondservant’ of his half-brother, and also called him ‘Lord’.

The Bible tells us, in John 7:5, that James—along with his other brothers—didn’t believe in Jesus during His earthly ministry. But after our Lord’s resurrection, we see a startling transformation in James—along with the other half-brothers. They were found worshiping with the gathered believers in Acts 1:14. Then, we find James in a position of leadership over the church in Jerusalem in Acts 12:17. In Acts 15:13-21, James appears to be in the position of lead pastor over the church—having the authority to issue a final and formal decision about a profoundly important issue of doctrine. In Galatians 2:9, we find that Paul submitted himself to James for examination of his teaching and ministry. What had happened to transform James so much? The apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:7, after the resurrected Lord showed Himself alive to many,

After that He was seen by James … (1 Corinthians 15:7).

The resurrection had transformed James from a skeptic into a disciple. In fact, he became the lead elder of the very first Christian church in history—the church in Jerusalem. What an amazing story it is that led him to write this important New Testament letter to the church at large! Its author would be able to testify that faith in Jesus Christ is valid and reliable!

Then, consider to whom it was that the letter was written. James said that it’s “To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad …” The ‘twelve tribes’ would indicate that it was written primarily to Jewish believers; and this may be because the letter is considered to be the first of the New Testament letters to have been written—most likely between 45 to 50 A.D. At that point in the history of the church, followers of Jesus would have been almost exclusively Jewish. In that sense, this little letter shares something in common with the New Testament books of Hebrews and 1 and 2 Peter; in that they were also written for Jewish Christians.

But notice also that they were called the twelve tribes “which are scattered abroad”. In the original language, they are called “the twelve tribes of the diaspora”, or “the dispersion” (see also 1 Peter 1:1). This is because James was writing to Jewish Christians that had been scattered from Jerusalem—and perhaps from their homeland—because of persecution. This dispersion may be the one described for us in Acts 1:8; where Jesus said that His followers would be His witnesses “in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth”. And it may have been brought about by the persecution that’s described in Acts 8:1; where we’re told,

At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles (Acts 8:1).

So then; this letter was written to followers of Jesus who were undergoing great trials and difficulties in this world. They may have suffered the loss of their homes, and their businesses, and their family relationships. Some of them may have even suffered physical violence for their faith—making it necessary for them to flee. Their pastor, James, wanted to make sure that—while they were away from his direct care—they still knew how to live out the implications of their faith in a practical way. And so, he wrote this ‘universal’ letter to them. And with that in mind, note that his first word to them was “Greetings”—a word that means “Joy!”

And finally, consider the content of this letter. It’s not like one of the carefully outlined and systematically organized letters of the apostle Paul. The Book of James is a notoriously difficult letter to outline; because one topic of instruction seems to flow to another. It’s probably best to see it as something like a string of beads—with one ‘bead’ leading to another, but all held together by a single string. And that single string is the unifying principle of ‘a faith that works out in action’. It is possible though—in a very general way—to organize this book by the main themes we detect in each chapter:

‘FAITH THAT WORKS OUT IN ACTION’

with respect to

WISDOM (Chapter 1)

WORKS (Chapter 2)

WORDS (Chapter 3)

WORLD (Chapter 4)

WAITING (Chapter 5)

The key idea of this book might be best drawn from James 1:22; where we’re told,

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only … (James 1:22a).

The New Testament Book of James has a great deal in common with the Old Testament Book of Proverbs. It, too, deals with singular statements of instruction for godly and wise living, and truly is the ‘Christian counseling manual’ of the New Testament. Following its instruction to us will truly lead to joy—even in the midst of the troubles of this world.

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So; let’s jump right in with the first of these singular instructions on practical Christian living. We find it in verses 2-4; where we read;

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing (1:2-4).

Pastor James was wanting to exhort his brethren to live with genuine faith in Jesus in the midst of the things that they were suffering. And this would require that they do three things in response to their faith in Jesus when in trials: (1) embrace a particular attitude toward them, (2) know something to be true about them, and (3) allow something to be done by them.

First, notice that we’re to …

1. EMBRACE A PARTICULAR ATTITUDE TOWARD OUR TRIALS (v. 2).

In verse 2, James wrote, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials …” And note that he begins by calling his readers ‘brethren’ (which, of course, would have also included his ‘sister-ren’ too). James shared a common sense of affinity with these suffering believers—not only because of their common kinship as Jews, but also because of their unity together in Jesus Christ. In giving the instructions he gives to them, he wasn’t talking down to them, but rather was giving instruction to them as one with them. James was a very good pastor.

But imagine how shocking his words of instruction would have been to them. He told them “count it all joy when you fall into various trials”. The word “count” means “to lead the way” or “take the lead” in something. And here, the idea is to take rule over their attitude regarding their circumstances by reckoning them or considering them to be “joy”. In fact, in the original language, the phrase “all joy” is put first for emphasis.

And what’s more, he says that we’re to do this whenever we “fall” into “various trials”. We cannot control the circumstances of life. And that’s why when trials come upon us, we seem to “fall into” them. They come upon us unexpectedly—and in all shapes and sizes. But rather than be caught off guard by the appearance of such trials or frustrated by them, James encouraged his brothers and sisters to take the initiative and consider the coming of those trials to be “all joy”—which may mean either that all such circumstances are to be considered “joy” without exception, or that each such circumstance is to be considered “joy” all the way through and through.

Now; that’s the attitude we’re to embrace with regard to trials when they come upon us. But on a strictly human level, that would almost sound like crazy talk. Only someone who was extremely cynical—or perhaps out of their mind—would say, “Oh joy! Look! Another trial! I’m so happy!” But it’s important to understand that James was not saying that we should rejoice in any trial as a thing in and of itself. Rather, we’re to rejoice in what God is doing through it.

That leads us next to …

2. KNOW SOMETHING TO BE TRUE ABOUT OUR TRIALS (v. 3).

In verse 3, he went on to write that we’re to count it all joy when we fall into various trials, “knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience …” There’s a theological basis for considering the coming of trials to be “all joy”. We’re to “know” something from God’s perspective about our trials—and that is that they have a divine intentionality and purposefulness to them. God uses them to test our faith … and thus, by that testing, to produce patience in us.

Now; other passages of the Bible help us to understand this process. First, we should know that God our Father has a glorious plan for us; and that He sovereignly brings all things under His control for the accomplishing of that plan. As the apostle Paul put it in Romans 8:28-30;

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified (Romans 8:28-30).

When Paul wrote those words, he assumed that “we know” this. And then, for that reason, we should also know that no trial can ever come upon us that is—somehow—outside of God’s sovereign control or somehow outside of His purposeful plan for us. He is sovereign over our trials; and He will only allow a trial to come upon us that serves His good purpose and eternal intention for us. As Paul also put it in 1 Corinthians 10:13;

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

And with those things in mind, we can then know—with absolute confidence—that if we suddenly seem to ‘fall into’ a trial, then that trial is something that must be necessary to produce in us the patient endurance in our faith that God desires to see in us. That trial wouldn’t come upon us at all—and in the way that it came—unless it was absolutely necessary in God’s plan for us. We can have joy in the coming of that trial when we know that its purpose in the hand of our sovereign heavenly Father is to accomplish His eternal plan for us. As the apostle Peter put it in 1 Peter 1:3-6—when he wrote to remind a group of suffering Christians about their glorious heavenly future;

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:6-9).

Our rejoicing in our trials is, in other words, always to be based on a knowledge of—and whole-hearted embrace of—revealed truth from God concerning those trials. What James urges us to “know” is what it is that God is producing in us through those trials. Those trials are purposeful in His sovereign hand; and they accomplish His goal toward His people of strengthening their faith and perfecting their endurance. In the hand of our heavenly Father, no trial is ever pointless … but always purposeful.

Now; truly ‘knowing’ this is essential to our being able to ‘count’ those trials ‘all joy’. And with this knowledge in our minds, we’re to then …

3. ALLOW SOMETHING TO BE DONE BY OUR TRIALS (v. 4).

Rather than try to fight the coming of those God-permitted trials into our lives—or try to find some way to ignore them, or to imagine that they’re not real, or to even desensitize ourselves to the pain of going through them—we’re to allow God to produce in us exactly what it is that He is seeking to produce in us through them. Paul wrote in verse 4, “But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

We gain the greatest benefit from our trials when we don’t resist or fight God’s purpose for us in them, but instead trust His good “pruning” work in us (John 15:1-2). It’s a “perfect” or “perfecting” work—that is, a work that brings us to fullness and maturity in Christ. And the result of that work will be that we will be made “perfect and complete, lacking nothing”. This doesn’t mean, of course, that we’ll be made ‘sinless’—because that won’t be our condition until we’re finally glorified in heaven and out of the reach of trials altogether. Rather, it means that we will be brought into closer conformity to the image of Christ Himself—”to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).

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So; trials will come. That’s reality. But here’s how to put our faith to work in how we go through them: We’re to (1) embrace an attitude of joy toward those trials—a joy which is made possible by (2) knowing that, in the sovereign hand of God, the testing of our faith produces patient endurance; and we’re to then (3) allow that patience to do its work of perfecting us into the image of Christ through those refining trials. We’ll experience joy in our trials if we remember God’s perfecting purpose in them.

What a practical way to begin the greatest Christian ‘counseling manual’ ever written!

AE