James wrote this epistle to the scattered Christians among
the nations in the first century. He was a half-brother of our Lord Jesus
Christ and a leader in the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13). He didn’t believe in
Jesus Christ until he was crucified and resurrected from the dead (John 7:5). It
was almost impossible to believe his brother as the Son of God. But he was
drawn nearer to God who revealed the truth that Jesus was God the Son who came
from the Father in heaven via his mother Mary by the power of the Spirit. In
this epistle, he encourages and strengthens the scattered believers in Christ
to exercise their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for the time is nearer at his
coming. The theme of the epistle is to emphasize the living faith in Christ
that dares to act, saying “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action,
is dead.” (James 2:17)
“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To
the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.” (James 1:1)
He introduces himself as a servant of God and of the Lord
Jesus Christ not as a brother of Jesus. He deeply marveled at the mystery of
God that God the Son incarnated and took the very nature of a servant, being
made in human likeness. He rightly put his title as a servant of God and of the
Lord Jesus Christ although humanly speaking he was grown and raised as his
brother in every and ordinary way. By the grace and mercy of God he was blessed
and humbled to accept Jesus as the Son of God and the Messiah of blessed God.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you
face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith
produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be
mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)
He is saying to the scattered believers among the nations to
rejoice in the sufferings. This is not just what James is saying but the whole
Scripture says so. What is suffering? It’s pain, grief, sorrow, and
uncomfortableness physically, psychologically, and spiritually. Life is full of
suffering from birth to death. It includes tribulations and persecutions for
the name of Christ Jesus and God the Father like the apostles in the first
century and innumerable believers in Christ throughout the centuries. But that’s
not all. So many believers have been living in peace and order by the grace and
mercy of God. So, life itself is suffering. It comes out of daily routine lives
in the families, studies, works, relationships, and travels.
It is so unnatural to consider suffering pure joy or rejoice
in the sufferings. It is so natural to complain and murmur all the way possible
in the midst of suffering. But the Scripture commands the believers in Christ
to rejoice in the sufferings. It doesn’t mean to be masochistic to the pains
and troubles. Genuine Christians can rejoice in the sufferings because it
produces perseverance which further works out for them to be mature and
complete, not lacking anything.
It is impossible for non-believers to rejoice in their
sufferings. It is only possible for the redeemed to consider suffering pure joy
because they have been made righteous and holy before God the Lord of glory through
the blood of Jesus Christ. Why does suffering produce perseverance? It’s
because perseverance is possible in Christ Jesus through the power of
resurrection. It is not really persevering by grinding teeth and clenching
fist. No fruit is produced without the power of the Spirit. The fruit of
perseverance is produced through suffering which leads the children of God to
come to Christ Jesus who bore the sin of the world through the blood and rose
again from the dead on the third day. The Scripture says that Christ has taken
his captives from the shackle of the devil by the blood and the power of
resurrection (Ephesians 4:8).
“When you ascended on high, you took many captives; you
received gifts from people, even from the rebellious—that you, Lord God, might
dwell there.” (Psalm 68:18)
Suffering leads us to the bankruptcy point where we come to
realize that we can’t do nothing on our own to save ourselves from the bondage and
power of sin and death. What can we do at the point of sheer bankruptcy of
ourselves? We cannot but depend on our Lord Jesus Christ who has all power and
is willing to give to his children wherever and whenever we ask. It is the
reason that he shed his blood and died on the cross of Calvary. That’s how we
ought to live in Christ, taking everything from God and throwing off everything
in us.
“Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that
we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our
competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new
covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the
Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:4-6)
The goal of suffering is not being crushed and tortured all
due course but being mature and complete, not lacking anything in Christ Jesus.
Apostle Paul says that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance,
character, and character, hope (Romans 5:4). And the hope does not put us to
shame but to utterly proud and bold because God’s love has been poured out into
our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5).
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives
generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when
you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a
wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to
receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in
all they do.” (James 1:5-8)
Here wisdom means that suffering produces perseverance and
after all the testing of our faith we may be mature and complete, not lacking
anything. God has equipped every believer in Christ everything, not lacking
anything in the heavenly places, so are we holy and blameless before him even
before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:3). Wisdom is the right use of
knowledge. If anyone doesn’t have wisdom how to view and handle the sufferings
in the midst of daily lives, ask the Father who is willing and generous to
teach and give whatever we ask. One caution is not to doubt when we ask because
no one can expect to receive from the generous and compassionate Father if we
doubt.
“Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in
their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since
they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat
and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the
same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business. Blessed
is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that
person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who
love him.” (James 1:9-12)
Those who are in humble circumstances stand for those who
are in the sufferings and the rich stand for those who have passed the testing
of their faith by the wisdom of God. It doesn’t mean to the humble or the rich
financially but spiritually although the parable is using the poor and the rich
physically. Apostle James says those who are in the sufferings ought to take
pride in their high position and the rich should take pride in their
humiliation. Those who are in the sufferings ought to take pride in their higher
position because it is the privilege and opportunity to partake in the
sufferings of Christ. We can persevere with the power of the resurrection of
the Lord Jesus Christ. So, no sufferings, no opportunities to practice the
power of faith in the resurrection of Christ. Those who are the rich should
take pride in their humiliation because there is nothing we can boast of
overcoming the evil. Christ Jesus who lives within us by means of the Spirit
can defeat the devil by the power of resurrection.
Life is fleeting and ephemeral and momentary and full of troubles
and sorrows. Moses says in his psalm, “Our days may come to seventy years, or
eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and
sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.” (Psalm 90:10) As life is
quickly passing and flying away, so do troubles and sorrows. Sufferings and
difficulties never stay but pass, even quickly. This is why Apostle Paul says
in the Epistle of Romans that we ought to glory in our sufferings.
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth
comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 1:18)
Life is swiftly passing without even realizing the time when
the end comes. That’s why the Scriptures frequently and repeatedly say to us, “Be
alert and watchful always!” So, blessed is the one who perseveres under trial by
the power of God, because having stood still the test, the person will receive
the crown of life that the Lord has promised to give to those who love him. That’s
what our Lord Jesus says to his disciples that he came to the earth for them to
have life and have it to the full (John 10:10). What is life? It is the absence
of death. All emptiness, barrenness, meaninglessness, dryness, nothingness have
gone away and instead full of expectations, excitement, vigor, vitality have
come in the midst of troubles and sorrows. It is all possible in Christ Jesus
who is above all and all in all.
Prayer: Our Father in heaven once again thank you for
teaching the incomparable riches of truth in Christ Jesus that we’ve been made righteous
and holy in the sight of God even before the time began and called on due time to
grow to be mature and complete in the midst of sufferings and troubles. Thank
you for teaching us the mystery of suffering in Christ Jesus who went to the
Father in the highest heaven through the death of cross. May you help us keep
coming to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, rejoicing in the sufferings. In
Christ’s name. Amen.
June 20, 2016
© 2015-2016 David
Lee Ministries – All Rights Reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment