Persevering in Trial

How do you respond to difficulties and suffering? Are your eyes on the “now” or on eternity? James encourages us in 1:12 to persevere with the right perspective and see how these times–however painful or overwhelming– are being used by God to shape and conform us to Christ.

Part 5 of a whole book study series called “True Faith: A Study Through James”

Find the whole series in James here.

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¹² Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

It’s somewhat startling to consider a person “blessed” when they are suffering or in the midst of struggles. Maybe that’s because our ideas about what it means to be blessed are so varied. As we saw in the last study, mere material prosperity does not mean blessing, and neither do suffering or trials indicate that God has forgotten or turned His back on you.

The word for “blessed” here in the Greek is makarios, giving a sense that this man is happy or to be envied. But it is not being in the midst of a trial that makes the man blessed; it is his perseverance during that trial. It is the growing sense of God’s presence and strength in the middle of it. Further, it is his steady focus on the goal, the prize toward which he strives, which surpasses anything we will go through on this earth.

Persevere Steadfastly

What does it mean to persevere under trial? Are we expected to just “grin and bear it,” “pull ourselves up by our bootstraps,” to merely “carry on” with a grim set of stoicism on our face and a (however forced) “praise the Lord!” on our lips?

The word persevere means “to endure,” but there is no sense of having to do it alone. It is bearing up and shouldering the burden, but not in your own strength. If anything, a trial is intended to bring you closer to God by showing you how you can’t go it alone. It can be difficult to draw close to Him during times of difficulty. I know my own tendency has often been to withdraw into a darkness and spiritual depression, only being aware of how much pain there is around me. Or I may simply default to thinking about how I can get out of this discomfort by my own means. But that’s not God’s intention for me.

We need to have a right response to and perspective about trials. And a key to doing that is right here in this verse: keeping our focus on the end game. I have heard arguments about being too heavenly minded to be any earthly good, but I have to say, I don’t think the majority of American Christians are in danger of that. More on that topic here.

You can experience this reality (and it is scriptural): the more you focus on Christ and the fact that at any moment you may enter eternity, the more compelled you will be to show Christ to the world during your time on this earth — and particularly during times of struggle. Because that’s what the world really wants to see: a believer who walks through the pressure in a different way than the world. Yes, the scripture and the gospel truth must be told. But the element of a person’s changed life because of that scripture and gospel is also a factor in proving to the world that this “Christianity stuff” is true.

Being Conformed to Christ

Another way we can persevere steadfastly in trial is to understand God’s purpose for us throughout these troubles. Paul writes in Romans:

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope. [Rom. 5:3-4 NAS]

One reason for patient endurance then is understanding that God means to shape us and conform us more to Christ with what we are facing. James has already exhorted us in verse 2 of this chapter to consider it “pure joy” to undergo trials.

One thing we may be sure of… For the believer all pain has meaning; all adversity is profitable. There is no question that adversity is difficult. It usually takes us by surprise and seems to strike where we are most vulnerable. To us it often appears completely senseless and irrational, but to God none of it is either senseless or irrational. He has a purpose in every pain He brings or allows in our lives. We can be sure that in some way He intends it for our profit and His glory. – Jerry Bridges

We often think of trials as something to pray to get out of as fast as possible. We pray me-centered prayers of escape, desperate for deliverance, clamoring to emerge on the other side, back into our “normal” and comfortable lives. And there is in some sense a reason to pray in such a way that you throw yourself on God’s mercy and acknowledge, as David did in many of his psalms, that God is the only deliverer — whether that deliverance comes now or in eternity.

Hebrews 12:2 adds another aspect to what James is saying here:

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. [Heb. 12:2 NAS]

Reflect on this and it may change your perspective on your suffering and trials. Christ had such an unwavering focus on his task and purpose that in spite of the utter humiliation of His incarnation, He endured death on the cross for our sins. The joy before Him was the gift of an elect bride, people given to Him by the Father. It is not simply that Christ endured much more than we ever will — of course that is true, but that is just part of it — it is that He never took His gaze off the Father or off the people He came to save. And here in Hebrews, we are exhorted never to take our eyes off of Him.

Related Study: Shaped By Trials

Why These Trials?

The word for trial and temptation is actually a shared usage (peirasmos) and depends heavily on the context for its meaning. According to biblehub.com, it is used in “the positive sense (“test”) and negative sense (“temptation”).” In verse 12, it is an overall description of struggles and suffering. In the following verses (we’ll get to that next time), James gets even more specific about the nature and source of trials, encompassing the idea of temptation and our response to that.

Trials in the immediate context of this verse gives the idea of testing being a good thing. That if we were not tested, we would not have opportunities to prove the reality of our confession of faith.

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Testing also weeds out those with a false idea of what it means to confess Christ as Lord and Savior. It overturns the idea of “easy believism,” that a life of following Christ will be nothing but ease and comfort, that it requires nothing from you and that it costs nothing. There are those who have been incorrectly led to believe that by becoming a Christian, your life will suddenly be easy and you can live it however you like, merely because you prayed a prayer, walked an aisle, or the like.

Some people are under the impression that God’s doing this in some malicious way. Like He just enjoys seeing His creations writhe about in pain or suffering. As though He were a God who moves us about as pawns on His chessboard, poking needles in some and breaking others in half as He goes. But they lack understanding about who God is and how He works.

The writer to the Hebrews exhorts us in this way about how to view suffering:

Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? [Heb. 12:6 NAS]

From this we learn that just as parents discipline and give their children a right understanding of how to live and behave (for their good), so God also does this for those who are His (for their good). You may grow by reading books, praying, fellowship with others, but it is in the crucible of trials where your faith is most sharply and clearly shaped (related: Prov. 3:11-12; Rev. 3:19).

This reference to trial also isn’t just about one or two trials; it’s about a lifetime of them. Because we will not be approved and receive the crown of life until after this earthly life has finished. Be encouraged: even if you haven’t responded in the best of ways to the trial you are in or have just passed through, there’s a lesson God wants you to see in it anyway. For the next time.

Stamp of Approval

for once he has been approved,

Approved means you have emerged from the trial still holding to your faith, and thus proving the reality of your faith. Faith is most clearly proven and articulated by trials and suffering. It is all too easy to profess faith when the sun is shining, you have money in your bank account, and you are perfectly well in all areas of your life (health, family, work, etc.). However, relatively speaking, those moments are few and far between.

The reality of life in this world is that it’s laced with trial and suffering. It is a fallen world with fallen, sinful people in it, and storms are always around the corner. As Dumas wrote in his novel, The Count of Monte Cristo:

“Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes.” – Alexandre Dumas

So the question is, will you respond in faith during your trial and will you walk through it and come out the other side in a worthy way?

Awaiting the Crown

he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

The “crown of life” that James writes about here is also called by different names throughout scripture:

In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. [2 Tim. 4:8 NAS]

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. [1 Pet. 5:4 NAS]

Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath [i.e., crown], but we an imperishable.
 [1 Cor. 9:25 ESV]

Is this a literal crown you wear on your head? Probably not, though I will not come down dogmatically on it (I will say that in these usages, it is unlikely). Strong’s indicates that this usage speaks metaphorically of “the eternal blessedness which will be given as a prize to the genuine servants of God and Christ…the reward of righteousness.” It speaks of honor and glory. It also reminds us that we aren’t to look for reward in this life, but in eternity.

The Lord has promised. Let that sink in. Do you realize how powerful that is for your daily life? It is powerful because of who God is. He is trustworthy above all others. What God says will happen, will happen. He keeps His word. He never speaks what is not true.

to those who love Him. The word here agapao may be better translated “loving,” so in other words, to those loving Him, giving the sense of a moment by moment, ongoing choice to put Him first in their everyday thoughts, words, and actions. “When used of love to a master, God or Christ, the word involves the idea of affectionate reverence, prompt obedience, grateful recognition of benefits received.” (Strong’s)

Strength for the conflict and the reward of the victory come from the same hand, and are ours on the same conditions. – MacLaren’s Expositions

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To Him be all the glory as He stays constant and faithful in all of your trials!

Shaped By Trials

One of the most common experiences we share as humans is that of suffering, whether it be physical or mental pain, grief and loss, or difficult circumstances. It is one of the things that binds us together as people and one of the things that points to our deep need for a relationship with God through Christ.

In these first few verses of James (1:2-4), we’ll explore a little (certainly by no means all that is contained in the vastness of these few verses) of the thoughts behind being shaped by our trials.

Part 2 of a whole book study series called “True Faith: A Study Through James”

Find the whole series in James here.

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² Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

The first topic on James’ mind as he begins his letter is trials, something we can all relate to because we all are going, have gone, or will go through them at various times in our lives.

It’s no accident that James chooses to emphasize the concept of joy with the diminutive word “all.” In Greek, the word (pás) used just before this noun places particular intensity on it — in fact, the highest degree of intensity. So what James is saying here is that we are to have the perspective on our trials of this being a blessing, a divine shaping — perhaps the best thing that could happen to us in an eternal sense. It’s a joy because the Lord loves us enough to shape us through these trials.

Introducing James

From the outside, you appear to be a model Christian. Your reading and study of the bible or hearing it taught every week in church have produced in you a certain set of ideas about the Christian life. You can philosophize, theorize, and argue, producing all the right theological and scriptural answers.

But when the storm hits, what will your faith look like? In daily life, how do you respond to pressures and temptations?

James exhorts believers about what true faith looks like in practical terms — how it walks itself out on the street rather than merely in theory — in the hope that they will persevere steadfastly during trials and suffering.

Part 1 of a whole book study series called “True Faith: A Study Through James”

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A few things to know before we get into the text.

What is James? It is a general epistle to a scattered church (in the larger rather than the individual or specific sense), intended to provide instruction and exhortation about practical issues in the Christian walk.

Epaphroditus: Steadfast in Service

Are you willing to do whatever it takes to advance the cause of Christ? What sacrifices would you make to serve Christ and His body? Epaphroditus remained so steadfast in his dedication that he risked his very life. In Phil. 2:25-30, Paul calls to our attention a man “behind the scenes” working in a “small” way to show us there is joy in even the unrecognized acts of service.

Part 11 of a whole book study series called “Joy in Christ: A Study Through Philippians.”

Find the whole series in Philippians here.

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²⁵ I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, ²⁶ for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. ²⁷ Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

Who Was Epaphroditus?

Epaphroditus was the believer selected by the Philippian believers to carry their monetary gift to Paul. This gift was to help defray Paul’s daily living expenses (food, clothing, medical care). Certainly we can guess that, given the roughly 800 miles a trek from Rome to Philippi covered, this man was likely in good health at the outset.

The Line Between

Have you ever imagined what it would be like for a meaningful person in your life to suddenly be gone? What would it look like to cross that line between life and death, between love and loss?

In the year after my father was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, I spent a lot of time trying to imagine how it would feel for him to be gone. I tried to picture a world in which I could not simply pick up the phone and hear his voice. I tried to imagine how I would feel knowing he wasn’t at work at the car dealership anymore, that he wasn’t at work anywhere anymore, that he wasn’t sitting on the patio looking at his beloved back yard that he had selected every plant and tree for.

The Humble Servant

Christ’s life of joyful, humble obedience gives us an example to follow. Phil. 2:5-11 is full of rich theological “soil” that will deepen and enrich your understanding of Christ and your walk with Him.

Part 7 of a whole book study series called “Joy in Christ: A Study Through Philippians.”

Find the whole series in Philippians here.

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Today’s passage of scripture takes the form of what many frequently call a Christological hymn. This means it has as its central object Christ, and speaks to His nature and to facets of His work of redemption. Other scripture likely to be thought of as Christological hymns can be found in Colossians 1:15-20, Hebrews 1:2-4, John 1:1-14. I will not be addressing whether Paul penned this content or inserted an existing hymn.

Verses 6-11 summarize the eternal Son in describing His pre-existence, constant and present divine nature, eternal equality with God, incarnation, humility, and exaltation. There is such a depth here that I will walk through it quite slowly as there is much to be learned and much to stand in awe of. I felt utterly inadequate to do full justice to these verses, but with God’s help have done what I can!

Refresh Friday

Do you sometimes think that if you just “do all the right things” and obey all of God’s commands to the best of your Spirit-driven ability, everything will be stable and calm in your life? Christ’s disciples experienced storms in spite of following His commands and so will we.

³⁵ On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” ³⁶ And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. ³⁷ And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. [Mark 4:35-37 ESV]

In this passage of scripture, the disciples were obeying His command, yet they encountered the fiercest of storms…. In their distress, they cried out for Christ’s assistance.

³⁸ But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” ³⁹ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”  [Mark 4:38-39 ESV]

Christ may delay coming to us during our times of distress, but it is simply so our faith may be tested and strengthened. Gently rebuking His disciples, Christ asked,

⁴⁰ He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” [Mark 4:40 ESV]

In effect, He was saying, “Why didn’t you face the storm victoriously and shout to the raging winds and rolling waves, ‘You cannot harm us, for Christ, the mighty Savior, is on board?”

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Of course is it much easier to trust God when the sun is shining than to trust Him when the storm is raging around us. Yet we will never know our level of genuine faith until it is tested in a fierce storm….

If you are ever to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power (Eph. 6:10), your strength will be born during a storm.

— L.B. Cowman, Streams in the Desert

Living Like Christ in a Hostile World

What does it mean to strive for the gospel and live as a believer in the face of a world increasingly intolerant to Christ? Paul exhorts us in Phil. 1:27-30 to push past our fear and remember our joyful privilege of truth-telling.

Part 5 of a whole book study series called “Joy in Christ: A Study Through Philippians.”

Find the whole series in Philippians here.

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Today’s study begins a section of Philippians in which Paul addresses the qualities of our behavior as believers, beginning with the spread of the gospel. I’ve split up the discussion, which extends to Philippians 2:11, in the interest of keeping post length relatively short and will continue this subject in subsequent posts.

A Life That Speaks of Christ

 ²⁷ Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸ and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.

Although Paul hopes, as we saw in the last study, to be freed from his imprisonment, he exhorts the believers at Philippi to press forward in the gospel. Whether or not he is there with them or away on a subsequent apostolic journey, he says, he expects certain news of them. If you believe in the gospel, he tells them, then live like you do. Walk according to what you have been taught in Christ.

Refresh Friday

“How could we, without sufferings, manifest the nature and truth of the Christian graces! What place should we then have for patience, submission, meekness, forbearance, and a readiness to forgive, if we had nothing to try us, either from the hand of the Lord, or from the hand of men! A Christian without trials would be like a mill without wind or water; the contrivance and design of the wheel-work within would be unnoticed and unknown, without something to put it in motion from without.

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Nor would our graces grow, unless they were called out to exercise; the difficulties we meet with not only prove, but strengthen, the graces of the spirit. If a person were always to sit still, without making use of legs or arms, he would probably wholly lose the power of moving his limbs at last. But by walking and working he becomes strong and active.

So, in a long course of ease, the powers of the new man would certainly languish; the soul would grow soft, indolent, cowardly, and faint; and therefore the Lord appoints His children such dispensations as make them strive and struggle, and pant; they must press through a crowd, swim against a stream, endure hardships, run, wrestle, and fight; and thus their strength grows in the using.

By these things, likewise, they are made more willing to leave the present world, to which we are prone to cleave too closely in our hearts when our path is very smooth.”

– excerpted from “The School of Suffering,” John Newton (1725-1807)

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Lord, give us the insight to know that, in the midst of our sufferings, struggles, and trials, the things we don’t see as good, you are shaping us to be more like Christ, refining us as gold, creating in us the person you want to see, for your eternal glory. In Christ we pray, amen!

Refresh Friday

“If we do but seriously believe the truth of the gospel, and the truth of the life to come, the best things of this world will seem of small moment; and the worst things this world can inflict will seem but of small moment; and the worst things this world can inflict will appear too light to provoke us to impatience or discontent. He that hath everlasting glory in prospect, will have a mind full of contentment in the darkest condition here.

Our home, our country, is heaven, where there are no sorrows, nor fears, nor troubles: this world is the place of our travel and pilgrimage, and, at the best, our inn.”

— Sir Matthew Hale, (1609-1675)

Building 429 – “Where I Belong”

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Believer, I pray that today you know in your heart this world is not your home. Fix your eyes upon God who each day you move closer to being with for eternity!