LET PATIENCE HAVE HER PERFECT WORK

 OVERVIEW

It is generally agreed that the letter of James in the New Testament was written by the half-brother of Jesus, who was known as James the Just.  He and Jesus shared the same mother, Mary, but not the same father - James’ father was Joseph while Jesus’ Father was God.  This James was not one of the original twelve apostles.  He was neither James the son of Zebedee and brother of John, nor was he James the son of Alpheus, both of which were part of the original twelve.  None of Jesus’ brothers accepted Him while He was growing up or during His public ministry (see John 7:1-5).  After Jesus’ resurrection, however, James became a believer and was present with the 120 when the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples on the day of Pentecost.  James later received the office of apostleship and was became a pillar of the Church of Jerusalem. 

 

James’ epistle is thought to have been written around A.D. 45 which would make it perhaps the earliest of the New Testament epistles.  This would also put it before the council of Jerusalem in A.D. 50 at which James was a key figure.  According to the Jewish historian Josephus, James was martyred in A.D. 62.

 

James’ letter is addressed to “…the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad,” which refers to his countrymen, the Jews, who were living not just in Judea but also throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. 

 

“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.” (verse 1).

 

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;” (verse 2).

 

This opening statement of James’ seems extremely counterintuitive.  Men don’t normally find joy in trials, difficulties and temptations; and yet, James advises us to do so.  Christians especially tend to expect things to go smoothly for them, and believe that God wants only to bless their way and remove any obstacles from their pathway.  James writes as though it is a foregone conclusion, however, that Christians will fall into diverse temptations, and that they should count it all joy when they do.  The Apostle Peter echoes this expectation when he writes, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” (1 Peter 4:12, 13). 

 

According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the Greek word that is translated as “temptations” in the King James Version also carries these additional connotations:

 

·         The trial of man’s fidelity, integrity, virtue, or constancy.

 

·         Of the condition of things, or a mental state, by which we are enticed to sin, or to a lapse from the faith and holiness.

 

·         Adversity, affliction, trouble: serving to test or prove one’s character, faith, holiness.

 

As you can see, this word pretty much covers the gamut of human trouble and adversity.  The question that we must ask then is: “How can we find joy in trials?”  Oh, and “Why should I?”  Before we go to verse three for the explanation, we need to pay attention to James’ wording in verse two.  He did not say that we should find joy in diverse temptations, but that we should COUNT it joy when we experience them.  He is saying that we must change our mindset when we encounter trouble and consider it, esteem it, think of it as, and account that it is, a source of joy though it may not naturally seem very joyful to us. 

 

“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” (verse 3).

 

Here is the solution to the dilemma of how to account trouble as joy.  It is in the first two words of this verse: “Knowing this…”  It is said that knowledge is power, and in this case it is certainly true.  There is a secret that God wants all of His children to know and be assured of.  That secret is that the trying of our faith is strengthening our character.  Every page of our life is full of blessings and curses, and they are all working together to produce something positive in our lives.  Paul says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28).  Again, the power is in the knowing.  Paul didn’t say that all things are good, but that they are working together for good.  This is an assurance that the children of the world do not have.  Their trials and sorrows serve no good purpose because they will not submit themselves to the Father of spirits so that they can be shaped into the glorious image of His Son Jesus Christ.  Every trial that the child of God faces, though, is working patience and perseverance in them.  Think of a potter at his wheel.  Every poke and prod of the clay has purpose because the potter has a specific design in mind.  No action is wasted – he knows just what is necessary to produce his final masterpiece.  A lump of clay that has become dried out and hardened is of little value because it cannot be shaped.  Not until our hearts become softened to the touch of the Master’s hand can He fulfill His grand purpose in us.

 

Just like good parents who occasionally allow their children to face problems in order for them to mature, God allows things to enter our lives so that we will learn to trust Him and not shrink at the first sign of trouble.  When our kids were young, we had trouble with one of them getting up for school by themselves.  His alarm would go off and he would shut it off and go back to sleep.  We would call to him to get moving and still he would dawdle.  It was a fight every morning to get him up, dressed, and to school on time.  Finally, his mother and I agreed to not wake him or nag him about getting moving the next morning.  We decided that even if he made himself tardy for school it was going to be on him from now on and not on us.  Sure enough, that first morning he walked into school tardy, but it was the last time it happened, and the last time he had to be nagged or goaded by us!  Sometimes our failures are our best teachers.

 

God is working to engrave the image of His dear Son in you and me.  At times He allows things to pass by His hand in order for us to grow and learn.  Writing to the Corinthian Church (who knew their share of adversity), St. Paul said, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed…always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body…For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” (2 Corinthians 4:8, 10, 16, 17). 

 

“But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” (verse 4).

 

Patience, perseverance, endurance: these must be allowed to accomplish a perfect work in us so that there will be nothing lacking in our character when we stand before our Lord and Savior.  Christianity is a process.  We are in the act of becoming more like our Father in heaven.  This is only possible as the Godhead is revealed to us through His Son, the Lord Jesus.  “For God...hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6).  “Jesus saith…he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?” (John 14:9).  Part of the process involves suffering.  The Refiner’s fire, the Blacksmith’s forge and hammer, the Potter’s prodding, the Father’s rod of correction, and the Vinedresser’s pruning shears: these all illustrate the part that suffering plays in the forming of our character as children of the Most High God.  We must cooperate with God in this process so that the lessons He is teaching will be thoroughly learned and the work He is doing in us will be perfected.

 

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him, but let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (verse 5-8).

 

We are all in need of wisdom, but wisdom can be illusive, especially when dealing with the things of God and with understanding what He is trying to teach us through our various trials.  According to Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language, wisdom is “the right use or exercise of knowledge.”  Some think that wisdom only comes from age, but not every old man (or woman) is wise.  Others say that wisdom comes from experience, but I have known too many people who keep making the same mistakes or bad choices and never seem to become any wiser as a result.  No, true wisdom only comes from God, through His dear Son, and it is not hindered or advanced by a person’s age or experience.  “For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.” (Proverbs 2:6).  “But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:24).  “But of Him [God] are ye in Christ Jesus, Who of God is made unto us wisdom...” (1 Corinthians 1:30). 

 

God is not trying to hide His purpose from us.  When we ask Him for understanding, He gives it liberally and will not chide or ridicule us for not “getting it.”  We must ask in faith, being prepared to receive whatever the Father reveals to us about our nature.  Our hearts and our minds need to be open to what God wishes to speak to us at such times.  We must not waver in unbelief.  Once God has spoken, we must be resolute in our determination to follow Him.  Otherwise we become tossed and driven by the storms of life, and unstable in our ways.  This makes it impossible to receive anything of the Lord’s wisdom.

 

“Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: but the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.  For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.” (verses 9-11).

 

God deals with each of us according as it is necessary.  Some who have been beaten down by life and circumstance, God will encourage and exalt.  Others who have known only life’s privileges and advantages, God will humble and bring to a place where they learn to trust in Him and not their own resources and abilities.  We must learn that we are all fragile, like earthen vessels and the grass of the field.  The sun of life’s difficulties will wilt and burn up all those who insist on trusting in themselves and the riches of this world.  The heat of our trials and temptations can refine our character if we allow them to and let God lead us through them.

 

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him.” (verse 12).

 

This verse is pretty self-explanatory.  The emphasis, however, seems to be on enduring.  Our goal is to learn to persevere and overcome.  Rather than being an enticement to sin, temptation can be viewed as a means to identify the weaknesses in our flesh and allow Christ to lead us to victory over them.  Imagine that you are with Joshua as he led Israel into the Promised Land.  Now imagine that every city that Joshua is defeating is like a stronghold in your life that needs to fall to your Captain and Commander, Jesus Christ.  This is possible if we keep our eyes on our Lord and Savior.  The Apostle Peter was able to walk on water because his faith was inspired by seeing his Lord doing it.  He only began to sink when he turned his eyes away from Jesus and focused on the storm that was around him.  This is a good reminder for us to keep our eyes on the Lord.

 

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.  Do not err, my beloved brethren.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with Whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.  Of His own will begat He us with the Word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” (verses 13-18).

 

We must be clear about one thing: God does not send us temptation.  Our heavenly Father sends only good and perfect gifts – He is neither tempted by evil nor does He tempt His children with evil.  There is no shadow of turning with Him.  His purpose, once He has adopted us into His family, is to perfect us by conforming us to the image of His own Son (See Romans 8:28-30). 

 

We need to have a good understanding of the nature of temptation.  James tells us that “…every man is tempted...”  The first thing we should know about temptation is that it happens to “every man” and by this James means all of mankind.  Men are tempted.  Women are tempted.  Boys are tempted.  Girls are tempted.  You are not alone!  Even Jesus was tempted. 

 

This brings us to the second thing we should know about temptation and that is why we are tempted.  James tells us a person is tempted “…when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”  When folks do something or say something wrong they often say, “The devil made me do it.”  Truth is, we don’t need a lot of help from him because of the lusts of the flesh that are present in our carnal nature.  Yes, Satan indeed makes it enticing, and he knows our weaknesses very well.  Peter summarized the battle we face in this way, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.  But the God of all grace, Who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” (1 Peter 5:8-10).

 

The third thing we must understand about temptation is that temptation is not sin.  Many feel guilt over being tempted to sin, but they are not the same thing.  It is only after lust has conceived (been indulged in) that it becomes sin, and then that sin produces spiritual death in us.  We feel guilty at that point and will tend to withdraw from God and other Christians.  The answer is not to try to hide from God as Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden, but to come boldly to the throne of grace in order to obtain mercy and grace to help us the next time we are tempted.

 

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” (verses 19, 20).

 

It is good to realize that man’s unbridled passions can never achieve the level of God’s righteousness.  For this reason, James tells us to be slow to speak and slow to wrath, but swift to hear what others are saying.

 

“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” (verse 21).

 

As we attend to the wisdom that is in Jesus Christ our Lord, and be willing to lay aside all that is unholy, God’s Word will become grafted little by little in our hearts and spirits.  It takes a great deal of meekness on our part in order to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, but He gives much grace.

 

“But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.” (verses 22-24).

 

We must always be mindful of the man (or woman) in the mirror.  We deceive ourselves when God speaks to us and shows us our need, and then we go our own way and forget what He has revealed to us.  We must be willing to surrender our will to the Father of spirits and make the changes in our lives that He directs.

 

“But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” (verse 25). 

 

The Law of Liberty is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus that releases us from the law of sin and death that Paul talks about in Romans 8.  As we continue in this glorious liberty that we have in Christ we will be truly blessed in our deeds!

 

“If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” (verses 26, 27).

 

At the end of the day, pure religion will manifest itself through good works and holiness.  It isn’t what we say we are that carries wait with God, but what we are in action and deed.  Faith without works is dead.  We see many who are full of religion, ritual and tradition.  They are often the ones wearing the biggest crosses around their necks and shouting the loudest “Hallelujah’s,” but they can’t seem to hold their tongue when it comes to gossip, judgments on others, and hurtful comments.  They are often too self-absorbed to see the needs of others, and they can’t seem to keep themselves untangled and unsoiled from the pollutions of this world. 

 

Imagine someone buying a rundown house in a distressed neighborhood.  In order to flip it quickly and make a hefty profit, the owner chooses to ignore the bad foundation, structural and insect damage, mold, and water leaks and just hide everything with paint and drywall.  The house may look good to a casual, prospective buyer, but it is a dangerous place to live.  At the heart, it is still a bad house.  To do the job right, the owner should repair the foundation, replace the structural elements that are bad, illiminate the insects, and kill the mold.  Then the house will be a good, safe place to live and will elevate the value of the entire neighborhood. 

 

Religion can be very similar to these two houses.  We can either seek to hide all of the flaws in our character by applying a thin layer of religion – not enough to change our vile, carnal nature – just enough to hide it from the casual observer.  Or, we can yield ourselves to the Master Potter and allow Him to correct the foundation of our life, rebuild a firm structure, and illiminate the things in our life that are “eating” us and making us unhealthy.  Then, our lives can begin to elevate the lives of those around us.  They will be able to discern that what we say and what we do are things that are real and go down to our very hearts.  This is the pure religion which can only be ours through faith in the finished work of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!