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James 1:1-4
~20 min read
TRANSCRIPT
I greet you in the blessed name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our text for this morning's message is taken from James 1: 1-4. Allow me to read for you, James 1:1, "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."
May the Lord bless the reading of His holy and sacred word. Today, we will begin with a new series of messages based on the Book of James. Some people think that James teaches salvation by works, and because of that, they feel that the Book of James and the Epistles of Paul contradict each other, because Paul's emphasis was always salvation by faith. But nothing is further from the truth. They do not contradict each other; rather, they complement and supplement each other. James did not teach salvation by works. One important thing that runs throughout his book is perhaps summarised in this one statement: true faith is a faith that works. This has nothing to do with earning salvation through works as taught by the Roman Catholic Church. However, some pastors still deliberately steer away from this book because of this misconception.
James is not teaching salvation by works, but rather, if your faith is real, then this faith must work practically in your life. That was exactly what James said in Chapter 2:18: “shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”
Who is this James? There are several Jameses in the Bible, and amongst all the Jameses in the New Testament, only three were prominent enough to have written such an authoritative book. All three of them were eyewitnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ and His resurrection: James, the son of Zebedee and brother of John; James, the son of Alpheus; and James, who was the half-brother of Jesus. Because Acts 12:2 records for us that James, the son of Zebedee, was martyred very early, many Bible scholars believe that he could not have written this book. And they believe that it was James, the half-brother of the Lord Jesus Christ. Initially, this James, along with the other brothers of Jesus, rejected Christ. John 7:5 says, "For neither did his brethren believe in him." But later on, he believed in Jesus as the Messiah, and subsequently, he became a prominent leader in the Jerusalem Church. Apparently, he was the head of the church until he died in AD 62.
John Calvin suggested that the writer could be James, the son of Alpheus, but Dr. Jeffrey Khoo, the principal of the Far Eastern Bible College, once said that all three Jameses were valid candidates. And if he were to be given a choice, he would say that it was James, the son of Zebedee. Dr. Jeffrey Khoo was able to reconcile the date of this epistle with the date of Zebedee or the James, the son of James Bar-Zebedee.
Now, it is important for us to take into account that one of the vital principles that the early church would use to accept any particular book as the canon of Scriptures was that it must be written by an apostle. So, I think we can safely boil it down to either James, the son of Zebedee, or James, the son of Alpheus. And I think we should not be too dogmatic about it. Verse one begins, "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting." James did not describe himself as an apostle, neither did he describe himself as the Lord's brother or the head of the Jerusalem Church if you take the view that this James was Jesus' half-brother. Instead, he simply addressed himself as the servant of God.
The word "servant" is "doulos," which means a bond servant or a slave. He was someone who was deprived of all personal freedom and totally under the control of his master. He was someone who was absolutely obedient, reliant, and loyal to his master. The master would provide him with his sustenance, food, clothing, and housing. So, he lived his life with one purpose, one heart, pledging his allegiance to this master. Another interesting thing about a "doulos" was that a "doulos" was born a slave, which implies that James had become a "doulos" by his new birth through faith in Jesus Christ. That was the reason why he included the phrase "of the Lord Jesus Christ." Dear friend, if we are true believers, we are all servants, slaves, or "doulos" of the Lord Jesus Christ. Before our conversions, Satan was our master. But upon our conversions, Jesus Christ has become our master. That is the reason why we call Him our Lord.
But the question is: have we lived our lives as servants of the Lord Jesus Christ? Are we absolutely obedient, reliant, and loyal to Him? Are we totally under the control of our Lord? Or are we still living our lives as if we are in control and we are the captains of our own destinies? That is something for all of us to ponder. The term "twelve tribes" was a common title in the Bible used to refer to the nation of Israel. Here, James was addressing all the Jews who were scattered abroad throughout the world outside of Palestine. Over the previous 700 years, various conquerors like the Assyrians, Babylonians, including the Romans, had deported the Jews from their homeland and scattered them all over the known ancient world. Some of the Jews also willingly moved to other countries for business or other reasons. So, they were the recipients of this letter.
I. The Joyful Attitude
Needless to say, as people scattered abroad, they would face trials of all sorts. So, James went on to speak about how they should regard trials. Look at verse two: "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations." This brings us to our first point: The Joyful Attitude.
Oftentimes, when we see the word "temptation," we always look at it with a negative connotation. Seldom do we look at this word with a positive connotation. But basically, a temptation in the original language can mean a trial or a test. And it can mean either of three things, depending on the context. A temptation can be a trial with a beneficial purpose. For example, 1 Peter 1:6 says, "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire” - how can manifold temptations be good? Peter went on to say, that ”might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ."
So, some trials are intended with this purpose, a beneficial purpose. A temptation can also be a trial with an evil purpose that will lead to wrongdoing. For example, the Gospel of Luke 4:13 says, "And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season." Obviously, for 40 days and 40 nights, the devil certainly tempted the Lord with an evil purpose.
A temptation can also be a test with an intent to challenge God. For example, Hebrews 3:8 says, "Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness." Remember in the wilderness, the Israelites challenged the almighty God in the sense of trying or testing Him. So, a temptation can be a trial with a beneficial purpose, or it can be a trial with an evil purpose that will lead to wrongdoing, or a test with the intent to challenge God.
But the word "divers," which means different or all sorts of temptations, would include all these three kinds of temptations. In other words, if God allows all kinds of temptations into our lives, He must have a sovereign purpose, and we are to rejoice.
Let me give you an illustration. How do we test a diamond whether it is real or not? Experts could probably tell the difference under careful observation. It has been said that when a diamond is placed into clear water, the real diamond will sparkle with special brilliance, very brilliant lights shining. On the other hand, an imitation stone will have almost no sparkle at all. When the two are placed side by side, even an untrained eye can easily tell the difference. In a similar way, how can the world tell the difference between a true believer and someone who just simply professes his faith but in reality, does not believe?
Just like diamonds placed into the water, there's a noticeable difference, especially when the people are undergoing difficult times. How a person handles trouble will reveal whether his faith is alive or dead, whether his faith is genuine or an imitation. Isn't it true that when everything is smooth sailing, when our families are blessed, when our children are strong and healthy, when our jobs are secured, everyone is happy and everyone says, "I am a believer. I love God." But when trouble comes and the trouble increases in intensity, some will curse God and depart from the faith, while others will continue to trust Him and persevere.
It takes a trial to reveal what is true and what is false. Everyone in this world will have to endure some measures of trouble. That is the consequences of the fall. We live in a world that is tainted with sin, a life that is filled with taunts and tests.
Throughout the Bible, the saints of old, not one of them was exempted from troubles. The righteous Job said, "Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble" (Job 14:1). David, known as a man after God's own heart, said, "Be not far from me, O God; for trouble is near; for there is none to help" (Psalm 22:11). The prophet Isaiah said, "And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness" (Isaiah 8:22). King Solomon, who was said to be the wisest man on this earth, said, "Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit" (Ecclesiastes 2:17). The Apostle Paul said, "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed" (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).
Ultimately, even our Lord Jesus Himself was deeply troubled, was He not? He wept when He saw Mary and her friends grieving over the death of Lazarus. He was grieved when Judas betrayed Him. Most importantly, in the Garden of Gethsemane, He agonized sorrowfully to the point of death when He considered the prospect of taking the sins of the world upon Himself.
Dear friends, God's children are not exempted from troubles. There will be troubles related even to the best of things that God has given to us. Take a moment and consider this. In our marriages and family lives, those are blessings, yet troubles are inevitable. There will be differences between husbands and wives, there'll be differences between parents and children. In our physical bodies, which God has given to us, troubles are inevitable. There will be sicknesses and eventually death. We expect occasional troubles in our jobs, in school, in society, in our family, and even in the church. We know that we cannot escape frustration, disappointment, physical pain, emotional pain, injury, diseases, and ultimately death.
Christians must also expect troubles because of their faith. Just because you are faithful, it does not mean that there will be no troubles. In fact, if you are more faithful, there will be more troubles. Remember Jesus said to His disciples, "Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you" (John 15:20). If a person's faith is genuine, it will prove itself during times of troubles. If our faith is just an empty profession or some form of emotional feelings, and it is not based on the convictions of God's word and His Spirit, you know what will happen? The fire of trouble will burn it up. But if our faith is real, it will drive us to consider God more than the circumstances.
When we realize our human weaknesses, it will drive us to wrestle with God in prayer, and His sustaining grace will strengthen us and give us hope to press on. Before you and I can understand how to “count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations”, we have to first answer this question: Why does God allow trials into our lives? Perhaps this morning you are facing some trials, and you are asking this question. Well, you are not alone. Many faithful Christians have been puzzled by this question. So, for the next week too, I would like to focus on some of the purposes of why God allows trials into our lives.
II. The Divine Purpose
Let us move on to our second point: The Divine Purpose. Firstly, it is to test the strength of our faith. In many ways, God allows trials into our lives to demonstrate to us the strength and the weakness. In other words, it is like a form of spiritual inventory. A person who becomes resentful, bitter, and filled with self-pity when trouble comes may expose a weak faith. On the other hand, a person who turns more and more to the Lord as the trouble gets worse and asks the Lord to help him to carry the burden, may demonstrate a faith that is strong. In 2 Chronicles 32:31, we were told of King Hezekiah that God left him to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart. God is omniscient, right? He's all-knowing. He already knew what was in Hezekiah's heart, but He wanted the king to know the truth for himself, to discover his own heart.
Jesus Himself mentioned many tests of true faith. He told His disciples, "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26). Well, some of us may say, "I love the Lord more than anyone or anything else in this world." Do you think God does not know whether we truly love Him more than our parents, our children, and even ourselves? He knows. He knows what is in the deepest recesses of our hearts. He knows whether what we profess with our mouths are backed with what is in the deepest recesses of our hearts. But He wants us to know, and the only way we can know is through trials. All it takes is for us to encounter a trial, and then it will expose to us what is truly in our hearts.
Have you ever thought that everything is all right with your life? You always have this mindset that your faith is strong, you are faithful, your service is faithful, your giving is faithful, your love for God is great. Until one day, you face a particular situation, and to your horror, you realise that you are not really faithful. Everything you do is for yourself, and nothing is for God. You do not really love God as much as you profess to love Him, and your faith is not really strong after all. Again, all it takes is for the trial to reveal to us whether our faith is strong or weak.
God wants us to know, and if we know that our faith is weak, then we ought to cry it out to Him, to abide in His word, to ask the Spirit of God to empower us, to help us to live our lives to be obedient, always to be under His control.
Secondly, trials can be used to humble us, to remind us not to let our trust in the Lord Jesus turn into self-confidence or pride. You see, the greater our blessings, the more Satan will tempt us to focus on those things, to look at those things as our own accomplishments, instead of the Lord's. Perhaps you have done well, and because of all the things you have done, you think that you have done well. You are proud, you think that they are your rightful dues. Immediately after the Apostle Paul spoke about receiving special revelations given to him by God, he went on to speak about being afflicted with a thorn in the flesh. All of us are very familiar with this account.
You see, if the Apostle Paul were to only receive good things, special revelations, great knowledge, what would become of him? Would he not become proud and arrogant? Most certainly. But God has a purpose in allowing him to be afflicted with this thorn in the flesh. That was the reason why the Apostle Paul said, "Lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure". What did the thorn in the flesh cause him to do? “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).
Indeed, some trials are meant to humble us, without which you and I would become proud. Do you realise that it is a great danger to fall into the trap of going through the routine of things, whether it be on a weekly, monthly, or yearly basis? Our involvements in the Lord's Day worship services, in the fellowship groups, in the DHW classes, home care groups, church camps, youth camps, church anniversaries, prayer meetings, session meetings, etc. It can become such a routine cycle that we will rely on our own strength, and we think that, "Well, all these are our own doings." So rather than relying on God, we rely on ourselves. Sometimes it takes a trial to awaken us out of this vicious cycle of routine.
Thirdly, God may allow trials in order to take us away from our dependence on worldly things. You see, the more we accumulate material possessions, worldly knowledge, experience, and recognition, the more we are tempted to rely on them. It may be our education, our work success, important people whom we know, accreditations that we have received, and many other types of worldly benefits, which are oftentimes not wrong in themselves, but they can easily become the focus of our concerns and the basis of our trust.
Let me give you one example. In the Gospel, there was once a large crowd following Jesus and the disciples to a mountain. And then Jesus asked Philip, the disciple, in John 6:5, "Where shall we buy bread, that these people may eat?" Jesus was very gracious; He knew they were hungry, so He asked Phillip this question. But He was asking this question not because He did not know; He already knew. But He wanted to test Phillip because the next verse says, "And this he said to prove him, for he himself knew what he would do.” Phillip answered, ‘well, we have two hundred pennyworth of bread, which is not sufficient for all of them, even if every one of them takes just a little bit. It is still not sufficient.’
Instead of trusting the Lord to provide, what did Phillip do? He looked to their finances, to their material resources, which obviously would fall short. Sometimes you and I are like that. Maybe today you are comfortable financially. Your house is paid, your children's needs are prepared for, you have a retirement plan that may last you for many years to come. God may allow a trial to come into your life, a sickness that will wash away all your savings. Why? For the purpose that you will not trust in the things He has provided you, but rather you will trust Him, the provider. That is our common problem. We always trust in the things God has provided but not in the provider Himself. All it takes is for one trial to take our eyes away from those things and to depend on the provider.
Fourthly, trials are sometimes allowed to call us to the eternal and heavenly hope. The harder our trials become and the longer they last, the more we look forward to being with our Lord. Recently, someone said to me, "Why do pastors and ministers always say, 'Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly,' as if this life has no purpose, as if we have no responsibilities in this life?" Obviously, God has a purpose to allow us to continue to live in this world. You and I have responsibilities, whether as parents, as leaders, as members of the church. We all have our individual responsibilities. But the problem is that more often than not, we become so comfortable with this life that we think this is the only life we have, and we forget about the eternal and heavenly hope.
Again, all it takes is a trial for us to realise that this life pales in comparison with the eternal and heavenly hope. Do you realise that in numerous circumstances when death knocks on our doors, we will face certain trials? Is it not true? It could be a sickness, an affliction, the infirmities of an accident, a heart attack. It will be something that will lead us to the grave. Are you afraid? Do not be afraid.
God has a purpose in all things, in the trials that He allows into our lives. And if this is the trial that will lead us to the grave, let our souls be with Him forever and ever. Praise be to God. Trials are sometimes allowed to call us to the eternal and heavenly hope. The Apostle Paul, when he was imprisoned, he said to the Philippians, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor; yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you."
In other words, Paul was saying, "For me to live is for my Lord Jesus Christ. It is to accomplish the works, the responsibilities, and everything else He has set before me. My work is not finished. I will live my life for Him. But death is better. Why is death better? Because death is the instrument that will usher me into the presence of the Lord. Death will free me from sin and suffering, and I will be with my Lord forever and ever. So, between these two, there is a tug of war, so to speak, in his heart. But he says, though death is better, as far as God's will is concerned, Paul knew that he has to live and encourage the Philippians at that very moment.
Dear friends, indeed, trials are sometimes used and allowed by God to call us into His eternal presence. “Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.” Some of us may know this verse by heart. When things are fine, when everything is smooth sailing. It is easy for us to say, "Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations." But when trials become a reality, it is not that easy anymore. How can we say with full conviction in our hearts, "Count it all joy"? It is possible when you and I understand God's sovereign purpose in allowing trials into our lives.
Remember, God can use trials to test the strength of our faith. God can use trials to humble us lest we be proud. God can use trials to take us away from our dependence on worldly things and to set our affections on heavenly things. God can use trials to call us to the eternal and heavenly hope. When you and I understand all these sovereign purposes that God has for trials, then we would count it all joy. When we return next week, we will consider the other purposes why God would allow trials into our lives.
Let us pray. Our Father in Heaven, indeed Thou hast enabled us to embark on this new series of messages based on the Book of James. And there are many wonderful spiritual lessons we can learn as we study this book. And as we begin, Thou hast taught us how we ought to face trials with a joyful attitude or spirit. Indeed, when trials come, oftentimes we find it so hard to be rejoicing. But unless we know that our God is in control of all things, including trials, and He has a sovereign purpose in all things, and that includes trials, and if He allows trials into our lives, it must be for a sovereign purpose. And Thou hast taught us that Thou would use trials to test the strength of our faith.
Oftentimes, we think we are strong. We think our love for Thee is great. We think our service is faithful. But in reality, they are not. And all it takes is for us to encounter a trial that we realise how weak we are. Thou would use trials to humble us, as humans, we are often tempted to be proud. We think that all the things we have wrought is because of our own good hands, forgetting that it is because of Thy good hand. And oftentimes, we look to what we have in this world, and we become so proud, whether it be our accomplishments, our accreditations, all the recognitions that we have received, we become proud and arrogant. May Thou forgive us. And we know that Thou can sometimes allow trials to humble us, to teach us, to let us know who we really are, that we must always trust in Thee and not in our own strength.
Thou can also use trials to take us away from our dependence on worldly things. Every day of our lives, we are surrounded by Thy blessings. Thou hast blessed us with houses, with cars, with jobs and opportunities, with children, and the ability to send our children, some even to private schools, to go for holidays. And oftentimes, we depend on all these things so much so that we forget. All it takes is for us to encounter a trial that our eyes will be taken away from depending on all these things to focusing on Thee, we ought to focus on the provider, not the things Thou has provided for us. May Thou forgive us. And Thou would also use trial to call us to the eternal and heavenly hope. Indeed, all these are Thy sovereign purposes. And we want to learn more of Thy sovereign purpose in allowing trials. And as we learn, we want to face the trials with a joyful spirit, as Thou hast commanded us. So, whatever we go through in life, we will count it all joy to the glory of Thy precious name. We pray all this in Jesus' name. Amen.
THE BOOK OF JAMESFacing Trials With A Joyful Spirit [Part 1]Facing Trials With A Joyful Spirit [Part 1]James 1:1-4
Facing Trials With A Joyful Spirit [Part 2]Facing Trials With A Joyful Spirit [Part 2]James 1:1-4
The Need For Wisdom In Times Of TrialThe Need For Wisdom In Times Of TrialJames 1:5-8
Trial Is No Respecter Of PersonsTrial Is No Respecter Of PersonsJames 1:9-12
How To Deal With TemptationHow To Deal With TemptationJames 1:13-15
Remember Who God Is And Who We AreRemember Who God Is And Who We AreJames 1:16-18
Be Receptive To The Word Of GodBe Receptive To The Word Of GodJames 1:19-21
Doers of the WordDoers of the WordJames 1:21-25
Be Responsive To The Word Of GodBe Responsive To The Word Of GodJames 1:22-25
Are You Transformed By The Word?Are You Transformed By The Word?James 1:26-27
The Sin Of Showing Partiality [Part 1]The Sin Of Showing Partiality [Part 1]James 2:1-4
The Sin of PartialityThe Sin of PartialityJames 2:1-13
The Sin Of Showing Partiality [Part 2]The Sin Of Showing Partiality [Part 2]James 2:5-13
Show Me Your Faith, And I Will Show You MineShow Me Your Faith, And I Will Show You MineJames 2:14-20
Faith In ActionFaith In ActionJames 2:21-26
A Warning To Want-To-Be TeacherA Warning To Want-To-Be TeacherJames 3:1-2
Seminar: The Role of the Sunday School Teacher (Part 2 of 2)Seminar: The Role of the Sunday School Teacher (Part 2 of 2)James 3:1-13
The Power Of The TongueThe Power Of The TongueJames 3:3-6
The Taming Of The TongueThe Taming Of The TongueJames 3:7-12
The Danger Of False WisdomThe Danger Of False WisdomJames 3:13-16
The Blessing Of Heavenly WisdomThe Blessing Of Heavenly WisdomJames 3:17-18
Dealing With Conflict In The ChurchDealing With Conflict In The ChurchJames 4:1-6
What Constitutes True SalvationWhat Constitutes True SalvationJames 4:7-10
Speak No EvilSpeak No EvilJames 4:11-12
God’s Plan Or My Plan?God’s Plan Or My Plan?James 4:13-17
Physically Rich But Spiritually PoorPhysically Rich But Spiritually PoorJames 5:1-6
How To Be Patient In Times Of TroubleHow To Be Patient In Times Of TroubleJames 5:7-11
Simply Speak The TruthSimply Speak The TruthJames 5:12; Matthew 5:33-37
What To Do When It HurtsWhat To Do When It HurtsJames 5:13-18
The Value Of The SoulThe Value Of The SoulJames 5:19-20
