James 1:9-12
~16 min read
TRANSCRIPT
I greet all of you in the blessed name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Our text for this morning's message is taken from James 1:9-12. Let me read for you James 1:9, “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.” Verse 12, “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.” The Lord bless the reading of His holy and sacred Word.
In the preceding verses, we have learned the need of wisdom in times of trials. Oftentimes, when we face trials, we just do not know what to do. What do we do when we do not know what to do? We need wisdom. When we acknowledge the reality that we lack wisdom and we ask God, who is the source of wisdom, He will not withhold wisdom from us. He promised to give it to us generously and bountifully, but we must ask in faith. We must believe and we must not waver. A double-minded man shall not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
In times of trials, everyone needs wisdom, both the rich as well as the poor. Trial is no respecter of persons. Whether you are rich or poor, you need to learn how to respond to it. This is what James is teaching us in this passage. The title of our message is ‘Trial is No Respecter of Persons’.
I. Trial Is The Equaliser
Our first point is: ‘Trial is the Equaliser’. What does it mean, trial is the equaliser? We shall see this point as we consider verses 9 to 11. Let us begin with verse 9, “Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted”.
Remember, James was writing to all the Jews who were scattered abroad throughout the world outside Palestine. Over the previous several hundred years, various conquerors like the Assyrians, Babylonians, including the Romans, had invaded Israel and deported the Jews from their homeland and spread them throughout the known ancient world. Some of the Jews also willingly moved to other countries for businesses or other reasons, so they were the recipients of this letter. The majority of the recipients were poor while some of them were rich.
James first addresses those believers who were poor. They were financially poor and being persecuted. That is the meaning of “low degree”, which means of humble circumstances. They could be slaves, servants, or unemployed. When poverty strikes, it is inevitable to see it as a trial. You can be working hard all the days of your life, but no matter how hard you work, you are just living from paycheck to paycheck. You are just receiving minimum wages. You struggle to pay the bills or to put bread and butter on the table. Your job is not secure. You have to move from one job to another. Your children are attending public schools, and even then, you struggle to pay the school fees. You cannot afford to send them for tuitions, which they badly needed. On top of that, you feel that people are looking down on you because of your financial situation. They do not include you in their conversations. You are self-conscious, and you are looking down on yourself as well.
It is a reality that some people will struggle with poverty. To all those believers who are poor, James did not say, ‘Maybe you should try to work harder’ or ‘Maybe you should get a second job’. But instead, he said, “rejoice in that he is exalted”. How can a poor believer rejoice in his high position, that is the meaning of exalted, when he has absolutely no position in this world? Indeed, in the eyes of the world, he's a nobody, considered nothing, he is the “filth of this world” as 1 Corinthians 4:13 describes. But in the eyes of God, he is His precious child, and as His child, he is exalted.
In other words, you may be poor financially, but remember who you are in Christ Jesus. You may be hungry, but you have the Bread of Life. You may be thirsty, but you have the Water of Life. You may be poor, but you have eternal riches. You may be rejected by men, but you have been eternally received by God. You may not have a house, but you have a glorious home in heaven. That is your high position as a believer.
Perhaps this morning, you may not be poor financially, but what about in the physical sense? You have been plagued with ill health, or loneliness, or the lack of companionship, or a physical disability, and you feel so down and out. When you feel down and out, you want to be lifted up, right? But God wants you to know that you are already lifted up; you are exalted. He wants you to see beyond your physical afflictions, whatever they may be, and onto the spiritual blessings He has given to you.
Sometimes, God in His wisdom takes away our material possessions and physical strength. It is for the purpose of making us spiritually mature, which is a blessing infinitely more valuable than what we have lost or what we desire to have. He wants us to see beyond our physical poverty and adverse circumstances, and look into the future divine inheritance that He has reserved for us. So to the poor believers, James said, ‘Do not be despaired. Look beyond your physical poverty and into the spiritual blessings. Rejoice, because you are exalted; you are in a high position.’
Next, James moves on to address those believers who were rich. Verse 10, “But the rich, in that he is made low”. No doubt, there would be some believers who were financially well off, but that did not mean they were exempted from trials. Trial is no respecter of persons, whether you are rich or poor. It will come. When trials come, the rich will be brought low, which means humbled. There is nothing inherently wrong with wealth in the Bible.
There were many faithful believers who were wealthy, like Abraham, Job, Joseph of Arimathea, Lydia, and so forth. But there's always the temptation that comes with great wealth, and that is to be proud, to be complacent, and indifferent, to trust in our riches rather than God, to focus on our wealth, and then drift away from God. God does not want that to happen. And what does it take to move us from the sin of basking in our wealth and turn to God? Trials. All it takes is a trial to make us realise that you and I cannot rely on our tangible wealth to deal with the intangible things of life.
Take a moment and consider this: When you lose a husband, a wife, a son, or a daughter, when you lose your health, when you are betrayed by a friend, or you are wrongfully accused, no amount of money can ever decrease the pain. No amount of money can buy the peace of mind. When trials come, like the poor believers, the rich believers should also rejoice because trials are meant to teach the temporal nature of those material things and their inability to provide lasting satisfaction and help, especially spiritual help. So, trials will open up their eyes that they will be able to see that, ‘I cannot rely on these tangible things to deal with the intangible things of life.’ It is impossible.
Look at the second part of verse 10, “because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.” A person may be rich all the days of his life, but one day he still has to die. When he dies, everything will be left behind. All his wealth may be taken away from him through his foolish decisions, or his wealth may be robbed by someone else.
Look at verse 11, “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.” The grass in Israel will flourish in the month of February, and then by May, it would dry up. There will be grass everywhere, especially in the countryside. Occasionally, there would be some colourful flowers that will rise up amongst the grass. James was using the illustration of grass and flowers to point to the rich and the poor.
Isn't it true that the vast majority of the people in this world are either financially average or poor? And then in their midst, there will be some outstanding individuals who are rich, some of them extremely rich. Like the flowers in the fields, they would stand up. But as flourishing and beautiful as the flowers may be, like the grass, the time will come when the sun rises up, they will pass away, as in they will wither and die. The grace of the fashion of it means the beauty of the appearance. No matter how significant or outstanding your wealth may appear to be, it will fade away. The beauty of it will fade away. What happens when the grass and the flowers die? They will look the same. Both of them will be dried up.
In other words, when trials come, when the material things are taken away from us, both the rich and the poor are exactly the same. A person's material possessions, or the lack of it, is of no spiritual, eternal significance at all. What is important is a person's relationship to the Lord, who blesses his spiritual children with spiritual wealth that will always satisfy and will never perish. So, in this sense, trial is the equaliser in that all believers, both rich and poor, they are the same. There's no difference. They both need God in their lives.
Dear friend, our wealth cannot bring us closer to God, nor can our poverty keep us further away from Him. Only faith in Jesus Christ can draw us close to God. For the poor believers, faith in Christ to supply all their needs will lift them up beyond their trials so that they will be able to see their high position in the eternal kingdom, whereas God's children, they are rich, they are exalted, and then they will rejoice. For the rich believers, faith in Christ will keep them humble and it will enable them to see beyond those things which are physical and temporal, and then look into those things which are spiritual and eternal.
Both of them, whether poor or rich, are the same. They are equal by faith in Christ. All it takes is a trial to make us realise that. Sometimes the wealth of this world can blind us so much so that we think we are different. All it takes is for this equaliser, the trial to come, and then we will all realise that everyone of us is the same. There's no difference. We need God at every moment of our lives.
II. Trial And Its Reward
Our second point is: ‘Trial and its Reward’. Let us move on to verse 12. "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.”
Remember in our previous messages, we have learned the various benefits and purposes why God would allow trials into our lives. It is to test the strength of our faith, to humble us, to take us away from our dependence on worldly things, to call us to the eternal and heavenly hope, to reveal to us what we really love, to teach us to value God's blessings, to build us up for greater services, and to enable us to better help others in their trials.
Now, having considered all these benefits, isn't it a blessed thing when we face trials? But it is not just facing trials; we must endure those trials. That is why James said, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation”. Now the word temptation, as we have discussed previously, can have both negative or positive connotations depending on the context. It can mean temptation in a bad sense, to fall into sin, or it can mean a trial, a test. But whether it is a temptation or a trial, God allows it into our lives for a sovereign purpose to test us. Endurance can only come to us when we are tried or tested.
When trials come, we murmur and complain, we sulk and then we blaspheme God's name; we have failed the test. But when trials come, we endure and persevere and not take our eyes away from God; we have passed the test, and there will be a reward. He shall receive the crown of life. The word crown is very interesting because it comes from a word where we derive the English name Steven, and interestingly, the deacon Steven in Acts chapter 6 was martyred for his faith and he received a martyr's crown.
In the ancient games, the winners will be awarded a wreath made up of leaves and branches that will be placed on the head. That was what they did to the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary. Remember they put this crown of thorns on his head not to glorify him but to mock him. But that crown that the winner received in the ancient games was only a corruptible crown made up of leaves and branches. It was practically worthless, only for that momentary glory when the winner stood on the podium to receive the crown. The athletes would train for years and years, they would discipline themselves, they would exercise self-control, they would deny themselves of many things. Why? To receive that wreath made up of leaves and branches. It has been said that the glory fades as fast as the plants on the wreath. Can you fathom the vanity?
Take a moment and think of the greatest award you have ever received in your lifetime, perhaps a trophy, a medal, a plaque, a certificate, accompanied with some money as tokens of appreciation. How long would all those things last? Even if they were to last a lifetime, that's it. Is it not vanity? Most certainly. You work so hard, you train so hard, you sacrifice your time and resources just to stand on the stage and receive the award to the applause of the people, and then you are forgotten. You are just one of millions and millions who have received great awards throughout the history of mankind.
When I was young, I watched a documentary about an athlete who gave his life to be the best of the best, and he became the greatest in his time. So they interviewed him while he was sitting in a wheelchair in an elderly care facility, and no one knew anything about him. Apparently, he had told the people what he did when he was much younger, but no one believed him until that interview. Can you imagine receiving an accolade from the world and then be forgotten by the world? It was most pathetic.
Sometimes we will watch those popular legendary sportsmen and sportswomen sitting on wheelchairs being brought into the stadium to watch the games that they once played and they did so greatly during those days. And then you and I would wonder, isn't it sad that we all would end up in the same way no matter how great we are? We are just like the flowers that may shoot up with all its beauty, and then it will wither off.
But the Christians are different. Listen to the words of 1 Corinthians 9:25, let me read for you, “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things”—which means those who strive to receive the prize, they would exercise self-control in everything—”Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.” What they receive is a corruptible crown that would last only for a while or even a lifetime, that is very short, but what we would receive if we are faithful is an incorruptible crown.
So, you and I are enduring, we are running, we are faithfully serving despite all the oppositions and troubles and afflictions not to receive a corruptible crown which will soon perish and be forgotten but for an incorruptible crown. Now incorruptible means imperishable. It is not liable to death, it is not subjected to destruction, you cannot destroy it, and it will last forever and ever, even when God destroys these present heavens and earth because they have been tainted with sin, and he creates the new heaven and the new earth, that incorruptible crown will still be there. Something that lasts for all eternity is something worth fighting for, right? It is something worth dying for. It is worth sacrificing for.
The New Testament describes our rewards as crowns, different kinds of incorruptible crowns. Let me give you some examples. For those who faithfully declare the truth, according to 1 Thessalonians 2:19, there will be the crown of rejoicing. For pastors and elders who faithfully watch over the flock, according to 1 Peter 5:4, there will be the crown of glory. For those who have true saving faith, according to 2 Timothy 2:8, there will be the crown of righteousness. And here in James 1 verse 12, those who endure trials and temptations, looking to God and living their lives to glorify Him despite the adversities, there will be the crown of life.
Dear friends, God allows trials into our lives for a sovereign purpose to test us, and when we endure, when we persevere, when we trust him to lead us at every step of the way, when we look to him and not take our eyes away from him, there will be a reward. There will be this crown of life that the Bible says the Lord has promised to them that love him. What kinds of crown do you think you will receive? Will you receive the crown of rejoicing, the crown of glory, the crown of righteousness, or the crown of life? Do you look forward to receiving all these crowns? Do you make it your ambition in life, your sole purpose in life, to want to receive these crowns?
Some people may think, as long as I'm saved, as long as I can go to heaven, who cares whether or not I will receive a reward? But do you know what the Bible says? The one who is truly saved, genuinely saved, is the one whose ambition is to produce fruit, to glorify God who has saved him. Jesus Himself said in John 15:8, “[This is how] my Father is glorified, that ye bear much fruit;”—not some fruit, much fruit—”so shall ye be my disciples.” Are you a disciple of Christ? If you are a true disciple of Christ, you cannot help it but to make it your ambition in life to glorify God, to make it your ambition in life to desire to receive the crowns that God has promised. If not, something is terribly wrong.
Please do not wait until the day we are lying on our death beds, and then we reflect on the events, situations, and circumstances in our lives, and to our horror, they all have no eternal value because they have absolutely nothing to do with God and His glory. God forbids. Trial is no respecter of persons; both the rich and the poor are not exempted from it. When trials come, we must persevere, we must endure, we must look to God for strength to help us to overcome, to help us to press on, and when we do that, there will be a reward. There will be the crown of life. As we live our lives, we look forward to this crown of life.
So, dear friends, if you have not encountered trials in your life, that would not be true. Today, everything may be smooth sailing for you, but trials will come; it is inevitable. And if God allows it to come, we take it and ask Him for strength. We don't complain nor murmur, we don't blaspheme His name. We look to Him and not take our eyes away from Him and ask Him, ‘Lord, help me. I want to face this trial, and I know that you have a sovereign purpose, and I've learned all Thy purposes and benefits in allowing trials into my life. But help me, help me to press on.’ When you do that, one day you will receive the crown of life, all to the glory of God. Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven, indeed, Thou has taught us this morning that trial is no respecter of persons. Whether the rich or the poor, no one is exempted from it. Whether the young or the old, no one is exempted. And Thou has also taught us through the series of messages we have considered, of all the benefits and purposes of Thee. Indeed, Thou has a sovereign purpose in allowing these things to happen. Our finite minds may not be able to understand, but we trust that God is in control, and His sovereign purpose is always good for us. So as we face the trials of life, give us the strength, help us to endure, and help us to press on, and we will not take our eyes away from Thee. Grant to us the strength so that we may press on till the very end, and one day we will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to all of us who love Him. Blessed be Thy name. In Jesus' name, we pray. 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 PartialityThe Sin of PartialityJames 2:1-13
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
How to Be PatientHow to Be PatientJames 5:7-11
In Times of AfflictionIn Times of AfflictionJames 5:13-18
