Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
This and a few more emails will address some wonderful scripture in the book of James often overlooked by Believers. James, the half-brother of Jesus Christ, and one of the leaders of the Jerusalem Church, with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, wrote the book of James. It is a power packed book offering great certainty to Believers. This email and emails over the next couple of weeks will focus on James 1:2-8.
I really used to wrestle with James 1:2. The verse made no sense to me. Why would I be joyful about temptation, trials, afflictions, persecutions, etc.? Am I just to bear the sufferings with a good attitude and hang on until my life ends and I go to Heaven? Well, maybe this is what I was supposed to do, but it was completely unappealing. Can’t I just skip this? This is what I was left to believe from years of teaching and preaching I had heard. Basically, we just need to grin and bear it, and we’ll receive our reward in Heaven. Well, let me get right to the bottom-line up front. That’s hogwash. It’s completely unscriptural.
James 1:2
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
James is writing to sisters and brothers in Christ, or brethren. This is not written to the unsaved. So, it is written to you and me.
The word “count” in the verse is the Greek word “hegeomai,” which means “to suppose, consider, or esteem.”
The word “fall” in the verse is the Greek word “peripipto” which means “to fall into the midst of, am involved in, happen upon a place.”
The word “divers” in the verse is the Greek word “poikilos” which means “various.”
The word “temptations” in the verse is the Greek word “pierasmos” which means “trials.”
If we rewrite the verse to match the Greek, it reads “My Brothers, esteem it all joy when you fall into the midst of various trials.”
There we go again. The Holy Spirit, through James, is telling us to be joyful in the various trials. “Esteem” means to “set a value on, whether high or low; to estimate; to value.” James tells us to esteem it all joy or to set a value of joy on the various trials that we fall into in life. Now, I know exactly what you are thinking. It makes no sense to set a value of joy on the various trials we encounter. In the natural, I absolutely agree with you. However, God has called us to walk in the spiritual every day. We will see as we study James 1:2-8 we can have joy in the trials – not because we have to grin and bear it. We can have joy because God has given US, the Believer, the power to overcome it and to be promoted spiritually and physically in the process. Does this sound too good to be true? Of course. But Jesus Christ came to share the “Gospel” of Himself with us. Gospel means, “the nearly too good to be true news.”
What was this nearly too good to be true news? It is summed up in John 14:12.
John 14:12
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me [Jesus], the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Jesus tells us in John 14:12 when we make Him King and Lord of our lives, He lives in us. Living in us, Christ enables US to do everything He did while on earth and even greater works. We don’t have to grin and bear it. We overcome it by the confessed and believed Word of God in our lives.
The Gospel of Grace (unmerited, undeserved, unearned favor) is not a thing, it is a person. The person is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Gospel, He is The Word, He is The Truth, He is Grace.
In closing this email, The Word teaches us we are to walk daily in the spiritual realm. No, this is not floating around, transcendentalism, or some mystic Eastern philosophy. To walk in the spiritual realm is to believe and confess The Word of God over you, your family, your business, your job, your finances, your health, your material possessions, your marriage – over everything. We have a choice to walk according to The Word of God or by the wisdom of the world. We can see the results of the wisdom of the world every day in the news. Personally, I choose to walk according to The Word of God because He wants the very best for me in everything in my life. John 4:24 tells us we have to interact with God in the Spirit. Trying to secularize God and interact with Him as a natural man is a failing recipe according to John 4:24.
John 4:24
God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
Next week we’ll examine James 1:3-4. We’ll start to learn WHY we can have joy when encountering trials in our lives. And, let me assure you, it has nothing to do with hanging on for Heaven where we’ll receive our rewards. Yes, we will receive rewards in Heaven, but God’s Word in Hebrews 11:6, among other scriptures, tells us we can have rewards on this earth, in this life.
Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him [God]: for he that cometh to God must believe that He [God] is, and that He [God] is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
Have a wonderful day and weekend in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Larry