Living a Faith that can be Seen: James 1:1-11
A PROFOUND RESPONSE TO TRIALS
The TV show, Dragnet, was an old black-and-white cop show from the golden age. I never really watched it, but I do remember the catchphrase of the main character, Joe Friday. Friday was a detective with the Los Angeles Police and was a real straight shooter. When a witness to a crime would prattle on about irrelevant details, Friday would cut to the quick with his famous line, “Just the facts ma’am.”
Some would call James the “Joe Friday” of the NT. He cuts to the chase without fluff. He’s not really interested in hearing your profession of faith. He wants to see you practice your faith. You could say that James is the least theological letter of the NT, but you could also say that it is the most practical. James wanted his readers to have a faith that could be seen in their actions.
Who was James? There were three men named James in the NT. The James of “Peter, James, and John” fame, James the son of Alphaeus (a lesser-known apostle), and this James – the half-brother of Jesus. But James does not introduce himself in any way as the “other son” of Mary. He calls himself “a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,”thereby committing himself to Jesus as God and absolute master.
This James also becomes the lead pastor of the Jerusalem church and was a prominent influencer in critical matters (Acts 15). When persecution hit the Jerusalem church, many Jewish Christians fled to other countries, so they were scattered to many locations. This is why James calls them “the twelve tribes in the Dispersion.” Word must have gotten back to James about the troubles these believers were encountering: troubles within in the church and troubles from unbelievers. Some were strong on their profession of faith, but practiced selfish, ungodly lifestyles. To these folks, pastor James writes a no-nonsense letter with a strong message: True faith shows itself in practical, godly living. This is the overall theme of the letter.
There are three main themes in this letter: dealing with trials, finding true wisdom, and the conflict between the rich and the poor. In our passage today, 1:1-11, James combines all three themes to address how believers ought to respond to the challenges of practicing your faith in a world of troubles.
Christians Respond to Trials with Joy (1:2-4)
How do followers of Jesus respond to intense suffering? Our human response to pain and trouble is not unlike anyone else: we feel the hurt, we wonder why we suffer, we find someone to hear our pain.
But James offers a counterintuitive response to trials. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds…” (2). Joy? Are you kidding? Smile through the pain? What does James mean by greeting your trial with joy?
First, James does not intend for us to wear an artificial happy face and deny our true emotions. That does not help anyone. You cannot will yourself to feel glad when you are in a pit of depression. But we can choose how we think. That’s why James tells us to “count it all joy” when its plainly not.
The joy that James has in mind is not an emotion, it is a way of perceiving life (trials) from God’s vantage point. This joy considers that our trials will eventually be overcome by a God who promises a new day.
What kind of trials are we talking about? All kinds. James calls them trials of “various kinds.” This is the same Greek word that is used for “temptation” in v. 13 (strange huh?). These trials do include the hurt suffered from a loved one, the death of someone close, a financial setback, or abuse. But it also includes the diabolical – demonic oppression – temptation or spiritual attacks.
Whatever trial you are facing now, James counsels you to face it with joy. But why? Because, he says, “…you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness,” (3). Steadfastness is also called endurance, or more fully, the capacity to hold out or bear up in the face of difficulty. It can mean to “stand your ground” or “survive.” Every trial you face, big or small, is a test of your faith. As you face each trial something happens in you. Even if you fail the test, you learn from it. Even as you succumb again to your spiritual or fleshly trial, you learn from it. This strengthening of faith is greater when you do overcome it. (see Rom. 5:3-5 Paul agrees).
I must offer caution in understanding this teaching. There is no automatic promise in these words. Trials do not guarantee blessings or maturity. You can easily be driven away from God by your unhappy circumstances. An effort is required when you face trials. Therefore, James implores us to “count it all joy” – it has to be said; it has to be done; it’s not a simple flick of the switch. Joy must be worked on.
This is also why James continues to say, “And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing,” (4). Let this attitude be in you. The words “and let” implies submission to God in the trial. Now, submitting does not mean passively enduring pain without praying for relief. At the end of the letter, James tells his readers to pray for healing, so we don’t just throw up our hands and say “whatever.” But we must understand that God does allow us to face trials – he doesn’t abandon us to them – but we do come perilously close to the edge at times. God does not push us over the edge, yet he allows us to mature through these times of challenge and suffering.
Christians Respond to Trials by Asking God for Wisdom (5-8)
James has told us to count it all joy when we meet trials because the testing of our faith leads to maturity, and we will be “lacking in nothing.” But you will agree that we have not reached the point of maturity whereby our faith is so solid that can say we lack nothing. You will also agree that when facing a new trial, we lack wisdom for the new challenge. “Lacking” and “lack” connects the previous verse with this one…
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him,” (5). What are we to do when our backs are against the wall and our sins and weaknesses are exposed? Ask God for wisdom.
When we ask other people for advice, we sometimes receive judgment (or reproach). We may hear “I told you so” or “You should have come to me sooner” before receiving any help. But not with God; God gives to all without reproach. Three weeks before I ended my time pastoring at a previous church, my office lights went on the blink. While he stood upon a ladder changing fluorescent bulbs, a fellow chided me saying, “Next time, call me.” God does not chide us when we don’t know what to do or how to do it.
There is a condition to asking God for wisdom, however. That condition is faith. “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways,” (6-8).
The question could be asked: What is the object of faith? We have doubts. Is this allowed? Especially when trials cause us to question the goodness of God. If we have these questions, does that negate the request for wisdom? Are we supposed to have unshakable faith prior to asking God for wisdom to face our trials? I believe the object of faith is not “how much faith do I need?” but “Do I believe that God gives generously without finding fault?”
You see, I believe the focus is God. It is precisely because I am having trouble figuring out this trial or test or suffering that I need God’s wisdom. I need wisdom to live by faith in the midst of a trouble that threatens my trust in God.
Now, James elaborates on the condition of faith for asking. He says that we must believe and not doubt. He is telling us that we need, not just a profession of faith, but a clear commitment to Christ. That means seeking wisdom while repenting of our sins. If we do not repent of our sins, we cannot hear the wisdom of God for our situation. It is not logical to seek the wisdom of God but continuing to live in sin. That is the doublemindedness that James speaks of. Faith blossoms when we come to a place of single-mindedness about the things of God. Then we will receive wisdom – not an increase in intelligence or practical expertise or life experience – but wisdom from a biblical perspective that begins with following God now revealed in Jesus Christ. This leads to godly living.
Christians Respond to Trials with a Kingdom Perspective
A casual glance at these next verses may make you wonder how this is connected to facing trials. James introduces what has often been called “the great reversal.” It refers to theme of the unjust rich and the pious poor trading places when God judges the world. (post slide of 9-11).
How is this an encouragement to you and me when we face a testing of our faith? First, we must understand the view of rich people from an ANE perspective. The wealthy in the 1st century were often found exploiting the poor, and their trust in God was often suspect because they relied on their own resources instead of trusting God.
Second, we need to understand the Kingdom perspective as taught by Jesus. Consider the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. In this life, the rich man had no needs and ignored the plight of the poor man, Lazarus, who sat at his very doorstep. When they both die, the positions are reversed. The rich man goes to a place of suffering while Lazarus is now the one being comforted in the presence of Abraham. This is just a parable and should not be taken in a literal sense (Luke 16:19-31). However, the principle is similar in James’ letter.
Down is up in the kingdom of God. Up is down. We sometimes call this “the Upside-Down Kingdom” because things are not what we expect from a worldly perspective. Just as in the parable, we all die – the rich people and the poor people. James tells the lowly brother (a Christian) to boast in his exaltation (high standing) and the rich brother in his humiliation. What’s going on here?
Many of our trials center around money – not all, but many. James exalts the poor person because that person is more likely to trust in God more fully than the rich person. A wealthy person will depend less on God. It is surely not that a rich person cannot be a Christian, but it is a question of how we view our possessions. Unless we recognize the utter frailty of this life and how suddenly it can end for each of us (the grass, the flower, etc.), and unless we live each moment for Christ with a sense of urgency and care for the time we are given, we risk loving this world too much.
We respond to trials with joy. I am certain that your friends would find it utterly ludicrous to hear you reply with joy at the diagnosis of cancer. To say, “I can’t wait to see how I will grow and mature through this financial setback,” would seem ridiculous. Yet this is what Pastor James is telling us. We are to find joy in the setbacks of life for therein is the opportunity to grow in faith.
A question to ask ourselves: How can I demonstrate my faith in God during this trial?
We respond to trials with a request for wisdom. And God gives that wisdom freely. It comes through the trial itself in most cases. It may come through the Holy Spirit himself. What we find in this wisdom is the ability to see beyond the trouble before us and to understand that God is doing something greater than we can imagine. That is why asking for wisdom requires faith. “…faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen,” (Heb. 11:1).
We respond to trials with a kingdom view. Things are not what they seem. Those who have life all figured out, don’t. Those who wrestle with the challenges of life are richer in faith if they put their trust in God.
The question for you and me amid tough times is this: Will you allow trials to make you a person of faith, or will you allow trials to break you to pieces? That’s a hard question, but I challenge you to face the crisis in your life with joy knowing that God is shaping you through adversity.
“Someone once said that the difference between American Christianity and Christianity as it is practiced in the rest of the world has to do with how each views suffering. In America, Christians pray for the burden of suffering to be lifted from their backs. In the rest of the world, Christians pray for stronger backs so they can bear their suffering.” (Dave Dravecky)
AMEN
Benediction
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
So, we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
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