The Trial Within

In this sermon, the speaker focuses on the passage from James chapter 1 verses 12-18. They discuss the idea of persevering under trial and how believers can find joy in the midst of challenges because of their secure salvation in Christ. The speaker emphasizes that the crown of life is granted to those who love God and highlights the love and compassion demonstrated by God towards believers. They encourage listeners to not doubt God's love, even in difficult times, and to remember that God does not abandon His people. The sermon concludes by reminding listeners to consider it pure joy when facing trials and to continue growing in faith and maturity as followers of Christ. The second installment in our series of James, the gospel according to James. This week we will see the gospel poured out for us through the words of the Apostle who is also the servant of God. James chapter 1 verses 12 through 18 is our text for today. So we're continuing our series of James chapter 1 starting with verse 12 and this is God's word. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he'll receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. When tempted, no one should say, God is tempting me. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone, but each one is tempted when by his own evil desire he is dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death. Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Please be seated. Wow, James, what a great text. Let's look at the trial within. Let's consider that this morning. Here's how we'll study the text. First in verse 12, we ask half the question, how can we not love him? Verses 13 through 16, James is passionately pleading, we'll see in the text. And then verses 17 and 18, we'll talk about the good and perfect gift. Last Sunday, we began our study in the book of James, and right from the beginning, James indicates to us that he is concerned that we would grow in wisdom and grow in faith, that we would each become more mature believers and thus more faithful followers of Christ. And in the opening passage, James centers on the trials that we all experience in life, the challenges we face, the difficulties we endure. None of us can escape them. Everyone is subject to them. But it's in verse 2 where James says, not if you face many trials, rather he says, but when, whenever you face trials of many kinds, James holds for us that the child of God can face the trials of life and in fact can find pure joy in the midst of the trials because he or she is a child of God, one whose salvation is secure in Christ. As believers in Jesus, we are not to ignore such a great salvation, but certainly we are to thrive in it, knowing that now we belong to Christ. And because we belong to Christ, everything changes. We can endure the trials of life because Christ goes before us, because Christ leads us, and because Christ sustains us. And so as the psalmist declares, so too we would declare, I will not die but live and I will proclaim what the Lord has done. And this blessing of God over the life of the believer is certainly for this life and it is also eternal, it extends beyond this life and in the life to come. Notice today's text in verse 12, blessed is the man who perseveres under trial because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. Life is the test and the test is made up of thousands of tests, some big and some small and some exist for a short time while others continue for years or even decades, even throughout our entire lives. God's word promises that the believer will persevere through them and to this child of God is granted what James calls the crown of life. The word here, rendered crown, the language of the day, the language back in first century Israel around that time and in the early language of the day, is the word Stephanos. Now a Stephanos as a crown is not a diadem, a diadem is a crown that a king would wear, a diadem is the gold crown with the jewels encrusted on it and a diadem is placed upon the head of the monarch on the day of his coronation, that's a kind of a crown that's known as a diadem. But a Stephanos is a different kind of crown, a Stephanos is the garland of olive branches that's woven together and subsequently awarded to the runner who wins the marathon, that's a Stephanos. Granted, not at the beginning of the race, think about that for a minute, the monarch receives the crown at the beginning of the race, the runner receives the crown at the end of the race, it's awarded to the one who wins the marathon, but it's awarded at the end when the long distance, multiple miles overland race is finally completed and the crown of life appears here, of course, as a metaphor for the eternal life of the believer, the child of God, one who perseveres unto the end and who is then ushered into glory. We surrender our lives to Christ, we endure to live for and serve the kingdom and at the end of this life, the life in this world, we enter into the presence of God crowned, crowned with freedom from sin, crowned with victory over death, crowned with residence with God forever, this is the crown of life. The Apostle Paul would also write of a similar crown, the language is a little different, but Paul is saying the same thing, 2 Timothy chapter 4 verse 8, Paul at the end of his life writing to Timothy and he says this, now there is in store for me the crown, the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge will award to me on that day and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. Here Paul tells Timothy that the believers receive the crown, the crown of righteousness and it represents the same exact blessings given at the end of a long life, one who is faithful and following and seeking after God. What Paul references is the crown of righteousness, James clearly has thinking in the same line when he calls it the crown of life. So we see the crown of life granted to the one who perseveres, but notice something peculiar that appears in the last phrase of verse 12. The crown of life is granted to the person who perseveres, but it's not granted because of his perseverance, you notice in the text. To whom is the crown of life granted? Look what James says at the end of verse 12, he says it is granted to those who love God. It's granted to those who love God, verse 12, blessed is the man who perseveres under trial because when he has stood the test he'll receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. The apostle John, of course, says that we love because he first loved us, and so we respond to God's love with love for him in return, a love that we then also desire to share with others in order that they may too know and enjoy the divine love that we now know and enjoy. So the Stephanos pictured here, the crown of life granted to those who love God. Yes, it's granted at the end, granted to the one who perseveres, it's granted to those though who love God. And how can we not love him? For he has demonstrated his love for us in that he gave his only begotten son to serve as a substitute for us, to purchase us by his blood shed on the cross, to reconcile us unto God and thereby to fulfill God's plan of redemption. Recall the opening verse of the old hymn that we've recently learned here at Grace Point, the love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell. It goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the lowest hell. And as the Apostle Paul reminds us, nothing can separate us from the love of God. And so our response to God and to his love is the loving response. We worship God for who he is, and we demonstrate our gratitude to him for what he has already done for us, what he is currently doing for us, and what he's promised to do for us in the future and all through eternity. Think about it this way, all the pagan religious systems of this world, all of them, seek to genuflect and pose and act before the deity in order to assuage the wrath of the deity and further to cajole the deity in order to pry loose of his benevolence. But God, according to God's word, God has already made known his will, and he has already demonstrated his goodness, and he has convinced us of his compassion, and he has shown us his mercy. We ask again, how can we not love him? Today's opening verse reminds us that we as the children of God abide in his love which is present with us in the midst of the trial, and it remains with us beyond the trial when the trial is over. So let's just ponder that one for a moment, this glorious truth. People are glad to stick around when the weather is nice and when our lives are carefree and unencumbered, but these are what we refer to as fair weather friends. So then we find a few bumps in the road, a few potholes in our path, and the fair weather friends proceed to disappear. But not only does our God promise not to abandon us when the days are difficult, but he has already demonstrated that he's not going to do so. Our God doesn't leave. Remember words to the people of God just before his death, Moses' words, Deuteronomy 31.6, he writes, be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified of the enemies of God's people, for the Lord your God goes with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. It's the promise of God's word. So despite the absolute garbage that you are now facing, here is the truth. God has not abandoned you. God has not left you behind. God has not discarded you. God has not forsaken you. And do not fall for the trap that so easily entices us that says, because I'm in this spot, I must therefore conclude that God doesn't love me. My friend, please disconnect yourself from this thinking and do it now. The relationship that the believer shares with God is loving, compassionate, truly glorious. Our Heavenly Father loves us, he truly does, and thus we love our Father. So as we learned last Sunday, the truth is reemphasized for us here again. Consider it pure joy, dear friends, dear loved ones, my sisters and brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds. The question remains, how can we not love him? It was a week ago when we began our study of James, and we concluded last Sunday with James contrasting the outward circumstances of our wealth or our poverty and the way we regard our provision or lack of provision during the trials and the challenges we face in life. And we recalled this at the end of the lesson just last week in James. James doesn't pretend that wealth or poverty doesn't matter. In the first few verses of the letter, we find that James reminds us that the battlefield of our lives is often external, and it is real, and it is physical, and we learned that last week. And we come today to verse 13 through 16, and our gaze now is refocused. In the text, it's refocused on a second battlefield, one that is just as real, but while the first battlefield was external and physical, this one is internal. It is the battle that rages within. It is the brokenness and the imperfection and, yes, the sin that yet abides within the heart of each person, even those who belong to the household of faith. And, yes, you and I, still sinners, are counted in this number. Remember how the servants of Westminster described the battle. This is the Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 13. Listen to what they wrote. They wrote these words, those who are effectually called and regenerated believers have a new heart and a new spirit created in them. They are additionally sanctified actually and personally by the power of Christ's death and resurrection and by His Word and Spirit dwelling in them. The power of sin ruling over the whole body is destroyed and the desires of the old self are more and more weakened and killed. At the same time, the ability to practice true holiness without which no one will see the Lord is brought to life and strengthened by all the saving graces. This sanctification works in the whole person, but not completely or perfectly in this life. The old sinful nature retains some of its control in body, mind, and spirit. And so, a continual and irreconcilable war goes on in every believer. The old nature tries to get its way in opposition to the Spirit and the Spirit fights to assert its authority over the flesh. Wow, those Westminster guys, they weren't so shabby after all. They kind of knew their stuff, didn't they? And as we know, as we all have experienced, it's all too easy to deal with the trial or the circumstance by slipping back into a familiar pattern of behavior. The trial always presents the temptation and to this, James has for us good wisdom indeed. For here, the apostle reminds us of territory for him that is all too familiar. So let us be clear, the temptation to despair in the midst of trial, this is not from God. Notice verse 13, when tempted, no one should say, God is tempting me. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone. Yes, God uses the trials in our life. Yes, God ordains the trials in our life because He rules and reigns over all things. But it is also true that God is of such simple and yet perfect nature, unpolluted by sin, that it is not within God to scheme to harm His children. Temptation is not a divine attribute. Here James lays the blame where it truly resides. Look at verse 14, verse 14 says, but each one is tempted when by his own evil desire he is dragged away and enticed. And the popular refrain, a claim made even by believers, often goes something like, well, you know, their heart's in the right place, people just need to follow their heart, it will never lead them astray. Well, I get the sentiment of that, but the fact of the matter is the Bible doesn't hold such wisdom. In fact, it's the opposite. What does the Bible say? In Jeremiah, chapter 17, verse 9, the Bible says, the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure, and who can understand it? James here is certainly in agreement with Jeremiah. Look again at verses 14 and 15, but each one is tempted when by his own evil desire he is dragged away and enticed, then after desire is conceived it gives birth to sin, and sin when it is full grown gives birth to death. It makes the logical and the accurate connection. Desire exists within us, and desire gives birth to sin, and sin leaves to death. Dude, I would love to think that I'm better than this, but I have to admit that I am not. And the apostle Paul says the same thing, says the same thing about me and about you and about James and about Jeremiah and about himself. What did Paul say? This is chapter 7. He said, I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature, for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out, for what I do is not the good I want to do, no, the evil I do not want to do. This I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it, so I find this law at work. When I want to do good, evil is right there with me, for in my inner being I delight in God's law, but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am. Who will rescue me from this body of death? It is James. James is in agreement, but is James not passionately pleading with us concerning this? Look at verse 16 and hear the passion. What does James say? He says, Do not be deceived, my dear brothers, my friends and fellow servants of Christ. Certainly we sense the weight and the immediacy of this. The wisdom of James articulates the stickiness of the burden. It's like it's stuck to us and we can't get rid of it, we can't let this go, and we must not let it go, we can't treat it lightly, but the apostle here is begging and pleading with us. If James were standing before us, he might appear as a calm and reserved and articulate, but on the inside, James' heart is breaking for the child of God, and James says, Please, please, please, do not be deceived, my dear brothers and my dear sisters. So we come to verse 17 and 18. Now James has already dispatched the notion that the temptation is from God. Later then, he reminds us again of the true nature of God, the attributes that he does possess, and further, James blesses us by reminding us of the quality of the divine endowment. Look at verse 17, everybody's favorite verse. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. The gifts that the Father gives are good, they emanate from His very being, and the gifts the Father gives are perfect. His love for us meets our need, and His love for us encompasses the trial in which we face. And the gifts that the Father gives come down from Him, they are sent to us with intention and with divine purpose, they don't just casually, unintentionally fall out of His pocket. The gifts the Father gives are absolutely reliable, always consistent, they're always more than sufficient. Why? Because the Father is absolutely reliable, always consistent, and always more than sufficient. Folks, God could have given us whatever He deemed and determined to give us because He is always right, and He is always just, and we certainly would have no grounds on which to argue. So what's the gift? What is the gift that He deemed and determined to give? Do you notice verse 18? Look at the gift. He chose, He chose to give us birth through the Word of Truth. He chose to give us birth through the Word of Truth. And didn't Jesus say the same thing to Nicodemus? We all get hung up on the meaning of the word whosoever, but we miss the beauty and the glory of the clear and evident truth of John 3.16, which is this, for God so loved, He gave. Right? That's John 3.16 in a nutshell. For God so loved, He gave. It's the very Word of God, the Word of Truth, that declares to each and every person who would place their faith and trust in Christ, the glorious description of this most blessed gift, He chose to give us birth. He chose to give us birth. You and I didn't earn this. We didn't merit this. We can't claim it by generations or by lineage. We didn't achieve it after years of intense academic study or intense spiritual isolation. He chose to give us birth. And the good and perfect gift which came to us from the Father in glory, who does not change like shifting shadows. So why do we need to know this? What purpose does God have in mind for us through this? Well let's look at the final phrase in verse 18. Here we see it. What does the text say? That we might be a kind of first fruits of all He created. That we might be a kind of first fruits of all He created. Recall that in the Old Testament, the faithful brought their first fruits of their labor to be dedicated to and purposed for devotion to God. Remember that Old Testament stuff. The first fruits had to be the best, as it was then set apart to be declared holy. And it served therefore as the annual reminder of God's promise to His people, as deliverance of His people from bondage, and as deliverance of His people to the promised land. That's all the stuff that is in that thing of the understanding of the first fruits. All of that is there. The annual reminder of God's promise. And James says, that's what we are. James says, we're like that, we're like the first fruits. In other words, James says this. Now we are the people of God, the benefactors of the Father's keeping of His covenant promise. The benefactors of the Father's keeping of His covenant promise, now dedicated to and now purposed for God, and set apart and declared holy. Yeah, I know, you're looking at me and you're saying, Tom, I'm not holy. And I get that, absolutely. James says, we're the first fruits, because we've been taken and brought to the temple and we've been declared holy. Not that anything we've done, because of what Jesus has done for us. He chose. He chose to give us birth. So yes, my friend, the trial and the challenge before us is real. And on the outside, the challenge we're facing is draining us of everything we have. And on the inside, the trial and the challenge, it's killing us and it's breaking our hearts. The battle continues in this way, both without and within. Thus the battle continues. Of this, though, let us be clear. There is no divine ignorance and there is no divine detachment. Rather, we know that in the midst of the trial, there is divine presence. And so we rest secure in divine hope, because we know there yet awaits for us divine victory. Amen. Let's pray, shall we? Father, we thank you that you are certainly not blind to not only the battle that rages on the outside, but the battle that rages within. In fact, you know the battle better than we do. For you know our hearts better than we do. And we thank you that though we are often faithless, you remain faithful. And we thank you, Father, that you saw fit to communicate to us and to condescend to us the divine presence, which is Christ in the midst of our trial, in the midst of our circumstance. You prepared a table before us in the presence of our enemies. You sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. So facing the one thing that we all have to face, which brings the end of this life, and yet Jesus faces it full on and defeats it, defeats sin and death by his death on the cross. Heavenly Father, what a crazy plan this is. And it couldn't have been pulled off by any other person. No one else, nothing else in all of the universe could pull this off. But Jesus did. This is tremendous, and for this we praise you and give you glory. We rest secure in the hope that you provide. We thank you, Father, for the victory that is yet to come to your children. And so we thank you, Father, that we would continue to rest and rely upon you for the challenges and trials that we face. We know they're difficult, but we know in the end there's a victory available to the children of God through Christ. To whom we praise you and give you glory this day, in Jesus' name, amen.