Every follower of Jesus Christ needs to be concerned with putting his faith into practice. But if you are like me, you have discovered that it is difficult to do that. Certainly, Christians need theology. They need the academic, the lofty, the ethereal, but they also need the practical. We need to be concerned with the here and now, life as it is right at this moment.

    This is one reason why the Book of James appeals to me so much. It is concerned with all of lifeís difficulties and frustrations, and those are things that all Christians face at one time or another. It is a cry of outrage against hypocrisy on the part of those who claim to be Christians but fail to show it in their lifestyle, and those who profess to be believers but do not truly put their total trust in God.

    This short epistle is characterized by unending honesty. Its theme is genuine, honest faith. Determined to tell it like it is, the author teaches us how to turn trials into triumphs almost right from the start. And thatís what I want to speak to you about today.

    Brother of Christ
    But letís look first at the introductory verse, which gives us some idea about the person whom God used and inspired to write this letter. It reads:

     James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.
    In the New Testament, as many as five men are referred to as James. But traditionally, this book has been ascribed to the half brother of Jesus. If this is so, then it is the same James who, according to Acts, was the leader of the early church in Jerusalem. This is interesting because during the ministry of Jesus, His brothers did not believe in Him (John 7:5).

    Imagine what it would be like to grow up with Jesus as your older brother? Because He never sinned, He was a perfectly obedient child. For that reason, itís quite likely that, consciously or unconsciously, the parents favored Jesus, especially since they knew who He was. If so, his brothers and sisters were probably jealous of Him. This would explain why they mocked Him in John 7.

    But in I Corinthians 15, Paul reveals that among the people to whom Christ appeared after His resurrection was James. That must have been quite an emotional meeting. Seeing the risen Christ, James realized at last that for thirty years he had personally and physically experienced the meaning of EmmanuelóGod with us.

    As he opens this epistle, James could have done some name-dropping, like writing, ìJames, the brother of Jesus.î That would have been impressive, donít you think? But not to James, because he realizes that his relationship to Jesus came through supernatural descent, not through natural birth. It wasnít his relationship to Jesus through Mary that mattered; it was the relationship he maintained after Jesus became the Lord of his life. Hence, he humbly said, ìJames, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.î

    Twelve tribes. After that short introduction, James writes, ìTo the twelve tribes scattered among the nations.î The letter was originally addressed to those Jews who had become Christians and had been dispersed throughout the world. These people were suffering because they were Christians. The Gentiles hated them because they were Jews; the Jews hated them because they were Christians.

    (Editorís note: Spiritually, the twelve tribes scattered among the nations can also symbolize the Israel of God, the body of believers.)

    Paradox. The third part of verse 1 is very briefóthe salutation ìGreetingsî. Literally, the word means rejoice. That is a strange word he uses to address a group of persecuted people. How could they rejoice in their present circumstances? James answers that in verses 2-4:
 

    Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

The ones to whom James wrote needed to know the relationship between suffering and their Christian lives. James didnít provide a complete answer, but he did tell them to regard suffering as a blessing in their lives. He wrote to tell them how to turn trials into triumphs.

    Suffering is inevitable
    There are two things James says in this passage. The first is that suffering is inevitable. Note that he does not say, ìConsider it pure joy if you face trials.î Rather, he says, ìConsider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds.î Trials are not optional; they are inevitable.

    And this is what we are taught elsewhere in the Bible, isnít it? Jesus says, ìIn this world you will have trials.î Paul, writing to Timothy, says, ìEveryone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.î And in his first epistle, Peter writes:
    Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

    Repeatedly, the Bible reminds us that suffering is a normal part of the Christian life. It is not something strange, something unusual. We must recognize its inevitability.

    Various kinds. Look again at verse 2: ìConsider it pure joy, my brothers,  whenever you face trials of many kinds.î Some translations have it ìvarious kindsî. Thatís the idea that God is getting across. The Greek used here for ìvariousî comes from a word on which the English idea of polka dot is based. It means variegated or diversified. Most of us know what a variegated thread is; it is a thread of different colors.

    The point seems to be that while we all suffer, we donít all suffer the same thing. We suffer in different ways. It may come in the form of mental stress. There may be emotional upheavals. There may be financial hardships. There could be physical problems. Or there could be spiritual battles. We face trials of various kinds.

    Suffering has purpose
    The second thing this passage teaches is that the suffering that comes our way has purpose. It says in verses 3 and 4, ìbecause you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.î

    Suffering is the beginning of a process by which God helps us attain spiritual growth. Starting from suffering, that process leads to steadfastness, or endurance, and results in a mature man or woman. Godís goal is for us to grow up in every way, to be complete, to not lack anything.

    What a wonderful thing it is to realize, then, that God is behind all the troubles that we face. You see, God wants us to be able to face every situation with strength and courage. He offers to give us every resource we need to live the life of peace and joy that He wants us to have. God wants us to be mature, and the only way that He can get us to maturity is through the path of suffering.

    Suffering will either drive us to God, or will drive us to despair. The world sees very little value in suffering. Indeed, immature Christians, as well as unbelievers, seek the easiest and least costly route of escape. Typically, they only end up in despondency.

    But when we remember that suffering is Godís gift to us and that it is meant to bring us closer to Him, we begin to lay hold of His resources. In response, He makes His power available to us so that we are able to endure. Sufferings shape us and make us into instruments that God can use. It makes us more like the Lord Jesus.

    Perseverance. It says here that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. To persevere is to hang in there and not give up. And who of us does not need that kind of encouragement.

    James is saying that God looks at your life and mine, and when He sees inadequacies, He takes steps to complete us in those areas. Not always but often, the Lord does it by allowing suffering in those very areas He wants to complete.
    But perseverance must complete its work. If we do not allow God to heal us according to His timing, if we resist and struggle against Him, then we will not be mature and complete.

    You see, Jesus wants you and me to be made into good wine. So, He takes the grape and squeezes it. If we become unyielding and resist His work, maturity never comes. The trouble is, most of us donít like the fingers that God uses. Realize, then, that the people who are squeezing you right now, the circumstances that are pressing in on you, they are the fingers of God. They are extensions of Godís hand.

    This is why Peter says, ìHumble yourselves under Godís mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due timeî (I Peter 5:6). The suffering that you are experiencing was determined by God to perfect you. If you submit to Him, He will lift you up in His proper time.

    Mature faith. Dr. Lewis Evans, formerly the pastor of the Hollywood Presbyterian Church, once spoke on this subject, saying:

    It takes no strong personality or great faith to feel joyful about the brighter aspects of life. But to be joyous and thankful about everything, to take that admonition and make it cover all parts of life, to cover every tear, every fear, all fullness and emptiness, to cover all diseases and good health, all heartaches and failures, all treasons and forsakings and disappointments and sorrows, that is faith in long trousers. All else is faith in knickerbockers.

    Things keep going wrong, donít they? Adversity always chases us. Itís the manifestation of Murphyís law. Murphyís law says, ìIf anything can go wrong, it will.î All of us hope that someday life will improveómaybe when we get out of school, or when we get a job, or when we get married, or when we get our own home, or when we get out of debt, or maybe when we retire. But because our expectations seldom coincide with reality, our natural reaction to adversity and disappointment is to panic.

    But for Christians, God is teaching us here, the supernatural reaction is to rejoice. So, the key to turning trials into triumphs is to remind ourselves of these two truths: suffering is inevitable and suffering is purposeful. God is in the process of developing perseverance in you so that you will become mature and complete and not lacking anything. Isnít that a wonderful prospect to look forward to? o

Dr. David A. Denyer is a professor at the Alliance Theological Seminary, 350 N. Highland Ave., Nyack, NY 10960.
 

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