How To Receive Blessings in the Midst of Trials
James 1:12
Preached by Pastor Tony Miano
Pico Canyon Community Church
December 3, 2000
Introduction: To this point, James has given us a very detailed formula for enduring the trials of life. He has taught us about what attitudes we should have in the midst of our trials. He has taught us what we can expect by way of spiritual growth if we have the right attitudes in the midst of trials. He has taught us what we should ask for in our prayers, namely wisdom, whenever we face trials. He has shown us how humility, a humble attitude, can help us endure the trials associated with financial instability and financial security—two things very common to his readers and equally common to believers today.
But where does this all lead? What’s the end result of our spiritual labors, our obedience to godly teaching, and our maturing and enduring faith? James’ readers had to be asking these questions and probably others. After all, many of his readers were what we would call today, “baby Christians,” “new believers.” They were persecuted, confused, in many ways alone, and, at times, probably doubted—considering their circumstances—the practicality of their faith in Christ.
There may be one or more of you here this morning that find yourselves, from time to time, asking similar questions. That’s all right. It’s all right to ask questions. God’s Word tells us that we should work out—not work for—(work out) our salvation with fear and trembling.
In other words, with a healthy fear and reverent awe toward God, we should recognize the incredible grace God has given us through the gift of His Son Jesus Christ, and, without doubt, but amazement, ask God, “How could you do this for a sinner like me?”
This morning we’re going to look at verse 12 of chapter one, in James’ letter to the believing Jews scattered abroad. Through our study of this verse, we’re going to see, as James’ readers saw, where spiritual labor, obedience, maturity of faith, and endurance leads. It leads to blessings from God.
Before we continue, it is so important that we understand that the things James has called his readers to do was not so that they could earn their way to heaven, earn their salvation. We need to keep the right perspective and make sure that we understand Scripture in its proper context. James is not setting up a works theology. We will see this fact stand out even more clearly as we study chapter two of James’ letter.
We must never lose sight of the fact that James is writing to people who already believe. They are already saved. They are already born again, having received by the grace of God alone, through faith alone, the gift of eternal life made possible through nothing other than the finished work of Christ on the cross.
In verse twelve, James is not giving a formula for salvation. He is giving a formula for how we can experience the blessings of God in the midst of our trials.
There are three very important components, or steps, to the formula James has given us in verse twelve. The first step is to stand firm through the testing of your faith. The second step is to see the future life. And the third step is to show your love for Christ.
Blessed is a man . . . (1:12a)
We’re going to take a closer look at each of these important components. But James begins verse twelve by giving the end result of the formula—“blessed is a man.” It’s just like a model plane. You look at the box and the first thing you see is the finished product, the end result—a beautifully constructed, perfectly airbrushed model airplane. You know there are instructions inside, certain steps that must be followed in order to reach the finished product pictured on the box. James starts the verse by telling his readers, “This is what you will have if you follow the instructions I’m about to give you.”
This type of sentence structure was very common in Jewish writing, which would seem appropriate considering James’ audience. We see the same structure of writing in both the Old and New Testaments. Psalm 1:1 is an example. “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked.” And in Proverbs 8:32 we read, “Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, for blessed are they who keep my ways.” In Job 5:17, the word “happy” is used instead of “blessed.” The verse reads, “Behold, how happy is the man whom God approves, so do not despise the discipline of the almighty.”
Jesus used a similar structure in the beatitudes, in Matthew five. Each of the beatitudes, beginning in verse three, starts with the words, “blessed are.” In fact, turn to Matthew five and lets read the beatitudes, if, for no other reason, than to be encouraged by the Lord’s words.
As we continue to look at what James wrote in verse twelve, I think we will see some striking similarities between James’ words and the words of Jesus. I can’t help but to think that the similarity comes, not from James simply hearing the words of Jesus and then repeating the Lord’s thoughts, but because of the intensely personal feeling James probably had about Jesus’ words.
After all, James once rejected his older brother as a lunatic, and later bowed his knee before his brother, whom he now saw as his risen Lord and Savior. We’ve all seen, either in our own lives or on television or in movies, little brothers that idolize, that worship their older brothers. The younger is constantly trying to look like, sound like, and be like the older—one day hoping to be a carbon copy of their big brother.
James may have experienced some of these emotions later in life. But James’ adoration for his older brother, Jesus, went so far above and beyond anything one earthly brother could have for another. James knew that he could never be his older brother. James, having come to saving faith, happily accepted the subordinate role of a little brother forever trying to be like the older, the role of a servant esteeming to be like the Master, the role of the child of God forever in awe of the Father.
Now, we saw in one of the Old Testament verses that the word “happy” was used. There are some translations of the New Testament that try to insert the word “happy” in our verse for this morning, instead of the word “blessed.” But the use of the word “blessed,” which comes from the Greek word, makarios, “is always a strongly religious concept” (Hiebert, p. 82).
“Blessedness” is not a guarantee of happiness. As we wade through the trials of life, our emotional state will fluctuate with the intensity of the trials we are facing. We may not always be happy when faced with trials. Blessedness is not simply a temporary good feeling when things are going our way.
Although the blessedness that James speaks of is set in the present, it carries with it the idea of some later, future, and ultimate blessing. True blessedness comes from the knowledge that regardless of the kind or the frequency of the trials we are facing, we will one day receive God’s full and complete favor, never again to be hampered by hardship or pain.
The use of the word “blessed” in verse twelve shows the link between this verse and verse two. The word is not used as simply some sort of outward emotional expression. It speaks of an inner quality, an inner peace and joy that the believer has, regardless of the circumstances they may be facing. The blessedness that James speaks of is present and constant in the life of the believer who is steadfast in their persistence to endure the trials of life.
Step 1: Stand firm through the testing of your faith.
. . . who perseveres under trials (1:12b)
This brings us to the first step toward receiving blessings in the midst of trials. The believer must stand firm through the testing of their faith.
The Greek word for “persevere” is hupomeno. It means, “endure, hold up, stand firm, bear, put up with, undergo; remain, or stay behind” (Barclay-Newman Greek Dictionary, Bible Works 4.0). We see the noun form of this verb in verses three and four where James writes, “Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result.”
Once again, James speaks of persevering in the present tense, meaning that the believer is to constantly stand firm in or put up with the weight of the day-to-day trials of life. The word also means that the believer will regularly undergo trials. There is no magic formula for escaping the trials of life. Trials are a normal part of life and those who endure trials are those who see them through to the very end.
John Wesley, one of the great preachers of the past, knew what it meant to endure trials. Listen to excerpt from his diary.
From the diary of John Wesley . . .
Sunday, A.M., May 5 Preached in St. Anne’s. Was asked not to come back anymore.
Sunday, P.M., May 5 Preached in St. John’s. Deacons said, "Get out and stay out."
Sunday, A.M., May 12 Preached in St. Jude’s. Can’t go back there, either.
Sunday, A.M., May 19 Preached in St. Somebody Else’s. Deacons called special meeting and said I couldn’t return.
Sunday, P.M., May 19 Preached on street. Kicked off street.
Sunday, A.M., May 26 Preached in meadow. Chased out of meadow, as bull was turned loose during service.
Sunday, A.M., June 2 Preached out at the edge of town. Kicked off the highway.
Sunday, P.M., June 2 [This] Afternoon [I] preached in a pasture. Ten thousand people came out to hear me.
This idea of perseverance does not mean that we will never fail in life. It doesn’t mean that our faith will be so extraordinary that we can completely avoid the trials of life, although there are those who preach that the only reason you fail is because of a lack of faith.
Failing does not make you a failure. Failing does not make you faithless. Quitting after you fail makes you a failure.
Michael Jordan, arguably one of the greatest, if not the greatest, basketball player to ever play the game, said this about success. “I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And, that is why I succeed” (Michael Jordan, quoted in Wit and Wisdom, February 16, 1999).
. . . for once he has been approved, (1:12c)
Notice that James adds the phrase “for once he has been approved” immediately after speaking about the one who perseveres. The word “approved” comes from the Greek word dokimos. In addition to “approved,” the word means, “respected, valued, or genuine” (Barclay-Newman Greek Dictionary, Bible Works 4.0). It’s found only seven times in the New Testament. With the exception of this verse, it is used exclusively by the apostle Paul.
This phrase expresses the goal of endurance. The goal of endurance is not to simply get through the trials of life. What matters even more is how you come out the other end of those trials. What we see here is a condition added to the need to stand firm, to endure or persevere through life’s trials, if we are to receive the blessings of God.
We should never think that God allows us to endure trials because He wants to see us fail. He wants us to succeed, triumph and grow through the trials He allows us to face. The number of trials you face will not bring the approval of God. It’s the genuineness with which you endure the trials; no matter how many or how few, that will bring God’s approval.
It serves little purpose and brings no glory to God if we simply get by, if we simply survive the trials of life. Everything God allows us to endure has significance. I don’t believe that there is any such thing as chance, dumb luck, or coincidence. God has a purpose for everything that He allows to occur in our lives.
Likewise, it is of no value to God for us to come out the other side of trials with a hardened heart, with an attitude of conceit or self-promotion, or the feeling that we were able to skate by without being caught in a transgression. Peter talked about this in his first letter. First Peter 2:20 says, “For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.”
In order to receive God’s blessing in the midst of our trials, we must first persevere with genuineness in our faith, through the trials of life. We must stand firm with an enduring attitude, an enduring quality that is at the very center of our character. With that steadfastness, with that genuineness of faith, will come God’s approval, without which there can be no blessing.
Step 2: See the future life.
. . . he will receive the crown of life (1:12d)
What else should we do to experience God’s blessing in the midst of trials? We should see the future life, our place for all eternity with Jesus Christ. We should see the future life that will come after we’ve gone through this present life considering every trial as an opportunity for to God approve the genuineness of our faith.
We looked at perseverance in the lives of John Wesley and Michael Jordan. Although both men are excellent examples of an indomitable spirit, there is a huge difference between John Wesley and Michael Jordan. Both are great examples of succeeding through failure, of persevering through times of trials or testing. Yet there is a difference in the results of their perseverance.
Michael Jordan’s perseverance has brought him fame and fortune, awards and accolades. John Wesley’s perseverance resulted in him being put in the category of those who are blessed. Jordan’s rewards are temporal. Wesley’s rewards are eternal. Jordan’s perseverance, albeit impressive, will result in nothing more than things that will inevitably pass away—gold and silver, fame and glory. Wesley’s rewards, which he has already received now that he is with the Lord, are eternal—rewards that neither rust nor moths can destroy.
James tells us that that the blessed person, because they stand firm in their faith during trials, “will receive the crown of life.” What is the crown of life? We need to decide if it’s a crown of royalty, an “emblem of the highest joy and gladness” (Kistemaker, p. 47), a wreath of victory, or a crown of reward. The Greek word for crown is stephanos.
Adding to the difficulty of the decision is the fact that the word is used in the Bible to describe all of the ideas I mentioned. In II Samuel 12:29-30 we see the word used for the crown of royalty. “So David gathered all the people and went to Rabbah, fought against it and captured it. The he took the crown of their king from his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the spoil of the city in great amounts.”
We see the word used to express the highest joy and gladness in Psalm 21:1-3. “O Lord, in Your strength the king will be glad, and in Your salvation how greatly he will rejoice! You have given him his heart’s desire, and you have not withheld the requests of his lips. For you meet him with the blessings of good things; You set a crown of fine gold on his head.”
We see the word used to describe a crown or wreath of victory in I Corinthians 9:24-25. “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.”
We see the word used to describe the reward given to the believer for faithful service. In I Peter 5:4, Peter wrote about the reward that will be received by faithful elders, shepherds of the flock. “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”
So can we make a decision as to which crown James is referring to in our verse? I think we can.
So which one is it? Here, we see why doing word studies, historical background studies, and studies of imagery and near and far context is so important. I think, to a certain extent, we could argue that what we see here is a combination of several of the ideas.
Certainly we can justify seeing the imagery of the crown of a king. After all, Peter wrote that believers are a royal priesthood (I Peter 2:9).
Certainly we can justify seeing the imagery of the highest joy and gladness that rightfully accompanies the culmination and realization of the life God has promised to all who call upon the name of His Son Jesus Christ.
Certainly we can justify seeing the imagery of an athlete receiving the wreath of victory. After all, James is writing about having an enduring faith that is able to stand the test of time and trials, much like the athlete who must endure the training and sacrifice to compete and win the race. Certainly, in much the same way we see the crown as a wreath of victory, we can see the imagery of a future reward for faithful service rendered in the name of the Lord.
But I think what we see here goes much deeper than the types of crowns mentioned so far. I believe what we see here is the imagery of a King giving a gift to a beloved friend. I tend to agree with James Hardy Ropes who wrote, “Righteousness here constitutes the crown, and it is a gift, not a prize” (Ropes, ICC, p. 152).
Once again, it’s important for us to remember whom James is writing to—Christians, believers just like him. In no way do any of these other points of view suggest that James is talking about the crown as if it’s something that can be earned. We cannot earn eternal life. Our good works will never be good enough.
But I think the picture of a Righteous King placing a crown upon the head of a friend who is kneeling before Him, for no other reason than to bestow a gift upon that friend, is as close as we can come to what James is saying here. Even more to the point, the crown serves as the mark of a gift already given.
James’ readers already had the gift—the promise of eternal life. The gift was given to them the moment they acknowledged Christ as their Lord and Savior. James told his readers, and is telling us through his words, that once we have passed the test of a lifetime of trials, we will receive the complete fulfillment, the total realization, of the promise already given.
That’s why James says that believers will receive the “crown of life.” The two words, “crown” and Life,” are in apposition. That means they are equal terms. Instead of saying “the crown of life.” We can say, “the crown which is the life.” The crown is life, which is not a result of our endurance, as if we had to work to get there, but a gift that will be fully realized, fully experienced, once we have endured all that God would have us endure in this present life.
Remember, I told you that the Greek word for “crown” is stephanos. From this word we also get the name “Stephen.”
There was a man named Stephen who had a brief, yet very significant, ministry, which we see in Acts 6-8. Stephen was one of the seven men, chosen by the apostles, to handle the administrative issues of the early church that were cutting into the apostles’ time in the Word and in prayer. Stephen is described as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5).
Stephen’s ministry is seen as bridging the gap between the ministries of Peter and Paul. Up to Acts 6, Peter is the dominant figure in the history of the early church. We see Paul come onto the scene in Acts 9 and Peter begin to fade, not in stature, but in prominence, at least in the Book of Acts.
Between the two great apostles stood Stephen. Peter’s ministry was primarily to the Jews. Paul’s ministry was focused on the Gentiles. “Stephen’s brief ministry was mainly to Jews from Gentile lands. Peter ministered in Jerusalem, Paul throughout the Roman Empire. Stephen’s ministry was the catalyst that catapulted the church out of Jerusalem into the rest of the world” (MacArthur, p. 188). In fact it was after Stephen’s ministry ended that a great persecution broke out against the Christians in Jerusalem.
Stephen’s ministry was well known, so well known that an organized, formal debate was arranged to refute his teachings about Jesus Christ. The arrogance of the religious leaders in the Jewish community led them to believe that they would be able to put down the teaching of Stephen with one good argument. “But,” as Acts 7:10 tells us, “they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.”
So, since they couldn’t beat Stephen, they decided to lie about him and manufacture charges of blasphemy against him. They dragged him before the Sanhedrin, which was still presided over by Caiaphas, the same high priest who interrogated Jesus the night he was betrayed. So Stephen would find no friends in the court.
Caiaphas asked Stephen if the charges levied against him were true. Stephen answered with one of the greatest defenses ever given in any court. The lawyers debating who should be our next president should take lessons from Stephen.
Stephen gave a history lesson to the ruling council—a history lesson about their own nation, their own people. He finished his oratory by explaining that, not only did their forefathers kill the prophets of old, but they themselves had killed the Messiah of whom the prophets spoke. Let’s pick up the story at Acts 7:51. Turn there with me.
Stephen, having stood firm through a trial in his life, which, if we look at very honestly, probably makes our own trials seem at least a little less overwhelming; and having seen the future life unfold before his very eyes, slipped quietly into the presence of the Lord to receive to.n ste,fanon th/H zwh/H.—the crown of life.
Stephen did not see the jagged rocks being hurled at his body. He saw his future life with the Lord. He did not shake his fist at God and cry out, “Why me, Lord!” He called upon the Lord to receive his spirit. Like the Lord and Savior he was about to join, who said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing,” as He hung from the cross; Stephen, refusing to see the hate of the world, but instead, saw the glory of the Lord, said, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
If we want to experience blessings in the midst of trials, we must look to the future life. We must not set our eyes upon the rocks this life may be hurling at us. Instead, we should see, as Stephen did, the future realization of a life in the constant presence of the Lord where no tear will be shed, where no pain shall be felt, where joy is never diminished. We must see our eternal, everlasting life with Christ.
Although this is pure speculation, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to wonder if James may have witnessed Stephen’s martyrdom. After all, James was a fairly new believer, in Jerusalem, at the time of Stephen’s trial and execution. Could James have had in the back of his mind the incredible, enduring, future looking faith of Stephen when he penned the words we have in verse twelve?
Again, we can only speculate. Scripture gives us no indication that this is the case. There’s nothing wrong with trying to visualize the incredible scenes documented in the Bible as long as we don’t impose any of our speculations on the meaning of the text. James draws the practicality of his writing, at least in part, from his personal, life experience. Why could one of those experiences have been witnessing Stephen being pelted by stones and quietly moving into the presence of the Lord? I just share that with you to give you something to think about.
Having stood firm through the testing of your faith and seeing the future life, there is one more thing you should do in order to receive God’s blessings in the midst of trials.
Step 3: Show your love for Christ.
. . . which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (1:12e)
The third step toward experiencing blessings in the midst of trials is to show your love for Christ.
Verse twelve ends with the phrase “which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” Some may look at the phrase and interpret it to mean that we must earn the promised reward by first loving the Lord. This is just another empty argument in support of a good works theology that is never the point of James’ writing.
What we see in this final phrase is James making a close association between “faithful perseverance under trial [and] genuine love for God” (MacArthur, p. 42). Those who are able to endure the trials of life, and grow in their relationship with the Lord as a result of their trials, are those who already have a genuine love for God.
The apostle John was known as “the apostle whom Jesus loved.” John wrote extensively on what it meant to truly love God. Turn to I John, chapter 4, and let’s read verses 7-11 and 19.
A genuine love for God is not based on a one-time profession of faith, followed by a life that never changes under the genuineness of this professed faith. A genuine love for God is not built on attending church on Sunday and looking at this simple act as the great sacrifice that demonstrates our faith. A genuine love for God is a love that grows over time. It’s a love that is demonstrated by our enduring faith, our perseverance, in trying times, no matter how intense they may be.
Think about this. If I were to tell you that I love you if you provide for me with, not only everything I need, but also everything I want; if I told you that I will love you as long as my relationship with you doesn’t cramp my style or force me to change anything about myself; would you really believe that I loved you? Sadly, there are millions of people around the world who claim to love God, yet what they think is a relationship with God is little more than what I just described—a conditional relationship with no genuineness of faith.
Some people might be able to imitate an enduring faith with shear determination and stubbornness. Some people may be able to convince themselves that they see heaven waiting for them in the future, even though they think they’re going to get there because of their own good deeds, never having truly given their life to Christ. But they can’t imitate a genuine love for God—a love that is sacrificial, that puts living for and serving the Lord before their own fleshly desires. They can’t fake that.
Only those who have first experienced the life-changing, wonder-working power of the Holy Spirit, which draws them into an eternal relationship with the Father, through the recognition that there is but one Lord and one Savior, one way to heaven—namely Jesus Christ, can show God the agape, sacrificial love that James is talking about. Remember, as John so aptly wrote, “We love, because He first loved us.” In order to, not only endure the trials of life, but also experience the blessings of God in the midst of those trials, we must show our love for Jesus.
We must show our love for Jesus, not just by the things we do, not just by what we say, but who we are—who we are because of Him and His perfect sacrifice. Stephen did not earn his salvation because he gave his life for what he believed. He was only able to make the ultimate sacrifice because Jesus Christ was already living inside of him. The precious blood of Jesus’ sacrifice had already bought Stephen’s life.
The blessing Stephen received was perfect and complete because his faith had an enduring quality, because he looked to the future life he had in Christ’s immediate presence, and because he showed his love for Christ by the ultimate of human means. Although the trials we face from day to day may not call us to give our very lives and result in us being brought into the immediate presence of God and the fulfillment of His promise, we can still receive the blessings of God in the midst of our trials.
As we come to the communion table this morning, let us first take a couple of minutes to go before the Lord in prayer and ask him if we are living our lives in such a way to experience the blessings He has for us. Are we standing firm in our faith through the trials of life? Are we seeing the future life we have with Christ as we go through trials? Are we showing our love for Christ through the enduring and genuine qualities of our faith?
If you answered, “yes,” to those questions, then not only can you expect, but you can be assured, of experiencing the blessings of God as you navigate life here in this world.
If you hear these questions and they sound foreign to you, yet you have gone to church for years, maybe all of your life, or even if being in a church is a fairly new experience for you, maybe it’s time to ask yourself the question, “Do I really know Him? Have I ever really committed my life to Christ? Have I prayed for God’s blessings, have I tried to experience God’s blessings, without first acknowledging my need for forgiveness for my sins, without first acknowledging my need for the Savior?”
As we quietly go before the Lord in prayer, each and every one of us should ask Him to search our hearts. Is there anything in our lives that is keeping us from having the kind of genuine relationship with God that He wants us to have with Him? That can change this morning.
Are you here this morning and have finally come to the realization that you need Jesus Christ in your life, that you need a genuine relationship with Him? That can happen this morning. Ask Him into your heart. Cry out to Him in your own words. Ask Him to forgive you for your sins and to be the Lord and Savior of your life. Do this not because I want you to, but because the Lord, by His Holy Spirit, is calling you to Him.
Let us go before the Lord in prayer, in the quietness of our hearts, remembering His incredible sacrifice on the cross and the incredible gift of eternal life He has given us through His finished work there. Let’s pray.
