“EXTREME MAKEOVER” – PART TWO
TURNING TRIALS INTO TRIUMPH
JAMES 1:2-12 - ©DR. LARRY L. THOMPSON (2004)
INTRODUCTION: Diamond Test Illustration:
To test the genuineness of a diamond, jewelers often place it in clear water, which causes a real diamond to sparkle with special brilliance. An imitation stone, on the other hand, will have almost no sparkle at all. When the two are placed side by side, even an untrained eye can easily tell the difference…which one passes and which one fails!
In a similar way, even the world can often notice the marked differences between genuine Christians and those who merely profess their religion. Many Christians have great confidence in their faith until it is severely tested by hardships and disappointments.
Let’s go to this week’s EXTREME EXAMPLE entitled, “Pass-Fail” (Fitz will roll intro with live vignette to follow on platform)
Historically, James is writing to people who have more than their share of trials. He is writing to people who were hated by the Gentiles because they were Jews and hated by the Jews because they were Christians. James is ready to give those of us who are struggling with the trials of life an extreme makeover by following the biblical directive to turn the trial into triumph!
1. THE TRUTH ABOUT TRIALS v.2-4
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, [3] because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. [4] Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (1:2-4)
For your extreme makeover to be successful James tells us there are two truths that we need to know about every trial we face.
a. TRIALS ARE PREDICTABLE: (1:2)
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds…”
James lets us know immediately that it is not “if” we face a trial but “when” we face a trail. We will all have trails; they are predictable and certain. The first key to turning your trial in triumph is to be prepared; don’t get caught off guard…trials are going to come your way.
What types of trials will we face? Circle the words “many kinds” as this comes from the Greek word poikilos (poe –keel – os) This is where we get our word for poakadot. Simply stated, our trials will come in all shapes and sizes; some big, some small, some short and some long. While we don’t know the size of the trial we certainly know the trial is predictable.
Illustration: I remember years ago when Jennifer was sick and she lost it all over Taylor’s bed. Taylor came crying to me and said, “Why did she have to do it on my bed?” Like all of us, my daughter wasn’t ready for someone else’s trial to affect her life…but they do.
b. TRIALS ARE PURPOSEFUL: (1:3-4)
“Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. [4] Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James warns us that for the Extreme Makeover to be effective we must realize this truth about trials…they have a purpose.
There is an INITIAL purpose and an ULTIMATE purpose in every trial.
i. The initial purpose of every trial is to build in us to PERSEVERENCE.
The first lesson God desires to teach us in a trial is that of perseverance or endurance. This word is also literally translated as patience. The Greek word for perseverance means “to abide under” the pressure or in laymen’s terms, “Hang in there!” When you consider that not one trial you have faced in life is an accident but instead it has been by the design of God and His purpose is to first produce in your life “perseverance.” Here is your first question regarding your extreme spiritual makeover: “As you consider your trial today how are you doing on persevering?”
Some of you may be wondering, “Why won’t God take this trial away?” Look at verse three again: “the testing of your faith…” Why do you take a test? To evaluate your ability to master the assignment. What is your first assignment in a trial? To develop perseverance! One answer could be that you have not yet learned how to “persevere” in the trial and so the test continues until God is able to see His purpose fulfilled in your life.
So, what is being tested? YOUR FAITH? Where does your faith come from?
“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17 (NIV)
Faith is nothing more than taking God at His word and responding to His directive. His testing of our faith is designed to produce perseverance in our life.
Illustration: Greek word for testing is dokimion (da-key-me-on) This is a term for the potter who puts his vessel into the fire and then takes it out to inspect it to see if there is a crack. The cracked vessels were sold at a much reduced price. However, the vessel that went through the fire and did not crack the potter would write “da-key-me-on” which was a witness to all who would purchase the work, “It has been tested by fire and did not crack.” In other words, it persevered and endured the trial.
The test or trial is never intended to crush us but to approve us in our spiritual growth and in our life and walk with Christ. Remember: trials are predictable, they will happen and trials are purposeful.
We said the initial purpose of the trial was to produce perseverance in our life. However,
ii. THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE IN EVERY TRIAL IS TO PRODUCE MATURITY.
“Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:4)
The picture here is the same as a building and you continue to add to the building to make a structure that is secure. You take faith and act on faith and God produces perseverance and then through perseverance God adds maturity and the final result of the structure in the Christian life is CHARACTER that brings honor to Him.
The greatest Christians I have ever known in my life are the ones who have gone through the fire of the trials of life and the spirit of God has written across their life, “da-key-me-on,” they have been tested by fire; they persevered through the test and the result in their life is Christian Character that is evidenced by spiritual maturity.
The trials of our life are not our enemies but our servants and they come with a note in their hand from the Father saying, “This is for you and this trial will build your faith, your perseverance, your spiritual maturity and the end result will be godly character.”
Now that we understand the TRUTH ABOUT OUR TRIALS we need to know how to survive the trials that we face in life.
2. THE TRACK TO TRIUMPH v. 2-4
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, [3] because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. [4] Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (1:2-4)
James provides for us three words that are directive that will help us in the midst of the trial to track us to triumph!
a. CONSIDER!
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds…”
We are told to “consider” our trials with one mindset…JOY! This is the most contrary command to the human heart in the face of a difficult trial. We want our response to be anything but JOY. That is why so few Christians ever reach a level of spiritual maturity that produces great and godly Character. To the rare few who have learned to trust the Father in the midst of the trial they can say, “I have learned with the trial comes knocking at my life’s door I can rejoice because God is actually saying, “There is something I want to do in your life that is going to make you more like Me and your life will have a greater impact for MY Kingdom as a result of this trial.”
This “joy” is not because of some sort of religious masochism, but rather a sincere trust in the promise and goodness of our Lord, that we can look on trials as a welcome friend, knowing with Joseph that what may have been meant for evil against us, God means for good (Gen. 50:20; cf. Rom. 8:28).
Our Lord Himself, “for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame” (Heb. 12:2). He looked beyond His greatest trial to the joy that He knew would be His when the trial was over and it had accomplished the glorious work of our salvation in which it was divinely ordained to accomplish.
Warren Wiersbe writes, “Our values determine our evaluations. If we value comfort more than character, then trials will upset us. If we value the material and physical more than the spiritual, we will not be able to ‘count it all joy!’ If we live only for the present and forget the future, the trials will make us bitter, not better”
b. COMPREHEND!
“Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”
The word “know” in the Greek is ginosko (gee-noce-ko) in this verse means to fully comprehend, beyond factual but also includes experiential! James says that for me to consider the trial “joy” then I must fully comprehend that this trial will ultimately turn out for my good and God’s praise. This is where you KNOW not only from God’s word but also from your life’s memory markers which MUST COME INTO PLAY as a Christian. REMEMBER, THE TRIAL IS NOT INTENDED TO DESTROY YOU; BUT TO TEST YOU IN ORDER TO APPROVE YOU AND ALLOW YOU TO CONTINUE TO GROW IN YOUR WALK WITH CHRIST!
The Potter never puts his work into the fire to destroy it…but only to approve it.
c. COOPERATE!
“Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
The only way out of a trial is through it. The Lord promises no bypasses, only that He always will see His people through the trials without their suffering spiritual harm. But God cannot do His perfect (or maturing) and complete work in and through us without our willingness to cooperate with Him and submit to His leadership in our life.
Look at the word “complete.” In the Greek it reads holokleros, hoe-lock’-lay-ros. This word carries the idea of being whole, entire. The prefix holo is the term from which we get holograph, a 360-degree, three-dimensional depiction of an object. An object which is seen complete on every side, nothing hidden.
There must be cooperation on our part with the Spirit of God if the trial is to be complete and we are to be approved. We simply must reject HUMAN REASON and follow GODLY REVELATION when we face the trial. If we follow Godly revelation then we will cooperate with Him in the midst of the trial. Read I Peter 5:6-7 for this truth…
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. [7] Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7
“Humble” means to cooperate or surrender. To what do we surrender? “The mighty Hand of God.” What is on the “mighty hand of God?” FINGERS! What good are fingers? They can POINT THE WAY for us to walk; they can hold us tight when we feel like we are slipping or falling away; they can pinch us to wake us up or thump us to discipline us. I have a friend who never spanked his daughters but he THUMPED them many times and as grown women they still talk about their dad’s thumping with his big old fingers. The verse is clear…when we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God there is no need to THUMP US but to hold us, to show us and to carry us through the trial. We are told we can “Cry out to Him” by casting all our anxiety on Him because HE CARES FOR US.
Does this mean that our troubles or suffering will always go away in the trial? Look at James 5:13:
“Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” James 5:13
I don’t see the promise where the trouble will end but I do see the command… “pray!” Why? Because God has promised that when we pray in our trouble that He will either deliver us or give us the grace to endure.
Now go back to James 1:5 and let’s tie all this together…
3. THE THREAT TO THE TEST v.5
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 (NIV)
James reminds us there are two reasons why our trials will overwhelm us and they never seem to go away.
a. THE ABSENCE OF WISDOM (James 1:5)
“If any of you lacks wisdom…”
This command is tied to verses 2-4 and instructs us to “Pray” for wisdom when we don’t understand the trials and God will allow us to see the trial from His perspective, not from our problems. Think about the Dolphins playing a game and how easy it is for the Offensive Coordinator to see the field as opposed to the quarterback who is in the midst of the battle. The absence of wisdom in our life regarding our personal trial will be a sure threat to bring defeat and discouragement into our life.
When believers face times of testing—whether physical, emotional, moral, or spiritual—they have special need of God’s wisdom. We should remember the words of Solomon:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; [6] in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. [7] Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. Proverbs 3:5-7 (NIV)
It should go without saying that trials should enhance our prayer life, as we turn to the Lord for guidance, strength, patience, and wisdom. And when we ask of God, our Heavenly Father, for His wisdom, James assures us that, far from being miserly in dispensing that gracious gift to His children, “he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” It is the Lord’s loving desire to impart divine understanding abundantly to His faithful saints. That is surely one of the most beautiful and encouraging promises in all of Scripture.
“…he should ask God…” translates an imperative verb in the Greek. James is not giving personal advice but a divine command, and therefore our calling on the Lord for wisdom is not an option! It is mandatory for every believer in every trial!
If a believer who is being tested is not driven to the Lord in prayer and does not develop a deeper prayer life, the Lord is likely to keep the test active and even intensify it until His child comes to the throne of grace—until he makes his “ear attentive to wisdom,” and inclines his “heart to understanding”
b. THE ABSENCE OF FAITH (James 1:6)
“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:6 (NIV)
Please note the difference in this verse. THE LACK OF WISDOM CAUSES US TO BE OVERWHELMED IN THE MIDST OF THE TRIAL BUT THE LACK OF FAITH CAUSES US TO LOSE OUR ONLY SOURCE OF STRENGTH THAT CAN ACTUALLY EQUIP US TO MOVE THE TRIAL TO TRIUMPH.
This is NOT SAVING FAITH…it is SUSTAINING FAITH!
This means you will not abandon ship but you will abandon yourself to God who loves you and cares for you.
“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt…”
James is making it clear that the Lord requires the right kind of asking, which must be in faith without any doubting. In other words: Our request must be backed by genuine trust in God’s character, purpose, and promises.
Some Christians simply doubt that God will give them what they need, and rationalize their doubt in countless ways. They believe they are undeserving, which is true, but, as already pointed out, irrelevant. Or they may think their needs are not worthy of God’s attention, which also is true but irrelevant, for, in His boundless grace and love, He sovereignly chooses to take great interest in things that, in the grand scheme of things, seem utterly insignificant. Other Christians are inclined to argue with God, wondering why He allowed a calamity to come upon them in the first place or why He doesn’t provide them a way out.
A prayer request that does not take God at His word, that doubts either His ability or His trustworthiness, is presumptuous and worthless and is an affront to our Heavenly Father. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him,” the writer of Hebrews reminds us!
What if you don’t follow this counsel for a spiritual extreme makeover? The Bible’s clear:
“That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; [8] he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” James 1:7-8 (NIV)
Simply put, he is “a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” Although he claims to be a believer, his action reveals he is an unbeliever. When he goes through a severe trial, he turns to human resources rather than completely trusting the Lord for answers and for help. Or he becomes bitter and resentful and seeks no help at all. He does not renounce God, but he acts as if God doesn’t exist, doesn’t care, or isn’t capable of delivering him from trouble. He knows something of God’s Word and of God’s love, grace, and providence; but he absolutely refuses to avail himself of those divine resources. James says when you act like this in a trial you are in over your head and you are SUNK!
Illustration of double minded: The catching of the African Monkey on Discovery Channel: Natives hollow out a gourd big enough for the monkey to stick in their hand and they fill the bottom with rice. The monkey reaches in the gourd to take the rice but with a clenched hand the Monkey can not escape and begins to yell notifying the natives of his capture. ALL THE MONKEY HAS TO DO IS LET GO OF THE RICE BUT THE MONKEY WON’T LET GO AND THE END RESULT IS CAPTIVITY WHICH OFTEN LEADS TO DEATH.
You can’t have it both ways. You will be unstable in everything if you say “I’m holding on my way but I also want God’s activity in my life.”
What is the end result of the trail in our life? (James 1:12)
“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.” James 1:12
GOD PROMISES BOTH TEMPORAL JOY AND ETERNAL REWARD!
TEMPORAL JOY:
Makarios (blessed) is the same word with which each of the Beatitudes of Matthew 5 begins, making this verse itself a beatitude. Blessed means much more than the mere happiness of a carefree life that has little conflict or trouble. It rather carries the idea of profound inner joy and satisfaction, a joy that only the Lord Himself is able to give to those who, for His sake and in His power, faithfully and patiently endure and ultimately conquer the trials of life.
ETERNAL REWARD:
God’s approval of our response to the trial brings “the crown of life.” The term for “crown” is borrowed from athletics rather than royalty. It was the wreath placed on the victor’s head in athletic events, symbolizing persevering triumph. And a more literal translation could be “the crown which is life” that is, eternal life. Consequently, a more accurate statement of the principle is this: perseverance attests to God’s approval, for it gives evidence of our salvation or eternal life. In other words; Perseverance does not RESULT in salvation and eternal life, but is itself the result and EVIDENCE of salvation and eternal life.
A genuine Christian is not simply someone who at one point in time made a profession of faith in Christ, but he is a person who demonstrates true faith by an ongoing love for God that cannot be damaged, much less destroyed, by troubles and afflictions, no matter how severe or long-lasting.
Shakespeare wrote: “I am a wretched soul that has been badly bruised by adversity.” Does this apply to anyone today? Today’s makeover study has involved “TURNING TRIALS INTO TRIUMPH!”
Remember, not all bruises are visible. The deepest and most painful bruises are the ones beneath the skin. The trials of life that have brought into our lives the disappointment, the defeat, discouragement and even death of our dreams…those are losses that never seem to make it to the win column…but we can live in victory…James points us to the Biblical model for the EXTREME MAKEOVER.
