”James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” | James 1: 1-4

We Thank Him For Giving Good Times But Do We Thank Him For Sending Trials?

James is writing to spiritual brethren in the Lord. “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8: 5-8)

This is important to note because unbelievers will not, nor can not, understand, believe, submit and heed the instruction God gives in this word. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2: 14)

Be Thankful for Trials

The word “temptations” means trials.

All God’s children encounter a variety of trials.

Trials are never pleasant to endure. Yet, for the believer, whatever the trial, the end result will be the same. “Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.” (Deuteronomy 33: 29)

First, trials prove that the believer’s faith is true. “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1: 6-9)

Trials prove to us, to our brethren and to the world that our faith is the fruit of our full, complete, sufficient, reigning and ruling Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. “Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.” (2 Corinthians 12: 19)

True faith’s approval before God is Christ, its object. “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.” (1 Corinthians 3: 19)

Trials bring those with true faith to Christ’s feet while those who are playing a part are openly made manifest. “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” (1 Corinthians 3: 11-15)

Secondly, every trial results in the believer’s spiritual growth. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.” (2 Corinthians 10: 3-6)

The believer becomes more steadfast, more willing to endure persecution because God teaches him by experience the vanity of turning from Christ. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal. “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28: 18-20)

This fruit is the product of the Holy Spirit working God’s will and good pleasure within the believer. “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Romans 5: 3-5)

Trials convince the believer that faith is given, kept, and made immovable from Christ by the sufficiency of God’s grace and by the power of Christ resting upon us and in us. “” (Philippians 2: 12-13)

Trials always leave the believer amazed at the Father’s wisdom. “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8: 38-39)

Through trials the believer sees that this vital union with Christ can never be severed. “Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.” (Numbers 14: 9)

No matter how hard the devil and his servants attempt to divide and conquer the brethren, Christ’s blood guarantees us it will never happen. “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4: 4)

What a reason to be thankful for trials! But the Spirit of God teaches us something else here. “And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.” (Jeremiah 1: 19)

Be Patient in Trails

When the believer is faced with a new trial God is repeating the lesson learned from the last trial all over again.

Did not God prove to me that my faith is of him and kept by him?

Did not Christ teach me it is better to wait on the Lord than to take matters into my own hands?

After all the confusion created by my impatient attempts to remove the last trial, did I not end up seeing the foolishness of being drawn away from Christ toward my own selfish understanding?

Where did the last trial end?

Was it not at the feet of Christ from where I know I should have never strayed?

In the last trial, did my Intercessor not teach me that his continual prayers for me were the reason that my faith did not fail?

Did the last trial not teach me that his throne of grace is where I am safe?

Yes, he taught me these lessons through the last trial so that I might be less apt to waver from him in this new trial.

Yes, he taught me that patient endurance is looking nowhere else, hearing no one else, depending upon no one else but the all-victorious, Captain of my salvation.

But remember why it is that we joy in trials. Because when, in the midst of my new trial, I react as if everything depended upon me, my faithful Counselor brings me back to his throne of grace, teaching me once again that everything about me depends upon him.

He teaches me the same lesson over and over, “wait on the Lord.” “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” (Psalm 27: 14)

The Hebrew word for wait means “to expect”. “Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.” (Psalm 37: 34)

“Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.” (Proverbs 20: 22)

When faced with a trial, the believer whom God has grown in the spirit realizes there is much he could say, much he could do, but he expects his Lord will save him from the trial, just as the Lord saved him from sin and wrath.

So he patiently waits with great expectations.

And he is never disappointed.

May God teach us once again to be patient.

~ Pastor Clay Curtis

Click here to listen to the message “God Will Keep his Children Persevering”

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Sovereign Grace Baptist Church Bulletin Article date: 6 February, 2008 | Previous post date: n/a | Ewing, New Jersey