James 1:2-18
How to Face Trying Times
James 1:2-18
(Page 1025 in pew Bibles)
2. Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever
you experience various trials,
3. knowing that the testing of your faith
produces endurance.
4. But endurance must do its complete work, so
that you may be mature and complete,
lacking nothing.
5. Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask
God, who gives to all generously and without
criticizing, and it will be given to him.
6. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For
the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and
tossed by the wind.
7. That person should not expect to receive
anything from the Lord.
8. An indecisive man is unstable in all his ways.
9. The brother of humble circumstances should
boast in his exaltation;
10. but the one who is rich should boast in his
humiliation, because he will pass away like a
flower of the field.
11. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and
dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and its
beautiful appearance is destroyed. In the
same way, the rich man will wither away while
pursuing his activities.
12. Blessed is a man who endures trials,
because when he passes the test he will
receive the crown of life that He has promised
to those who love Him.
13. No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am
being tempted by God.” For God is not
tempted by evil, and He Himself doesn’t tempt
anyone.
14. But each person is tempted when he is
drawn away and enticed by his own evil
desires.
15. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth
to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth
to death.
16. Don’t be deceived, my dearly loved brothers.
17. Every generous act and every perfect gift is
from above, coming down from the Father of
lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow
cast by turning.
18. By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by
the message of truth so that we would be the
firstfruits of His creatures.
James 1:2-18
How to Face Trying Times
(Page 1025 in pew Bibles)
1
If You’re Not Sure How to Feel
• Vs. 2 “Consider it a great joy, my brothers,
whenever you experience various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith
produces endurance.”
>
If You’re Not Sure How to Feel
• How You May Feel… Overwhelmed
– Vs. 2, Amplified: “Whenever you are
enveloped in or encounter trials of any
sort or fall into various temptations.”
– Wuest: “Whenever you fall into the
midst of variegated trials which
surround you”
>
If You’re Not Sure How to Feel
• How We Should Feel… Joyful
– Vs. 2 “Consider it a great joy”
– Wuest: “Be constantly rejoicing.
Consider it a matter for unadulterated
joy”
>
If You’re Not Sure How to Feel
• How We Should Feel… Reassured
– Vs. 3, Amplified: “Be assured and
understand that the trial and proving of
your faith bring out endurance and
steadfastness and patience.”
>
If You’re Not Sure How to Feel
• No Matter How You Feel… Yield!
– Vs. 4, Amplified: “But let endurance and
steadfastness and patience have full
play and do a thorough work, so that
you may be [people] perfectly and fully
developed [with no defects], lacking in
nothing.”
– Wiersbe’s secretary
.>
2
If You’re Not Sure What to Do
• Ask God for Wisdom
– Vs. 5 “Now if any of you lacks wisdom,
he should ask God, who gives to all
generously and without criticizing, and
it will be given to him.”
– God gives all the wisdom you will need –
“Generously”
– God gives wisdom without criticizing you for
not already knowing what you should do
– God promises to give it – “It will be given”
.>
3
If You Are Having Doubts
• Vs. 6-8 “But let him ask in faith without
doubting. For the doubter is like the
surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
That person should not expect to receive
anything from the Lord. An indecisive man
is unstable in all his ways.”
• Doubters are influenced by events, instead
of influencing events
• Doubters are unstable people
• Real belief anchors you like a rock
.>
4
If You Find Things in the
Present World Alluring
• Vs. 9-11 “The brother of humble
circumstances should boast in his
exaltation; but the one who is rich should
boast in his humiliation, because he will
pass away like a flower of the field. For
the sun rises with its scorching heat and
dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and
its beautiful appearance is destroyed. In
the same way, the rich man will wither
away while pursuing his activities.”
>
Poor Man, Rich Man
• 1st Corinthians 7:31 “This world in its current
form is passing away”
• The Christian who is poor should remember
that his standard of living is temporary
– He should celebrate His future eternity
• The Christian who is wealthy should
remember he is a future “has-been” and be
humble
– He should be trust God as his source of
security, not his wealth
• No one should live for this short-term world
>
If You Find Things in the
Present World Alluring
• Vs. 12 “Blessed is a man who
endures trials, because when he
passes the test he will receive the
crown of life that He has promised to
those who love Him.”
HL >
If You Find Things in the
Present World Alluring
• Vs. 12 “Blessed is a man who
endures trials, because when he
passes the test he will receive the
crown of life that He has promised to
those who love Him.”
Q>
Charles Spurgeon
You are blessed if you have a religion which
God gives, which God tries, which God
sustains, which God accepts. As an
uncultivated garden is no garden, so untried
godliness is no godliness. A faith that will
not bear strain and test is no faith. A love
that cannot endure a temptation is no love
to God at all. See, then, he is not blessed
who is screened from temptation, but he is
blessed whose faith, and hope, and love, and
every grace will bear the trial.
HL >
If You Find Things in the
Present World Alluring
• Vs. 12 “Blessed is a man who
endures trials, because when he
passes the test he will receive the
crown of life that He has promised to
those who love Him.”
• Christians should think l-o-n-g term
.>
5
If You Are Being Tempted
• Vs. 13 “No one undergoing a trial should
say, ‘I am being tempted by God.’ For God
is not tempted by evil, and He Himself
doesn’t tempt anyone.”
• “If God hadn’t put me in this stressful
situation I wouldn’t have fallen into that”
>
If You Are Being Tempted
• Vs. 14-15 “But each person is tempted
when he is drawn away and enticed by his
own evil desires.”
• Drawn away: To pull a net into a boat or a
boat onto land
• Enticed: To lure with bait.
• Evil desires: Intense longing, desire,
craving – “his own evil desires”
>
If You Are Being Tempted
• Vs. 14-15 “Then after desire has
conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when
sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.”
• Conception – embracing the thought
• Birth – doing the act for the first time
• Growth – developing a addictive habit
• Death – separation… loss of relationship
with God, others
.>
6
If You Are Wondering Why
God Would Turn on You
• Vs. 16-18 “Don’t be deceived, my dearly
loved brothers. Every generous act and
every perfect gift is from above, coming
down from the Father of lights; with Him
there is no variation or shadow cast by
turning.”
• God doesn’t change so He cannot turn on
us
>
If You Are Wondering Why
God Would Turn on You
• Vs. 18 “By His own choice, He gave us a
new birth by the message of truth so that
we would be the firstfruits of His
creatures.”
• God is consistently good to us
• God has begun a new work in us – “new
birth”
• God is working a plan for us… to make us
like Jesus – “The firstfruits of His
creatures”
..
James 1:2-18
How to Face Trying Times