James: A Letter from Jesus’ Brother
Trials -- James 1:1-4
This morning we are starting a new series on the book of James. We’re going to work our way through the book of James from start to finish, Sunday after Sunday, except next week when we’ll focus on Easter. So let’s turn to James chapter one. If you need a Bible, go ahead and raise your hand and we will bring a Bible to you. James 1 is on p.1011 in the Bibles we are passing out.
Let’s start by asking: who is James and why should I listen to him? After all, we’ve got lots of people we can listen to. We can listen to Oprah or Dear Abby. We can listen to Deepak Chopra or Dr. Phil. They are cutting edge. They are 21st Century. So why should we listen to James?
It’s because of who James was. There’s something true of James that’s not true of Oprah or Dear Abby or Deepak Chopra or Dr. Phil. Look at how James describes himself in v.1 --
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
That’s huge. There is a God who has created everything. Everything that exists, including you, exists because of God and exists for God. And even though we have received everything from God, we’ve all revolted against God and turned our backs on him. But in great mercy, God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ, who died on the Cross so we could be forgiven for our revolting against God and be brought back into relationship with Him, and Jesus rose from the dead showing that everything He said was true.
So everything is about God and about His Son Jesus – and James writes as a servant of God and of Jesus Christ.
But what gives him the credentials to write truth from God? James was Jesus’ brother. In the rest of the New Testament we read that during Jesus’ earthly ministry he was not one of Jesus’ followers (John 7:5). But we also read that after Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus personally appeared to James, just like Jesus’ personally appeared to Paul (1Cor 15:7). And as a result James repented of his unbelief and became one of Jesus’ followers, so James was an eyewitness of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
Not only that, but in Gal 1:19 Paul implies that James was an apostle – which means he was specially gifted by the Holy Spirit to speak and write truth directly from God Himself.
And James lived what he taught. The 2nd century historian Hegesippus tells us that in 62 AD this James was brought before a court of scribes and Pharisees who demanded that he renounce Jesus or they would stone him to death. He refused to renounce his Lord, and right then and there, they killed him.
That’s who James is and that’s why we should listen to him. He was an eyewitness of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, gifted and commissioned by Jesus as an apostle, which means he writes truth directly from Jesus Himself, who loved Jesus so much he would rather be stoned to death than renounce Him. That’s who wrote this letter you hold in your hands.
And who did James write this letter to? We can see that also in v.1 --
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.
The reason he says he’s writing to “the twelve tribes” is because he’s writing to Jewish men and women who have become followers of Jesus. And the reason he says they are “in the Dispersion” is probably because in AD 44, persecution broke out in Jerusalem against these followers of Jesus, and they had to flee into the surrounding areas, leaving behind homes and businesses and possessions (Acts 11:19).
And when we read this letter for clues about the condition of James’ readers, we see that as they dispersed and resettled as refugees, they suffered terribly -- being scorned, abused, taken to court, and oppressed. James is writing this letter to encourage suffering believers.
So what does James say to suffering believers? Look at vv.2-4
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Notice first of all that James talks about “when” we meet trials of various kinds. Not “if.” “When.” Don’t think that the abundant life Jesus offers is a life free from trials. Jesus promised us trials. We will face small trials – coming down with the flu, getting a flat tire, losing a friendship because of Jesus; and we will face huge trials – having a child rebel, coming down with cancer, losing your job.
And James is talking about how we should feel when we face various trials. How do we usually feel when we get a flat tire, or come down with the flu? Frustrated. Impatient. Bothered.
But in v.2 James tells us to count it all joy when we come down with the flu or get a flat tire. Now I’ve heard people say that the word “joy” in the Bible isn’t really a feeling; that it’s more like a mindset or a way of living. I don’t think that’s right. When you study the Greek word joy – what it means is joy. It’s a feeling of great pleasure.
But I don’t think James means we feel only joy. This Greek word “all” could mean we feel only joy. But it also could mean that we feel intense joy. And that better fits the rest of Scripture. In 2Cor
So if we take this command at face value, and don’t water it down, what James is saying is astonishing: when we meet trials of various kinds, we should see those trials as calling for intense joy. If you lose your job, you should see that as calling for intense joy. If you get a flat tire, you should see that as calling for intense joy. If you get the flu, you should see that as calling for intense joy.
Now why? One crucial part of Bible study is to ask – why? The Bible authors don’t just give commands – they also take time to explain the reasons for those commands. And the only way we can obey the commands is by understanding and embracing the reasons they give.
So why do trials call for intense joy? Read vv.2-3 together --
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
3 for [which means “because”] you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
It’s because the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. Now what does that mean? The Greek word “testing” can mean either evaluating or refining. And I don’t think here it means just evaluating, because evaluation of faith doesn’t produce steadfastness. Judas’ faith was tested – evaluated – when he was tempted to betray Jesus. Did that bring him any steadfastness? No.
So here the word testing means refining. James is telling us that God’s purpose for every trial is to refine our faith, and that if we let the trial refine our faith, then we will become more steadfast.
So how do trials refine our faith? It doesn’t happen automatically. It’s an intentional process that we need to participate in. The best explanation is one I’ve shared before, which I first heard from John Piper.
Your life is like a pier extending out into the ocean. Just like a pier rests on wooden pilings; so your life -- your joy, security, and identity -- rests on pilings. Before you trusted Jesus, your life rested on pilings of friends and money and career and health.
But none of those pilings are strong enough to give you the joy, security, and identity you crave. You were like a pier whose pilings are rotten and worm-eaten. And so you often felt empty, and insecure, and unsure of yourself.
But then one day someone told you that there was a super-piling available -- Jesus Christ – who would give you the joy, security and identity you craved. And when you looked at Jesus – you agreed. So you welcomed Him into the center of your life – right at the center of the pier – and you rested your weight on Him and – wow! – strong, secure, satisfied.
But even though most of your weight rested on Jesus, you still rested some of your weight on friends and health and money and other things. Your faith was mostly in Jesus, but you still had some faith in other things. Those other things are not bad – but they are not able to give you the joy, security, and identity that you crave. And so to the extent that your faith was not purely centered on Jesus you did not experience the joy, security, and identity that Jesus has for you.
And so, in great mercy, God allows storm-waves – trials -- to come and crash against your pier. Maybe you hear rumors of layoffs at work, and the piling of career and money shakes and wobbles.
And God’s purpose in this is to help you see how weak that career piling and work piling are compared to Jesus – so you will take your trust out of those pilings and put it all the more onto Jesus. So that’s how to have trials refine your faith: you intentionally shift your trust from whatever pilings are shaking and put your trust all the more upon Jesus. And when you put your trust all the more in Jesus – in His love for You, His death for you, His wisdom, His power, His authority – you are satisfied, secured, strengthened, comforted.
And – you are more steadfast. Because before the trial you were trusting mostly in Jesus – but you also had some trust in your career; but after the trial you are trusting more in Jesus and less in your career. And because you are trusting more in Jesus you will be even more steadfast when the next trial comes.
Now with that in mind, let’s read vv.2-3 again –
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
So the reason we rejoice in trials is because they will refine our faith and produce steadfastness.
But now at this point in studying this passage I wasn’t feeling the joy. And as I thought about it – it dawned on me that I wasn’t feeling the joy because I didn’t understand the value of steadfastness. So let’s ask James: why is steadfastness so valuable? James tells us in v.4 --
4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
The reason steadfastness is so valuable, is because the full effect of steadfastness is that we will be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Now what does that mean?
Commentators differ on this, but I am convinced that James is talking about heaven. One reason is because in the very next verse, v.5, he talks about times when we lack wisdom. In this life, will we ever not lack wisdom? I don’t think so. So the time when we lack nothing must be in heaven. Another reason is because in ch.3 vs.2 James says that we all stumble in many ways, and if someone is able to not stumble in what he says, he’s a perfect man – implying that none of us reach perfection in this life.
So when James talks about us being perfect and complete, lacking nothing, he’s talking about heaven: eternal fellowship in the presence of Jesus. Because you’ve been saved, you’ve tasted fellowship with Jesus. Friday afternoon I was really burdened by something, and put all my sermon preparation aside, and just sought Jesus’ face – and He met me. My soul was completely satisfied in His love, His presence, His nearness.
But as much as we experience of Jesus’ love and presence and nearness in this life – it’s just a down-payment compared to the full inheritance that we will experience when we see Him face to face. So because you’ve been saved, you long for the day when you will be with Jesus; when you are with Jesus you will be perfect, complete, lacking nothing.
But between now and heaven there’s thousands of temptations, difficulties, problems – so many that you will only make it if you have steadfastness. So, in great mercy, Jesus promises to provide you with all the steadfastness you need. You don’t have it on your own. But Jesus promises to provide it for you. How? Through trials. By bringing trials into your life which will refine your faith and produce steadfastness.
So every trial is purposed by Jesus to bring you steadfastness. Now there’s lots more we can say about trials. Jesus will comfort us in trials. Jesus will often deliver us from trials. Jesus will provide everything we need during trials. There’s lots more we can say. But let’s focus on what James is telling us here: every trial is purposed by Jesus to bring you steadfastness. Jesus wants you to make it to heaven. Because you are trusting Him Jesus will enable you to make it to heaven. And He does this by bringing you steadfastness through trials.
So that’s why we can see every trial as calling for intense joy: it’s because every trial is intended by God to bring us the steadfastness we need for he next part of our journey toward being with Him forever in face to face fellowship and worship. See, trials are hard because they bring some loss – the time and cost of a flat tire; the insecurity and money pressure of losing your job; the pain and suffering of sickness. Every trial brings some loss.
But if we focus only on the loss, we are missing God’s purpose for the trial. God’s purpose for the trial is to use it to refine our faith so we receive the steadfastness we need to make it all the way home to be with him forever. And the joy of being with him forever infinitely outweighs the time and cost of a flat tire, the insecurity and money pressure of losing your job; the pain and suffering of sickness.
See, through this week’s trials you will receive the refining and steadfastness you need to stand before Jesus and fellowship with Him forever. And when you see Him face to face, you will thank him for every trial He sent your way. The joy of beholding Him will make you thank him for every trial – because when you see Him – it will be worth it all. Seeing Jesus is infinitely worth it all.
So consider trials as intense joy.
So how should we respond to trials? Let me give you four steps:
First, pray for Jesus to help you. We can’t do what James is calling us to do here without much help from Jesus. So ask him to help you. Pray earnestly. Ask others to pray with and for you.
Second, see the trial as a joyful gift from Jesus. It is. Through this trial he is going to give you the most important thing this side of heaven – steadfastness. So see it as a precious gift from Jesus. Don’t grumble about it. Don’t complain about it. See His hand in it.
Third, let the trial refine your faith. Don’t just grit your teeth and endure it. Don’t just try to be all positive that everything’s fine. That doesn’t refine your faith, and it won’t bring steadfastness. You need to intentionally let the trial refine your faith, by seeing what pilings are being shaken by the trial, and by consciously taking your identity, joy, security out of those pilings, and putting them into Jesus. As you do this – you will feel comfort, security, joy, and fullness – even in the midst of the trial – and you will grow in steadfastness.
Fourth, thank Jesus for the gift of steadfastness. You need steadfastness to make it to heaven. You can’t come up with steadfastness on your own. But Jesus has given you steadfastness through this trial. So thank Jesus for it.