
background and history of James (verse 1)
Firstly, before we even get into the passage, we need to understand the history of James. He wrote this passage to HIS congregation and we are looking through it trying to apply it to our lives. Through research, the James who wrote this was Jesus' brother and this letter's purpose was to go to various locations and to be passed down to other places or generations. Mainly, before YOU were born, Jesus knew and he allowed James to write this passage for every one of you.
1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:
Greetings.
Trials and Temptations
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But 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. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.james1:1-8
joy in trials (verse 2-3)- this is one of the main purposes in the letter.
- trials test your faith and creates perseverance.
- as Christians, our lives will NEVER be perfect and good. We WILL ALL go through struggles. If our lives were "good", why would we ever need a God to come and save us from our perfect lives? It just doesn't make sense.
- we all will have different struggles from one another and these struggles will NOT stop.
- GOD is the one giving us these trials. We must learn to be joyful and understand his majestic power and almighty goodness.
- trials also start up our prayer lives.
- like a bottle of wine, or gold, needs to go through many trials. For instance, a bottle of wine needs to go through a long time for it to be "good" and flavorful. The BEST part.
- FAITH leads to PERSEVERANCE leads to CHARACTER leads to HOPE.
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
james1:2-3
results of perseverance (verse 4-5)
- our GOAL as Christians is to finish our faith STRONG. From the day we accept Christ until the day we died and spend eternity with him.
- struggles usually come from lacking of wisdom and we often lack wisdom while we face these struggles as well.
- thankfully, GOD can give us the wisdom we need. The courage, the strength to overcome trials in life.
- we need to know that we CANNOT go through it alone. If we try facing them alone, we will fail.
- learn to be humble and accept any kind of wisdom our God gives us.
- do not try to turn to anyone else other than God. He WILL give us wisdom.
4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
james1:4-5
standing strong in our faith (verse 6-8)
- we need to believe and have faith that God WILL answer our prayers and our call.
- what is the difference between a Christ-follower and one that isnt?
- there is NO SUCH THING as a half christian. You cannot be in the middle in your faith.
- some people say they are christian but when they step out of God's house they put down their faith and live like everyone else.
6But 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. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
james1:6-8
conclusion. main points.
- This teaches us that trials are blessings. We should thank our Lord for giving us these struggles to improve our faith and develop perseverance to then lead to character and hope.
- Let trials run their own course. Allow yourself to ask God what he wants you to learn from this struggle. Do not try to find the quick fix of the problem. Learn from it.
- Ask God for wisdom. Be humble, and ask for wisdom to help face the struggle or trial you are dealing with. He WILL listen to your prayers.
- Do not be double-minded. You cannot be both. Either HOT or COLD. Believer or Non-believer. No Half Christians in this world.
ALL preached by KJT. Thanks. Wonderful message.
SUB it,Smij Nahc † [Make your trials your blessings.]
God Bless You ♥
No comments:
Post a Comment