"TRIALS AND IT’S REWARD"

Scripture: James 1:1-4 & 12: 

1.  "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptation; 2. 
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience, 4.  But let
patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting
nothing.  12.  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is
tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to 
them that love Him."


The reality of a living faith is demonstrated by its reaction under adversi-
ties.  Faith is of such a vital matter to all the children of God that
it must be put to the test!  First because it is to prove that our faith is
genuine.  Second, to purge and strengthen our faith.  This is revealed in both
the old and new testament.

Hear David as he speaks in Psalms 65:3..."Iniquities prevail against me: as for
our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away."

Again in Psalms 79:9..."Help us O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy
name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins for thy sake."

Our Lord tells us in II Timothy 2:21..."if a man purge himself [by confession
of his sins] he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified [set apart] and meet
for the master's use, and prepared unto every good works."

The word meet in the Greek is euchestos, pronounced yoo-krays-tos, meaning
easily used and profitable.

The central thrust of the epistle of James is his treatment of various tests of
a living faith!  In a good sense, the test may be applied in order to
demonstrate the good qualities of the object tested.  A saving faith is a
living faith.  It proves that it is alive by what it does.  The reality of a
living faith is demonstrated by it's reaction under adversity.  He therefore
begins with a discussion of trials.  

The Greek word for trials is peirasmos, pronounced pi-ras-mow, meaning a
putting to proof, a test of the object or person tested.  It is a fact that
many often break down under testings of their lives and moral values.  The
concept of testing is essential in the bible.  God does test the faith of His
people but He does not allure them unto evil.  Although temptation and testing
are closely related, most people count it a joy to escape trials.  But here we
are to count it all joy when we fall into diverse [many] testings because the
trying of one grace produces another.  The more suffering graces of a christian
are exercised, the stronger they grow.

To exercise christian patience aright, we must let patience have her perfect
way.  Let us take care in times of troubles that patience and not passion be
set at work is us.  We must not sink unto a sad frame of mind because such
exercises proceed from love and not from fury in God.  We are not speaking of
trials in the singular but in the plural.

The word fall in the Greek is ekpipto, pronounced ek-pip-to, meaning to be
driven out of ones course or become inefficient, to fall into something that is
around us or things we are surrounded with.  From the standpoint of our
Heavenly Father, trials are to produce spiritual growth.  While satan endeavors
by our suffering and crosses to draw men into sin and discouragement.  Satan's
purpose is to hinder men and women from their spiritual duties and to make them
unsuitable for the work that God wants them to do.

But since our affections are in God's hands, they are intended for improvement
of all our graces He bestows upon us.  Gold from the fiery furnace is of more
value than the ore taken from under the ground.  

God's grace is sufficient for every trial whatever the color!  To have joy does
not necessarily mean we will be hilarious or laughing about the trials we are
experiencing.  But it will mean we will have deep seated confidence in God that
whatever He is doing in our lives will be for His Glory and our good.  

Verse four teaches us to "let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be
perfect and entire, wanting nothing."

The word perfect does not mean sinless perfection.  The Greek word used here is
teleious, pronounced tel-i-os, meaning to be mature in spiritual growth.  The
Greek word for entire is holokleros, pronounced hol-ok-lay-ros, meaning
complete.  When we use these two words together it gives us the true meaning of
having spiritual maturity and completeness in Christ.  

To those who endure temptations or testing our Lord calls them BLESSED.

"Blessed is the man that endureth trials."  This blessedness consists not in
being free from trials but to those who steadfastly remain true to Him under
trying ordeals until it is ended, as is brought out in the Greek word for
endureth, dokimos, pronounced do-ki-mos, meaning has stood the test.

This Greek word was used for the testing of coins and metals to establish their
being genuine.  To be rewarded, the believer must not only be tested but also
be attested [give evidence of it] having shown himself to be genuine.  

Each new test the believer successfully endures adds fresh proof of the
fidelity to God and contributes to the approval of their character.  Thus, they
will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to them that love
Him!  This promised reward cannot be earned.  It is God's gift to those that
love Him and can only in a very small measure suffer as He did.  The crown of
life is the emblem of spiritual success.  ONLY THE APPROVED BELIEVER WILL
RECEIVE THE CROWN OR LIFE and that by their trials and its rewards.  Love is
the essence of true faith.  Where there is no love for God, death reigns.  The
blessed man is thus united with those identified by their continuing love for
God.

In II Timothy 2:3,4, we read about the path of a good soldier:  "3. Thou
therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.  4. No man that
warreth entangleth himself with the affairs with this life; that he may please
Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."

II Timothy 2:19b..."The Lord knoweth them that are his, And let everyone that
nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity."

                    Reverend Burney S. Choate
                    Written November 19, 1995