Word of Salvation – Vol.23 No.29 – April 1977

 

The Joy Of Trials

 

Sermon by Rev. B. Gillard on James 1-2

Scripture Reading: James 1:1-8

Psalter Hymnal: 119; 55; 84; 260; 492

 

Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ,

There are some people who, perhaps quite unintentionally paint a false picture of the Christian life.  They will tell you and others, that when you become a Christian, then all your problems are solved.  They will sometimes give you the impression that that is the way it is with them, and they will go away from you leaving you wondering what on earth is wrong with you, because you are not living as they appear to be.

Nothing however, could be further from the truth.  We might even go so far as to say, that when a person becomes a Christian and really begins to live like a Christian should, it is then that his problems will really begin.

Our Lord Jesus Christ foretold and warned His disciples that they would have sorrow and tribulation in this world.  In Matthew chapter 24 and verse 9 Jesus said, “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of my name”  And in John chapter 16 and verse 33 he said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you have tribulation.”  And again the apostle Paul said, “Through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of heaven, Acts 14- 22”.

It is certainly not an easy thing to be a Christian, and to maintain the standards of Christ in a world which to an increasing degree, wants to do the very opposite.

Jesus Christ called upon men and women to recognize in Himself the one and only person who could save them from their sins.  And He called upon them to forsake everything for Him and to recognize His absolute Lordship over their lives.  But to our knowledge He never made it look easy, and he called upon would-be disciples to first of all count the cost.  To one such disciple he said, “The birds of the air have their nests and the foxes have their holes in the ground, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay His head.”  And to another who wanted to follow Him, but who first asked permission to bury his father, Jesus replied, “Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead” Math.  8-22,

To follow Jesus Christ wherever he goes, and wherever He leads, will bring the true disciple into many conflicts and afflictions.  Not to mention the special trials that come to us from time to time which may seem unrelated to our Christian profession.

It is an altogether wrong picture then, to suggest that when a person becomes a Christian all his problems and sorrows are over.  That is certainly not the picture that is painted in the Bible of the Christian life.  Christ did not come into this world to save us from our problems.  He came to save us from our sin and to bring us into a right relationship with God.  He has indeed solved some of our problems.  He has solved the greatest problem of all, the problem of how to be reconciled to a holy God.  But it is precisely because He has solved that problem, and brings all those who take Him as their Saviour into fellowship with Himself, that we also bring upon ourselves the hostility and enmity of those who are against Him.

FACING OUR TRIBULATIONS

Now even though the Christian who reads his Bible knows that this is true, still it is not any easier to bear up and face those trials and tribulations when they come.  One can easily become discouraged and disappointed.  There is always a danger that the Christian might begin to doubt the wisdom and goodness of God in allowing certain things to happen to him.  He might even begin to doubt his own relationship with God.  He might wonder if God really does love him.  And he might wonder if he has committed some great sin for which he is being chastised.

The Christians to whom James was writing were apparently having a struggle with this very thing.  They were undergoing severe trials and testing of one kind and another.  And they were in danger of doubting the wisdom and goodness of God.  It appears that they were almost implying that God Himself was the cause of evil.  “Let no one say when he is tempted, I am – being tempted by God,” said James in verse 13, “for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.”

That’s the problem you see with that false picture of the Christian life.  When things don’t go as we would expect, and trials and tribulations do come, then if you are not expecting them, you are liable to all kinds of doubts and questions.

James tells us in these few verses how to cope in such a situation, and he speaks to us about the joy of trials.

HAVING THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE

First of all he tells us to view our trials from the proper perspective.  And what is that?  Well we have to view them from God’s angle and not our own.  The thing is, God has an overall purpose in whatsoever comes to pass.  That’s the thing that we are so quick to forget.  It’s easy enough to say the decrees of God are His eternal purpose according to the counsel of His own will, whereby for His own glory He has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.  When everything is going well for us.  And it’s easy enough to say, the works of God’s providence are His most holy wise and powerful preserving and governing all His creatures and all their actions.  But it’s much more difficult to say it when you are in the midst of the conflict.  Yet surely that is what James is saying, when he says, “Consider it all Joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”

You know that God has a purpose in everything that comes to pass.  And you know that everything, even trials and tribulations are beneath His sovereign control, and embraced by His sovereign will.  And you know that He is a loving Heavenly Father, without Whose permission not a hair can fall from your head.  Therefore you have got to view things from that angle.  In other words we have got to be more objective and throw our trials as it were into the overall context and plan of God’s sovereign will.  One of the things that makes trials so difficult to bear is that they often seem to be without any real purpose.  Isn’t it true that one of the first things people ask when things appear to go wrong is, ‘Why?’  Why has this happened to me?  Well we may not be able to give a specific answer in every case, but we can if we walk by faith and not by sight, give a general answer in every case.  And that answer is because it is part of God’s plan and purpose.  It does have purpose and meaning, it is not senseless, and knowing that, we should be able to bear it much better than those who have no hope.  That’s the first thing James seems to be saying, you have got to maintain the proper perspective.

THE PROPER PURPOSE

And now the second thing that James is saying is, you have also got to understand God’s proper purpose, if you are to see any joy in trials and tribulations.  The fact that we may not understand what God’s purpose is in the things that happen to us doesn’t mean that there is no purpose, it only means that we cannot see it at the time.  And this too was a problem for the people that James was writing to.  They did not understand God’s purpose in their trials.  And so James had to give them some instruction about that as well.

And what is God’s proper purpose in trials and tribulations?  Is it to kill us?  To make us miserable and unhappy?  To deprive us of every good thing?  That’s what some of those ancient Jews thought, you remember, who were led out of Egypt by Moses towards the Promised Land.  They never stopped moaning and complaining against God.  When things went well for them they were happy and they were singing, but as soon as things went wrong, they started to complain to Moses.  Why have you brought us out here in this wilderness?  They would say to Moses.  To kill us and our wives and children..?  There is no water to drink, and what water there is, is so bitter, you can’t drink it.  There is nothing to eat except this manna.  And we can’t possess the land because the people are too strong for us.  And so it went on.  In the end they drove Moses to an ungodly display of anger, which culminated in his striking the rock in anger in the wilderness of Zin.  Well that was quite a trial for Moses as well.

But what was God’s proper purpose in all those trials he brought upon them?  James tells us the answer to that, because God was still doing it.  “Consider it all joy my brethren, when you encounter various trials; knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

God’s proper purpose was to test and bring to perfection their faith and trust in Him.  And there is a very good reason why God should do that.  Because you see not all faith is true saving faith.  There is a faith in God which does not save.  It is James himself who draws our attention to this non saving faith over in chapter 2 and verse 19.  “You believe that God is one,” he says, “you do well: the demons also believe, and shudder.”  The demons are perfectly orthodox.  They believe in the unity and the tri-personality of the god-head.  They acknowledge the true and full deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and yet they are not saved, because they do not have saving faith.  And the Bible has much to say about people who have faith, but they do not have true saving faith.  Jesus himself said there will be many who will say to Him on the day of judgement, Lord, Lord..!  They will have professed His Lordship here on earth, but in that day He will say to them.  “I never knew you, Depart from Me, you who practise lawlessness.”  So then, beloved, it is a very important question to ask ourselves if the faith we have is the true saving faith, or only the orthodox belief which makes the demons tremble.

Well, how do you know whether it is true saving faith or not?  One way to test ourselves is by asking ourselves how we respond to trials and tribulations that God brings our way.  Do they drive us closer to Him or do they drive us further away?  Do they make us grumble and complain, and ask why, why – why  does God allow this to happen to me?  Or can we say in their midst with the Apostle Paul, “We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Rom.  8-28.  That’s the test, you see, and it’s often that very thing that trials and tribulations bring to light.  Trials and tribulations are designed to discover both the evidence of, and the strength of, true saving faith, without which we cannot be saved.  That’s why James said we should count it all Joy, when we encounter various trials.  For they are designed to strengthen and confirm us in the way of life, through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Come then blessed trials and tribulations and test my foundations and see if they be pure gold or only the shifting sand of a formal confession, and nothing more.  Such should be the true prayer of every child of God.  Count it all joy, said James.  And knowing that the proof of your faith is more precious than gold, said the Apostle Peter.  Well then beloved that is God’s proper purpose in trials and tribulations.  And that is what James wanted to say to the Christian brothers and sisters to whom he wrote so long ago.  And if we will remember these two things: to maintain the proper perspective on our trials, and to remember God’s proper purpose, then we will be able to bear them much better, and even to feel the joy of trials.

THE PRAYER FOR WISDOM

But still someone may say, it’s all very easy to say it when all is well.  But it’s a different matter when you are suffering some affliction.  A bereavement, a lapse in health, a financial collapse, suffering in your place of employment because of your stand for Christ, or something else.  I would like to see how you would react if it were you!  That’s what people often say, in response to the comforting word of God.

James of course was only too aware of the fact that some would think and feel just this way.  And so he said there is only one thing left to do.  You have to pray for wisdom.  Pray for the wisdom from on high that you might be able to see it this way.  And if you do ask in faith, then it will be given to you.  It is not just wisdom in general that we are to ask for, but in the context in which Jesus is speaking, we are to ask for the wisdom to view our trials and tribulations from the proper perspective, and the proper purpose.  It does not mean of course that the trials will automatically go away.  No, they may still be there.  Yet our attitude towards them will be different.  And we will be better able to cope with them in a way that brings glory to God.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

And now there are just one or two things that we must say by way of conclusion.  We do not want to give the impression that the purpose we have described above is the only reason why we may experience suffering and affliction.  We may also suffer as a result of our sin and disobedience.  So the writer to Hebrews reminds us.  For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines.  And He scourges every son Whom He receives.  Heb.12-6.  That is not a cause for rejoicing – it is a cause for humiliation and repentance, and seeking again the favour of the Lord.

And we may also bring suffering upon ourselves because of our own foolishness.

As the apostle Peter reminds us.  “By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evil doer, or a busy body. 1Pet.4-15.  We should not confuse these things with those special trials and tribulations that God in His sovereign wisdom brings upon us for the perfecting of our faith.  For in the above case, we also find no cause for rejoicing, but rather need to change the pattern of our behaviour, in order that we might not suffer for wrong doing.

What a wonderful privilege then, and gift of God, to be a true believer in the Lord Jesus.  It is only the Christian who can have the proper outlook on life.  It is only the Christian who may have real peace in his heart even in the midst of trials.

The non-Christian may think that he hasn’t got any problems and trials.  And life may often seem carefree and easy for him.  But that is only because he has not faced the greatest problem of all.  The problem of how a guilty hell-deserving sinner, can be made right with a Holy sin-hating God.

May God then be pleased to deliver us from that shallow view which says, all our problems are solved when you become a Christian.  And may He give us the wisdom to do what brings honour and glory to His name.

Amen.