James 1:12 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 Greek word translated as “temptation” here is the same word we find translated the same way in verse 2. There we learn that these temptations are a trying of our faith. We see the same thing in verse 12. God expects His child to come to the place where his faith is solely and firmly planted in God. We see that illustrated in the life of Abraham. God introduced us to Abram in Genesis 11. From there God began to demonstrate His work in Abram’s life and we also learn of Abram’s response to God’s work. By chapter 15 we read:
Genesis 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
God was carefully and deliberately working with Abram to bring him to the place where his faith would be firmly planted in God. Later on, God would change Abram’s name to Abraham. God revealed His authority over Abraham. Abraham was blessed in submitting to God’s authority.
In our text we are being shown the need to get to the place where our faith is solely in the God of Creation and the Saviour and Lord of mankind. We also noted that this letter is written to born again Christians. Every true Christian comes with baggage when he or she turns to the Lord for salvation. We do not live in a vacuum. We are taught things and we hear things that we accept as truth.
When a person is born again, he must take everything he has been taught and examine that in the light of God’s Word.
II Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
It would be good to grow up in a family where the father and mother are born again Christians and are walking humbly and truthfully in God’s Word. I know that as I look back on my life, I was saved at the age of 20. I did not know of any church at that time that was teaching the truth faithfully. I had not heard of the term: Independent, Fundamental Baptist at that time. In fact I never heard of that phrase until I was about 35 years old. I did not know the term New Evangelical at that time either, although that is what I was raised in. For me it has been a long journey to get me to where I am today. That is not God’s fault. I had the Word of God. I had the Holy Spirit indwelling me from the moment I was saved. There were some wise choices I made as a young Christian. There were other things I was very slow in dealing with. My Bible reading was very shallow for a number of years. God has been very gracious with me and helped me to see the necessity of casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God.
I knew from the time I was saved that a good local church was essential to good Christian growth. I just did not know where to find a good local church. New Evangelicalism does not teach the truth. It dismisses holiness and Biblical separation, etc. It keeps any born again Christian in the place of a babe in Christ. The worst is that most people who attend a N.E. church are never saved. Those who are saved have the Holy Spirit indwelling them and He will work to move God’s child out of the N.E. junk and into a sound, Bible-believing local church.
As we look at our verses today, we see in verse 12 that there is a blessing to the man who endures temptation. The Greek word translated as “endure” means to “bear bravely and calmly”. We need to be tested until we are building solidly upon the truth. As I have studied God’s Word I have seen that even within Independent, Fundamental Baptists, there are things that are ignored because they have limited their faith to the “Fundamentals” which are always changing. The true “fundamental” is the Word of God. It never changes. The apostle Paul stated:
Acts 20:27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
God’s Word must be our sole authority. For me, I consult other men, but I try to be careful to examine all that I believe and all that I hear, in the light of God’s sure Word. The temptations that God has sent my way have been good for me. They have helped me to purify my doctrine. I have not arrived yet, and I am still needing to be examined in what I believe, by the Word of God. Hebrews 11 gives us many examples of what that faith looks like. A true saint must stand firmly upon what God’s Word says.
We see in verse 12 that God has promised a crown of life for those that love Him.
I John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
In our text the promise made is to those who are born again. No ungodly person loves God. We do not know what true love is until and unless we are first of all saved. When we are truly saved, we begin to see the importance of submitting to God and of walking in obedience to Him. Our personal opinions and feelings need to either be changed to agree with what God says, or they need to be cast off a trash. He loves us and He wants to bless us now as well as into eternity. That crown of life that we receive is a precious gift that is only for those who are saved. We have eternal life. That is a crown to be worn with humility and with gratitude. Knowing that we have that crown, causes us to want to be careful not to tarnish that crown or the giver of that crown.
Our world needs to see what true Christianity looks like. We know there are men like Mr. Trump, who claim to be Christians. There are even professing Christian pastors who endorse men like Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump makes a mockery of true Christianity. He is also making a mockery of the high position of president of the U.S. He is not the first man to do that. We see in some of his cabinet picks that moral character means nothing. Because moral character does not matter his presidency will be a failure. The only successes that will come will be in spite of his wickedness and through the mercy and grace of God.
We have the Word of God. We have many examples of where God used ungodly men to bring about His purposes. Those men missed out on great blessings. Their nations eventually crumbled. The only hope of man is to know the true God and those who truly know Him will be tried to bring them to a more genuine faith in God. This is the desire of every true born again Christian. That desire will only be met as the true child of God submits himself to God’s Word and to a true church that is honouring God’s Word. The indwelling Holy Spirit will not be content with having one of God’s children walking in compromise.
Pastor Bartel
