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The Testing of Our Faith

The Testing of Our Faith. Tony E. Denton 6/07 ASiteForTheLord.com.

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The Testing of Our Faith

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  1. The Testing of Our Faith Tony E. Denton 6/07ASiteForTheLord.com

  2. Jameswrote,Mybrethren, count it all joy when you fall into vari-oustrials,knowingthat the test-ing of your faith produces pati-ence. And let patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing (James 1:2-4).

  3. The testing of our faith may be com-pared to the different values of iron, depending on its use; e.g., years ago I read that with $5 of iron… ●a blacksmith can mold it into s, and get $10 for them; ●a cutler can make it into s, and get $200 for them; ●amachinistcanmake it into s,andget$6,800 for them; and… ● a watchmaker can make it into main- springs and get $200,000 or into hair- springs and get $2,000,000—sixty times the same weight in gold!

  4. Just think what a work-over this poor iron must go through to be worth as muchas$2,000,000!Butthemoreit’s passedthroughthefire,pounded,and polished, the greater its value. Since faith is the very foundation of all religious life, trials test the very crux of all that we believe in & hope for; Paul wrote that without faith it’s impossible to please God (Heb.11:6). Nothing, then, is so necessary as for us to be confident about our faith! James made 3 important points:

  5. Persuasion (Faith) Produces Provings. (Tests) Count it all joy when you fall into various trials (1:2).

  6. The Greek term forcount here means to consider, referring to a particular attitude about something. The Hebrew counterpart for the Greek term is interesting: it literal- ly meansto lead the way, the idea ofgoing ahead of something. So… James was saying that the Christi- an’s mindset going into trials is to be positive, recalling the facts that James outlined relative to them.

  7. The term for joy refers to that which we delight inorare pleased with, and James even stressed this by saying all joy. For our own good of course, thisistheattitudethatJamesdesired every Christian to have toward his trials. Why? Because our disposition toward trials is what makes all the difference! When we say “I got a lemon,” we’re referring to some disappointment, failure, or setback. But let’s consider the lemon for a moment.

  8. In the lemon’s original state, it isn’t very useful: few like to eat it as we do apples or pears, and it wouldn’t be good to fry,broil,or bake;but we can extract its juice,thenaddsome water and sugar to make a delicious and re- freshing drink out of it. There are many things like cocoa and lemons that just aren’t good alone to most people, but they can be made into something very good by certain additions and processes. Likewise…

  9. Whentrialsoflifeseemtoogreat,add faith & prayer, then witness a great change; after all, our Lord promised that all things work together for good to those who love Him (Rom. 8:28). Though he suffered much (2 Cor. 11: 22-33), Paul regarded it a joy to suf-fer, being sorrowful, yet rejoicing (id.6:10),anabilitythatjustgoestoshowthatourattitudehasa lottodo with whether or not a test remains bitteror is made into something sweet.

  10. Speaking from experience as a Nazi concentration camp prisoner, Viktor Frankl said, Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circum-stances. Jesus left these encouraging words with His disciples: In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33).

  11. Notice also that James didn’t say that we’retoconsideritalljoyifwefallin-tovarioustrials,but whenwefallinto them; it isn’t a question of whether we will or won’t, but when we will. Thewordwhenimpliestheuncertain-ty of the time one may encounter a trial, meaning that trials should be expected any time and all the time.

  12. The term for fall here supports this idea because people don’t expect to fall when they fall. Thistermis the same one that’sused in Luke 10:30 when Jesus spoke of themanwhofellamong thieves with-out warning. So… Just as we should always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks a reason for the hope that’s in us (1 Pet.3:15),wemustalwaysbeready for any trial that may overtake us.

  13. The term for various not only means multi-shaded, but it’s also derived of a term from which we get our word polka-dot, teaching us that not only will trials come to us at various and unknown times, but they’ll also come to us in various shapes and shades. Likepolka-dots,ourlives willbespat-tered with big & small trials, short & tall trials, and fat & skinny trials, all calculated to work on certain weak points of our lives: one trial will work on one weak area, while another will work on another weak area. Lastly…

  14. Thetermfor trials refers to trials that are directed toward a specific end; in a good sense, it’s an assurance of ap-proval and strength after passing the test; i.e., we’ve been proven. Next…

  15. Provings Produce Patience. Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience (1:3).

  16. The term for knowing here refers to knowledge gained through experi-ence, so it appears that James was telling them to Consider it a blessing when you encounter trials, because you know from experience that the testing of your faith produces pati-ence(perseverance) in your lives.

  17. The term for testingmeansapproved. It’s a word found on the bottom of many ancient pieces of pottery un-earthed in the Near East; it was a mark signifying that it had come thru the furnace without cracking—it had been approved!

  18. God’s desire is to help us—the clay vessels created in His image—to mature in the fur-nace of trials without cracking.

  19. Consider the well-rooted tree for a moment: when it’s tossed by a storm, it only thrusts it’s roots deeper into the ground;if it survives the storm,it’s stronger because of it,not weaker. In fact…

  20. It’s said that an elderly man asked a boy to accompany him to the woods to cut down some hickory trees to make ax handles. They soon came to someyoungtimber,andtheboy sug-gested they start chopping: “Won’t these trees make good handles?” But the wise old man said, “These trees in thelowlandshavebeenshelteredfrom the storms that rage higher up. Let’s go to the heights where the sapplings have been rocked back and forth by fierce winds. Those trees have been hardened by the tempest and so will make much stronger ax handles.”

  21. The term for produces means to work out, to accomplish, to bring about; i.e., a specific goal or end is assured, and James said that end is patience. The term for patience means to abide under; God’s GoodFaith-KeepingSeal of Approval is applied to those of us who persevere or abide under the tests that we encounter.

  22. This term for patience is not passive, but it refers to a hopeful, believing persistence & endurance,bearing up under our own loadand continuing our journey in spite of it, shouldering our burdens with gratefulness, and waiting in calmness upon God’s will. AllthroughJames,notonlydidheex-alt and try to instill this virtue, but in 5:11heagainconnectedtrialswithan endorpurpose:We count thembless- ed who endure. You’ve heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord. So…

  23. The faith-testing that Jamesspokeofprovides the great blessing of pati-ence, perseverance,or endurance (threetranslationsofthesameterm). Parallel to James 1:2-3 is Romans 5:3 where Paul wrote, we glory in tribu-lations [of our faith], knowing that tribulation produces perseverance (same Greek term as in James). Let’s illustrate perseverance like this:

  24. During a football game between the Bears and the Giants, one of the an-nouncerssaidthat Walter Payton,the Bears' running back, had accumulat-ed over nine miles in career rushing yardage. Then the other announcer exclaimed, “Yeah, and that's with someone knocking him down every 4.6 yards!” Walter Payton, the most successful running back ever, knows that everyone—even the very best—gets knocked down. The key to suc-cess is to get up, and run again just as hard. Listen…

  25. The strongest men are those who’ve gone through the most with the right disposition; their unshaken trust is the result of many tests bravely en-dured, until at length, through much tribulation, they become mature and complete, as James went on to say:

  26. Patience Produces Perfection. Let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing (1:4).

  27. The term for let involves the idea of cooperation, a cooperation that’s on-going in our lives; this passage, then, instead of telling us to give up when tested, calls for us to give in to test-ing, thereby allowing it to do its job. The terms for perfect work bring to mind again the idea of an end or a purpose; in fact, the term for work is the same as the one in verse 3 which is translated as produces in the NKJV —it’s the end product. So…

  28. By telling us to cooperate with or let patience have its perfect work, this passage teaches that it isn’t enough to go on enduring only for a while or even after suffering for a long time; rather, we must let or allow patience to have its full effect. Just as the first century Christians who faithfully endured much found suffering’s end in the fulfillment of the kingdom (Acts 14:22), so God, if we don’t inhibit Him, is working to-ward individual ends in all our trials.

  29. The rest of the words in verse 4 in-form us as to what the full effect of provings and patience is: their pur-pose is to make us perfect and com-plete, lacking nothing. The words perfect and complete are synonymous:perfectmeanscomplete or mature, while the word translated complete means to be healthy and sound and to have all parts or pieces (as in an entire puzzle).

  30. Trials help us to obtain all the pieces necessary to make us mature and sound in every point. The man Peter healed at the steps of the Temple was made complete— sound in every part and limb; God’s aim for us is nothing less than this, desiringustobefull-growninspiritu-al attainment and developed in all of our spiritual faculties and parts.

  31. The terms for lacking nothing picture a racing horse left behind in a race; sosinceFirstCorinthians9:24-26pic-ture Christians as running a race, and since Hebrews 12:1 admonishes us to run it with patience (same original word as in James), then James was saying that if we allow trials to have their perfect work—creating patience, then we don’t have to worry about being left behind like the race horse.

  32. Earlierwealludedtothewordvarious and how it pictures trials as being of all sorts,shapes,andshades,andthis isimportant with referencetoour be-coming mature in Christ. We hear people speak of the import- ance of a many-sided education forour children, that no one part should be developed at the expense of an-other; likewise, God designs for us a many-sided training,trainingussoas to cultivate us all around spiritually.

  33. Yes, our dark days are difficult tasks; but the terrible persistency and con-tinuance of trial are really proofs of the faithfulness of God in the work-ing out of His great purpose—that we should be perfect and complete, lack-ing nothing. We should look to such a hope, be-cause this is the true end of the pro-cessintowhichthesoulisplaced,and it’s possible tocount eventerribletri-als a sheer joy if they lead us there.

  34. God is bringing us to glory: all hap-penings of life must be judged with this in mind, because trials, in and of themselves,maybebitter,evenhate-ful; so they’re never to be judged by themselves, but they’re part of a pro-cess by which we’re being made ma-ture children of God. And… If that last great end—Heaven—is brought nearer by trials, then it’s possible even to count it a joy to be in the thick of them!

  35. NotingtheconnectionbetweenJames 1:4 & 5, someone once said, Wisdom appreciates the good points of the worst things that happen. In First Peter 1:6-7 Peter wrote, In this you greatly rejoice, though … you have been grieved by various trials that the genuineness of your faith … testedbyfire,maybefoundtopraise, honor, and glory….

  36. In Conclusion… Are you tired of long, continued trouble? Tired of waiting for God to come to your rescue? Tired of waiting for that dark shadow to be lifted from your home or life? Do you face your troubles manful-ly in the strength of faith? Or do you sink before them into feeble-ness and despair?

  37. There’s only one way of turning them into good and making them serve you for the end that God intends: on the one hand, face them unflinchingly in the Master’s strength, enduring as seeingHimwhois invisible and invin-cible, and, on the other hand, accept themasthedivineinstrumentsofdis-cipline to shape us to God’s ideal of what we should and can be, remem-bering that He won’t allow us to be triedbeyondwhatweareabletobear (1 Cor. 10:13).

  38. With infinite wisdom, love, and pati-ence, He lays His hand on us here and there, He allows us to be tested in this way and that way in order that we may enter into life full-grown and complete in every part, being neither crippled nor disabled! So… As someone once said, Trying times are not times to quit trying! How are we meeting our troubles? What fruit have they produced in us? Have they made us stronger, purer, and more Christ-like?

  39. The winds of testing and trial in this life aren’t meant to make us sin, they are designed to enable us to conquer sin. They’re not intended to make us bad, but rather good. They’re not for thepurposeofweakeningus,butthat we might emerge stronger, finer, and purer from the ordeal. Temptation isn’t the penalty of being a man, it’s the glory of being a man; it’s the test that comes to man whom God wishes to use.

  40. The attitude we manifest toward tri-als makes all the difference in the world: if we view these trials as chal-lenges rather than depressants, we can face them more militantly, and we can see the great work of God, seeking to lift us to greater heights. Just remember, Today’s mighty oak was yesterday’s little nut that stood its ground!

  41. Pain’s furnace heat within me quivers;God’s breath upon the flame doth blow.And all my heart in anguish shivers,And trembles at the fiery glow.And yet I whisper, “As God will,”And in His hottest fire hold still. He comes and lays my heart all heatedOn the hard anvil, minded soInto His own fair shape to beat itWith His great hammer, blow on blow.And yet I whisper, “As God will,”And at His heaviest blows hold still.

  42. He takes my softened heart and beats it,The sparks fly off at every blow.He turns it o’er and o’er and heats it,And lets it cool and makes it glow.And yet I whisper, “As God will,”And in His mighty hand hold still. Why should I murmur? For the sorrowThus only longer lived would be.Its end may come and will tomorrow,When God has done His work in me.So I say, trusting, “As God will,”And trusting to the end hold still.

  43. He kindles for my profit purelyAffliction’s glowing, fiery brand.And all His heaviest blows are surelyInflicted by a master hand.So I say, “As God will,”And hope in Him and suffer still. ~ Julius Sturm

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