A Faith That Works In You

August 13, 2017 Speaker: Ted Detiveaux Series: A Faith That Works

Topic: Faith Scripture: James 1:1– :7

Faith That Works in You

 

James 1:1-7, 12 (ESV)

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

In this opening line, we get a glimpse of who James is.

A servant of God & a servant of the Lord Jesus. 

Servant- one who gives himself up wholly to another’s will.

James didn’t think himself too highly even though most scholars believed he was the brother of Jesus and leader in the church at Jerusalem.  By considering himself a servant to Christ, also puts him in submission to Christ.  Rather than boasting that he was kin to Jesus, he rather chooses to say that he is a servant and that he lays down his self so that Christ’s will may be done. 

Because he was willing to serve Christ, he was also considered a servant of God.  We cannot serve the Father, unless we are also servants of the Son.

A faith that works in you, starts with humility

If we want to hear the words good and faithful servant when we pass on, it is through serving His Son Jesus.

It is with this heart that James writes this book.

Who does he write it to?

To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:  Who were they?

At the end of Acts chapter 7 Stephen had just been wrongly accused of blaspheming and was stoned to death for his faith in Jesus.  This is the very next verse that follows:

Acts 8:1

And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 

We see that the church is scattered and that there was intense conflict between the Jews that were believers in Christ and those that were not. It did not matter that their lineage could be traced back to Abraham, they were persecuted by their own people for their belief that Jesus was the Christ, the messiah that they had been waiting for.

James is writing to those believers who are dispersed or scattered abroad.

He starts off by saying Greetings.

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,

A Faith that works in you, counts it all joy

James is giving an imperative statement to Count it all joy in other words to rejoice.  Change your countenance!  Get Happy!

  • What? Count it all joy, James do you not realize that we are being persecuted by our own people?
  • Do you not realize that we are being forced to leave Jerusalem, the city where the temple of God abides?
  • Or that we are living amongst the gentiles as they are more receiving of us than our own people?

You can imagine what that would be like if you were forced to uproot your family and live in a land and with a people that you were not accustomed to. (it would be like a bama fan living here, Hospitable, but don’t belong)

Here is James, the brother of Jesus encouraging them to count it all joy when you meet various trials.

It is so hard to see it that way during the trial or the testing of our faith.  We tend to feel distant and even forsaken by God, hopeless just like the dispersed Christians in Jerusalem.

Yet God’s love for us pushes through all those feelings, as He sends James, who was submitted to the will of Christ, to write this letter of encouragement.

Just when you thought it was over, when you feel forsaken and hopeless, God comes with a word of exaltation, a word of hope.

For this they could have joy, God had not forsaken them, but showed his love toward them by sending James.  

Their responsibility was to count it all joy.  Sometimes it is up to you to encourage yourself in the Lord.  You may not feel like it but you must stir up that joy in your spirit.

Psalms 103:1

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!

There are times when your soul does not want to bless Him, and you must make your soul do it.  Perhaps this was the case with the audience to whom James was speaking. He encourages them to count it all joy knowing that:

There is nowhere that you can go, that the love of God cannot find you.

Therefore Rejoice! He continues:

3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

A faith that works in you, produces Steadfastness.

Steadfastness means firm in purpose, unwavering.

Another version of the bible uses the word patience instead of steadfastness

So, James is saying. 

  • Rejoice in your trial so that you can have patience or
  • Rejoice in your trial so that you can be firm in purpose and unwavering in your faith.

He did not say that you will not have any trials as a Christian but the opposite is implied, you will have trials as a Christian but the purpose of the trial is to produce steadfastness.

The problem in continuing in sadness, discouragement or even anger in your trial is that you are setting yourself up to fail in the purpose that God has for you and possibly waver in your faith. On the other hand if you rejoice in your trial you will find the needed steadfastness to endure your trial.  

I have personally have experienced the biggest break throughs as I began to bless the Lord during my trials and count it all Joy.  Every time He Has given me the steadfastness I needed to endure that trial.  If I were to choose to wallow in that trial and throw myself a pity party, then I would not be firm in the purpose that He has for me and my faith would also waver.  

Know this, the trial is only for a season.  It will not last forever.

4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

A faith that works in you, brings about perfection and completeness

He is working in you, perfection and completion. He will use trials of different sort to accomplish that perfection. So, rejoice that God is not finished with you but He is still at work in You.

When we align ourselves in the way that James describes, we put ourselves in position for God to do something great. 

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

Notice the order in which James writes. 

  • He Humbles himself
  • He encourages the church to rejoice in trials
  • He emphasizes the importance of steadfastness

Then he said you can ask God for wisdom and He will give it to you.

  • You might need wisdom in the current trial that you are in.   
  • You might need wisdom to steward your money better so that you can go on vacation.
  • You might need wisdom to save your marriage from falling apart.
  • You might need wisdom when dealing with your family or loved ones.
  • You might need wisdom when moving your family or taking a career

The great news is that we can ask God in faith and He gives generously to all. Solomon was the wisest king of all time.  It was so because he had asked God for it. God gave him wisdom.

So many times, we want God to just remove the trial.  Instead we should rejoice in the trial knowing that God is creating in you steadfastness and He is setting you up so that your prayer will be answered.

Sadly, the only time we really cry out to God is when we are going through something really difficult.  We don’t want to have to endure anything that is hard we want easy street.  We have the burger king mentality.  We expect God to answer our prayer our way right away.

But because of our attitude toward our trial we miss out on what God is trying to work in us.

James encourages the believers to change their attitudes toward their trials. Then he gives them the hope that God will answer their prayers.

Could it be, your prayers are not being answered because of your attitude toward your trials.

If all you do is complain about your trials and blame God, then there is no wonder why nothing is happening in your life.

James gives us another reason why our prayers go unanswered.

 A faith that works in you, believes the promises of God.

 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

James is saying if you want to have your prayers answered, pray in faith and do not doubt.

I know that doubt happens to the best of us. 

  • Moses doubted that he was the right man for the job to lead God’s people into the promise land.
  • Abraham and Sarah doubted that God could open Sarah’s womb at an elderly age so that she could bear a child.
  • Thomas doubted that Jesus was resurrected from the dead, even though Jesus had told all his disciples that this would take place.

Doubt is a common feeling to man. But as Christians we are not ruled by our feelings, we are ruled by faith.  Our feelings will lie to us and can’t be trusted and they are often circumstantial. 

Faith on the other hand, looks past the way we feel, past the circumstantial and into something more rock-solid like the promises of God. 

  • If God told Moses that He will use him to set His people free, then know it was going to happen.
  • If God told Abraham and Sarah that they will have a child, it was going to happen.
  • If Jesus told Thomas that He would die and rise again, then know for sure it was going to happen.
  • What promise have you let go of because of your doubt?
  • What promises do you need to reclaim and take a hold of during your trial?

For a moment, I would like to remind you and encourage you of the promises of God that are for every believer. 

Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)

31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

 

Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)

10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

 

Isaiah 54:10 (ESV)

 10 For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

 

Deuteronomy 31:8 (ESV)

8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

 

John 8:36 (ESV)

36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Mark 11:24 (ESV)

24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Philippians 4:19 (ESV)

19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

The dispersed believers, that James writes to, had a choice to make.

Ø  Were they going to humble themselves before Jesus like James did?

Ø  Were they going to believe the words of the Lord and count it all joy when they fall into various trials?

Ø  Were they going to let those trials produce steadfastness?

Ø  Were they going to let steadfastness have its perfect work?

Ø  Were they going to believe the promises of God?

I ask you the same questions

12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 

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