PERSEVERANCE
PERSEVERANCE
JAMES 1:1-8
God uses difficult times to make us stronger.
James is content to see himself as occupying a lowly place, because he speaks of himself as a servant of God. Notice that he links God and “the Lord Jesus Christ.” He had come to see Jesus as occupying the highest place of all. He addresses his letter to “the twelve tribes in the Dispersion,” which raises more than one problem. There do not appear to have been twelve tribes in existence at the time, or if there were, they were not in evidence. Again, the “Dispersion” was a technical term for the Jews dispersed throughout the ancient world, the Jews outside Palestine, but it seems very unlikely that James was writing to the Jews as such. It therefore seems likely that we should take “the twelve tribes” as a reference to the spiritual Israel: the church regarded as the people of God. The reference to the Dispersion will then indicate that it is the church at large, the church throughout the world, that is in mind and not Christians in any specific area.
To Christians at large, then, James writes about the need for faithfulness. We do not like difficulties and trials. We regard them as unfortunate necessities to be borne with as good a grace as possible. James sees them as occasions for joy (1:2). His point is that it is only through trials that we are able to develop the quality of perseverance. The New Testament has a number of such appeals to remind us that in the pleasant days of peace we do not really develop spiritual strength. That comes about in the process of grappling with difficulties. Trials are not pleasant but Christians should never face them in the same spirit as do non-Christians. For Christians, suffering has been transformed by the suffering of Christ. It is seen now as the means through which God can bring about great good. So it is not to be regarded as an occasion for rebellion, but of progress in the faith. So, too, Christians must be faithful in the face of lack of wisdom and of doubt. We can look to God for all that is needed, knowing that nothing necessary will be held back. But the blessing is not for the doubleminded (1:7f.). Perseverance is necessary if we are to go forward in the Christian life.
Thought If you are wise you will ask for wisdom.