James 1:2-4: Let Patience Have Her Perfect Work
2024-05-01
James 1:2
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; (James 1:2)
The first phrase here, “My brethren,” is how James addresses the recipients. As Christians, we are all in one family, the body of Christ. The apostle Paul refers to Christians this way across many of his epistles. However, James uses the phrase “brethren,” “my brethren,” and “beloved brethren” 15 times in this letter. As believers who are also Jews, this usage shows a more intimate connection. They are believers who have similar hardships and worldview. James intimately relates with his audience using this term.
“...count it all joy...” The word for joy is also translated joyous, joyfully, and gladness elsewhere. It was the feeling when the wisemen of the east saw the star (Matthew 2:10). It was the feeling that the man had when he found the treasure in the field and sold everything to get it (Matthew 13:44). It was the feeling the women had when the angel told them that Jesus was risen (Matthew 28:8). It was the feeling that Zacharias would have when his son John would be born (Luke 1:14).
These events were huge, life-changing experiences. However, we see this same word is applied to when we fall into various trials. If we take this verse and do not read the next ones, we would conclude that James suffered from mental illness. We will look at this shortly, for his reasoning is intriguing.
When the disciples were in Gethsemane, they were tempted (the same word); that is, they could succumb to the weakness of sleep. “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). They were supposed to watch and pray, but there was a strong desire to sleep.
The devil tried to make Jesus succumb to temptation: “And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season” (Luke 4:13). Jesus had not eaten in weeks, and the enemy tried to make Him stumble at this low point.
In these cases, we see that temptations are hardships that could cause someone to choose evil over good. They can make the righteous one stumble.
James 1:3
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. (James 1:3)
The phrase “Knowing this” is all the difference when going through temptations. If we do not know what is about to be told to us, then there is no joy in temptations.
Here we see the reason the Lord says that temptations should cause joy: They bring us closer to the Lord. They strengthen faith. We are forced to cry out to God when temptations arise. They show us that we cannot live independently from Christ; we must depend on Him.
Herein we see temptations redefined: “the trying of your faith.” Temptations try our faith. They make it stronger. They drive us to the Son that we continue to abide in Him.
The apostle Peter says something quite similarly: “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7). The growing faith amid temptation causes God to be glorified, and even more so at the Lord’s appearing.
Again, see the apostle’s encouragement: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy” (1 Peter 4:12-13). His appearing will be that much more joyous when we are delivered from these temptations in a final way.
Note also that we read that we “are partakers of Christ’s sufferings.” To have temptations and other hardships show that we are like Christ.
Again, the apostle Peter approaches the subject. “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished” (2 Peter 2:9). We see that though we have temptations in this life, it is the Lord Himself that knows how to get us out of them or through them. We must believe this Scripture, that He knows how to deliver us, and the truth will be appropriated in our experience. This was the experience of the church of Philadelphia. “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Revelation 3:10).
See how the Lord used the term here: “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:12-13). Knowing that we fall when standing on our own, we are forced to rely on God for a way to escape falling into sin.
The word “patience” is endurance. The food of faith is hardship. We see more and more that we need Him. When everything we see in the world is crumbling around us, we can have peace when we trust in His provision. Everything we go through is an opportunity to learn to trust Him.
James 1:4
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (James 1:4)
The perfect work of patience and endurance is important. What can this be? “They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away” (Luke 8:13). When temptation comes, we must endure throughout the entire thing; we trust Him all the way through. In this way, we “may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” In other words, milk the experience for everything you can to get closer to the Lord.
The entire time we face any trials, whether it be of this sort or something else, we continue to confess that it is no strength of ours that will get us through. It is Christ’s life in us that carries us through. Abiding in Him is the only way through. When we surrender our power to Him to work, we learn to trust Him more perfectly. We will see this subject again in this letter.