Posted by
TAB on Saturday, August 09, 2008 7:06:37 AM
Enduring, Passing the Test
"Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he is approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." James 1:12 (NKJV).
When James writes telling us "Blessed is the man who endures temptation…" we could get the impression he is merely speaking of simply hanging on until the trial is over, but it must be deeper than that. We must think of what he has previously written, "Count it all joy when you fall into various trials…" (v.2).
A Christian may "endure" through a trial of circumstances but be very nauseous in their complaints about what they have been through; seeking the sympathy of others, or merely enjoying the attention from complaining. This kind of "endurance" is not the endurance that is "approved"; or as the King James Version says, "…for when he is tried…", after the test is over, and he has passed the test. Let’s understand something here and now; God never blesses complainers.
Throughout the wilderness wanderings of the children of Israel, after their deliverance from Egypt, there were many times that a group of them would get together and complain. They complained about Moses’s leadership (Numbers 16); they complained about having no meat to eat (Numbers 11); and with the complaint there followed judgment - Read these chapters. They were certainly not "counting it all joy" were they?
The one’s who are approved endure through the trial, with their faith growing, glowing, and blossoming through their push through the surface to gain the strength that only comes from faith in God. We should understand that questions of the sincere kind are for the purpose of knowing the will of God. It is okay to ask God, "What is Your purpose for this test/trial?", or "I don’t understand Father, but would you give me understanding through all of this?" Questions which challenge the power and the authority of God in our lives are not questions of faith; such as, "Who gives You the right to make this determination and cause me/us to go through this horrible event?" or "God, Don’t I deserve better than this? Haven’t I been a righteous person, and always done what is right in Your sight?"
To be approved by God, "passing the test" is to go through the trials of the Christian life with one’s faith and coming out having become more and more like our Lord and Savior. The resurrection of Jesus Christ was the evidence of God’s approval of the work of His Son. It was also evidence that proved that everything which Jesus said was the truth. Read Romans 1:1-4. The one who has endured with approval is the one who has "successfully and victoriously gone through his trials, indicating he is genuine because his faith has endured like Job’s" MACARTHUR STUDY BIBLE, p. 1927.
The one who is "approved" will receive the "crown of life". The next article will be dealing with the "crown of life" and what one does to achieve it.
Remember to abide in the Word of God.
-Tim A. Blankenship