Last Day's Essentials-19

Testing of Your Faith

Jas. 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

Advantage Of Trials

Christians can face trials with joy because there are rich advantages from these testings. Trials, rightly taken, produce the sterling quality of endurance.

This is no new revelation. It is a simple reminder. James wrote, because you know, literally “knowing through experience” (ginōskontes). Everyone has experienced both the pain of problems and the ensuing profit of persistence. There is no gain in endurance without some investment in trials.

It is the true part or approved portion of faith that produces perseverance. The testing refers more to “approval” than to “proving.” The word (dokimion) appears only here and in 1Pet. 1:7. Faith is like gold; it stands in the test of fire. Without this approved standard of faith, trials would not yield perseverance. There would only be ashes. True faith, like pure gold, endures, no matter how hot the fire. True faith therefore develops, or more literally “works” (katergazetai), perseverance or staying power. The noun “perseverance” (hypomonēn; cf. the verbal form in Jas. 1:12) means steadfastness or endurance in the face of difficulties (cf. Jas. 5:11).

Knowing...

γινώσκω

ginōskō

ghin-oce'-ko

A prolonged form of a primary verb; to “know” (absolutely), in a great variety of applications and with many implications (as shown at left, with others not thus clearly expressed): - allow, be aware (of), feel, (have) known (-ledge), perceive, be resolved, can speak, be sure, understand.

this, that...

ὅτι

hoti

hot'-ee

Neuter of which some, that is, any that; also as conjugation; demonstrative that (sometimes redundant); causatively because: - as concerning that, as though, because (that), for (that), how (that), (in) that, though, why.

the...

ὁ, ἡ, τό

ho hē to

ho, hay, to

The masculine, feminine (second) and neuter (third) forms, in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom): - the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.

Trials test religion and faith and the man who stands true in them proves his religion sound and his faith genuine. Tests work patience and patience works perfection (Jas. 1:3-4, 1:12; Rom. 5:3-5; 1Pet. 1:7).

trying...

δοκίμιον

dokimion

dok-im'-ee-on

Neuter of a presumed derivative of test, trustiness; a testing; by implication trustworthiness: - trial, trying.

of your...

ὑμῶν

humōn

hoo-mone'

Genitive case of ye yourselves, you; of (from or concerning) you: - ye, you, your (own, -selves).

faith...

πίστις

pistis

pis'-tis

From to convince by argument, true or false; persuasion, that is, credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly constancy in such profession; by extension the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself: - assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.

God knew it all the time

The another word for that is the proving of our faith. You say you believe God? Hey, big deal. Devils do, too. The proving of your faith.

Now the proving of the faith is never really for God’s benefit. God knows the truth about you the whole while.

Someone told me the other day, "Oh, I’m afraid I’ve disappointed God." I said, "No, no, no, it’s impossible to disappoint God. You’ve disappointed yourself. God knew it all the time. You didn’t and so you disappointed yourself. You didn’t disappoint God. He knew that was there. He knew that that would be your response. He wasn’t at all disappointed."

We disappoint ourselves because we oftentimes think we are further down the road than we really are. I thought I was over that hump. I thought I had conquered that area. And here comes the situation where I’m tested and golly, I blow it. You know I’m so disappointed. Why did I say that? Why did I do that? But I shouldn’t feel condemned like "Oh, I’ve let God down," or "I disappointed God." No, God knew it the whole while. But I needed to know it. And so God allowed the situation so I could find it out. And so temptation, something that is common to all men. Count it all joy because temptation is the testing of our faith and this testing of our faith develops patience, or

Works patience

What a needed quality, patience. So often our failure is in waiting upon God. And that is true throughout the Bible. So many within the Scriptures got into trouble because they didn’t wait upon God. They failed in the test of faith in areas of their life.

Abraham though he passed the test magnificently with Isaac, yet failed in the birth of Isaac. When God promised to give him a son. He wasn’t patient. Sarah finally came and said, oh, come on, Abraham; it’s not going to work. You take my handmaid and you have a son by her. And when the child is born, I’ll take it on my lap and it will be as my child. But I’m just not going to be able to bear a child, Abraham. Now let’s be reasonable about this. Failure of faith. They didn’t wait upon God until God responded or answered. The testing of our faith develops patience.

But, like Abraham, whenever I do not wait upon God, I’m always botching things up. Creating problems for myself. And so it’s important that I’m tested. That I learn to wait upon God. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience.

worketh...

κατεργάζομαι

katergazomai

kat-er-gad'-zom-ahee

From down, in place or time and to toil, effect- be engaged with or in; to work fully, that is, accomplish; by implication to finish, fashion: - cause, do (deed), perform, work (out).

patience...

ὑπομονή

hupomonē

hoop-om-on-ay'

From to stay under, that is, remain; cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy: - enduring, patience, patient continuance (waiting).