James 1:1-8

1 James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:
Greetings.

Testing of Your Faith

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

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

Okay, we're going to break this up a bit. James is a short book but it's going to take some un-packing. James is the half brother of Jesus Christ. This is a manuscript of a sermon he's teaching to the "Twelve tribes of the dispersion". He's not teaching to just Jews, they're the "new" Christian Jews. The time frame is this. Christ was crucified, came down and hung out for a bit then ascended to heaven to assume His place at the right hand of the Father. The "church" that was created in Acts is dispersing and going forth through out the land, and James is preaching to the church, meaning, all believers. James is about the Testing of Your Faith. It can be used as a step by step instruction manual on how to "live a Christ centered life". This book is primarily for those who's identity is in Christ, saved by grace through faith alone and can be looked at by a non-believer as what your life would look like inside of the salvation of Christ.

Verse 2 through 4 basically says, if you're in Christ, then God is continually shaping your character by means of trials. When you're identity is in Christ, then you have a joy runs much deeper than happiness. This verse can be misconstrued as if to say, while you're in trials, you should be happy you're in a trial. That's not it at all. The point of a trial is that is doesn't feel good. The joy you get from Christ is much more than a fleeting feeling that can come and go depending on the situation. When we are going through a trial we are to count it as grace from the Father because it means that He is shaping your character.

I find it interesting that he says, "...for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." Most trials we go through today we don't look at as tests of our faith. We look at it as a tunnel that we're trying to get through and the joy is the light at the end of that tunnel so to speak. That is not a trial. As james says, there are trials of various kinds, but they all have one underlying commonality. They test your faith. And through the testing of your faith comes steadfastness. James says that steadfastness, at it's full effect, will leave you perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. This can be confusing as nobody is perfect and complete and we lack a lot. This is pointing back to the cross. During your trial, during your test of faith, we as Christians are called to look to Christ and surrender, all that worry us, to Him. And when that happens we become fully justified. We are at that point perfect, not because of anything we've done, but because Jesus paid for what we've done. When the Father looks at us, He sees the Son. Therefore, through the testing of your faith, you will become steadfast in Christ and when that happens you are looked at as complete and perfect, lacking in nothing.

Verse 5 through 8 focuses on faith. "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him." I think its pretty safe to say that we all lack wisdom. Which is exactly is point. It could be said, "You lack wisdom. Therefore ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him." Reproach is a word thrown about in the Christian community. It means,The expression of disapproval or disappointment. This is pointing back to the point he just made as Christ covering you. God will give to those who ask. And He'll do it without disappointment. I find this especiallyencouraging as I am one who continually disappoints concerning the things of God.

There is a condition to this asking and receiving. "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." Have you ever been in a place where you cry out to God (probably in one of those "tests of faith") and ask for something, be it peace, or favor, or for Him to just "take it away"? Have you ever asked something of God and it doesn't happen? Even if you've made it a point to make it something that you need and not something that you want. So when it doesn't happen you're especially confused, since He said, ask and you shall receive. Or at least thats what you've heard in church. Lets un-pack it, its pretty hairy. The Doubt. One of the least talked about subjects of the Christian walk. We all feel it. We all have it. Some more than others. My fiance is one to believe with faith fairly easily. For me, its not so easy. If you tell me something, I will think its wrong until I find that its right. I doubt first and then trust, once I find it to be true. There are many reasons in my past for this, but thats for another day. I know I'm not alone on that. I know that there are even pastors out there who, when the chips are down, when they're pushed to the brink, when they're faith is tested, they have doubt that God can save them. They have doubt that God is fighting for them. Its the human condition, its in our nature. I'm not using that as a copout, I'm using it as a reason. The doubt is prevalent, and its real. And it can and will keep you from experiencing the joy and the peace that comes from trusting God with you're entire life. Verse 7 and 8 are basically saying, If you doubt, you must not suppose that you'd receive anything from the Lord. I find this fascinating. Its basically saying the gospel. If you, both, believe in your heart and confess with your mouth, then you will be saved. Interesting side note, you can't change your heart. Its impossible. You can modify your behavior a bit but even that won't last forever. Only Jesus Christ by grace, through faith, can change your heart and save you. Only then will you be transformed, and it won't be through anything you did so that you cannot bost in anything other than your faith in Christ, and even that didn't come from you. We were all double-minded men, unstable in all of our ways. But the second Christ saved you, you then had a former life (Galatians 1:13). Thats the Great Exchange, is it not? You give your life to Him, and you will find life in Christ. Meaning you get a former life, reborn with a new fresh life in Christ. Regardless of what you think the basis of your faith is still faith. If you believe with your heart, then you will not doubt with your heart. This verse is speaking to those who are unsure if they are saved. Those who are still on the fence about the whole thing. That man is a double-minded man, who is as unstable as the waves of the sea and cannot expect to receive anything from the Lord. That doesn't mean he doesn't receive anything from the Lord, it means he can't expect it. Which is also to say, that those who hold their identity in Jesus Christ can ask, in faith, for wisdom, and it will be given to him.

I pray that Christ will transform those who are still on the fence regarding the things of God, and will save them with an amazing grace and give them the faith to believe like a child and trust fully that God loves them so much so that He died to himself so we can get a perfect picture of how to live our life fully in faith, as a perfect and complete creating, lacking in nothing. May we all humble ourselves and ask in faith for wisdom.