A couple of weeks ago in Solo Por Hoy, we started to walk through the book of James verse by verse (click here to see last weeks’ lesson).
This week we walked through verses 1:2-4. Here’s what we learned:
Verse one is an introduction and James is telling his readers who he is and who he serves and he is also sharing who the letter is written to. Tonight we’re going to move on to the next passage.
Read verse 2
Some of you may be asking yourselves, “Count it joy when I meet trials and temptations? What? Aren’t those hard things to go through? Why should I be joyful during a trial?”
Read verse 3 for the answer
It says that when our faith is tested that the outcome or result will be steadfastness. Does anyone know what the word steadfastness means? It means: firm and dependable, unchanging.
Ok so now we know that steadfastness is the result of resisting during times of trials and temptations. Now let’s read about steadfastness.
Read verse 4
Let steadfastness have its full effect – this means staying strong and firm during a trial so that we can see the results or the purpose that we are going through the trial. There is always a reason why we go through trials and temptations. They are not without purpose. God uses them for our good, to make us better, to teach us things.
If you were here last Friday, we learned that being tempted is not a sin – being in a trial is not a sin. It’s when we give in to the temptation or react in a negative way while in a trial – that’s we fall into sin.
So what James is telling us today is to stand firm against the temptation. By doing that, steadfastness will have its full effect which is what? You will be perfect and complete – lacking in nothing.
This reminds me of Jesus and how he resisted temptation for 40 days before he started his ministry. God rewarded him for this. I’ve always found it interesting that it seems that Jesus had to do this before he was able to start his ministry. It’s as if the power he needed for his ministry was found in or was the reward of his steadfastness during this time of temptation.
The same power that was in Jesus during this time is the same power that is alive and at work in those who follow and have faith in him today – right now.
Basically what James is sharing with us here is that trials and temptations are designed to produce spiritual maturity and should therefore be counted as joy.
Related posts:
James 1:1
