Trials, Maturity, Faith, Wisdom, Poverty, Riches, Temptation, God, James 1:1-18 Composed & Edited by Tyler 3/29/2013;

L 10 P 55 ###1. James 1:1 - I am impressed by the fact that right up front James recognizes and proclaims his status as a purchased/redeemed slave of Jesus Christ. This reflects the reality of acknowledging that one no longer is one's own, no longer has the right to run one's own life, and that one's body+soul+spirit belongs to Jesus as one's own King, Savior, Redeemer and God. ***1 Corinthians 6:19 Dont you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who comes from God and dwells inside of you? You do not own yourself, 20 for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which belong to God. ***Titus 1:1 Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, . . . ***2 Peter 1:1 Simeon Peter, a slave and an apostle of Jesus Christ: . . . ***Jude 1:1 Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James: . . . . Many fail to realize that before they voluntarily became the adopted slaves of Jesus we were slaves of the Law and of sin. ***Galatians 4:3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were in slavery under the elemental forces, spirits and principles of the world. 4 When the time came to completion, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 to redeem those under the Law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father! 7 So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. [See also Ephesians 2:1,2] ###2.A - James 1:2,3 - Jesus makes it clear that as His servants, we will suffer in this world, so that the genuineness of our faith may glorify Jesus when He returns. For the Biblical Christian polygynist this means that he and his family will suffer trials, tests, suffering and persecution at the hands of their "fellow Christians," especially where publicly official polygny is illegal. ***James 1:2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials; 3 for you know that the testing of your trust produces perseverance. ***John 16:33 . . . You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world. ***2 Tim 3:1 But take note of this, that in the last days there will be difficult times; . . . 12 Everyone who wants to live a godly life in union with Christ Jesus will be persecuted; 2B: Salvation, rejoicing, trials and glory ***1 Peter 1:5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, NKJV Praise, honor, and glory to Jesus?? Who is doing this praising? Who is giving honor to Jesus? Who is glorifying Jesus for the genuineness of our faith? The elders in heaven, angels, rulers and authorities in the heaven's realms (Ephesians 3:8-12; 1 Corinthians 11:10; Hebrews 1:13,14; Revelation 4:8, 10,11; 5:11-14) 2C: A person who has not really been saved and redeemed might lose what little faith they have and reveal that they never were saved in the first place. ***Matthew 15:20 The seeds that fell on rocky ground stand for those who receive the message gladly as soon as they hear it. 21 Yet he has no root in himself, but is short-lived; but as soon as some suffering, pressure, trouble or persecution arises on account of the message, he immediately falls away. ***1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not part of us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have continued with us. However, they went out so that it might be made clear that they all are not part of us. ###3.A: - James 1:2,3 - We are enabled to consider our trials in this life as "pure joy" when we focus on the hope of experiencing the glories in the Heavens with Father and Son, the awesome power and majesty of the presence and appearance of Father and Son, the supernatural praises, the absence of all that is evil, and being surrounded by uncontaminated pure and holy Love, Peace and Joy. 3.B: If you read the biographies and autobiographies of George Mller, Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael, C T Studd, Paul Gupta of the Hindustan Bible Institute, Ahn Ei Sook (Esther Ahn Kim) etc you will see over and over again how God's perseverance and maturity in the lives of His children come out of the suffering and trials they

experience in this life. Read Hebrews 11. ***James 1:3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing. ###4. - James 1:4,5 - When trying to understand the trials and suffering we are enduring in this life we need God's wisdom and insights. Human reasoning and philosophies are of little comfort. The trials and sufferings are much easier to endure when we know that He is with us, His Spirit is in us, His angels are helping us and that when we suffer well for Him it gives the host in the Heavens opportunity to further praise and worship Father and Son, Heaven's supernatural equivalent of the fans at a football game cheering when their team makes a great move. ***James 1:5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. ###5. Some benefits of having to ask for God's wisdom is that we have to admit that He is our Provider, not we ourselves, that He is our Deliverer in times of peril, and that our own efforts are not adequate to deal with the events in our lives. We are mortal sinners in need of the immortal Savior. What a joy to know we can ask Him for help without fear of Him criticizing or reproaching us. In Christ we can boldly come into His presence and ask for help in time of need. ***Hebrews 4: We should therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16 ###6. - James 1:6-8 - If we live in and by our faith in Father, believing and trusting and relying on Him step by step of our lives without doubting Him and His Word, acknowledging Him in all our ways (Prov 3:5,6), then we, our faith and our lives won't be like storm tossed waves. Life's storms will come but they don't have to "toss" us around. And then there is the issue of answered prayer. The 12 Apostles were given blank prayer checks with Jesus promise that He would act on and grant their prayer requests (John 15:16). We see here that for us who follow the Apostles today there are certain requirements for answered prayer: [1] One should ask in faith without doubting or a double-mind, [2] one should not be deliberately and knowingly disobeying God's Word (Isaiah 59:1,2), [3] one should be living a life of Loving service to the needy people in his life (Isaiah 58:6-14; Matthew 25:31-46); [4] one should be regularly keeping His commandments (1 Jn 3:22); [5] one should regularly be doing that which pleases Him (1 Jn 3:22); [6] one should ask according to His will in the Word, asking for that which His Word tells us that He wants for His children (1 Jn 5:14,15). ***James 1:6 But one should ask in faith without doubting; for the doubter is like a wave in the sea being driven and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. ###7. - James 1:9-11 - God's Word enables us to see and understand that promotion and success come from God, and if need so be, He can take them away. We need to accept the fact that Jesus is the King and both ourselves and what we have are subject to His rule and will. ***Psalm 75:6 For promotion comes neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. 7 But God is the judge: He puts down one, and sets up another. ***1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is a great gain. . . . 8 But if we have food, shelter <Grk 4629> and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those wishing to have more than they need fall into temptation and are caught in the trap of many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction. From Wesley's Commentary: 6:8 "Covering - That is, raiment and an house to cover us. This is all that a Christian needs, and all that his religion allows him to desire." http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/wesleys-explanatory-notes/1-timothy/1-timothy-6.html ###8. - James 1:12 - The Crown of Eternal Life, eternal existence in the presence of the Love of the Father and the Son are given to those who, though under trials, perseveres, continues and keeps on with Jesus. The wonder of it is that eternal Life begins the moment Christ enters and dwells in us, so all of the power and wonder of His presence is potentially already in us. The absence of persecution, of suffering for His Name sake, should give the child of God great concern. We need to examine ourselves carefully if we name the Name of Jesus and claim to be His child and citizens of His Kingdom yet experience few if any serious trials, tests of faith, suffering and persecution for His Name. ***2 Cor 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are living the life of trust. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless, of course, you fail the test!

***James 1:2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials; 3 for you know that the testing of your trust produces perseverance. ***John 16:33 . . . You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world. ***2 Tim 3:1 But take note of this, that in the last days there will be difficult times; . . . 12 Everyone who wants to live a godly life in union with Christ Jesus will be persecuted; ###9. - James 1:13-15 - Given the victim mentality of our times in America, we could be tempted to blame God for our trials and temptations, instead of owning our own part in our trials and temptations. The Word is very clear:' ***James 1:13 No one undergoing a trial should say, I am being tempted [to do evil] by God. For God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself doesnt tempt anyone [to do evil]. 14 Rather, each person is being tempted [to do evil] when he is lured and enticed by his own evil desires. We are personally responsible for our own sins because we all have been given the opportunity to be saved from our sins and their consequences, by reliance solely on Jesus and His saving work and Life. The Spirit of God enlightens every human being that comes into the world (John 1:9; Romans 1:20) and the Holy Spirit convicts all of their sins, His just judgment of their sins and His righteousness that requires His judgment of their sins (John 16:7-11). Once a person is born again in the Spirit and the Spirit indwells her, then sin shall not have dominion over her (Romans 6:14). The devil can't make her do anything she doesn't choose to do. She has the choice to either let herself be worked by God, or by sin, her body or Satan (Romans 6:16-22). ###10. - James 1:14-15 -The process of temptation is clearly stated in the following: ***James 1:14 But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed, baited and trapped by his own evil desire (lust, passions). 15 Then the evil desire conceives and gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully grown, produces death. You might ask, "What evil desires?" ***1 John 2:16 For everything that belongs to the worldthe flesh's evil desire, the eyes desire for what God forbids, and the pride in ones lifestyle and possessionsis not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world with its evil desires is passing away, but the one who does Gods will remains for the rest of time. ###11. - James 1:16-18 -What has Father already done for those who have come to Him by Way of Jesus? According to Ephesians 1 He has done the following for His own people: [1] He has "blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens." [2] He chose us in Jesus "before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless" [3] "He determined in advance that through Yeshua the Messiah we would be his sons" [4] He has blessed us with His glorious grace in the Beloved. [5] We have been redeemed from death and the domination of sin. [6] We have received "the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the rich benefits of his grace" [7] He has lavished on us His wisdom and insight [8] He has made known to us His will according to His good pleasure [9] We have obtained an inheritance, to be to the praise of His glory. [10] We have been place safely in His hands to be safe with Him forevermore (John 10:27-29). ###12. - James 1:16-18 - Down through all the time of mankind He has proven that He is faithful and true. He is kind Love, eternal Life, liberating Truth, enlightening Light and the only Way to Father and His Heaven, and there is no trial or temptation that can compare or compete with Him. The choice is simple. If you want a future filled with kind, patient, forgiving, and enduring Love, joy, gladness, peace, patience, an even temper, forbearance, kindness, goodness, benevolence, faithfulness, gentleness, meekness, and humility free from all evil, then you want Jesus and His Kingdom. If you want a future devoid of kind, patient, forgiving, and enduring Love, joy, gladness, peace, patience, an even temper, forbearance, kindness, goodness, benevolence, faithfulness, gentleness, meekness, and humility free from all evil; and instead a future filled with immorality, impurity, indecency, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, ill temper, selfishness, divisions, dissensions, party factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies, envy, loss of self-control, cruelty, viciousness, hatred and wrath - - then all that is yours when you reject Jesus, His salvation, His Way and choose to live as you want to live. P: http://biblicalmarriagepolygyny.yuku.com/topic/189/Trials-Maturity-Faith-Wisdom-Poverty-Riches-Poly-

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