Overview of James 1:12-27- Help From James To Have A Steadfast Faith And A Lasting Love For God That Receives What Is Promised

In the last few weeks Mayson and Lauren were married. And three months from now Nate and Sarah will be getting married. A Christian wedding is a beautiful occasion when a couple comes together before God and a congregation of witnesses to enter into a marriage covenant. On that special day the couple makes lifelong vows to each other as they say, “I...take you...to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part. This is my solemn vow.”

There are so many who make these vows and they intend to keep them. And yet, when life gets really difficult so many people today are abandoning their covenant commitment to each other and they seek to get divorced. When this is done, what God has joined together is broken assunder.

Marriage is intended to reflect the Gospel and our relationship to the LORD. Divorce, abandonment, faithlessness, and lovelessness does not reflect the gospel and it does not reflect the disposition that Jesus’ and His bride share with each other. Christ loves His bride and He is faithful towards her. In response to these things a Christian’s life is not to be inclined towards abandonment, faithlessness and lovelessness. No, when life gets difficult and trials overwhelm a Christian they are to receive the grace of God and remain steadfast in their covenant faith and love for the LORD.

Mayson and Lauren; Nate and Sarah, wouldn’t it be helpful for you to have some tools to help you faithfully fulfill your marriage vows through life’s up’s and down’s all the way until death do you part?

Similarly, for the rest of us, wouldn’t it be great it we had some practical and spiritual tools to help us remain steadfast in the faith and ensure that our love for God would never grow cold or be abandoned for the things of this world?

Our text this morning is intended to give us these very tools. This week we will do an overview of these things and in future sermons we will take a closer look at these things. Let’s read James 1:12-27. “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” I believe that this verse is now the main point that James is making and everything that comes after this helps to support it. Everything that comes after verse 12 is going to be used to support our faith and promote our love for God till the very end when we will receive the crown of life.

Let’s continue to read James 1:13-27, “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

Let’s begin by considering James 1:12 which says, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”

Would you agree with me that this verse is pretty significant because it has eternal ramifications?  

This verse is the main point that James is seeking to make and everything that comes after this verse has been written to support this statement. In verse 12 we see how important it is to remain steadfast in the faith during trials and testings. When a person’s faith is tried and tested and it is proven to be genuine it produces two things.

• First, This type of faith is the guarantee that we will receive the promise that our faith has believed- eternal life through Jesus Christ and the reception of the crown of life. We read, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised…”

• Secondly, a genuine, true, saving faith will encounter trials and endure with a love for God that eagerly obeys Him. Again we read, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”

Having said this let me make two observations that may address some concerns you may have already. First, you may be considering these things and thinking to yourself, “My faith seems so inconsistent. Some days it is strong and some days it seems so weak. What does this mean? Should I be concerned?”

The fact that you may be thinking this is the very reason that James is going to begin to write as he does in James 1:13-27! Be encouraged my friends because the Holy Spirit knows our need and He is providing us help through the Word of God.

A genuine Christian will experience times in which their faith will waver. The London Baptist Confession speaks of this in the chapter entitled ‘Saving Faith’. It says, “This (saving faith) may exist in varying degrees so that it may be either weak or strong. Yet even in its weakest form, it is different in kind or nature (like all other saving graces) from the faith and common grace of temporary believers. Therefore, faith may often be attacked and weakened, but it gains the victory. It matures in many to the point that they attain full assurance through Christ, who is both the founder and perfecter of our faith.” (14.3)

Secondly, you might be considering these things and you find yourself admitting that your love for God seems to have weakened over time. You might be saying to yourself, “There was a time that I loved God but now my love seems to have grown cold and it seems like I am beginning to abandon the love I had at the first.”

Mayson and Lauren; Nate and Sarah, you will experience these times in your marriage. This is not the time to become lazy in your marriage and throw up your hands in defeat. No, this is the time in your marriage when you repent of sin and begin to do the things that you did at the beginning.

John speaks of this within the context of the Christian faith when he addresses the Church in Ephesus saying, “I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.” (Revelation 2:3-5)

The apostle John tells these Christians that they had abandoned the love that they had for Christ. Therefore, they first needed to repent. They are not to stop there but they are to do the works that are in keeping with repentance.  

Let me ask you a question, “What are these works that they were to do? What had these Christians stopped doing that they needed to repent of and begin to do again?”

In one sense, the answer to the question, ‘What are the works that John tells them to do?’, is found in John’s first exhortation that they were to repent. True repentance produces appropriate works that are common among all Christians (Matthew 3:8- ‘Bear fruit in keeping with repentance’).

The Baptist Confession speaks of the fact that true repentance will inevitably begin to produce appropriate fruit in the penitent when it says, “This saving repentance is a gospel grace in which those who are made aware by the Holy Spirit of the many evils of their sin, by faith in Christ humble themselves for it with godly sorrow, hatred of it, and self-loathing. They pray for pardon and strength of grace and determine and endeavor by provisions from the Spirit to live before God in a well-pleasing way in everything.” (15.3)

Might I also suggest that James 1:13-27 is a place where we could turn to to discover what it might look like if we were to repent and do the works that were done at the first. Like the church in Ephesus, James is writing to persecuted Christians who were scattered throughout the land and he is giving them practical things that they can think and do to endure steadfastly in the faith and to continue loving God.

Let me take a moment to use our text to capture the attention of everyone in this room so that we will all hear and respond to James’ words. When James writes, “Blessed is the man…”, in vs. 12 the word ἀνήρ (aner) can be used as a word for men or as a general term for both men and women. That is how it is to be taken here in this context. James is not speaking just to men but to everyone. Therefore, James is speaking to everyone in our congregation this morning.

Having said this let me add two qualifications. First qualification, even though we just said that James is speaking to everyone we must notice that he is addressing Christians. James has written this letter to believers who have repented of their sins and who have entrusted themselves to Jesus Christ (1:2,9). We know that not everyone will receive the crown of life.

Let me ask each of you a question, Are you a believer this morning? Does a text like this one really apply to you so that you can receive great encouragement that one day you will receive the crown of life? All of us have an eternal destiny. Some will experience eternal life and others eternal damnation. All who repent and believe upon Christ are given eternal life but all who do not repent and believe will be cast into the lake of fire. Each of us would all be wise to consider these things and respond appropriately.

Second qualification, this verse is to everyone but the noun used here is singular. Therefore, every individual in this room needs to personally hear and respond to what is being said. James is speaking to everyone but we all ought to take these things to heart and respond personally.

• We ought to ask ourselves, “Am I remaining steadfast in the faith under the test, trials and tribulations that I am experiencing? Is my faith proving to be genuine or is it merely common among all men?”

• We ought to ask ourselves, “Is my faith which is being tested and tried producing anger and hatred for God and His people or is it producing a genuine and sincere love for God and His people?”

• We ought to ask ourselves, “Am I blessed, do I have saving faith, do I love God? If not, what does this mean for me and am I willing to repent and believe upon Christ?”

Verse 12 is the main point that James is emphasizing in this text and because of this James will spend the rest of this chapter supporting practically and theologically the things that are spoken here. Thesis Statement: In James 1:13-27 James will tell us what a Christian is to think and to do to remain steadfast in the faith and to have a love for God that will not be abandoned during times of testing whether that be by prosperity or problems.

The reason that I have said that everything in James 1:13-27 supports James 1:12 is because after verse 12 James begins to give practical exhortations that if obeyed will strengthen our faith and love for God. James says that if you want to remain steadfast in the faith and if you do not want to abandon the love of God…

• ...you must not say or think certain things about God; rather, you should think accurately about yourself. (13-15)

• ...you should no longer be deceived about God and what He has done and continues to do for His people. (16-18)

• ...you should know and be convinced of certain things. You should be quick to hear the Word of God, slow to speak, and slow to be angry at God and His people. Instead, we are to put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted Word. (19-21)

• ...we are to be doers of the Word and not hearers only deceiving ourselves. (22-25)

• ...we cannot merely be religious and continue in faith and love; rather, we are to practice our faith and love through acts of mercy and the helpful service of others who are in need. (26-27)

James begins in verses 13-15 by addressing personal sin and our need to take responsibility for it and repent of it. James says that if a Christian wants to be strong in the faith and to have a strong love for God he is to never ever say, “I am being tempted by God”. To begin to say such things and continue to do this is against the faith and an abandonment of our first love.

Why should this never be said? James gives us strong theological reasons for this. Because “God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”

A Christian cannot expect to remain strong and steadfast in the faith if you ignore your sin, excuse it way, or blame your circumstances, others, Satan or God for your sin. You cannot continue to love God if you think wrongly about Him because He does not tempt nor does He tempt anyone. In fact, the opposite is true as we will now see in verses 16-18.

A Christian who will remain steadfast in the faith and in their love for God will have a faith that will not be deceived because of the inner working of the Holy Spirit. James writes, “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”

Through faith in God and His Word a Christian will receive God’s great and precious promises that pertain to life and godliness and continually make every effort to add to their faith, and virtue, and knowledge, and self-control, and steadfastness, and godliness, and brotherly affection and love. (1 Peter 1:3-11) Don’t be deceived, every good gift and perfect gift comes to us from the Father above.

If we are not to be easily deceived, or led off into deception for long periods of time, which will effect our love for God and weaken our faith we need to know the truth and be certain of the things that God has revealed in His Word. Therefore, James 1:19-21 says, “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear (the written and preached Word of God), slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away (repent and turn away from) all filthiness (defiling impurity) and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”

I have been watching documentaries about WWII. In some of those documentaries it shows the grandchildren who never met their relatives who died in the war as hero’s. Yet, through reading the letters that their fathers and grandfather’s had written they have come to love them dearly. Similarly, a Christian who loves the Word of God and receives it into their hearts will be strong in their faith for Christ and they will love God.

A Christian who loves God and has faith in the LORD must not think that they can simply hear the Word of God and not be doers of it. No, James says that if a Christian is to remain steadfast under trial in the faith and love God through it all they must be doers of the Word! James says in vs. 22-25, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”

As we come to the end of chapter 1 James once again gives another warning about not being self-deceived (16,22,26). A person who deceives themselves cannot be strong in the faith and they cannot love God rightly and truly. God desires that the one who approaches Him should speak truth in his heart and this truth that is in the heart must begin to flow out of the mouth and through the hands (Psalm 15:2). So many ‘religious people’ have deceived themselves into thinking that they have eternal life but they do not have true faith and a genuine love for God. Therefore, James says in v. 26-27, “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” It is easy to be a professor of faith and love but we ought to bridle our tongue and display our faith and love through real acts of love and holiness.

Today’s Takeaway: James 1:12-27 shows us the importance of a steadfast faith and an enduring love for God and we are given some ways to diagnose when these things have shifted and James has prescribed some things to do about it.

As many of you know, Ray Haas, our founding pastor here at Community Church, has written a book entitled, ‘Diagnose Shifting Faith- Return To Faith In God Alone And Thrive’. Consider for a moment some of the chapter titles that Ray has in this book, which is available to anyone who would like a copy,...

• Our Greatest Danger Is Sin

• Life In A Sin Enslaved World

• Living Victorious In A Sin-Enslaved World

• What A Believer’s Life Is Meant To Be

• Diagnosing The Shift From God To A Person, Group, Event, Possession

• Treating The Sin Sin of Shifted Faith

• Keeping Our Faith In God Alone

• Some Common Symptoms When Our Faith Has Shifted

When you read Ray’s book you will find that he only quotes two verses from the book of James three times (4:7 & 4:17). However, Ray’s theology in this book is consistent with James theology in this letter.

• Clearly, James believes that sin is our greatest danger. We considered this two weeks ago when we discussed James 1:13-15.

• James also believes that we all live in a sin enslaved world and apart from a powerful sovereign saving act of God we would never be able to free ourselves (1:16-18).

• James also believes that it is very possible for a Christian to have their faith shift away from God during trials to other things so he often encourages us to have a faith that remains steadfast(2-4, 12, 5:5:19-20). Therefore, we must diagnose this shift from faith in God to a person, group, event, or possession and then treat it appropriately.

James 1:13-27 gives us ways to diagnose this shift of faith and love away from God and it also gives us ways to address these things. If we will take James’ words and respond appropriately we will be able to have a faith that remains steadfast during the trials of life and we will continue to love God. We will not waver even under life’s difficult trials and testings and in the end we will receive the crown of life all to the glory of the grace and mercy of God.