For our scripture reading this evening, we're going to turn to James chapter one, and we're going to read the first 18 verses, one through 18. James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ to the 12 tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting, my brethren, Count it all joy when ye fall into diverse or different temptations, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and abradeth not, and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted, but the rich in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth. So also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. We read that far in God's Word, and our text tonight is verses 2 through 4. My brethren, count it all joy when ye shall fall into diverse temptations, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience, but let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. It is in my intention with the sermon this evening to begin at least some sermons in the epistle of James. And so we begin with some information about the book itself. There are a number of Jameses that are in Scripture, and they're has been some disagreement about which James it is, the apostle, or the half-brother of Jesus. And almost all are agreed that the author here is James, the brother of Jesus. In the first verse, he tells us that he writes this to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, And the idea there is that he's writing to Jewish Christians. And Jewish Christians who were in particular scattered by the persecution in Jerusalem that began not long after Pentecost in which the Apostle Paul himself was involved and which subsequently brought about the death of James the Apostle. And you can read of that persecution beginning in Acts chapter 8. The character of the book is that although it contains many, many admonitions and exhortations, that is, commands, on behalf of our Lord Jesus Christ, and they come with authority, nevertheless, the whole tenor of the book is that it's pastoral. in nature, that it is that of a shepherd written to sheep, intended for comfort and for strength and building up. When one reads through the book, one will even see many similarities to the teachings of Jesus himself. And this lies behind, too, the introduction where James identifies himself specifically as a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. And throughout the book, addresses his audience as brethren, I think, some 15 times or so. Brethren. It's a very practical book, therefore, and it's intended to be practical. That is, to address the practical life, way or manner of living of the regenerated child of God, the Christian. In fact, it's even called the Proverbs of the New Testament. The New Testament Proverbs. And it really sets forth life of faith is. It sets forth what true faith looks like and describes the life that flows out of true faith in Jesus Christ, and it often does that over against a false faith, or what will be called a dead faith. The book sets forth that religion isn't simply something one knows or merely what one believes, but religion is practiced. Our salvation is worked out. It is, as he'll go forth to say even in this first chapter, it is a matter of doing, not merely hearing. It sets forth what it looks like to live in love and trust of God versus unbelief. Now, the text itself addresses really the first practical situation in which faith is exercised, in which faith comes to expression as a living thing. And that is when we fall into diverse temptations. This comes immediately and is first likely for a number of reasons. Number one, this is exactly what the Christians, to whom he writes, had already experienced or were experiencing at the moment. It is the chief problem, the central issue that weighed upon their practical lives. Not only that, but by the understanding of the Holy Spirit, then, this really represents all Christians. All Christians, from the moment they are converted, will go through such temptations or trials. Trials and temptations simply constitute the Christian life in various ways and forms, and therefore, that life, and when it occurs, must be addressed and addressed immediately. Not only that, as I mentioned earlier, it really provides a very good concrete example of a living by faith. And it shows precisely how the Holy Spirit works through such trials and temptations. the truth that the Holy Spirit uses them to exercise and strengthen faith so that it produces something. It produces a fruit. And that fruit is patience. And that patience is what allows the child of God to endure all the way unto the end. The idea is that without it, he otherwise would fail. He would die. He is not saved. This passage we consider tonight also sets forth that what the Holy Spirit works and what we are called to do involves every faculty, in the heart where faith is found. Faith is a matter of the soul and of the heart. And this passage shows that a faith and living by faith affects all the soul and involves all the soul. The text speaks of joy, which is an attitude in the heart with regard to these certain circumstances. Joy. And the passage sets forth, too, that it's a matter of the mind. It's based upon a certain reasoning or consideration of the mind. This joy comes out of a certain knowledge, knowing this, he says. And then it is also something that is moved in the will, a certain desire for a certain goal or an end. It speaks about that too. So, let's consider these three verses under the theme, counting trials all joy. Counting or considering trials all joy. And we begin this evening with the attitude. In this text, the Apostle, therefore Christ himself through the Holy Spirit, exhorts us that when certain things happen, we must count, or that is, consider them to be joy and receive them joyfully. And the things that happen and we are to consider with joy or consider as joy are when we fall into diverse temptations. And the idea of the passage that we must grasp here is that we are exhorted to do this because these things, when ye fall into temptations, are actually grievous and bring sorrow. The natural reaction and the expected reaction is sorrow and pain of all sorts, misery, and therefore we must be exhorted to consider them joy and receive them joyfully. Often find that in Scripture just as a general rule, that we are exhorted and called to do those things that are not at all natural, not at all expected. In fact, when one looks at them even, one says, this is impossible. This can't be done. Why would even one consider this? And from That viewpoint too, even this call to a certain life, is offensive to our flesh. would not be unheard of to preach such a passage and that we become in our mind and heart even offended. How could you ask such a thing or require such a thing? Is it not bad enough that we must endure sorrow and pain in this particular temptation or trial? So when ye fall into temptations, diverse temptations, we are to have this attitude. Now right from the outset, I think it's important for us to understand the breadth and the width of the idea of the Holy Spirit here by that word temptations. I think you are all well aware that the Bible uses a number of words, temptations, and then trials, to refer to things that trouble and afflict us. And the idea here in the passage is to see this as wide as possible. You may define temptations as anything, any situation, any circumstance that brings pain or sorrow to either the body or the soul. See it that way. In other words, it refers to anything that's painful and sorrowful. Now, more specifically, that word temptation and the similar word trial have more technical differences to them. And in fact, sometimes even when we read the English word temptation or trial, there's a different Greek words that are used, and they all have a slightly different meaning. And to keep things simple tonight, simply want to point out that the different ways those words are used, and sometimes they're used interchangeably. We have to sometimes look at the Scripture in its context to determine exactly what the Spirit's saying. The real difference between these words really has to do from the perspective that it comes from. In other words, you can have the same situation or you can have a circumstance, and if you look at it from the perspective of the evil one, the devil, then we might be more prone to use the word temptation. In other words, it's looking at it from the perspective of how Satan uses such a thing to cause us to fall into sin. Then you can look at the same circumstance or another circumstance, and you can look at it from the perspective of God, which the apostle is going to explain further in the verses that we read, which is God doesn't send things to trip us up and cause us to sin. He doesn't do that. He doesn't tempt in that way. But God also has a purpose for circumstances and trials that bring pain and sorrow, which is to prove us, to test us. And that tests us with regard to whether what we are is genuine or not, although one can look at it from that perspective too. Satan does that. When Satan tempted Christ, his purpose was to cause him to fall into sin to prove that he was not the Christ. But the Bible looks at it from the other perspective, which is God can send certain ways to prove in the sense of demonstrate, to show what we are, what we're made of. And then there's different little variations of that idea and how you look at it. The point here that I want to make is the apostle here is using this term very broadly. It includes temptations in the sense of those that might cause us to sin, temptations that Satan has his hand in to trip us up. And that he includes that is evident from particularly two things. Number one, that's exactly the reference of the same word in verse 13. And it's evident it's talking about sin there because it says God doesn't tempt us. Well, if the word temptation was meant more broadly like trial, that it wouldn't be true because God sends everything upon us. Every circumstance in our life is governed by God, and that would not be true. The idea is God doesn't tempt us into sin, and that that's the idea is brought out later when the Apostle goes on to say, and we're tempted when we're drawn away by our own lust. That is, we sin because we lust. We're enticed. And that sin is what comes out of lust, and when sin has its work, when it's complete, it brings death. Not only that, but even those things that we might not quickly associate with a temptation. A temptation like, say, a beautiful woman that goes by, and we might be tempted to lust after her in our heart, or we're tempted into some sin by some situation. It's just a matter of providence, we might say. It's, I lost my job, or I got sick. Well, we should never forget that Satan uses those also to cause us to fall into sin. He uses everything at his disposal, good times and bad times, times of joy and times of sorrow. He uses anything he possibly can to get us to fall into sin, and especially pain and sorrow. Pain and sorrow, that doesn't really have to do with lust as such. We have to remember that to lack food, or lack good health, or to lack sleep, or any of these things, let alone persecution, is an occasion for Satan to tempt us. So that the apostle here does have that in mind, but he especially also has in mind what later on he's going to call trials. In verse 12, for example, shows how broad the apostle is using this when he talks about temptations that are trials for when he is tried. Now that has more the idea of proving, showing that something is genuine. And the context shows what he means. It includes matters, for example, that might cause our faith to waver like the seas, verse 6. Or matters of being of high degree or low degree. Verse 9, or matters that are related to the brevity of human life, whereby man, like a flower, passes away. Verse 11. In other words, temptations should be seen very broadly to include a sickness and disease, loss of possessions or a job. Could include persecution. Could be just about anything. that would cause us, naturally, according to our flesh, sorrow or pain. Now, the apostle goes on to call them diverse, not just when you fall into temptations, but he adds that word diverse, that is, different. that just shows how vast He wants us to see this, this occasion. In other words, there are temptations of many different kinds and sorts, many different circumstances that constitute such trials. So many, in fact, that He even calls it falling into them. Now, when we first read that word fall, you might think exactly, well, he's just limiting it to sin here. Count it all joy when you fall into sin, which that doesn't sound right, so that'd tell us that that's not really what he's talking about. And that word fall, though, is deliberate, and it's teaching us something. The idea of that word is that you are surrounded by these temptations and trials. They simply are around you and encompass you like a pet. It's like you're surrounded by thugs and you're surrounded by all kinds of people that would harm you or threaten you or cause pain and sorrow. So many in fact that the idea is you're sort of just like walking along and then next thing you know you fall into this pit and you look up You're just minding your own business and all of a sudden here's all these temptations and trials causing you pain and sorrow through no fault of your own. They simply beset you and surround you. That's the idea of falling into them. They're just going to come your way. There's no way to avoid them. And they come in all sorts of flavors and kinds and sorts. And then that word diverse also emphasizes the other point that was being made is, and probably even why the word temptations is used, because they really all involve Satan. They come from Satan, and they're used by Satan for his purpose. And here, this Word of God is emphasized in a number of places, because it's helpful to understand the text, and understand what God requires of us. What we should never forget is, yes, God is sovereign, and not a hair can fall from our head except by His fatherly hand. But there is Satan, And Satan has his hands in more things than you could possibly realize, including the bringing of pain and sorrow from just about anything. He is, after all, the accuser of the brethren in Holy Scripture, and that in heaven and in earth, and that with regard to sin and the unworthiness of our salvation. And he is always there in all these things to speak, to say something. And his purpose is to create doubt and fear, so that we do not trust God. So that we fall into sin. So that we're led away by our lust. He's always trying to do that. His goal is to separate us from God and separate God from us. And He's always there trying to divide and to separate. He doesn't simply do that between the members of the church and spouses and marriage and parents and children and the family. But always with us in God. He's always busy with that, and He uses every different means at His disposal to do that. He tempts us to fall into sin using the circumstances of our life and our being, especially those that cause pain and sorrow. He knows our weaknesses and our faults. And he uses good and evil to tempt us, pleasure and pain, riches and poverty, and especially uses all things that are painful and sorrowful to make us doubt the goodness and grace of God. By that word, diverse, the apostle intends us to expand our mind to every conceivable pain and sorrow there is, those that are public. Those that are perhaps published in the bulletin, or mentioned off the pulpit, or we receive an email about, or private temptations and trials that are not shared with others, maybe simply in our own soul and endured in our own body. Those that afflict then the body as well as the soul and the mind. Trials and temptations that may endure for a moment or may endure for all of our life. Trials and temptations that affect our earthly possessions and goods and those that are almost entirely spiritual. when ye fall into diverse temptations. Think about the occasion and the circumstance where just about anything can cause pain or sorrow. in our body or soul, and we have the occasion. Now, at that time, the apostle says, count it all joy. Count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations. Now, let's break that down. Let's notice in the first place that this is something that is, number one, commanded, and secondly, it involves counting. That is, to reckon or consider. Reckon or consider. Now, what those two things show to us is that, first of all, What is being required and exhorted isn't at all natural. We're not talking about a natural emotion, something that's going to just be there automatically. Typically, you don't have to go to people at a basketball game and say, have fun. We're there to have fun. That's what's going on. You don't go to a party and say, let's have joy today, because that's the natural following of those kinds of circumstances. No, this is commanded exactly because the circumstances are otherwise. They're circumstances of pain and sorrow. And then notice, that explains why that word reckon. count, that is, consider them even though there may be nothing joyful in that circumstances itself. So that makes this a sort of strange, strange thing to require of the child of God, which If we understand anything about the Christian life, as we're going to see, that is the Christian life. It's unique. What makes the Christian so much different than everyone else is that he has joy when he ought not have it. Because this joy is the very opposite of the pain and sorrow that temptation brings. Joy is an attitude of peace. It's an attitude of excitement, an attitude of happiness. And it's an attitude in the heart and the soul that may not even be expressed in the body because the body's under duress. It's feeling pain. It's sorrow. It's the kind of joy that one can have even though there's tears flowing out of the eyes and the body is wracked with pain. And then notice the when. When you fall into trials, count them all joy. Count it all joy. The idea is, it's not the same as saying, let's now find something positive about this. That's often the worldly wisdom. Let's make lemonade out of the lemons. Let's find something good here. And so when people are in some circumstances or occasions, we often go to them and say, well, it could be worse. Or so-and-so has it worse. Or there's a silver lining. There's something to see here that will create the joy. That's not the idea at all. The idea of the exhortation isn't, well, just wait it out. And then sometime afterwards, you're going to have joy. You'll have joy if this goes away, if this falls away, if it ends, then you'll have joy. No. The idea is in that temptation, in that trial, in the midst of the pain and in the midst of the sorrow, have joy. The idea even is when there's an understandable complaining and groaning and tears, And the body is racked with pain so that one is crying out in agony. When one is naturally bitter, perhaps angry, about this trial that they fell into, that came upon them. There's joy. They reckon it joy. In fact, they reckon the pain and sorrow of the very trial itself joy. They consider the sorrow joy. Now what we have to remember here is that God is not calling us to do the impossible. Oh, it's impossible from the perspective of man. And we even ourselves sense the impossibility by the shallow words and comfort that we often bring in times of trial and temptation. We often bring that in our own unbelief and fear. But the idea is that this is a word of God that comes with power, like the word to believe. It's coming from the apostle himself who knew pain and suffering of trials. It's coming from an apostle who is the servant of Christ. He watched his own brother go through suffering and pain and who considered it joy. And he's commanding, therefore, exactly what faith in Christ does and is able to do. That's what we have to lay hold of in this book. The book doesn't set forth impossibilities for the child of God who has faith, but sets forth exactly what faith does. Faith considers temptations entirely different than your flesh. It considers them joy. Now to get in that a little bit deeper, we must understand how faith looks at them. For one, you will discover that faith even looks at such trials and joys not as one falls into. From a certain viewpoint, that word falls into is sort of like the word happen. It just happens. But faith really knows it doesn't happen. Not only that, but faith understands that trials and temptations are even inevitable. They're normal for the Christian. Everywhere Scripture points that out. Peter writing to the same Christians, Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you. It didn't happen to you. And it's not strange, it's what happens to the people of God in this world because they are Christians. In the world ye shall have tribulation, be of good cheer, says the Apostle John. The idea is that these temptations and trials begin as soon as you're born again, which means that sometimes they can happen as soon as you're born. One is born and born again about the same time that can happen. But the real idea is it happens when one is born again. It's the trial and temptation of living with your own sinful flesh and nature, of living with sinful parents and siblings. It's the trial and temptation that we can't get everything that we want. Trial and temptations that come at school with teachers and classmates, that come in our teenage years when we had to start making decisions. Trials and temptations of loneliness or being alone, of dating and finding a spouse. going to college or finding a job, getting married, having children or maybe none, raising them, trials and tribulations that concern finances and tuition and work, a wayward child, a spouse forsaking us, and health. I don't know if I have to lay all of them out. But do we really understand that? That faith really looks at all of life this way. It's not just one or two or three or half a dozen of people that are having temptations and trials in this congregation. It's everyone. in one way or another. The Christian life is antithetical to our flesh. It brings sorrow and trials, pains and sorrows of temptations, endlessly, and faith understands that. Faith is the opposite of saying, this only happens occasionally or to certain people or at certain times of my life. Faith doesn't say the Christian life is actually trying to escape them, trying to get out of them, avoiding them at all costs, but considers them joy, all joy. And that's the idea of that phrase, all joy. The idea is that it reckons this regarding every single different kind of trial that there is, and really, truly joy. doesn't search around for and think about and consider that there's joy in a certain sense at certain times that possibly could be found, but sees it and understands it with joy. And wonderfully, many, many Christians who have gone through severe trials, undergone Great temptations are the ones who teach us this more than anyone else. They will tell you the great joy they had in this trial, even though it may come with great misery and pain. And they'll give different examples of that. It might be the joy of experiencing the communion of the saints, or growth in their love, or even their trust or their faith in God. That's the joy that it's talking about, more than simply having a positive outlook on it, looking for joy outside of it or after it, but considers all of it joy, that is, receives it with joy. Now, we're not going to go more in-depth than that. It's quite amazing, actually, that there's a lot here. What does that take, and what does it involve? And the Apostle really points us to one thing, which is the reason for that. There's many different things that he could have given as reasons or how to do this, but he settles on this one. knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." Now there's a lot there. For one, he shows what's really being tested here, what's being tempted, what's being tried or proven, what's being examined and shown to be genuine, and the answer is faith. Now what's remarkable about this passage is he sets forth the reality that faith must be tried. You understand that? If faith didn't need to be tried, then he couldn't say that. There would be nothing to know. But the whole point underlying this is faith must be tried. It has to be tried. And the only way that you can have joy when you suffer diverse temptations is knowing or understanding by faith, of course, that this faith is being tried. Now, there's a number of reasons for that. Number one, the nature of faith. We have to understand the nature of faith. What is faith? Well, faith is, in its essence, a living organic instrument. At its core, that's what it is. It's not just an instrument like a fork or a pipe, but it's living, it's organic. That is, it grows. Even though it's essentially a bond that unites us to Christ whereby we receive Christ and all His benefits according to the catechism, it's an active living bond. It's not a passive bond or a dead bond that is non-living. Faith doesn't simply receive Christ passively or like water that you put in a glass from a tap, but it actively loves, embraces, believes in, knows, and relies on Christ for salvation. And it's a living thing. And then what else the scripture teaches us is that faith doesn't grow, living things grow. Did you know that? That's the idea. Well, how does faith grow? Well, it grows, first of all, on a spiritual diet. There's spiritual food that faith takes in by which it grows, but that's not all. This text and many, many others teaches it grows by means of activity, and especially a certain resistance. Let me explain. Faith is like the living tree. Now, a tree grows strong by receiving all sorts of nutrients from the ground. It sucks them up, but it especially grows in a certain way when it's bent and moved around by the wind. Or take your muscles. Your muscles are strengthened by taking in food, nutrition from the bloodstream, but also grows a certain way by running and jumping and lifting weights and working. That's why you should really feel sorry for Christians who imagine that faith is merely a knowledge. It's merely a passive union with Christ. That have the notion of the Christian life merely as stocks and blocks. Unliving things, in other words. That's not faith. Faith can't be inactive, it can't be dead. It's going to be one of the themes of the book. A living faith. What's it look like, act like? Well, the nature of faith means that it must be tried. Second reason is because of our sinful nature in which our faith resides. And in that sinful nature, we're prone to evil and that which is spiritually harmful. We are prone to be proud even of our gifts and abilities. Proud of the salvation that God gives unto us. To lift ourselves up over against others. As regenerated children, that's what we do. We become experienced at child-rearing. that we engage in by faith, and then there's the temptation for us to become proud over against those who perhaps are not so good at it. You have the example in this that faith must be tried of a pig iron. You know what pig iron is? Pig iron is when you go into the ground and you mine out iron. It's buried in the rock, and then you crush the rock, and you do certain things to the rock, Melt it down and you get iron comes out. But it's just pig iron. It's a massive lump of iron. And iron is strong and quite something. It's its own thing. But if you want iron that's really useful, that is what we call steel, If you want iron that you can use to forge a sword, or you want to make a product that you can build skyscrapers and bridges with, you have to do something to the pig iron. You have to smelt it. You have to combine it with carbon and oxygen. And something marvelous happens. What comes out of it is really, really, really, really strong iron. It's no longer really iron. It's steel. That's the idea of what faith has to go through. the faith that's useful in the building up of the Christian, that which makes him truly strong and enduring, that which help all in the building of the kingdom of God, is a faith that is tried. And what tries it, of course, is temptations. The idea is they exercise a certain resistance against faith. So it grows toward God, and then it grows in its relationship to God, just like that tree The idea is that faith is a bond that unites us to God in Christ. And then when that faith is tempted and it's tried, it's going to sink its roots deeper and deeper and deeper into God. It's going to cling harder and stronger unto Him. It's going to relearn to rely upon Him and look to Him in all things. And it produces patience. Amazing that of all the things that Faith produces all the fruits of faith. There's many, many virtues, many different things that come out of this kind of faith, its utility. The Apostle here picks patience. We may think of it that way. If there was one fruit that faith produces, what would it be? He says, patience. Now let's be honest, which of us really thinks all that much about patience? What the apostle here teaches us is how important patience is. Patience is really explaining the resilience and the strength of faith, the endurance of faith over a long time and over every circumstance. It's the word that expresses the kind of faith that can deal with anything. It's similar to the idea of a marathon runner, and his ability to complete that long, long race, and not just complete it, but complete it with joy, for the joy of it. It's explaining the thing that's needed to build a skyscraper, You have to start with pig iron and then it has to be refined and only then do you have something that's long-lasting and can endure for years and years and years and years. And the idea is this isn't stoicism, this isn't fatalism. Stoicism is simply the idea that one endures the pain and puts up with it without showing any emotion or complaining in any way outwardly. And fatalism is simply the attitude is, well, it's inevitable. It's going to happen, so there's no sense reacting. There's no sense responding. It doesn't really matter. But patience is the response in trial and temptation in a godly manner. And it is an active enduring of the pain and the sorrow for God's sake, because it's the right thing to do. Patience is the ability to persevere to the end regardless of the nature of that life. That's why I know that oftentimes our standards of what faith is and the strength of faith, if we would look around and we'd say, now that person, they're strong in the faith, probably the exact opposite of the way it really is. According to the scripture, the person with great, great faith, who has the greatest patience, is the individual that's gone through the most severe trial. Maybe the person who was born with a handicap, born with bodily afflictions or mental afflictions whereby they cannot live a normal life like you and I in any sense whatsoever. The person that cannot come to church because of their pain or sorrow. Notice what the Lord is saying to us. to consider or reckon every trial and every temptation joy because it works patience. It tries your faith and what comes out of that is patience. You want to say patience isn't important? The apostle would say without patience you die. Without patience you fall away. Without patience you're going to give up. Without patience, you're going to accuse the Lord, become bitter and angry against the Lord. Patience is required and necessary, oh so necessary in our life, exactly because there are these diverse temptations that keep coming. Don't think you're going to escape them or the church is going to find an end to them. Not in this life. And the idea is patience. The patience that is produced by a faith that is tried is the only thing by which we persevere. We need to remember that. That's the only way you and I are ever going to go through pain and sorrow with joy. There's an end to this too. It's not just patience, but notice he adds, but let patience have her perfect work. There's something more that's produced out of patience, this patience which simply seems to be a putting up with an endurance. It produces something, a perfect work. Notice that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. It's not simply a matter of endurance. That belongs to the perfect work of patience, of course. But the idea is that without it, you're lacking. It means you need something. And isn't that the real problem that we have when we have trials and temptations? When we become bitter and angry? When we accuse the Lord in our heart? Never say it out loud, but it's there in our heart. How could God do this to me? I don't need this now. Why me? Why not someone else? The real issue is we don't think we need it. In other words, we're perfect. We have everything that we need, and God doesn't look at us that way. Oh yes, you have faith from that viewpoint. You have faith, you have salvation, you have Jesus Christ and every blessing, but that has to be worked out now in your life. You must have faith, not only when times are good, but when times are bad. It's not like you can trust only in God when things are rosy, but you must trust in God, especially in trial and temptation. That's when faith is most needed. So there's a want, there's a lack. We're missing something. We must have it. And patience produces that. It produces a perfect work. That is, the idea is it completes us so that we're entire and lacking nothing. That's the Christian life. The Christian life isn't just, well, wait and see. I hope this doesn't happen to me. Patience is more than that. Patience that comes out of joy and such thing is a work, and it's a work of God, notice. So this is commanded of us, but notice they're designed to it. The next time we ask the question, why me? The answer is because God must perfect you. There is a shaping and a honing that has to go on. Many biblical pictures there. Building the temple where the rocks came out of the quarry and they had to be shaped and sanded and fashioned so that they fit right into their spot in the church, in the temple of God. Perfect is one that completes us. That is, it brings us to spiritual maturity. It molds us into Christ's image. It makes us what God wants us to be. And there's a process. And what is the process? The process is, it's the way of temptation and trial. And it begins with faith looking at them with joy, considering them with joy. And that faith now, when it's tried, when it's put to the test, when it's exercised, when it meets resistance, when there is in us nature of doubts and fears, accusations. We want to quit. We want to stop. Faith presses on, and that works patience. It produces patience, and that patience completes us. So that we want nothing. Again, you look at this simply as a human being. You say, this is... this is... this is... this don't make any sense. This is foolishness. I'm in a trial and temptation because of what I don't have. I don't have good health. I don't have enough money. Someone just took my car. And that's what I need to be fulfilled. And God's way is, no, no, that's not true. Exactly by that lack, by trial and that temptation, you are fulfilled and you have everything that you need. Well, what is that? What really is the end is that? The answer is God. God is the only thing we need. Jesus Christ is the only thing that we need. That's it. Once you have Jesus Christ, you have everything that you need. Our problem is we don't think that. We think we need money, we need pleasure, we need vacations. We need to be free from pain and sorrow. That's really what we need. And God uses this process to say, no, there's really only one thing you need. And when you're most tempted to give up on God is pain and trouble, isn't it? That's when we're most tempted to say, this is all crazy. There's too much trouble in the church. There's too many things going on in my life. There's too many sorrows and pains. I give up. That's when we're in the most danger. And so the word of God comes to us, reshapes our thinking, and says to us, no, in all those temptations, consider them joy. Amen, let us pray. Our Father which art in heaven, O Lord, we thank thee for thy word, thy word which is truth. It is entirely against our flesh and our nature, and so we pray, Lord, strengthen us in our faith. and in trials and temptations which we go through. Give us that faith that receives them with joy because of what it works, what it produces, which is the perfect work of patience, that is, perfect trust in thee, our God, in all things. This we pray in Jesus' name, amen.