James 1:12 - Blessed Are Those Who Persevere Under Temptation and Trials.
James 1:12 (NLT) God blesses those who
patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward
they will receive the crown of life that God has
promised to those who love him.
INTRODUCTION
This verse is a wonderful beatitude and
promise for us to claim in times of testing and
trial. [Wiersbe Expository Outlines]
The crown of life is like the victory wreath
given to winning athletes (1 Cor. 9:25). God's
crown of life is not glory and honor here on
earth, but the reward of eternal life - living with
God forever. The way to be in God's winners'
circle is by loving him and staying faithful even
under pressure. [Life Application SB]
Temptation comes from evil desires inside
us, not from God. It begins with an evil thought
and becomes sin when we dwell on the thought and
allow it to become an action. Like a snowball
rolling downhill, sin grows more destructive the
more we let it have its way. The best time to
stop a temptation is before it is too strong or
moving too fast to control. [Life Application SB]
COMMENTARY PEARLS re Trials of Temptation
Theres Always a Way Out
We may think that if were really
spiritual, we never will be tempted. But that isnt
true. Every Christian will be tempted. The fact is
that if youre really living a godly life, you
will be tempted. Thats because the Devil
doesnt want you to succeed. He will oppose you.
As my friend Erwin Lutzer has said,
Temptation is not a sin; it is a call to battle.
Just because the bait is dangled before you, it
doesnt mean that youre sinning. It isnt the
bait that constitutes temptation and sin. Its
the bite. It isnt a sin to be tempted.
You might be saying I get tempted all
the time. Whats wrong with me?
Maybe its not whats wrong with you
but whats right with you. In the book of Job,
we find an instance where God was bragging
about his servant Job (1:8 NLT). And what happened
next? A series of attacks came against him.
This reminds us that sometimes the
attacks were facing actually are a result of
living a godly life, not an ungodly one.
So can temptation be resisted? Yes. In
fact, God will not allow you to be tempted above
your capacity to resist (see 1 Corinthians
10:13). Sometimes the way out is as simple as
walking out the door, hitting the off button, or
terminating a conversation. But there is always a way
out.
And not only is there a way out, but
theres a blessing attached for the person who
resists temptation. James 1:12 says, God blesses
those who patiently endure testing and temptation.
Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God
has promised to those who love him (NLT).
So if youre going through a trial
right now, if youre going through a time of
testing or temptation, know this: You can grow
stronger through it instead of weaker. [Greg Laurie
from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
The Blessing of Saying No
Oscar Wilde said, I can resist
everything except temptation.
When I go out to eat, I always say no to
dessert. But when the server asks if we want dessert,
my wife will say, What do you have? Then
she tells me well have just one bite.
And I remind her thats what Eve said to
Adam.
So when they bring out the dessert with
more than one fork, I know that if I take even a
little taste, that is where the problem begins. If
I dont have a taste of it, then its a
non-issue. But the moment I taste it, its game over.
Ive engaged. You know how that goes.
Thats the problem with temptation.
Its so tempting. The devil knows how to package
his wares. He knows how to make bad things look
good and how to make good things look bad.
Thats why temptation is so strong when it strikes.
We feel the pressure.
The good news is that God, according to 1
Corinthians 10:13, will not allow the temptation to
be more than you can stand. When you are
tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can
endure (NLT).
Weve all been tempted, not only by
dessert but by serious things - by sinful things. It
might be a temptation to be lustful. A temptation
to be prideful. A temptation to be hateful.
Whatever it is, what a great thing when we pass the
test, when we say no to it.
When youre saying no to temptation, it
isnt easy, is it? But then the blessing follows.
If we want to be world-changers, then we need
to learn how to refuse certain things. We need
to learn how to say yes to God and how to say
no to the devil. [By Greg Laurie from Harvest
Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
COMMENTARY
Most people do not welcome the hard
lessons of life. "Why do I have to learn this the
hard way?" they fume. "Why couldn't I have just
been able to read a good book on the topic?"
James, no stranger to trials himself,
urges readers to take the most unexpected attitude
when bad times descend. Although his admonishment
sounds strange at first, the outcome of doing so is
spiritually rewarding. As you read, consider what you
are learning from your troubles.
Be glad when you have a bad day - the
experience will do you some good, James wrote (James
1:2-4). As uncomfortable as this message is, James
is not saying that we should enjoy trials.
Rather, he is saying that we should be glad for the
good effects that trials can have on us.
A bout of suffering, usually considered a
curse, can be a blessing. Suffering through trials
teaches many things essential to life - such as how
to have patience and endurance. Living through
a trial is also the best way to build
character.
When troubles come your way, welcome them
as teachers, however unpleasant they may be.
Take advantage of your bad circumstances by
depending on God to get you through hard times. He
will not only take care of you, but he will also
make you a better person through it. [The One
Year Through the Bible Devotional by Dave
Veerman]
The experiences that come to the children of
God are not by accident (Rom. 8:28). We have a
loving Heavenly Father who controls the affairs of
this world and who has a purpose behind each
event. Christians should expect trials to come;
James does not say if but when.
What is Gods purpose in trials? It is the
perfection of Christian character in His children. He
wants His children to be mature (perfect), and
maturity is developed only in the laboratory of life.
Trials can produce patience (see Rom. 5:3), which
means endurance; and endurance in turn leads
the believer into deeper maturity in Christ. God
put young Joseph through thirteen years of
testing that He might make a king out of him. Peter
spent three years in the school of testing to be
changed from sand to rock! Paul went through many
testings, and each one helped to mature his character.
Of course, it takes faith on the part of the
Christian to trust God during testings, but knowing
that God has a divine purpose in mind helps us to
yield to Him. [Wiersbe Expository Outlines]
The Lord's thoughts are all working
toward "an expected end.".... God is working with a
motive. All things are working together for one
object: the good of those who love God. We see only
the beginning; God sees the end from the
beginning. He knows every letter of the Book of
Providence; He sees not only what He is doing, but what
will come of what He is doing.
As to our present pain and grief, God
sees not these things exclusively, but He sees
the future joy and usefulness which will come of
them. He regards not only the tearing up of the
soil with the plow, but the clothing of that soil
with the golden harvest. He sees the after
consequences of affliction, and He accounts those painful
incidents to be blessed which lead up to so much of
happiness. Let us comfort ourselves with this....
You have never seen the Great Artist's
masterpiece; you have seen the rough marble, you have
marked the chippings that fall on the ground; you
have felt the edge of His chisel, you know the
weight of His hammer, and you are full of the
memory of these things; but oh, could you see that
glorious image as it will be when He has put the
finishing stroke to it, you would then understand the
chisel, and the hammer, and the Worker better than
you now do! [Charles Spurgeon; Time with God
devotional SB]
ILLUSTRATION
In the full light of day, and in hearing of
the music of other voices, the caged bird will
not sing the song that this master seeks to
teach him. He learns a snatch of this, a trill of
that, but never a separate and entire melody. But
the master covers the cage, and places it where
the bird will listen to the one song he is to
sing. In the dark, he tries and tries again to
sing that song until it is learned, and he breaks
forth in perfect melody. Then the bird is brought
forth, and ever after he can sing that song in the
light. Thus God deals with His children. He has a
song to teach us, and when we have learned it
amid the shadows of affliction, we can sing it
ever afterward. MH472
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC:
James 1:12 - Blessed Are Those Who Persevere
Under Temptation and Trials.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2019/20190201-1227.html
James 1:2-4 - Trials as Teachers.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2013/20131121-1340.html
James 1:2-4 - Profiting from Trials.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2012/20121129-1536.html
Romans 5:3-5 - Turning Trials Into Treasures.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200130-1138.html
Acts 14:22b - Tribulation for Entrance to
the Kingdom.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210810-1026.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Parable of the Sower - Open Heart Surgery by
Ralph Ringer: https://vimeo.com/666314378
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study
Guides:
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
