Looking to the Reward - James 1:12

James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.  ² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, ¹⁰ but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. ¹¹ For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits. ¹² Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him--James 1:1-12 


Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,

We have reached the last verse of this section.


Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

This last verse is not about an attitude that is necessary for us to persevere through a trial...we have discussed each of those.  This is about the reward.  I love looking to the reward!  During Jesus' time crowns were given for victorious athletic achievements.  When we stay close to Jesus during our times of trials and temptations and we persevere through it says here that we will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him.  This is the believer's ultimate reward...eternal life. We are not saved by enduring trials but we are rewarded for enduring them...both temporally and eternally.  Trials work for us here on earth in many ways. (See Count it all Joy ) Believers are also promised crowns of glory, righteousness and rejoicing and all of them are imperishable...incorruptible...they will not fade away!  Each one describes certain aspects of eternal life and are earned at the judgment seat of Christ.  If we are a believer, the suffering we face here is the worst things are ever going to be for us and our trials will benefit us.  If we are not a believer, this life is the best we will ever have and our trials will serve to make us increasingly bitter and weary.

The last part of verse 12 really touched my heart...Who is promised the crown of life?  Believers,  those who love Him.  First Corinthians 13:4-8 is the best description of love in the bible.  Agape, self-sacrificing love is the basis for all that we do when we are in Christ.  Why...because it was the basis for all He did for us.  We love Him because He first loved us.  Here are the verses from Corinthians: 


Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
 
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;  does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;  does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails..... 

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 



And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.--1 Cor 13:1-8, 12-13

Unless we have Love (God is love - 1 John 4:16) we are nothing...  The only way to profit from a trial here on this earth IS as a believer who loves God and has His love shed abroad in his heart.  Otherwise our suffering does not profit us here nor does it profit us in the life to come.  As we cling to Him through our trials we grow in faith, hope and love and begin to resemble the essence of Christ more and more.  

So...in reviewing.....We can count it all joy in times of trial because we know that  trials come from His heart of love for us.  We can know and consider the difficulties we face as opportunities for great joy because of what God will accomplish in us and through us for His glory and our good. We can surrender our will to Him because He loves us with a perfect love and perfect love casts out fear.  We can ask for wisdom and have a believing heart to receive because we love Him...loving Him means trusting Him. We can have a humble spirit because as believers, going through trials, we begin to look up to Him more and more and realize who we are and WHO HE IS.  The closer we draw to Him the more we see not only our own unworthiness but also our inadequacy to the task.   

2 Corinthians 12:9 says: "And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Secure in the love of God we can persevere through trials and grow up and mature and bear fruit here for Him.  I will end with a quote from Charles B. Williams via Warren Wiersbe.

"God’s purpose in trials is maturity. “Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” The Charles B. Williams translation says it graphically: “But you must let your endurance come to its perfect product so that you may be fully developed and perfectly equipped.”

If that is what you want, then in love to Christ and with all humility, count, know, let, and ask.


Love
Mom

I heard this song and it reminded me of these studies in James especially this last one.

Who am I by Casting Crowns