James Series - Persecution, the Fertilizer of Faith

 

Persecution, the Fertilizer of Faith

James 1:2-8

I met an Indian pastor who told me “Persecution is the fertilizer for the growth of the church.” The early christians and the twelve apostles understood this well. James the Just, the brother of Jesus, who was the head of the Jerusalem church, led many of the first churches to understand that the persecution for their faith would force the diaspora of christians to spread throughout the world from Jerusalem.  So when James began his letter to the churches, it was of no surprise for the churches to understand the fiery trials that brought joy, knowing they were counted worthy in their faith to face similar persecution as Jesus and to bring the gospel to others.

James begins with the joy of our faith which comes from the Holy Spirit and our steadfast faith in Christ Jesus.

So let’s read the first portion of the text of the lesson. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

James had watched the life of his brother Jesus in a way that few understood, and it wasn’t till the death and resurrection of Jesus that his faith really began to grow and mature. He could write to the church about living in confidence and to the maturity that persecution brought to all genuine believers. He would have seen the growth of the Gospel in the church before the diaspora caused by the religious leaders and the gentiles after the death and resurrection of Jesus. So he begins his letter with an admonition to pure joy when you face various trials because of your faith and testimony in Jesus Christ, even understanding facing death, they had victory through their faith because of the promises of God the Father through God the Son. 

It was this growth in faith that produced perseverance.

He understood the growing of things required the pain of change from seed to plant, and plant to complete fruition.

So they didn’t panic at persecution, but endured it as part of the growing process in maturing as a genuine believer. The testing of the faith refined the believer into completeness and lacking no spiritual fruit in their faith.

Application - The genuineness of our faith is evident not only to God, but to others as we live life through persecution. It is said that the western church doesn’t really understand the persecution that many believers in Asia, Africa, and the Middle Eastern church understand. It is true that we treat joy from the Lord as happiness and only when everything is going well without pain. But as Peter, Paul, and James understood it is through the furnace of affliction that we are purified. “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” and “ Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance.” (1 Pet. 1:6-7; Rom. 5:3)

This perseverance is the catalyst that enriches growth and maturity in Christ and our faith. It is like fertilizer that strengthens the roots, nourishes the stems and branches, and produces fruit conducive to a life led by the Holy Spirit. In reaching maturity, we come to completeness in Christ, and we don’t lack in any gifting and are fully equipped for the work of the Lord.

Some of the most memorized and quoted verses from the Bible come from James’ letter to the church. The need for wisdom to accompany and complete faith in order to persevere and live a life of overcoming the enemy of God and the world begins with wisdom. So let’s read the last portion of the text, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”

James knew the value of wisdom that came from the fear (reverence) of God. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.” (Prov. 9:10-12)

James grew up learning and hearing the proverbs and applying them to his life, after all his older brother was Jesus. But it wasn’t just hearing the words of wisdom that brought spiritual growth, it was the application that produced a rewarded long life. James knew that the Father would give good gifts, like wisdom and knowledge to those who would ask him. God the Father was generous to a fault when it came to giving spiritual gifts and spiritual riches to equip the church. “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”; “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” (Matt. 7-11; Eph. 3:16-17a) 

Wisdom and faith work together like hand and glove, and God the Father wants to give to each who asks without finding fault as much as he or she needs. The early church leaders and believers alike needed the wisdom of God to grow and maneuver through the trials of life. It was through wisdom that every believer understood their faith in God through His Son Jesus Christ. “You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim. 3:15)

James understood that those who came later and hadn’t seen Jesus in their life or in his resurrected state, would possibly doubt. It is their faith in the Holy Scripture and in the Lord Jesus Christ that would keep them on a secure and guided life of a overcoming faith, and with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, their helper and guide. James' analogy of doubt being like a random wave being driven by the ill-willed winds of the world and the contrary winds of the devil gave the church a visual picture of a life that was destined to be driven in dangerous directions. For doubt was the inconstant and shifting winds of an unbelieving life that would certainly be misdirected and overwhelming, but it was a believer who was guided by wisdom in their faith that would receive the wisdom he asked the Father for. For they knew that to live without Godly wisdom would certainly lead them to double mindedness and instability in their lives and in all their endeavors as believers.  

Application - I have been the dispenser of knowledge as a teacher in schools as well as a pastor of a church. But the fruitfulness of a mature life is found in wisdom. Not the wisdom of the street or the wisdom of the world regarding wealth, health, and pleasure. For these are from the devil, “Don’t fool yourself. Don’t think that you can be wise merely by being relevant. Be God’s fool—that’s the path to true wisdom. What the world calls smart, God calls stupid. It’s written in Scripture, He exposes the hype of the hipsters. The Master sees through the smoke screens of the know-it-alls.” “Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom—it’s animal cunning, devilish plotting. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.” (1 Cor. 3:18-20; James 3:15-16 MSG)

God is the author of wisdom, for it was in the creation of the universe that wisdom was used. (Prov. 8) And he delights to give wisdom generously to those who ask of Him, without finding faults in our lives. For it is wisdom that helps us to grow in our faith, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom,” “So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;” “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Col. 3:16a, 1:10; 2 Pet. 1:8)

It is the effect of worldly wisdom that gets us to doubt the solid wisdom of God. We become the wave that is tossed around by all the futile thinking, knowledge, and wisdom of mankind. We become befuddled by the winds of the world and are blown wherever they decide to take us, and it pollutes and destroys our faith and lives to the point of death, both spiritual and possibly physical. 

When we live this double-minded and unstable life, we don’t have a clear bearing of God’s will and purpose, we rely on the whims and schemes of the world and the evil one. Not knowing the truth and settling for the lies of the father of lies.

So today, choose God the Father’s wisdom, and the salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ.  “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matt. 7:7-8 NIV)

I’m again including the ABC’s of salvation (JD Farag). Please, Jesus, God the Son, came to this world to save all who would believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you, He is the Light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and all authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. He will answer you if you will truly believe. If you haven’t asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

 First, A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Second,

 B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Third, 

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis

I have revised my webpage on Spiritual warfare. Please give it a look. I’m adding answers each week to questions that pertain to our time today. Thank you http://uss-warfare3.webnode.com