THE BLESSEDNESS OF ADVERSITY

JAMES 1:9-12

FEBRUARY 27, 2000

To say in our day that confusion reigns in what constitutes a true Christian is an understatement. The profusion of 'health and wealth' schemes, along with Western-minded 'escapism' has convoluted the purity of Scripture's clear teaching on the godly man. I'm reminded of how Conrad Mbewe explained that the biggest problem facing the church in Zambia is not from the world but from what professing Christianity beams its way via satellite on their televisions. The Hollywood version of Christianity has confused the Christian community's understanding of how a Christian lives in this world. Bill Murray told me of a similar encounter in his recent mission trip to Ecuador, where some of the Christians there were interested in the bigness and showmanship so prevalent in American-versions of Christianity. James corrected such distortions in his day and left us a powerful statement on how a Christian looks when facing adversities.

The fact is real Christians face real adversities. Life is full of turns and twists, roadblocks and obstacles, threats and pains. We are not immune to these things simply because we have trusted Christ. Instead, as James has already explained (vv. 2-8), we are shaped by these things, as they become instruments in the hands of the Lord for our maturity. The Lord has given us what is needed to live like Christians whether we are on the low end or high end of the world's success gauge. James, along with the other biblical writers, explains that we are trained by our adversities. He shows us how wisdom is to be applied for walking through life's adversities as truly happy Christians.

Wisdom utilized in trials leads to true happiness for the Christian. How does James explain this reality for believers of all ages?

I. Wisdom at work

Some commentators suggest that James is beginning a new subject in this section. But the tie-in with the previous discussion on trials and the application of wisdom is the most obvious view of this passage. How does a Christian living in the throes of poverty know the continuing joy of the Lord? How does a Christian living with abundance keep his focus on living joyously in the Lord? It requires wisdom in either case. We noted that the wisdom James spoke of coming from God enables us to see our circumstances from God's perspective, to stand in dependence upon the Lord, and to take appropriate actions in light of the trials we face. Here James highlights two extremes: the poor Christian and the rich Christian.

1. In the case of the poor Christian

Poverty in the early church was a grim reality. Most of the members of the Christian community lived in poverty which is why we see them pooling their resources and distributing to those who lacked (Acts 4:32-35). As the recipients of James' epistle were scattered due to persecution, they found their poverty increasing by being ostracized from employment or community help. Around the time of this epistle there was a famine that would have only increased the misery. So as James addressed these poor brothers, it was not that their income fell below a certain standard set for a family of four by the government. They were genuinely impoverished, struggling for survival.

So how does he bring encouragement to them for living like Christians? He speaks of the poor Christian as "the brother of humble circumstance," a term that describes him as one "without possessions or position in society." We might think that what they needed most was an infusion of wealth or a promotion. But James offers paradoxical counsel: "But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position."

(1) Belonging

"Brother" governs the meaning of poor and rich due to its position in the Greek text. So we see that James is addressing both poor and rich Christians, explaining to them precisely where their affections were to be in the midst of life's adversities. The term "brother" reminds us that they were Christians, part of the community of faith. The marginal explanation of the word in the NASB-1997 is "church member." James is not speaking to the poor in general, rather to those who were in Christ and part of the church.

Perhaps due to their impoverished state these brothers were struggling with doubt or wondering if the Lord might have abandoned them. James uses the tender, identifying term to remind them that they were indeed "brothers in Christ, fellow members of God's family, joint-heirs with Christ." Poverty could not separate them from Christ nor could it alter their spiritual disposition. He reminds them that though they have few of the world's goods and little of its education, they have something grander that will carry them through all the situations of life: wisdom from God. They need only ask in faith and the Lord would grant wisdom to help them see, stand, and take action according to the pleasure of God and for increased maturity.

Some have mistakenly equated poverty with true spirituality, as though to be poor was a guarantee of salvation and divine favor. While there is ample evidence that the Lord directed Israel to care for the poor, that Christ preached the gospel to the poor, and the early church helped the poor, poverty does not make a person a Christian. There are multitudes of poor people who have no knowledge of Christ. It is faith in Christ alone, whether poor or rich that receives the benefit of the work of Jesus Christ.

But there is a sense of advantage in James' mind for the poor. They are not strapped by the allurements of wealth that seems to color their need for the Redeemer. After Jesus spoke with the "rich young ruler," he explained, "How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!" (Mark 10:23). The reason is due to the enticements and entrapments of wealth. This young man walked away from Christ because "he was one who owned much property," property that had become an idol to him. His love of things kept him from Christ. The poor, on the other hand, have nothing to fill their minds, so they find themselves opened to the work of God.

(2) Boasting

James tells the low-positioned brother "to glory in his high position." Paradoxically, his position is not low by virtue of being in Christ. He is in an exalted position, a place of great esteem. For this reason he can "glory" in considering his position. He has been raised up with Christ and seated with him in heavenly places.

The word "glory" is translated as "boast" or "rejoice." The verb calls for a continual practice of rejoicing by the Christian. The middle voice shows the intensity by which the brother is to be engaged in rejoicing. And what is this "high position" in which he is to "glory"? It is that grand reality that he belongs to Jesus Christ; that Christ died for him, that Christ has come to indwell him. God had come to these poor brethren in mighty saving power. Their present circumstances may have looked grim, but what lay shortly ahead far outweighed the distress of the moment.

Rejoicing, "bespeaks a joy outwardly expressed as well as inwardly felt," according to Curtis Vaughan [Bible Study Commentary-James, 25]. It is a disposition nurtured by focusing upon the work of Christ and the promises God has assured the believer. As the Christian considers his condition apart from Christ and the fact that God has shown him grace, it produces a different inward attitude. Then as he thinks upon the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the rich supply of grace for living, and the future in the presence of Christ, his entire disposition is re-ordered to glory in the Lord. He cannot keep this in. For an inward joy must ultimately be manifested outwardly in rejoicing, praise, worship, and testimony of Christ. As Paul thought about having been justified by faith in Christ, he could write, "but we also exult [same word] in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance" (Rom. 5:3). The inward disposition had been affected by the focus of the mind upon Christ and his work, producing outward rejoicing even in the face of tribulations.

Walter Cradock, a Puritan writer, stated, "Take a saint and put him in any position and he knows how to rejoice in the Lord" [quoted by John Blanchard, Truth for Life, 38]. For the same application is made to the rich Christian too. He is not to set his mind on his material achievements, but on what God in Christ has done for him. He is to find his satisfaction in Christ alone.

2. In the case of the rich Christian

Alec Motyer has written, "The Bible is clear that the problems of prosperity are as keen as those of stringency. Indeed, they constitute, if anything, a more insidious threat to a committed life with God" [The Message of James-BST, 42]. This is precisely the warning of the Apostle Paul, "But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs" (I Timothy 6:9-10). Wealth can vanish like the morning mist, leaving those who have longed for it smitten with misery. It is a tyrannical master that cannot share a throne with Christ.

James has more to say about wealth and its problems later in his epistle, but for the moment, he focuses upon those who are rich Christian brothers by helping them to see that their wealth and possessions are not to be the focus of their lives. "And the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away."

In reading Paul Johnson's History of the American People, I have been amazed at how so many people with nothing to their names have followed after the so-called "American Dream" and amassed fortunes. Many of those same people lost their fortunes as well. Opulence, greed, deceit, and corruption often followed the trails of these fortune climbers. Rare has it been to witness any of them turning to Christ by faith and walking in humility. Yet on occasion that is precisely what happens, as a rich person comes to faith in Christ and his whole view of life changes. This is what James explains to the rich Christian in contrast to the poor one.

(1) A different view

The Bible does not condemn wealth or riches but it does condemn the love of wealth and riches. Abraham was a wealthy man, yet he kept his focus upon the Lord. But in contrast, "Those who worship wealth perish with their god" [Motyer, 44]. So James commands the rich Christian to "glory in his humiliation." By that he reverses the roles of the poor and the rich. The poor man is to see how rich he is in Christ. The rich man is to see the depths from which the Lord has brought him in salvation from his own poverty. He is to understand that his material wealth will soon pass away.

For most rich people, life consists in the things they have gathered around them and the things they will yet have. But the Christian who has been entrusted with wealth is to be different. He is to understand that in spite of having wealth, "like flowering grass he will pass away." His earthly wealth is not eternal. He cannot carry it beyond the grave. This life is only a vapor that quickly passes away, so to set one's heart on riches is to fail in life. Vaughan puts it well, "The humiliation of the rich then, is a humbling of the soul, a disposition of heart. It is the attitude of a man whose pride in material wealth has been shattered. He now knows that all worldly glory is perishable and that true wealth consists in the things that are eternal" [p. 26].

How does a rich man, or a poor man for that matter, come to Christ? He comes in humility, recognizing the vanity of life without Christ, seeing his own helplessness, and realizing his desperate need of divine grace. The rich Christian is to maintain this same spirit. He is not to revert to a dependence upon his riches nor is he to boast of what he has materially. John Calvin hits this squarely: "He tells them to glory in their lowliness, their smallness, to restrain those lofty motives that swell out of prosperity" [quoted by Kent Hughes, Faith that Works, 39]. Once a London newspaper held a contest to decide the best definition of money. The winning entrant put it like this: "Money is an article which may be used as a universal passport to everywhere except heaven and as a universal provider of everything except happiness" [quoted by Blanchard, 42]. That may serve as a good reminder when tempted to place a weightier value on wealth than we ought.

(2) Reality sets in

There appears to be a brief excursus taken at this point addressing the whole nature of wealth: "For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away." James points to the certain reality of wealth and the rich man: neither is eternal. There is no such thing as rich and poor in eternity The picture he gives is of the common scene in Palestine of beautiful spring flowers that begin to bloom with the rains in February. But when the infamous sirocco arises from the southeast in April, it relentlessly blasts the lovely flowers with the heat of an oven day and night. The once beautiful flowers have lost their beauty. The luscious grass is scorched and withered. They rose quickly and just as quickly faded away. That is the picture of "the rich man in the midst of his pursuits." Here was James' "reality check" for the rich Christians. His "pursuits" refers to either a business journey or more likely, his whole way of life. James explains that right in the middle of his meteoric rise, he dies; everything is gone.

Our newspaper told recently of the plight faced by a computer engineer with a six- figure income. He had been working at one of the well-known computer firms when a layoff came. Instead of finding work, he ended up living on the streets and scrounging for food. He went from riches to rags, virtually overnight.

Some of the Christians James addressed would face the same thing. What would they do when their fortunes reversed and they were left with nothing materially? The thrust of the message is that even the loss of wealth does not change our position in Christ. We still have cause to glory in the Lord and in what he is working in our lives.

How does all of this fit into the framework of our lives? The next verse explains.

II. The truly happy man

Just as he did with "glory" in verse 9, James places "blessed" in the emphatic position at the opening of the sentence. "Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." The word "blessed" is translated as "happy," "fulfilled," and "enriched." If we see the context as it has developed, explaining the joy of the believer in the midst of trials and receiving wisdom to walk through all of life's adversities, the thrust of this verse explains the state of happiness that the believer will experience who develops endurance. Phillips puts it, "The man who patiently endures the temptations and trials that come to him is the truly happy man." I prefer the more literal rendering beginning with the exclamation: Happy man! The one enduring while being tempted for when he passes the test he shall receive the crown of life, which He shall give to the ones loving Him.

Vaughan says that this word "speaks of an inner quality of happiness in God, a happiness not affected by outward circumstances" [27]. This differs from what we commonly think of as happy such as an unconcerned, giddy lightheartedness. It is inward joy; a well of delight in Christ springing up from the conscious reality that the believer is in Christ. So I would distinguish between the typical use of happiness and what I am calling the truly happy man. It is the reality that his deepest satisfaction in life comes from the Lord. He finds himself fulfilled and enriched, even in the face of adversity, because he is in Christ. Motyer makes an interesting point in this regard: "Many people have pondered the 'problem of pain'. Few pause to ponder the problem of happiness. Why should a holy God give restful days, a happy home, healthy and dear children to a sinner like me? How should I love him for his blessings! Likewise it is true that the Lord visits with hardships and sorrow so that he may draw near to us and ask, Do you love me still?" [p. 49]. How does James describe the truly happy man?

1. He perseveres loyally

Who is the blessed man? He is "a man who perseveres under trial." James revisits the same truth he already established, "knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." The same term is used in both passages referring not to grim resignation that passively endures but to the triumphant spirit that walks through trials with "blazing hope" [Rienecker, The Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament, 723]. In this you bear up under the toil of burdens, finding divine wisdom to see, stand, and act according to the purposes of God. James declares that this is immensely satisfying and fulfilling: "Happy man!"

Such an explanation of the way to true happiness belies the joking comedy routines offered by some of the television religious shows. It is no joke when a Christian is toiling under a dreaded disease or facing the loss of a job or struggling with a rebellious child or grappling with persecution for his faith in Christ. Yet James explains that in the midst of bearing up under these trials there is an inward experience of happiness that is so profound that the world cannot understand.

2. He stands tried and true

James explains that in the process of perseverance the believer anticipates that his faith will be tried and proven true: "for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life." The phrase "has been approved" refers to validating the genuineness or worth of something. It was used of validating that a gold coin was actually gold and not a fake. It implies "passing the test," which demonstrates that the genuineness of the believer will be evident through the experience of tests.

We have considered the subject of perseverance or endurance a number of times, pointing out that it is the ability to continue on in the faith in spite of the obstacles or difficulties faced. Perseverance bears testimony to the genuineness of Christ's saving work in a person. So who is the happy man? He is the one who stands through the trials of life and is proven genuine.

3. He anticipates eternity

This believer is promised, "he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him." The future tense of the verb is pointing to something certain that lies ahead of the believer. It is that certainty that often becomes his greatest motivation to keep pressing forward. Paul explained, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it" (Rom. 8:18, 23-25). What kept the Apostle Paul going in the midst of persecution, opposition, and suffering? He anticipated eternity. He had a glimpse of what was ahead, so that he pushed himself, struggled with the adversities, and trusted the Lord that he might persevere.

What is this "crown of life" that the Lord awards? The stephanos was the victor's crown, a wreath of laurel leaves placed on the head of one who succeeded at the Olympic games. Moo calls it "the emblem of spiritual success, given by the King of the universe to those who 'keep their faith' in the midst of suffering and temptation" [TNTC, 70]. It is a crown characterized by life, specifically eternal life: "the enjoyment of God's presence on into eternity" [Moo, 70-71].

We suffer from short sightedness in our day. We can see all the present benefits of being Christians and certainly we have good motivation in these things. But the New Testament saints and those who followed looked beyond the present and into eternity. They fixed their eyes upon Christ. They anticipated his presence and the sight of his glory. They anticipated a total freedom from the presence of sin and an environment that redounds in holiness to the glory of God. That's how they endured, by thinking longingly upon an eternity with Jesus Christ.

None of us knows what lies ahead for us. We might face trials that we think we cannot bear. But the consolation of the believer is that whatever the size of the trial it cannot overpower the reality of what is promised ahead for him. Anne Ross Cousin expressed this well from the letters of Samuel Rutherford.

     The sands of time are sinking,

       The dawn of Heaven breaks,

The summer morn I've sigh'd for,

       The fair sweet morn awakes:

Dark, dark hath been the midnight,

       But dayspring is at hand,

And glory, glory dwelleth

       In Immanuel's land.

    The King there in His beauty,

       Without a veil is seen:

It were a well spent journey,

       Though seven deaths lay between:

The Lamb, with His fair army,

       Doth on Mount Zion stand;

And glory, glory dwelleth

       In Immanuel's land.

 

4. He demonstrates love for Christ

 

"Our progress to the crown," writes Alec Motyer, "is expedited not by our powers of endurance but by the depth and reality and pervasiveness of our love for him. We live by what we love; the shape of our lives is determined by the joys of our hearts" [49]. The crown of life is "promised to those who love Him," James declares. What is the root of the truly happy man? It is that his first love is Jesus Christ. The passion of his heart, the longing of his life, the purpose of his existence is all for Jesus Christ.

 

If there is no love for Christ or only a pretended love for Christ, then the trials and temptations of life will prove this out. The attraction of the world will have a greater pull than a passion for Christ. The groveling bitterness of poverty and the ensnaring attraction of wealth will have priority over loving Christ. But not so with the one who loves Him.

 

Conclusion

 

Are you a truly happy person? If that happiness is centered only in your accumulation of things or success in personal endeavors, then you do not know what I mean by happiness. Is your happiness in Jesus Christ?

 

Whether rich or poor, whether through good times or bad, true love for Jesus Christ endures. For that love has been hammered in the crucible of faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. It looks with longing to Him in whose image the believer is being shaped.

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