Finishing Well Part Two

What comfort we take in the promises of God! We love to quote Romans 8:28 but I wonder how many Christians really believe things are working for their good when they are not going so well? Knowing that nothing can separate us from the love of God or our union with Christ and knowing that all things are working for our good, we know that everything that we face can be welcomed with joy. At least that is what we read in James 1:2. He says, "...Count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations." When we find ourselves surrounded by troubles whatever they may be we are to welcome them and even count it all joy. The reason for this is given in verse three "Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." Patience means endurance. It is what we refer to as perseverance. Our trials, which is the trying of our faith (trying=put to proof), work toward our perseverance and toward us finishing well. Our wisdom would say that they are attempting to separate us from Christ, but God means them for good. His purpose is to produce faithful endurance in our Christian life.

James goes on to tell us what this endurance does, and that is it brings us to spiritual maturity. Verse four says, "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." Our testings work for our endurance and our endurance works to make us perfect (complete) and entire (sound in every part). When we come through trials and persevere through testings by God's power, God uses that work to complete us and make us to be entire, a mature Christian, lacking nothing. We should long to be spiritually mature that when we are viewed we appear complete and sound in every part with nothing lacking; a mature Christian.

Now remember with me that this all comes as a result of the trying of our faith. James was writing to a scattered multitude of believers who were being persecuted and needed to hear this. Whatever it is that we may face we can have this same confidence. We can welcome our troubles and sorrows with joy knowing that God is working behind the scenes. God does not send our trials for know reason or because we have just had it good for a while and He feels the need to shake things up a bit. No, He has a purpose. Do you have this confidence in God? Are you willing to ask God to send the necessary trials and temptations that will cause you to persevere and work to make you spiritually mature? God help us to bow to your sovereignty.

Josh