James 1:2-3
2My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. -kjv
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. -niv
Meditations:
1) I came across this verse and decided to blog about this verse because it reminded me of a similar theme of worketh patience in my previous post tribulation, patience under Romans where it read:
Romans 5:3
3And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; -kjv
2) In James 1:2-3, the trying of your faith happens when you fall into several (meaning of divers) temptations. When you are tempted, your faith is tried or tested. I can think of temptations in 3 categories (as taught to me by my spiritual mentor): Girl, Gold, Glory. Girl – sexual temptation. Gold – temptation of wanting to get more money . Glory – temptation of wanting to gain prestige, honour.
3) Tribulation in Romans 5:3 together with falling into temptation in James 1:2 are acts of trying of our faith. Both will bring about patience. The wrestling with temptation will bring about the result that we are able to bear the provocation (temptation) without any complaint.
4) We are to count it all joy when we fall into divers temptation. This is similar to the attitude we ought to hold when we face tribulations as in Romans 5:3 where we are told to glory in tribulations. Again, our hope is in Jesus and our joy in doing the will of God.
5) God does not tempt us. It is the sinful desire within our hearts that tempts us.
Oh my Thai Shin, that hurts!
I got every of the three G’s.
Thank you for surfacing these up.
Thank God for loving me in spite of my weakness.
By: wan kong wah on January 21, 2012
at 3:22 am
I have heard Christians many times talk about temptations and having problems. It is said that if we as Christians do not have many problems we are not close to God. Satan will not cause problems for us if we are weak Christians not working for God because we are not bringing the lost to Christ. Satan is after and trying to bring down strong Christian people who love Christ and hate Satan and all his work.
If most things always goes smooth in our life we better wake up and become closer to our Savior.
By: Robert I Salsman on January 21, 2012
at 9:03 am
@kong wah, all of us are fighting the 3 said temptations sometimes in our lives.
@Robert, agreed problems can be good for us.
By: thaishin on January 21, 2012
at 11:46 am
According to the bible dictionary in dictionay.com, the meaning of temptation is trial, being put to the test.
By: thaishin on January 29, 2012
at 6:39 pm