In the previous session, we have looked into the introduction of the Epistle of James. We looked at who has written this epistle. We found it was James. We also concluded it is James, the Lord's brother. And we have seen how James progressed in his journey of faith from being an unbeliever to one who became a believer to one who remained humble in the gatherings and how slowly the Lord himself would exalt him. exalt him to a position of great leadership, a great uh responsibility to guide the early stages of the church when the church was going through the transition of being fully Jewish to slowly becoming largely Gentile. James was a very critical figure who had to take decisions, who had to take decisions which would either break or keep the unity. When we see great wisdom, that James was able to excise in all those times.

We see also how he continued in that way, being able to preside over the council that was held at Jerusalem, being able to uh also help out in many ways that he would be identified as the leader, as the one who is to be contacted. We also saw but how he identified himself. He did not look at himself as the brother of the Lord or as we have looked at last time. none of these high exalted titles, but he would call himself a slave, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. And in that he would show to us his understanding now from being the Lord's brother or looking at the Lord as his brother from that to putting him, placing him in the same pedestal, in the same word, in the same way with God as a Jewish man. This is clearly James attesting to the deity of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

He would otherwise never put the name of God and the name of the Lord Jesus Christ together in this manner. And he takes the place of a slave, one who has no rights of his own, but entirely belongs at the service of the master. And that is the Lord Jesus Christ. We saw also who he has sent this letter to. It is to the 12 tribes which are scattered abroad. A few more notes on that uh aspect on who he has sent the letter to. The word used there is the diaspora, the scattered abroad. And that word also has been used in the Gospel of John to describe the Jews who had been scattered even from before, not just at the time of the persecution of resulting after Stephen, but even from before to address the Jews who were outside, not in Jerusalem, not in Judea, but outside Israel.

They were referred to as the diaspora. And James is using that familiar term, but here looking at Christians, looking at Jewish believers. addressing them as again taking the place of those who are scattered in that way. But this is not writing to Jewish unbelievers. But very clearly, as we look at the entire epistle, it is assuming that the people is writing to have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ, have known him as their savior, as their Lord. And it is in that way that he writes this particular letter. We'll now look at the remaining part of this epistle as we go through it verse by verse. We are now looking today at the verse 2 to verse 12. And this epistle can be very neatly divided also as we look at this phrase, my brethren. We see it here.

We see it in chapter 2. We see it in verse 1 of chapter 3. We'll see it also again in chapter 4 and 5. And that is a very nice way of dividing the points or the Messages that James was addressing to the people as we said last time James is addressing his His people the people that he knows of from Jerusalem and also otherwise who would be scattered He's addressing them with the heart of an elder. He knows them that they are in great trouble. They are in great persecution They are poor they have been displaced from all that they were living with they are going through a time of great Trouble and they need guidance. They need to know be instructed from the word about who about how they are to conduct themselves in this time.

And James is writing to address these issues, to address these challenges that they are facing. And this title, My Brethren is therefore always put as he uses the next or he comes to the next topic that is to be addressed. And here, as we can see very clearly, the first topic, the first aspect that he wants to address uh to his readers is this aspect of trials. James is going to give us a very important doctrine or truth or understanding of sufferings of trials. Why trials happen in the life of a believer? And James is going to give us, uh verse by verse, he's going to make us or he's going to persuade us, endeavor us to see trials in a whole different viewpoint.

It is not to be seen in the way the world would look at it. It is not even to be seen in the way the Old Testament Jewish person would look at it. It has to be looked at it in a very different light. So let us see as we proceed forward what James is trying to show to us here. We'll go verse by verse and also even word by word because there are so many uh words that James uses which are not found elsewhere in the Bible as well. It's very rich in looking at every word that he's almost using here. So let's begin. In verse 2, says, my brethren, count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptation. The first word there count, count it all joy, says.

The word count there. Again, it's something used in the Bible itself to indicate leaders. So it would be used of how we count, how we esteem, how we regard some people because of their uh moral attributes because of their qualification, because of their abilities, we would put them higher, we would put them in the front. That's how we would regard such men. So they are called leaders, they are called governors in so many other ways, they are called in the New Testament scriptures. This very Greek word is also translated in that same way. It gives the idea that the object, the person, the thing we are referring to is to be treated, is to be regarded with a kind of higher regard to it.

And that's where James is going to start. He's going to say, count in that way, count with a higher esteem, count with a higher regard, what he's about to say. It's not the same word as we would see in the epistle of Romans, where we are to calculate, where we have to add up and see. But this is about really looking at this particular topic, looking at this particular uh suffering that he's going to talk about and see it as already begin there as a higher uh thing that God is giving to us. He's going to describe to us also why, why he would address it that way. He says, count it all joy. And as we know, every word in the scripture is inspired.

It's Holy Spirit breathed. And he does not just say, count it a matter of joy, count it some kind of joy, count it a little joy. He purposefully is using the word all to clearly remove every other possibility. There is no other possibility that we should look at it as, but joy. count it all joy. Does this mean that we are going to just uh ignore our emotions? Does it mean that we will not, we will stop feeling, we will stop feeling sorrow? Does it mean that it is unbiblical to weep, unbiblical to feel sorrow, to cry? Of course, we know that is not true. We know the example of our own savior, Lord Jesus Christ.

We know the example of so many other Christians and of so many other apostles and so many other testimonies. It's of course not wrong to cry, not wrong to feel sorrow, not wrong to feel the hurt, feel the pain. But this is also not talking about just putting up a face. It's not just referring to that because this verse is there, force yourself to put a smile on your face and just go about your day. That's also not the case here. It is fully acknowledging the sorrows that do happen in the time of trials. But we are to look at it. We are to see it in a way that it is all. joy.

Again, as I say, James is going to give us very good reasons why he says that. But to begin with, this is his premise. This is his instruction to those believers then who were going through trials. Regard it, see it, esteem it in high honor as all joy. And see how he's going to describe the different kind of trials, how they're going to happen. He says, when he fall into diverse temptations. Again, every word is important. We read there when not if you fall when you fall and as scripture other portions also very clearly note that part. It's about just a matter of time. It's going to happen. It will certainly happen to our lives.

It is when it's not if there's not a possibility that will not happen, but rather it will happen. And when it happens, it's only a matter of time that it should happen to each one of the believers. It will happen when it happens. When he fall a second word that you see there it is falling. It is in the sense of uh not something that you can really be prepared for. The same word is used in the scriptures to uh describe how the man who was attacked by when he was on the way from Jericho, how he was attacked, how the Lord would use that man in the good Samaritan parable that this man was suddenly attacked. He did not prepare.

He was not expecting that people should come and just attack him in that way. That is the very same word. This fall here is the very same word used to describe how thieves, how robbers, how murderers would suddenly come and attack you. No, you don't prepare for that. You don't wake up in that kind of preparation mode that today I'm going to prepare myself to be not robbed. Today I'm going to prepare myself to be not killed. We don't do that. And that's precisely the point. It is going to hit you. It is going to come to your life when you're not prepared, when you can't really much prepare about it.

It's a fall into diverse temptations. And there comes the word diverse. It is used to describe the different colored garments set to indicate that there is really no uniformity in that sense. We cannot look at this person and study trials that this is the kind of pattern of trials that will happen to me. We cannot look at this or that person and see their trials and think that this is how we can handle trials. It is really personal. is really vivid, different, varied, manifold, like manifold grace. The same word is also here. It is very diverse. It is simply too much for us to try to comprehend or try to get prepared for.

And that is the point here that these kinds of trials, they are not easy. They are certainly going to happen. They are going to happen suddenly. We cannot really be prepared much for it. And they're going to be very varied. We cannot really understand the agony, the sorrow of another person who is going through the Nobody else also can really fully understand what's going through us when we are going through trial. And this is the initial phrase, initial premise that James wants us to understand that these are the nature. This is the very nature of the trial that a believer is receiving and be not surprised with it.

So he's addressing those who have yet understand the context is addressing those who have been really displaced from their home in Jerusalem. They are forced to go to some other place. They are suddenly become poor. Maybe they are suddenly having to deal with persecution, physical persecution for their faith. So many things are going wrong. They are closed ones. Let the ones are being killed are being persecuted. How do you reconcile all this with your faith? especially for a Jewish person at that time, this would have been very difficult to comprehend. The God of the Old Testament, He will bless, especially for a Jew, as you obey, as you be pleasing to the Lord.

The Lord ensures that you are going to be blessed on this earth. Then what is happening here? Suddenly I have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Suddenly I believed in the true one. And yet suddenly all of this is happening because precisely because of my faith. How do you reconcile that? And it's so important that James would address this very issue. that your trial is not, it's not a surprise. It is exactly according to the pattern of scriptures and James is going to give them how and why we should see a trials as he tells us why we should count it all joy uses the word knowing this that the trying of your faith work with patients.

So it's going to have a outcome. It's going to have a objective in mind. It's not a random sequence of events that is just being played on you. But there is a reasonable, glorious outcome to this whole uh process. What is the process? What is being tried here? Why are you going through the trial? James says that the trying of your faith, what is the one aspect that is going to be tested that is going to be really burnt or tested in the fire? like a metal is tested, a precious object is tested, what is it that is going to be proved? What is it that is going to be tried? It is the faith, faith of the person.

And we know James has much to talk about, faith that will be seen in works, faith that will not regard the person, have respect to persons, but treat everyone equally. He starts here with how this faith will help us to endure trials, because that is the precise objective or what is being targeted. What is being tried in this trial proved in this trial is our faith. Our faith is being tried. He says by so doing what will happen? It is working out a patience. Very, very interesting uh word that is used there. It is endurance. The more stronger, more richer, more accurate transition would be endurance.

It is not just that we are waiting. It's not just that we are letting time go by in this time of trial. But it's a matter of character. It's a matter of becoming stronger. It's a matter of becoming one who is now able to bear more burdens. It is a matter of character. It is not just a fleeting passing thing, but rather as your faith is being tried. James says what's happening. You are becoming more Christlike. You are becoming more and more stronger in order to bear even more burdens. And the point is here, it is not something that flees away. That is just a fleeting thing.

But this is being added to you. This is becoming you. This is becoming your character. And then there are two words that we see here. One is this worketh endurance. And we see the same thing in verse 12. Also blessed is the man that endureth temptation. There it is the verb that to endure. That is the verb there, but the same Greek word root. It is to endure. Whereas here it is the very noun itself. is indicating that this thing becomes you. You are becoming more and more or this endurance is becoming more and more of your character.

We may read in Romans how Paul also describes the same very same process, how even we can glory in tribulations for this very reason that this will work. What in us? Perseverance in us. And what will perseverance do? Character is going to build character is going to build us and that will give us hope. And hope does not put us to shame because the love of God is shared abroad in our hearts. And this is what James is referring to that by the trying of our faith, this is what we are firstly going to get. are going to become more and more stronger, but let patients have her perfect work that he may be perfect and entire wanting nothing.

This is a keyword here that, but let. It's like, let it let it be right. It's indicating don't interfere when this trial is coming. The biggest temptation, biggest uh downfall that can happen to the believer is that he will interfere. But James says, let this patience, this whole process, let this attain to its perfect work. And the word perfect here is always about maturity, it's about completion. If a glass has to be full. Then let that glass be fully complete. Let it be to the brim. Let it reach to its perfect state. And so let this patients also complete her work and don't interfere.

Don't come in between that. And we may look to the examples of the old Testament as we look to Abraham, for example, we know Abraham's life is a very clear lesson in terms of being tried over and over again. So he receives the first command. that you have to leave your house, you have to leave everything you know, and go to a strange land. It's a trial in itself. How are you supposed to just leave, uproot everything and go to a land you've never seen, you've never known, you have nothing there. It's the first trial there, but Abraham goes and shortly thereafter, what happens?

We see a famine coming shortly thereafter. A famine will come in the land and therein is a trial again. What will Abraham do? Will he persist? Will he remain? Will he let patients have a perfect work? We see that he chose to go to Egypt and that was not the best or the wisest decision. He interfered. He came in between the process. He went to Egypt and also uh lied or gave a half truth about his wife and how that led to the consequences. are aware, but we see that how Abraham would step in and that would become a trouble, a trouble for himself, a trouble also for his nephew lot who never really uh left the image of Egypt who still whose heart continued to be in Egypt though Abraham was able to come away.

Lord's heart always remained in Egypt as we see how he would choose Sodom later. We see also how thereafter as he had to wait continually for so many years to receive the promise of the seed again there is interfering. We would have Sarah suggesting that he should have a son through Hagar and the troubles that that have led not only to their family but to the world. We know how much of things have happened just because of that uh decision. Again, an interfering that we may see in that way. So many things that we should note here that by coming to in the way or coming in the way of God's work, of God's process has its troubles with it.

And James advises that as they go through these times of persecution, go through these times of trials, James says, uh let patients have that is the thing that we can do. We can let patients have a perfect work. So that what will happen? You may be perfect and entire wanting nothing. So again, there is an outcome here. So first outcome of the trying was that your faith is being tried. You are growing in character. You are becoming more endurance. You're becoming more stronger. Secondly, James equates this to being more perfect and entire two words are used there.

Perfect like I just said, it's about the maturity, it's about whatever phase of our spiritual life we may be in. It's about reaching to the best standard of that stage. A newborn into the faith will not be expected to be tried as one who is far ahead in faith. Just like Abraham's trials also different varied much from the initial days to the time when he had to be willing to offer up his own son. It did not occur to him on the first day when the Lord revealed himself to Abraham. He did not ask him to offer something up like that. But as he grew in faith, as he became more and more mature, the trial also increased.

And so that is the word here, perfect, that in the stage that we are in the face that we are to reach to the perfection of it and entire, entire is to mean whole. It is to mean healthy. It's a word used to describe the sacrifices that were offered to the Lord in the temple, which means there is nothing lacking. It's blemishless, it's spotless, its bones are not broken. It's fully healthy. Whatever is there is fully healthy and it has reached to its perfection. So this is here then the second important outcome that uh James wants from us that through this trial, what will happen?

We will be made perfect and entire. What James is in another way suggesting or what the other scriptures are suggesting is that through this trial, we are being conformed to the image of the son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And that is the real objective here. As we put one and two together, that's what is happening. What we are gaining is a characteristic or something that it belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. What is going to happen as we grow, we are becoming more and more like our savior, Lord Jesus Christ. And that's what James would like each one of us and them who were enduring that trial to see.

If I look at this particular word itself, this word endurance and uh endure, we may think, why is it even important? Why is it so important to gain endurance? Why is it so valuable in the face of the trial that I am going through? My trial is far more difficult, is far more tiresome. When I look at just this word endurance, how does it add up? How is this endurance sufficient to help me go through the weight of the trial that I am right now going through? And if we just look through concordance and seeing where are these words used? I quickly took a list. I'm just going to read out a few.

not asking us to take those verses. There are many in the revolutions one nine. I John both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience or endurance of Jesus Christ. In verse two of chapter two, revelation again, I know your works, your labor, your endurance and that you cannot bear those who are evil. Was three of chapter two again. and you have persevered and have endurance and have laboured for my name's sake and have not become weary. Chapter 3 verse 10, because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world.

Chapter 14 verse 12, here is the patience, here is the endurance of the saints, here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. In this very same book we turn to chapter 5 and we will see Job. Job regarded as the one who is counted uh happy. Verse 11 of chapter 5, behold, we count them happy, which endure. You have heard of the patients of Job, which endure. There it is the verb endure used. And that again gives us a whole rich example. Please turn with me to chapter 12 of Hebrews. 12. Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3. For consider him that endured such contradictions of sinners against himself, lest be varied and faint in your minds. So dear brethren, as we see here, those who are going through trials or when we are going through trials, we are found in very, very good, very blessed company. This is the experience of the Lord Jesus when he was here on this earth. And this has been the experience of the faithful throughout the history.

We may also look at uh chapter of verse 12 itself. We read here as a continuation of that same topic. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to them that love him. Here is a conclusion of the whole matter. When we look at a man, a person who is going through trial, this is the way the Lord looks at it. He says blessed is the man. that endure it that is going through that is going to stay strong that is going to trust continue trusting continue being patient continue waiting upon the deliverance that comes from the Lord because we see here very clearly the usage is in a way that we are waiting for the deliverance that comes from the Lord.

are not waiting for nothing. We waiting for a deliverance that should come from the Lord and that has been the testimony of the Old Testament. as well as the New Testament that we wait not for nothing, but indeed for God to deliver. And blessed is the man that waits unto that point that endures to that point who endures this trial that who endures this proving experience who lasts it through who comes the other way other end blessed is that man. James gives another reason we have looked at two very important reasons building up of character becoming uh perfect wanting nothing. becoming more like the Lord Jesus.

Thirdly, the point here is because when he's tried, what will he get? He shall the word tried there actually is when he's approved. The when he's tried there, it should be when he's approved. He is firstly receiving an approval from God himself. He has been tested for what he is and what he is, is becoming very clear unto the glory of the one who saved him. He is approved now. And secondly, we see He shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him. He shall receive the crown of life. That's the second thing that we see that then.

What is a crown used for? We may think, especially in the context of when this epistle is written in that time, it's referring to this uh garland type crown, which was given to the athletes who want things, who proved themselves to be the deserving ones of such honor. They were to be like a showcase. They were to be the ones to be looked up to. They were the ones who were the pride of uh the nation, who were the pride of the people whom they were representing. And that is what is really the meaning there, that we are looking at such people who are having what?

They're going to receive the crown of life. In their life, they have shown this aspect in their lives that they have faith. Their faith is in the true and living God. And James tells us one more thing that they love the Lord. The Lord has promised to them that love him. This crown comes to those who are loving the Lord. This loving comes only when we know him. As we know God, we will love God. And this is the proof. This is the proof that God wants not to put us down, but rather to encourage us that as you are going through this trial, this is God's objective.

It's not for nothing. It's in the present. It's building you up. It's making us into more and more like Christ. It is making us more and more stronger to whatever next may come in our life. And in the end, it's for display. It's for displaying God's great glory that these are the ones who have endured this trial, that these are the ones who were faithful. So today, even when we I've heard multiple times that sometimes people wonder and they and as we speak, say Why is this happening to such a great man or such a person who was of so great faith?

That why is his end like this? Why is he having to suffer so much? I don't think God wants us to look at these people like that at all. That is not the way God wants us to look. That's exactly how Job's friends would look at Job. That's not the way God wants us to look. But rather this is the way we should look. Verse 12, blessed is the man. Blessed is such men who are going through those trials who are enduring it and it is for the glory of God. And as we see them enduring it, it's actually God preparing this crown, which is going to last forever.

And God is preparing for them that place of display. This is what James wants us to see that as we go through trials, as we may encounter, it's very clear that that will happen. It is a matter of when, when we face trials. This is how we are to approach it, knowing It's not for nothing. It is unto the glory of our Savior. Now let us look at the other portions, verse 5 to verse 11. There are other important helps that James is offering us when we go through trials. He says that there is something that we may lack when we are going through this trial.

And it's important to recognize what is it that we really need during a trial? What is it that we really need? Will riches help? Will influence help? Will people help? Will health help? Will anything help? James puts focus to the right thing that is if any of you lack wisdom what we really need during a trial to endure it is wisdom. What is wisdom? Wisdom is not just uh doctrines in our head. Wisdom is even more than discernment. It's discerning more than discerning between right and wrong. It is really about being able to apply being having the presence of mind having the Spirit of God rather to know how to approach this situation.

based upon the knowledge that comes from the word of God. It is really practical. is the outworking of all that God wants us to understand from his word. This is quite difficult to possess. And James does not say that you don't possess it, but if any of you lack wisdom, so there is a possibility that we may possess it. But let's if we are more humbler, we can readily come to the Lord and ask for this particular aspect of wisdom. What we need when we go through trials is wisdom. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God.

And he's going to describe to us God's wonderful character. Who is the one you're asking to? You're asking to him who gives to all men liberally. That's the first thing that God does. How does he give? gives liberally. Liberally is freely. He's not going to take uh or keep account of, this cost you this much or this nothing liberally freely just as grace comes he will give you that wisdom secondly abraded not very interesting word it essentially means that he does not keep account of it now to illustrate this suppose we have somebody who or if our children come to us you know asking us for one thing and we give them that one thing they misuse it next time they come again We may give it to them.

We probably will not. But suppose we give it to them. We are keeping account. We keeping track. I gave you once, you have misused it. I gave you twice. Certainly you misused it. Third time, not happening again. Abriddh means the opposite. Abriddh means, abriddh not means he does not keep account. He's not going to come asking you that this last time I gave you wisdom, you did not put it to use. I did not see that working out. Second time you come. And still we are not putting it to use or we are not using it as we ought to.

He's not keeping account of that. He is not keeping a bad track of how we have misused or how we have lived, but rather he is really wanting to give that wisdom. He gives liberally and he does not keep record of the of how we have not efficiently used that wisdom. Such is the one that we are approaching when we want to ask for wisdom. And James says, uh It shall be given to him. Certainly you come to him. He will give you the wisdom You're not left alone in this trial. God is with you in this trial. You come and ask for wisdom He will give you but there are conditions Let him ask in faith What faith we may ask and that has to be concerning the character of God concerning what who God is and what God has said We looked at already verse 12 where we read the phrase the Lord has promised It's his word.

Abraham believed in the word that God gave. Abraham believed in the promise. He counted him more powerful than his own deadness, his own weakness, but he counted the one who could give him this life. He counted him more powerful. And that's the same here that we are also not uh relying on imaginations, but we are relying on who God is. And that's why I said in verse 12, that they who love him are those who know him. We cannot love him without knowing him. And it is really in knowing him that we are getting the strength to withstand this trial, that he will not go against the character of who he reveals himself to be in the Word of God.

This was Job's also great strength throughout the trial and also a great conflict to be able to reconcile the character of God with his experiences. But we are now living in an age far past having far more testimonies, having fuller revelation of the Word of God, we can certainly vouch for it, we can certainly stand for it. That this God who has revealed to us in the person of his son, he does not change. He's exactly what he says to be. And it is in that confidence that we are to come. Let him ask in faith. Nothing wavering, nothing shifting, nothing moving from this side to that side.

For he that wavereth, James is going to give us a uh visual description of how such a person would be if he's not coming in faith, if he's going to be one who's wavering. What does it look like? I hope you've all seen waves and we have seen how the wind blows the wave. You can't keep a track on that wave, right? The wave is just here one moment, second moment, another wave. It's just being driven by what is external. The wind is what is driving it. It has no control, no holding on where it can be, how it should be. It's fully at the sway, at the influence.

at the mercy of that which is external. And this is the point of our trial, that we are not to be fully at the mercy and at this way of what happens to us externally, of the circumstances that come to us. Let us not be moved, be wavering based on the winds that come in our life, based on the circumstances that come in our life. Let us not be like a wave which is here today, which is there tomorrow. That's not what James wants from us. for he that we have read is like a wave of the sea driven with wind and tossed again two words are there.

One indicates the origin that this waves movements originate from not within not from any other confidence but fully influenced by the wind that drives it and being tossed is to indicate this to and fro motion. Basically its end is so uncertain. uh This wave does not know where it is going to and it is fully at the mercy and it's fully uh being influenced by what's happening externally. And that's what we should be careful of. What are we? How are our directions being led? What is the source of this next step that I am going to take in the trial?

Is it coming from confidence in God or is it based upon this wind that has come into my life, this wave of persecution and circumstances that have come into my life, which are going to put me in a place whose end also I am not really certain. It may be there, it may be here, I am becoming like the wave which is tossed to and fro. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. James puts things very clearly for us that such a man is called a double-souled man.

He has two governing principles in him. He's not led by the one. soul principle. He's not led by one. He has two conflicting persons within him, two soul men he is and he will be unstable in all his ways. He will not be able to walk steadily. These are very clear instructions, very clear words that James uses and the purpose as his heart is not to be strong, is not to be stern and without mercy, but rather as his term, my brethren, continually implies it is with great care this with great concern. It is for the betterment and for the benefit of those who are reading it that he would put it in these very words.

Now quickly we look at also the last point here. We looked at what helps in trials. What does what helps? is wisdom. What is the thing that we need during trial? More than anything else, wisdom. What is the thing that we don't need? It is anything other any other influences. So James now looks at the poor and the rich. Sometimes, or at least the world will certainly think sometimes we can also think that if I was more rich, then there would be less troubles in my life. If I was not this poor, I could have been more comfortably or I could have bypassed this particular trial.

James is going to give us very clear revelation or clear instruction regarding that. That's not all the case. Being poor, being rich, have nothing to do with how we are going to endure this trial. Being poor or being rich have nothing to do with it. What matters is what we have been made in Christ. Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted. It's a new standing that this lowly brother has received in Christ. He's no longer to look at himself in how the world looks at him. He's yet poor. He's not changed his status.

He's not suddenly become rich. He's still poor in the world, but he is now highly exalted in the eyes of the Lord. Whereas what should the rich man do? But the rich in that he is made low, he is becoming, he is brought into humiliation. He has to also see very clearly what is my position now. I am not above the poor person. I am not above this or that particular believer. But rather he also has to rejoice in the fact that God has revealed to him what is his true state. His riches count for nothing, but rather What God has done for him in Christ is what counts entirely.

And lest we should have any confidence in riches, James will explain in these verses how futile it is to look at riches as something that can help us to go out of our indoor trials. He says the glory, there is a certain glory associated with riches when someone is very wealthy. There is a certain glory associated with it. And James compares that to how you may appreciate the flower of a grass. That is the stability that riches offer you in the time of trials. This is how strong a foundation riches are. It is like the flower that comes out of a grass.

We all understand that that is really a very bad foundation to have during any troubled times. What happens to the grass? The sun comes out. The flower is the glory. The flower is a beautiful appearance. What with us first? The grass withers first and then this particular flower which is so beautiful, it has lost all its source. It has no grass, it has no source to get energy from to bloom to be glorious. That's exactly the glory of the rich man. The rich man is like the grass. He will wither away. His glory is like the flower.

It's for a very, very short time when compared to what God is preparing for those who believe in Him in comparison to what God is preparing for those who... love Him. The glory that He is calling us unto, it is incomprehensible, it is unwaverable, it is so difficult for us to even begin to understand. But God wants us to understand that so that we may see this trial, this suffering in the light of that. If we think that the rich have a glory, if we think that in this world when we see the rich being very uh great and showing their glory, if we think that is impressive, then we really have to look at this verse and evaluate the glory that God is preparing for us.

Their glory is like glory of a flower, which is based on the strength of a grass. As the sun comes, it's going to come today, it's going to come the next day, they will pass away. And that's lesson that James wants us to understand regarding the foundation in a trial, regarding the glory associated with the rich men. He has an interesting way of describing how they are fading away. So also shall the rich man in his ways fade away. That's the literal translation that in what he is being occupied, he thinks that he is amassing wealth. He thinks that he is making a kingdom for himself.

He thinks that he is uh achieving something that's very great. But in that very process, he's actually fading away in his ways, in his pursuit for this wealth, for this riches, for this kingdom on this earth, in that very action, this man, you can see, he's fading away. His glory is fading away. He's fading away. And that's how James wants us to look at it. And in comparison to that, we have seen already what is the end of those who will withstand, who will endure this trial. A crown, a beautiful, everlasting, eternal crown displayed to the glory of the one whom they served.

And as I said, when we look at trials, James wants us to understand there are clear benefits, there are clear outcomes that God is doing right now with the person who is going through trial. He's building him up. He's making him more and more like Christ. He's in the end showing him this person to be approved of God, that this one, this one is faithful. This one, this one loves me and is preparing for such a person. a crown of life that is going to last and that is going to be under the display of His glory. May God help us with these words.