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You can turn with me in your 
Bibles to James chapter 1. As I've said, when I get back 
from holidays, we're going to start a study in the life of 
David. Tonight, we're going to look at the believer's response 
to trials. We went through the book of James 
probably a couple of years ago, and I'm sure I dealt with this 
on a Wednesday night, if it seems appropriate to the context of 
the local church, when we all face the various trials associated 
with living in a sin-cursed world. So our focus will be on verses 
2 to 8, but I want to begin reading in verse 1 and read the entirety 
of the chapter. James, a bondservant of God and 
of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered 
abroad, greetings. My brethren, count it all joy 
when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your 
faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect 
work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to 
all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 
But let him ask in faith with no doubting, for he who doubts 
is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let 
not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the 
Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Let 
the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his 
humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. 
For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers 
the grass, its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance 
perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits. 
Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been 
approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord 
has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is 
tempted, I am tempted by God, for God cannot be tempted by 
evil, nor does he himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted 
when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, 
when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, 
when it is full grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, 
my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect 
gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, 
with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His 
own will, He brought us forth by the word of truth that we 
might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. So then, my 
beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, 
slow to wrath, for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness 
of God. Therefore, lay aside all filthiness 
and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted 
Word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the Word, 
and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is 
a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man observing 
his natural face in a mirror. For he observes himself, goes 
away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But 
he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues 
in it and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, 
this one will be blessed in what he does. If anyone among you 
thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives 
his own heart, this one's religion is useless. Pure and undefiled 
religion before God and the Father is this, to visit orphans and 
widows in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the 
world. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
as we come now to consider the believer in trials, we pray for 
the ministry of your Holy Spirit. We know that living in this world, 
a sin-cursed world, a world in opposition to our God, and oftentimes 
opposition to God's people, we know there are trials. We know 
there are afflictions. We know there are difficulties 
associated, not only with the world, but with the devil and 
with our own remaining corruption. Certainly, Lord God, we need 
constant dependence upon You. We need grace from on high, and 
we need the power of the Spirit indwelling us so that we may 
endure and we may persevere. Help us now with the Word of 
God to understand these things. Help us to understand how we 
are to conduct ourselves when under affliction. And to that 
end, Father, we pray that you would be glorified, and that 
you would be honored, and that we would be good representatives 
of our God in the midst of a sin-cursed world, in the midst of a life 
of afflictions. Help us to nevertheless be full 
of joy and thanksgiving, always expressing itself unto our great 
God. And we ask this through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, it has been rightly 
recognized that the Epistle of James is most practical. It is 
a wonderful document in terms of Christian living. And it shouldn't 
surprise us that James deals with the issue of trial. Our 
Lord certainly dealt with it in His ministry. In John's Gospel, 
He said, In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good 
cheer, for I have overcome the world. in our studies in the 
book of Acts. We have certainly seen trial. 
We have seen affliction. We have seen persecution targeting 
the people of God at every step of the way, both from unbelieving 
Israel and increasingly from the Roman Empire. So, affliction, 
trial, and difficulty was not a foreigner to the people of 
God in the first century, neither has it been from the centuries 
subsequent to that. So I want to look first at the 
believer's response to trials in verses 2 to 4, and then secondly, 
the believer's request during trials in verses 5 to 8. But 
as we look at the believer's response, I have four sub-points. 
In the first place, the identification of the trials in view. Secondly, 
the expectation concerning trials. Third, the disposition necessary 
during trials. And then fourthly, under that 
main heading, the recognition of God's purpose in our trials. 
In other words, it isn't for naught. There are reasons. There 
is a rationale. There is a purpose for the trial 
that affects the people of God. God doesn't just inflict these 
things upon us in some sort of sick, twisted, sadistic way, 
but rather it is always redemptive. It is always remedial. It is 
for our growth in grace. Remember we saw last week that 
Christ as Son learned obedience through suffering. And if we 
are the sons of God by adoption, then most likely there will be 
some suffering, there will be some affliction, there will be 
some trial along the way to further conform us onto the image of 
our beloved Savior. So under the believer's response 
to trials, notice in the first place, the identification of 
the trials in view. The trials of verse two are different 
than what we see in verse 13. Verse two, my brethren, count 
it all joy when you fall into various trials. It's the same 
Greek word, here in verse 2, and then again in verse 13. Verse 
13 tells us, let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted by 
God, for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he himself 
tempt anyone. When you have words, there's 
often a range of meaning. And so the author here indicates 
to us, by way of context, how we're supposed to understand 
this particular Greek word. So in verse two, they are not 
a solicitation to do evil. God does not promote that. God 
does not produce that. God does not give us that. He 
doesn't entice us onto evil or onto wickedness. That is the 
activity of the devil, at least in some sense, according to Matthew 
4. It was the devil that tempted 
our Lord Jesus Christ in the wilderness. the temptations as 
well that we have associated with our remaining corruption. 
That's not what's in view in verse 2. It's the trials, it's 
the afflictions, it's the difficulties, it's the hardships. Again, living 
in a sin-cursed world, having remaining corruption ourselves, 
not being in a state of perfection ourselves, there will be hardship 
in the lives of God's people. So James recognizes that and 
James gives us this so that we'll know how to process it and how 
to deal with it. So the trials of verse 2 is not 
the solicitation to do evil in verse 13. John Gill says, not 
the temptations of Satan, verse 2, or temptations to sin, for 
these cannot be matter for joy, but grief. These are fiery darts 
and give a great deal of uneasiness and trouble, but afflictions 
and persecutions for the sake of the gospel, which are so called 
here and elsewhere because they are trials of the faith of God's 
people and of other graces of the Spirit of God." So it's important 
that we get that. God is not giving us these trials 
of verse 2 in a solicitation for us to do evil. God does not 
tempt us that way, He is not tempted Himself, so He does not 
afflict us with that. So the trials of verse 2 are 
just that. They're to help promote our graces, 
they're help to promote our dependence upon God, and our prayerfulness 
and our faithfulness to the Lord. Now notice, secondly, in terms 
of the expectation of trials, James expects it. James assumes 
the presence of trials. James doesn't say to his audience, 
now, you've just become Christians, you're doing quite well, but 
somewhere along the way, you're going to have some hardship. 
No, he assumes that the people of God have already experienced 
that, again, because he was a student of his half-brother. I take James 
being the half-brother of Jesus, the leader of the church in Jerusalem 
that wrote this particular epistle. But he expected that believers 
will have trials. Again, the teaching of Jesus. 
You can turn back to Matthew's Gospel. Matthew chapter 10, just 
to get a few places where our Lord highlights the reality that 
there is trial for the people of God. Matthew chapter 10, verses 
16 to 25. I won't read the whole section, 
but notice what he says. He's preparing them for mission. 
He's preparing to send them out. Verse 16, behold, I send you 
out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as 
serpents and harmless as doves, but beware of men for they will 
deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 
You'll be brought before governors and kings for my sake as a testimony 
to them and to the Gentiles. Notice as well in John's gospel 
in John chapter 15. John chapter 15, Jesus indicates 
the real reason why the people in the world hate the people 
of God. Notice in John 15 verse 18, if 
the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated 
you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. 
Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of 
the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word 
that I said to you, a servant is not greater than his master. 
If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept 
my word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they 
will do to you for my name's sake, because they do not know 
Him who sent me. So this is one type of trial 
that may affect the people of God. Persecution from the world. 
But that doesn't exhaust the trials. We have suffering, we 
have pain, we have sorrow, we have loss. There's a whole host 
of things facing the people of God. And as I said, John 16, 
33. He crowns the upper room discourse with this statement. 
These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have 
peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good 
cheer. I have overcome the world. When 
we turn to the book of Acts, as we have been surveying in 
our morning services, we have seen the experience of the early 
disciples. Affliction, trial, hardship. 
James assumes the presence. Notice in 1 Peter chapter 4, 
that apostle as well highlights the reality that trial and affliction 
is part and parcel of the Christian life. Notice in 1 Peter 4 at 
verse 12, Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery 
trial, which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened 
to you. In other words, do not be shocked 
when everything doesn't go like a Disney movie. Do not be shocked 
when there's actually hardship in this world. Do not be shocked 
because you follow the one who was a man of sorrows and acquainted 
with grief. Don't be so surprised that horrible 
things happen to be happening to you because you are you and 
you just shouldn't have such things affect you. No, the biblical 
authors, following our Lord Jesus Christ, following the entirety 
of the Old Testament, understand this reality, that in this world 
you will have tribulation. What does Jacob say as he's blessing 
the sons of Joseph? He blesses God for having delivered 
him out of all evil. Jacob went through a great deal 
of hardship, a great deal of affliction, and a great deal 
of trial. So the expectation in James 1 
is that there will be difficulty for the people of God. In the 
experience of the people of God that James is writing to, they 
are exiles according to James 1.1. There was poverty affecting 
the people that James wrote to according to James 1.9, James 
2.1-7, James 2.15-17. And then the people that James 
wrote to also suffered religious persecution. So again, he is 
not shocking them. He is not calling upon them to 
prepare themselves for some future eventuality. These are people 
in the crucible of suffering right here and right now. And 
James is writing to them on how they are to process this and 
how they are to deal with this. And that brings us to the third 
point, the disposition necessary during trials. Notice what he 
says, and it's so counterintuitive, it is so contrary to everything 
that you and I might expect. He says, my brethren, count it 
all joy when you fall into various trials. If you're like me, joy 
is not your default disposition when you fall into various trials. If you're like me, it's puzzlement, 
it's questioning, it's wondering, but it's not joy. It's not a 
response to thank God Almighty, but James orients us to that 
particular task. He tells us to count it all joy. Why? Because we're sickly fascinated 
with pain and suffering? No, again, God has his remedial 
purposes, and that will be spelled out clearly in verses three and 
four. But this is, as I said, counterintuitive. We have affliction. We have hardship. 
We have trial. We have a difficulty. And instead 
of joy, we oftentimes complain. Instead of joy, we oftentimes 
murmur. Instead of joy, we oftentimes 
whine. Oftentimes we grumble. We oftentimes 
wonder, why in the world would God send something so bad to 
someone so awesome as me? That's not supposed to be the 
response when we fall into various trials. The response is to be, 
count it all joy. There is a necessary reminder 
given by this brother in light of the rest of Scripture that 
when we face trials, we're not to lose it. We're to keep it 
together by the grace of God and in our keeping it together, 
we're to survey the particular issue and situation and find 
God's purposes in it and seek by God's grace to learn from 
it and to seek by God's grace to grow from it. not to whine, 
grumble, murmur, or complain. Paul in Romans 5.3 highlights 
the same sort of thing. 1 Peter 1.6-9, same sort of thing. Calvin says, he means in short, 
that there is nothing in afflictions which ought to disturb our joy. 
This is the proper perspective that one has as he or she goes 
through the trials and the afflictions that we face. Now, it's not some 
sick, twisted, laughing fit. It's not, wow, I lost this person 
in my life. What a joyful day. That's not 
it at all. It's that we don't get shaken 
from our confidence in God. It's so that we don't be overcome 
by grief in such a way that we despond and that we no longer 
serve the Lord as we ought. And that brings us, fourthly, 
under this first point, the believer's response to trials, to consider 
the purpose of God in trial. Notice, verse 2, count it all 
joy when you fall into various trials. And then he says, knowing 
that the testing of your faith produces patience. In other words, 
there's supposed to be understanding. We should have already reviewed 
this passage at some point in our lives. We should have reviewed 
the Bible's teaching about trial and about affliction at some 
point in our lives. James says, knowing this. In 
other words, you're to have a theological appreciation of what God is doing 
in the midst of affliction. He doesn't do this because he's 
sick and he's twisted and he's sadistic. He does this because, 
in the purpose of God, he is conforming us unto the image 
of his beloved Son. In fact, turn to Romans chapter 
8 to get a good glimpse of that. Romans chapter 8, that ordo salutis, 
that golden chain of salvation. We see in verse 28, we know that 
all things work together for good to those who love God, to 
those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, 
He also predestined to be what? To be conformed to the image 
of His Son. If the Son learned obedience 
through suffering, do you think that you and I are going to learn 
obedience through not suffering? Do you think we're going to go 
sit on a beach somewhere and sip cold iced tea or whatever 
it is that we like and learn obedience? No, it's going to 
come through suffering like the Son of God. He goes on to say, 
for whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to 
the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among 
many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, 
these He also called. Whom He called, these He also 
justified. And whom He justified, these He also glorified. God 
is forming Christ in us. or rather God is conforming us 
to the image of Jesus Christ. And afflictions and trials and 
persecutions are one of the ways in which he does that. And so 
we need to know that. That's what James says in verse 
three, knowing that the testing of your faith produces, probably 
better here, is endurance or perseverance. You see that in 
the margin. That's not a translation call. 
It's not a version call. It's simply, again, the range 
that Greek words possess And in this particular context, the 
idea is that it produces perseverance. It produces endurance. It produces 
a going forward in the fear of God. One man says, the emphasis 
is not on passivity, but being bravely patient with suffering 
until it dissipates. So it's not just when these trials 
come, lay down on your couch and smile. And then you've satisfied 
all of the requirements on how to deal with it. My brethren, 
count it all joy, hence the smile. We just lay on the couch and 
have patience. That's not what's in view. It's 
persevering and enduring in the midst of that affliction. See, 
God doesn't say, well, when afflictions hit, go ahead and book your vacation 
and just leave and get out of town. I'm not suggesting it's 
never okay to just leave and get out of town. Jesus does this 
with his disciples. Jesus does this in his own earthly 
ministry. But with reference to our trials, 
we need to bear up, we need to persevere, and we need to count 
it all joy when we go through these particular things. So he 
says, knowing that the testing of your faith produces perseverance 
or endurance, but then notice he doesn't stop there, but let 
patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, 
lacking nothing. Now the idea here with reference 
to perfection, it's probably, well, it's not perfectionism, 
it could be maturity, it could be blamelessness. The perfection 
will not ultimately be realized until the eternal state, according 
to verse 12. but you see that theological 
context. God doesn't just afflict you 
so that you'll be a sufferer. God afflicts. God brings trial. God brings hardship. God brings 
persecution at times, so that you will indeed have this perseverance, 
so that you will indeed have this endurance, and that that 
will mature and it will grow. But let patience have its perfect 
word, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 
Sort of like a forging process, you take the old steel or you 
take untempered steel, you put it into the fire, not to mess 
it up, but to harden it, to make it better, to make it stronger. And that is the effect that trials 
produce in the lives of God's people. We come out the other 
side, not weaker, typically, we come out the other side harder, 
forged, tempered, ready to do battle even more so than when 
we went into the fire. In fact, the old writers sort 
of used that mindset. Well, this is a modern writer. 
He says, tempered metal is more precious than the raw material. Thomas Manton, an older writer, 
says, God's aim in your afflictions is not destruction, but trial. As gold is put into the furnace 
to be refined, not consumed. All of you parents understand 
this. All of you parents, you may not 
actively afflict and try your kids, but you don't make their 
lives completely without obstacle. If you do that, you're going 
to ruin them. You need to make sure that they 
eat dirt. You need to make sure that they 
breathe the air. You need to make sure that they're 
exposed to the various things so that their immune system will 
be robust and strong and able to repel the various things that 
may come their way. The Wuhan being the most obvious. Brethren, God does this for His 
glory and for our good. It's because of that we can count 
it all joy when we fall into various trials, because we know 
that God is not making sport of us, but God is tempering us. God is strengthening us. God 
is putting us through the fire so that we'll come out on the 
other side able to serve and glorify and honor Him even more 
so. And according to the Apostle 
Paul in 2 Corinthians 1, those tried, those afflicted, those 
affected by life in this world who have tried and proven the 
graciousness of God in the midst of it are now able to encourage 
others. So you go through your fire and 
you come out on the other end and you'll be well calculated 
to encourage and promote in others the ability to do likewise and 
to count it all joy when they fall into various trials. Now, 
that's the believer's response. Notice in verses 5 to 8, the 
believer's request during trials. And there's two things we need 
to consider here. First, the pursuit of wisdom 
in verse 5, and then secondly, the necessity of faith in verses 
6 to 8. But notice the assumption that 
James has. If any of you lacks wisdom, The 
end of verse four, he says, that you may be perfect and complete, 
lacking nothing. That's at the end of the process. 
That's after going through the fire. That's after being quenched 
in the oil. That's after being prepared for 
battle on the field. But with reference to the process, 
as we go through this, notice the wisdom of God. He calls on 
us not to ask for deliverance, He calls on us not to ask for 
no trial. He calls on us to ask for wisdom 
so that we can navigate through the trial and count it all joy. In other words, he prescribes 
that thing that we most desperately need. And again, I'm not sure 
that when I've fallen into various trials, my first response was 
joy, and my second was pray to God for wisdom. We pray for deliverance. We pray for ease. We pray for 
comfort. We pray, take this cup from me, 
if it is possible. We need to pray for the wisdom 
to persevere through the midst of it so that we can understand 
what God has said. Now, in the context, if any of 
you lacks wisdom, that's always true for every one of us. But 
I think it's contextual here. If any of you lacks wisdom as 
he or she is going through these various trials. If any of you 
lacks wisdom when you fall into various trials. So there's a 
general need for wisdom that we all bear every single day 
of our lives. But with reference to trials, 
we need that wisdom, don't we? We need that wisdom so we don't 
devolve into atheistic thoughts, so that we don't begin to develop 
harsh thoughts of God. We don't begin to wonder, well, 
why is he afflicting me like this? I'm such a faithful attender 
at church. I do such and such. No, we need 
wisdom not to question God. We need wisdom to observe the 
purposes of God in the midst of the affliction. Manton again 
says, wisdom is to be restrained to the circumstances of the text, 
not taken generally. He intends wisdom or skill to 
bear afflictions. Do we ever consider that? I need 
wisdom or skill to bear afflictions. I think we need wisdom and skill 
to bear children, raise children. We need wisdom and skill to live 
in the world. We need wisdom and skill to deal with our fellows. 
But do we ever consider we need wisdom or skill to deal with 
the trials that affect us? John Gill emphasizes this as 
well. It intends wisdom to behave aright 
under temptations and afflictions. So by all means, pray for wisdom 
each and every day. but specifically when you fall 
into trials, count it all joy and pray to God Almighty for 
wisdom. I'm just going to assume you're 
going to need it. When he says, if any of you lacks wisdom, I'm 
going to assume that all of us do. So I'm going to ask you not 
to tune out. If you're so wonderfully wise 
that you could say, well, you know, I've got my share of wisdom. 
I have navigated through many a trial. Good on you, but I think 
you should still pay attention because this is absolutely crucial 
with reference to navigating through trial. Notice his exhortation. If any of you lacks wisdom, let 
him ask of God. Look at James 5. James 5, 13 
to 18. Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. We'll just stop 
there. The whole idea is prayer in this 
paragraph. James starts and ends with prayer. 
James starts and ends with prayer in this very practical epistle. 
Again, we all recognize the practicality of the epistle of James. Well, 
if James emphasizes prayer during a fledgehead and prayer during 
the various challenges in our Christian life, at the end of 
the book, then certainly prayer ought to be something in our 
minds and hearts. So with reference to this, let 
him ask of God. Jesus teaches the same lesson 
in Matthew chapter 7. Ask, seek, not. As well, we have 
Solomon in that wonderful example in 2 Kings chapter 3. Solomon 
was asked by God, what do you want? Have you ever thought about 
that? Not because you've been thinking 
about Solomon, because you'll always say, I'd ask for wisdom 
too. But if God said, what one thing do you want? Would it be 
wisdom? Again, I don't want a show of 
hands or everybody say, yeah, of course, that's exactly what 
I want. Well, I've had my eye on this house or had my eye on 
this car or had my eye on this particular. No, no, no. Solomon 
asked for wisdom. He knew to administer the kingdom 
of God on earth, because Solomon sat on Yahweh's throne, is what 
we're told, he needed wisdom to be able to navigate. And the 
proof of that wisdom is when the two harlots brought the baby, 
and Solomon says, let's cut it in half and give half to either 
one of you. Of course, the true mother said, 
no, no, no, don't do that. She can have the whole thing. 
So Solomon knew the wisdom of God that had been imparted to 
him made him able to administer in that particular situation. 
And so James says the same thing. When you fall into various trials, 
you may think deliverance. You may think the execution of 
anybody who's trying you, you may pray the imprecatory psalms 
on the enemies that are afflicting you, but you need wisdom to navigate 
through these particular things. And of course, God is the source 
and giver of wisdom. Job 9.4, God is wise in heart 
and mighty in strength. Job 12.13, with Him are wisdom 
and strength. He has counsel and understanding. 
Psalm 147.5, great is our Lord and mighty in power. His understanding 
is infinite. Isaiah 40, 28, his understanding 
is unsearchable. Romans 16, 27, to God alone wise, 
be glory through Jesus Christ forever, amen. Colossians 2, 
3, in whom Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and 
knowledge. So it makes sense, doesn't it? We acknowledge God 
doesn't solicit us or entice us to do evil. That's a James 
1, 13 thing. But with James 1, 2, God does 
bring that. God does produce in us those 
things, again, in a context of remedy and redemption, in a context 
of maturity and growth, in a context of conformity unto Jesus Christ 
our Lord. So God knows, and He has His 
inspired apostle, or His inspired little apostle, write this section 
that we are to seek wisdom at the hand of the infinitely wise 
God so that we can navigate through these trials without becoming 
apostates, without abandoning our faith, or without compromising 
and engaging in things that are not godly and not righteous in 
the midst of such things. So not only does James exhort 
us, but he encourages us. Notice what he says in verse 
5. If any of you lacks wisdom, let 
him ask of God. Now notice the threefold encouragement. In the first place, he gives 
to all who ask. If we're not wise, it's our fault. Sorry, but if we're not wise, 
it's our fault, because he gives to all who ask. Perhaps we're 
just not asking, and that's why we're not wise. Perhaps we need 
sermons like this more frequently so that we'll be reminded to 
ask. Perhaps we need to read James and we need to read the 
rest of the Bible. We need to read the Genesis account 
of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. See the necessity of wisdom and 
the various things that those men faced. Brethren, he gives 
to all who ask. Proverbs 2, 6 and 7, for the 
Lord gives wisdom. From his mouth come knowledge 
and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for 
the upright. He is a shield to those who walk 
uprightly. But a second encouragement is 
that he gives liberally. Again, he's not a miser. He's not Ebenezer Scrooge. He's 
not just doling out a tiny portion. But look at what James says. 
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all 
liberally. There's a profuseness about God's 
grace. There is a super abundance about 
God's grace. Bible commentators have understood 
and have recognized that at times the apostle Paul would make up 
words. Not brand new gobbledygook kind 
of words, but he would take an existing word and attach prepositions 
on them to make them even more glorious. Because the vocabulary 
of the Greek language, as rich as it was, doesn't get at the 
glory of God Almighty. So the apostle would do that 
sort of thing to emphasize just how great our God is. So he not 
only gives to all who ask, but he gives to all who ask liberally. So if you need liberal amounts 
of wisdom to go through your profuse suffering, then ask of 
God. And then the third encouragement, 
he does so, or he does not reproach those who ask. Notice the end 
of verse five, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, 
and it will be given to him. This is a beautiful statement. 
It means to rebuke, to reproach, to insult. God doesn't do that. Have any of you parents, now 
don't raise your hands, but have you ever had the situation where 
your son or daughter has come to you and asked you the same 
thing over and over and over again? You just say, okay, here 
it is, over and over and over again. Or do you say, you're 
coming to me again? Now, I'm probably highlighting 
my terribleness as a father because I know I did that. What do you 
mean? You're coming again? Well, that 
can affect the people of God. I don't want to go back to God 
because He may upbraid me. He may reproach me. He may say, 
what did you do with all that wisdom I gave you last week? 
But the apostle tells us that's not our God. Our God doesn't 
do it with reproach. He doesn't insult us. He doesn't 
say, what'd you do with that portion of wisdom? It was a great 
big portion. I doled it out last week and 
you're already coming back to me. He doesn't do that. This 
is a gracious God, a God who super abounds in his love for 
his people. And he gives us liberally and 
without reproach. Again, Calvin says, this is added, 
lest anyone should fear to come too often to God. We should never 
fear to come too often to God. We should fear not coming often 
enough to God, but we should never fear coming too often to 
God. You see the distinction there? 
If we're not coming often to God, that is indicative of not 
good things. But if we're coming too often 
to God, then we're gonna be in the 1%. Because I don't know 
that that's everybody's problem either. But with reference to 
this request for wisdom, he gives to all, he gives to all liberally, 
and he does so without reproach, and it will be given to him. It's a blessed promise of assurance 
to the afflicted, suffering people of God. We will be given wisdom, 
enabling us to deal with the various challenges that we face. 
Now, James doesn't answer the question, why do we need this 
wisdom? I'm going to give you a couple 
of suggestions. In the first place, we need this wisdom to 
see the hand of God in our afflictions. We need this wisdom in order 
to see the hand of God in our afflictions. We don't see or 
ascribe it necessarily to the devil or to our own remaining 
corruption. Solicitation to evil? We certainly 
do. But trials, afflictions, difficulties, 
hardships? We need to see the hand of God 
in those afflictions. Secondly, we need to be able 
to appreciate the sovereignty of God in the midst of these 
afflictions. Whenever things go wrong for 
us, that's not as if God left the throne for a little while 
and walked down the hallway to grab a coat. That is not the 
way the divine operates. He's always there for his people, 
and we need to have that wisdom so that we always reckon with 
the sovereignty of God, even in the midst of our hardships. 
Thirdly, we need wisdom to understand the good end of God in our afflictions. We may not see it in the midst 
of it. We may not see how this conformity to Christ is all gonna 
come to fruition, but we trust in God. We acknowledge God. Again, 
the parent-child relationship, the general rule with reference 
to parents and their children. I know there are exceptions, 
horrific and vile ones to be sure, but parents by and large 
want to do good for their children. If you ever just wanted to say 
to, trust me, you can really actually trust me. Same with 
the grandkids. I will never hurt you. That's 
not going to happen. God is that way for his people 
and we need to understand that in the midst of afflictions, 
God has his purposes and there is going to be good as a result. 
And then finally, with reference to wisdom and affliction, to 
help regulate our response to our afflictions. to help regulate 
our response to our afflictions. In other words, we're not supposed 
to lose it. We're not supposed to flip out. 
There is sorrow, there is despair, there is the Psalm 42 and 43 
experience in our lives. There is the crying out to God, 
oh my God. Why are you far from me? And 
the psalmist encourages his heart to know that God is for him ultimately. Brethren, that is a reality where 
there are those severe times in the Christian faith where 
we are under that dark cloud and it is difficult. But brethren, 
with reference to this, we need to regulate our response. Being 
sorrowful, being despondent, being despairing puts us in good 
company with King David in Psalms 42 and 43. But when we freak 
out, when we lose it, when we flip out, when we start to rail 
against God or rage against God, we have missed the point of this 
whole blessed exercise on our behalf. Manton says, to moderate 
the violences of our own passions. He that lives by sense, will, 
and passion is not wise. Skill is required of us to apply 
apt counsels and comforts that our hearts may be above the misery 
that our flesh is under. That's gold. If you want that, 
email me tonight, because I'm going to be gone in two weeks. 
Well, I could probably email you in two weeks, too. But this 
is gold. To moderate the violences of 
our own passions. See, when we go through these 
things, we're not to act like unbelievers. We're not to engage 
in that sort of therapy that says it's okay to rage and to 
scream and to yell and to call into question the goodness of 
God. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. God is good. That is a settled 
axiom of Holy Scripture. In fact, that's how Asaph starts 
Psalm 73. God is good. And then Asaph traces his issues, 
and Asaph says, but as for me, my foot nearly slipped. I saw 
the wicked prosper, I saw the righteous suffer, and it really 
vexed my soul. Asaph is candid and open in that 
73rd Psalm. Everything didn't make sense 
until he says, I went into the sanctuary. Then I understood 
that you have put them in slippery places, the wicked, and they 
would ultimately fall. He needed God's wisdom, God's 
perspective, God's sort of bird's eye view, so that he himself 
would not depart down this path and end up like a senseless beast. 
So moderate the violences of our own passions. He that lives 
by sense, will, and passion is not wise. Skill is required of 
us to apply at counsels and comforts that our hearts may be above 
the misery that our flesh is under. So if any of you lacks 
wisdom, let him ask of God. Now notice secondly, the necessity 
of faith in verses six to eight. The emphasis in verse 5 is theological. We are to ask of God. The emphasis 
in verse 3 is theological. God has his purposes in our trial 
and affliction. But in verses 6 to 8, the emphasis 
is upon man. He is telling us, as believers 
in Jesus Christ, to ask in faith. Ask in faith with no doubting, 
for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed 
by the wind. So we have this command, and the emphasis is 
upon faith. Again, Gill says, not only in 
the faith of the divine being that God is, but in the faith 
of the promises He has made, and in the faith of His power 
and faithfulness to perform them, and in the faith of this, that 
whatever is asked according to the will of God and is for His 
glory, had as His people's good, shall be given. In other words, 
it's not just faith that God is, but it's faith, as Gil says, 
in the promises of God, in the rescuing ability of God, in the 
deliverer that is God. It's faith in that one who loves 
us. It's faith in that one who sent 
his son to die for us. It's faith in that one to see 
us through the various trials and afflictions that we are facing 
in this world. And the danger of doubting is 
highlighted by James and illustrated by him in a very vivid way. Notice what he says in verses 
6 and 7. He says, That was a very common metaphor 
and it still is today. Paul highlights that in Ephesians 
chapter 4. The purpose for good faithful teaching in the church 
is so that we will not be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. That we won't be like a ship 
on the sea that is just being blown about. And James uses that. A faithless man is going to be 
that sort of man. The faithless man is going to 
be an unsettled man. He is going to be blown about 
like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. As well, 
if he has no faith, he will be an unanswered man. This is what 
he says in verse 7, for let not that man suppose that he will 
receive anything from the Lord. In other words, when we come 
to God and we believe that he is, we also believe that he is 
a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11, 6. So if 
we don't have faith, we will be an unanswered man. An unstable 
man, if we don't have faith, will be an unanswered man. And 
thirdly, will be an, I'm sorry, an unsettled man, an unanswered 
man, and then thirdly, an unstable man. Notice in verse 8, he is 
a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James uses that 
same word in chapter 4 at verse 8. draw near to God, and He will 
draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, 
and purify your hearts, you double-minded." The word used is literally double-souled 
or double-minded. It is a departure from what God 
calls His people to, and it's used three times of Israel in 
the Old Testament. They were unstable. They had 
defected. They had departed. They had turned 
away from. And they were looking now to 
idols instead of the true and living God. So James tells us, 
as the people of God, we need to ask for wisdom. But when we 
ask for wisdom, we need to do so believing. Not only that God 
is, but that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek 
Him. That He will supply that which we ask so that we don't 
fall prey to losing it in the midst of our trials, in the midst 
of our afflictions, and throwing off our allegiance to the Lord 
God Almighty. Well, in conclusion, first of 
all, the believer's preparation for trials. I would suggest we 
need to be in passages like these. If you get a whiff of a trial 
or an affliction on the horizon, turn to James 1. I really think 
you should know how many cubits the south wall of the tabernacle 
was, but that's probably not going to help you navigate through 
trial and affliction. So, with reference to trial and 
affliction, study the passages that deal with trial and affliction. 
Go to the Scripture and ask the question, how did the men of 
God make it through the various trials that came their way? Study 
Abraham. Study Isaac. Study Jacob. Study the life and ministry of 
the Apostle Paul. Study the prophets, study Jeremiah. Those who are reading the McShane 
calendar are in the prophet Jeremiah right now. Did Jeremiah have 
a rosy, nice, happy little life? Absolutely, positively not. How does he navigate through 
the various things that affect him? He seeks and fetches wisdom 
from God to deal with the various afflictions and trials that come 
upon him. Manton comments, Christ's eyesalve 
must clear your sight or else you cannot make a right judgment. 
There is no proper and fit apprehension of things till you get within 
the veil and see by the light of the sanctuary lamp. A man 
that has no other light but reason and nature cannot judge of those 
things. God's riddles are only open to 
those that plow with God's heifer. And it is by God's Spirit that 
we come to discern and esteem the things that are of God. We need to study passages like 
these. We need to ask God for wisdom 
when we go through these things. And on the other side, we need 
to look back and reflect. We need to muse, we need to meditate, 
we need to contemplate and consider. Because those who have tried 
and proven their God will be equipped for the next round. 
Because usually, and again I hate to pop anybody's bubble here, 
it doesn't just happen at one point in your Christian life. 
If you're a new believer, I don't want to make this sound too nasty 
or horrific, but very often the road to Zion is paved with a 
lot of obstacles along the way. Conformity to Christ doesn't 
typically come when we're relaxing on the beach with our feet up. 
Conformity to Christ typically comes when we're going through 
the crucible of suffering. We are learning obedience through 
suffering the way that the Savior did. Again, God is good. It's 
not constant. It's not 24 hours and 7 days 
a week and, you know, 365 days out of the year. But there are 
many seasons in the lives of God's people where there will 
be these trials and these afflictions. Secondly, the believer's disposition. We must remember God's purposes 
and not rage against God. I think that's probably one of 
the biggest takeaways from this. I know that when our children 
were younger and we would administer corporal punishment, we would 
tell them, you can't lose it. You can't flip out. That's just 
not acceptable. Why? Because we're mean, vicious, 
and horrific? No, we're trying to prepare them 
for life in God's world. There are hardships that you 
will face. And because you face a hardship, you can't check out. 
You can't stop living. You can't say, I'm done. There 
is no I'm done until God calls you home. We must be able to 
recognize God's purposes in these things so that we don't rage 
against Him. It is a sad and pathetic character 
that professes faith in Jesus Christ that has such a sick and 
distorted view of God where they rage against Him, they get upset 
with Him, they get vile in terms of their response in the midst 
of trial and affliction. As well, we must recognize His 
purposes so that we don't panic. It may not be rage, but it may 
be panic. Panic is when it feels like everything 
is coming down around us. We have no control, we have no 
power. Maybe that's the lesson God is 
teaching us, so we'll acknowledge our dependence upon Him who has 
all control and all power. so rage and panic are not good 
things. As well, we must count it all 
joy when various trials come. Manton again says, a Christian 
is a bird that can sing in winter as well as in spring. He can 
live in the fire like Moses' bush, burn and not be consumed. Nay, leap in the fire. So count 
it all joy when you fall into various trials. Fourth, we must 
endure during the trial so that God's purpose is realized in 
our lives. If He is conforming us onto the 
image of His Son, this is a good thing. This is a beneficial thing. 
This is ultimately going to be for my good. It may not be good 
in terms of feeling now, but in terms of the end result, God 
is working this out for His glory and for my good. Romans 8.28 
should temper us in this regard. Fifth, we must consider the conduct 
of other saints who went through trials. Again, be familiar with 
the Psalter. Be familiar with King David in 
1 and 2 Samuel. Be familiar with the life and 
ministry of the Apostle Paul. Do you ever realize that with 
Paul, he wasn't the sort of guy that was tough to figure out? 
He wasn't the sort of guy that you kind of wonder, he was a 
man who wore his heart on his sleeve. He says when he came 
to Corinth, I didn't come with this great oratory skill. I didn't 
come with all this pomp and show. I came among you with fear and 
trembling and much weakness. He talks about his despondency 
with the Corinthians in both 1st and 2nd Corinthians. He gives 
us that litany of things that he suffered for the cause of 
God and truth in 2 Corinthians 11. He rehearses these things. We would be fools not to study 
the life and ministry of the apostle Paul to see how one deals 
with hardship, with affliction, and with trial in the Christian 
life. And then finally, in terms of 
our disposition, we must seek wisdom so that we can successfully 
navigate through trials. It is the word of God written 
wherein the Lord imparts wisdom to us. It is the Spirit of God 
wherein the Lord God imparts wisdom to us. We need to be dependent 
upon that Word. We need to be dependent upon 
that Spirit. And we need to remember, finally, the believer's Savior 
who endured trials. Our Savior who endured afflictions, 
Isaiah 53, 3. He is despised and rejected by 
men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it 
were, our faces from him. He was despised and we did not 
esteem him. I've already quoted Hebrews 5, 
8. Though he was a son, yet he learned obedience by the things 
which he suffered. And then Hebrews 12, verse 1, we're told to run 
the race that is set before us with endurance. We're to lay 
aside every obstacle, we're to lay aside everything that would 
hinder us in this pursuit. And we are to look 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 sat 
down at the right hand of God. In sum, because our Savior did 
what our Savior did, and we are saved as a result of His accomplishments 
on our behalf, we are now called to undergo affliction, to undergo 
trial, to count it a joy when it comes upon us, because knowing 
in the midst of it, God is working in us good things. He is further 
conforming us unto our Lord Jesus, and He is having His purposes 
realized in the lives of His people. Well, let us pray. Amen. Father in heaven, we thank you 
so much for the Word of God, that it deals with every jot 
and tittle of our life, all matters of faith and practice, theology 
and practical religion. And Lord, I pray that you would 
give us a good sense of this passage, that you would give 
us help, to navigate through the various things we go through, 
to count it all joy, to call upon You for wisdom, to know 
that You have it, You give it, and You promise to do so. As 
well, increase our faith. We would say with the apostles, 
Lord, increase our faith. They're like that man who said, 
I believe. Help thou my unbelief. Lord God, we pray. that we would 
be a faithful people bearing up under the smiting rod, that 
we would be conformed unto the image of our Savior, and that 
we would be faithful witnesses in this world to others that 
are going through these things, but as well to the non-Christian 
to show, to demonstrate that our God is good. He remains good 
even though we're trying, because we know ultimately He is doing 
these things because He loves us and because He is conforming 
us unto His Son. I thank you for this church. 
I thank you for my brothers and sisters here. I pray for your 
rich blessings upon each one. I pray for our brother Ryan, 
that you would grant him grace next Sabbath day. Give him the 
power of the Holy Spirit. Give him the ability to accurately 
expound the word of truth. God, please bless it. Save sinners, 
sanctify your saints, and God, bless this local church with 
growth in grace. and in the knowledge of our Lord 
and Savior. And we ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. We'll close with a brief time 
of meditation.