James begins in verse 12 by commending the person who remains steadfast while enduring trials. James says that there is a blessing that comes with steadfastness.
Now when James writes, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast…” James writes in a similar way to Jesus when he delivered his sermon on the mount. In the section known as the Beatitudes, Jesus makes various “blessed” statements: Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.” And he continues in Matthew 5 with various blessed statements.
That word “blessed” literally means “happy”. And so these statements from Jesus could translate: happy are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Happy are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Now the happiness Jesus is talking about is not a surface level happiness–an emotion that comes and goes based on someone’s present circumstances. But rather the “happiness” that is being spoken of here is describing the state of one’s soul.
And so what Jesus is saying here in these series of “Blessed” statements is that there is true joy when one lives according to the ways of the Kingdom of God. You might experience some earthly trials because you seek to live according to the will of God but when we live according to the ways of the Kingdom of God that is when we are blessed, that is when we experience true joy—that is when the soul is truly happy.
Now it is interesting that James uses this word blessed because many people have said that James is actually using the teaching of Jesus in the sermon on the mount as the basis for his writing. In fact, James makes around 18 references in his letter to the sermon on the mount found in Matthew chapters 5-7.
And so here in verse 12 James is taking us back to Jesus’ teaching about living life within the kingdom of God and what James is challenging is readers is that ‘I want you to view this suffering through the lens of the Kingdom of God. And when you do you will see the joy of the trial and the blessing that comes as you remain steadfast in the trail.’
Inn verse 12 James writes, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial…”
The blessing isn’t just that we endure the trial or survive the trials. The blessing is that we remain steadfast so that we have stood the test of the trial.
Remember what James wrote in James 1:3? Trials test our faith. And so James says that when we have stood the test there is a blessing that we receive.
Now, what does it mean to have stood the test?
This phrase “stood the test” comes from one Greek word that means ‘proved genuine.’ It is a word used to describe the testing of coins and money. Coins were tested to see if they were authentic and the exact weight. A coin was tested so that they could be proved real and were not counterfeit.
One of the purposes of trials in our own lives is that they test us—and more specifically they test the genuineness of our faith. When we go through something difficult, who or what do we run to? When we feel like we are hopeless, who or what do we cling to for hope? Trials reveal who or what we have placed our faith in.
And so James is saying that blessed is the one who goes through a trial, goes through a difficult season and in the middle of trials, and in the middle of their doubts, in the middle of their suffering, in the middle of their hopeless they hold on to Christ declaring that his or her hope is firmly rooted in Christ despite their circumstance.
That is the blessing of the trial. To be able to look back and say, I walked through something that was hard and I kept seeking God (even when I kept falling down and falling down), I kept trusting in His Word, I kept committing myself to pray. And in the midst of the trial not only was my faith proven real but God continued to show himself to be faithful.
Those are the seasons that mature us and grow us and establish our faith. The reality is the maturing of our faith requires seasons of trials. If we say, God, don’t give me trials, we are also saying, God, don’t mature my faith.
And unfortunately, too many Christians go through seasons where it gets hard and they bail, they run, they give up or give in to the temptation. And they miss out on the blessing of what trials produce in us. But they also miss out on seeing God continue to show up again and again and again as one who is faithful. One of the ways our faith is matured is when we see God time and time again to be faithful. But we miss those opportunities when we give up.
When we choose to give in or give up in the middle of a trial what we might be saying to ourselves is that we value our own self-preservation over God’s work of sanctification in our life.
James says one of the motivations for not giving up is that there is reward for those who remain steadfast.
It is interesting that when Jesus spoke of enduring trials in the sermon on the mount listen to what he said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven” (Matthew 5:12).
The book of Revelation makes a similar statement in Revelation 2:10 which says, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
From to Jesus to James to Revelation there is a connection between trials and rewards. In the New Testament there are numerous references to rewards that will be given for various ways that we live faithfully on this earth. And one of those rewards is for those who stood faithful in the midst of trials.
Now the reward is not salvation or eternal life. Eternal life is a gift to those who place their trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. It is by grace through faith you have been saved. But Scripture does talk about rewards to those who are proven faithful.
Now Scripture doesn’t tell us if this is a physical crown or what it truly means to receive these rewards except these rewards are mentioned as a form of encouragement to persevere.
Now I don’t believe rewards are mentioned in Scripture so that we begin to lead a reward-based life. I don’t think James is putting a carrot out there is saying, “hey, there is a prize for you if you endure.”
I believe the point is to say that what God has in store for you is far greater than any temporal trial. And at the end day, when it is all said done, we want to be proven faithful before our God. The reward isn’t the ultimate joy. The ultimate joy is but standing before God as one who is faithful.
Now James describes to two aspects of the person who remains steadfast.
- He is proved faithful as he stood the test
- His faithfulness reveals his love for God
James writes, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”
James makes a connection between loving God and enduring trials. It is out love for God that allows us to remain steadfast.
Everything that we do begins with our love for God. If we are obedient and faithful without love, it is just duty and obligations and ultimately we are being obedient for selfish reasons. That is not the kind of faithfulness can that persevere. True persevering faith must begin with an authentic love for God.
One of the disciples that failed a test or a trial was Peter. Shortly after Jesus was arrested, Peter denied knowing Christ three times. This was something Peter said he would never do and yet he did it.
This is why we need trials to produce steadfastness in us. Because in our mind we might say, ‘God, I will never turn my back on you, I would never give in to temptation and then we walk through a trial and respond very differently.”
And so when a trial gives us an opportunity for us to respond faithfully, we rejoice in that trial.
But coming back to Peter who denied Christ. After Jesus rose from the dead, he restored Peter by asking him three times, ‘Do you love me?” What Jesus knew was that for Peter to serve the church, to remain steadfast under trial it must come from the motivation of his love for Christ.
Pastor Steven Cole give us this challenging question to consider, “If you’re struggling with perseverance in trials, examine the quality of your love for Christ.”
Edmond Hiebert in his commentary on James wrote, “The rewards that God promises to those who love Him are of such a nature that only someone prompted by unselfish love for the Lord would be able to appreciate them.”
When we endure difficult things we must first examine our own hearts and ask the question, ‘do I love God? Is my life driven out of a love for him?” Or am I simply driven out of Christian obligation and duty. Am I driven because this is the right thing to do, I am motivated because I am suppose to obey?”
And yes, we are called to obedience—it is through obedience that we remain steadfast. But the reason we obey is out of a love for Christ.