James 1:2

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” (James 1: 2 & 3)

The Christian is not immune to the trials, difficulties and struggles of life. Those trials give rise to sorrow, pain, distress and discomfort just as they do to those who are strangers to the love and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet uniquely despite this they find joy, comfort and praise in, through and after such trials because they know:

1. Christ prescribes them

The Christian “falls into” trials – they are unforeseen, unexpected, unplanned and often we are unprepared for them. But this is not the case for Christ. He is never caught off guard or unprepared. He, as the Good Physician, perfectly diagnoses the need and sovereignly prescribes the remedy – the correct remedy, first time, every time. And here is the joy and comfort of the believer – Christ is in control, Christ has prescribed the trial and its duration and Christ will supply what is needed in the trial.

When trials come do we blame and accuse Him or are we those who trust Him?

2. Christ has a purpose for them

Trials are prescribed by Christ for a purpose – “the testing of your faith.”

Why is faith tested? To confirm the genuineness of it and to bring us closer to Christ. The trial separates the real from the false. True faith draws closer to Christ during the trials it faces, but a false faith is embittered and leaves Him.

The only faith that can stand the testing of Christ is a Christ given, Christ sustained faith. For such there is joy and comfort in knowing that Christ has a purpose in the trial and that He is at work in the life and the circumstances of His people.

3. Christ is at work through them

The trials of the believer produce a tangible result – patience.

Outside of Christ trials produce bitterness, anger and self-despair. We see this sadly in the many cases of suicide – without God and without hope in the world. We see it in the bitterness of those who have left the church after suffering the trials of life.

But the joy and comfort of trials for the Christian is that they produce Christ-like fruit – patience was one of those great marks of Christ as walked this earth. Patience with His disciples, with the crowds, with His enemies, with those who came to Him in need and those who came to Him in spite. And ultimately patience as He endured the cross as the means of redeeming His people and reconciling them to His Father.

What a blessing that Christ, through the Spirit, is at work to make His people more like Him – when they understand this then they find joy in our trials.

This is the faith that is to be desired. A faith that when tested by trials is joyful in the knowledge that Christ has prescribed them, that Christ has a purpose in them and that Christ is at work to produce fruit from them. Is this the faith that we possess?

Extract from a sermon preached at Zion Baptist Church in August 2018.