COUNT
IT ALL JOY
James 1:1 James, a
servant of IAUE and of the Master Yahushua Messiah, to the twelve tribes which
are scattered abroad, greeting.
2 My brethren, count it all joy
when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this,
that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect
work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Most scholars believe
that the epistle of James (literally, Yakov) is the first of the New Testament
books, written before the gospels and before any of the letters of Paul. This is an important fact to know because
when people read the opening verse, it appears to be a letter that is dedicated
to Hebrew believers, to the express exclusion of gentile converts to the faith;
because Yakov specifically writes to the believers in “the
twelve tribes which are scattered abroad.” (“Brethren” is found 15
times, and “faith” 12 times in this short letter.) The reality is that from the
birth of the church on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) through the first 25
years, the gospel was propagated exclusively to the Jews. Discipleship to Yahushua Messiah was
exclusively a Jewish expression. Eventually,
Saul began to oversee the official persecution of the church of Yahushua in
Jerusalem. This persecution resulted in
the scattering of the believers throughout the region.
Acts 8:1And Saul was consenting
unto his (Steven’s) death. And at that time
there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and
they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria,
except the apostles.
So, when Yakov writes
to the disciples in the twelve tribes, he is writing a general letter to the
entire church, a church that has been persecuted. Many of the believers had been jailed. Many
had been put to death. The intended readers had fled their homes and their
belongings to escape the wrath of Saul.
Life had become, in a moment’s time, a life or death matter of
survival. In the heat of such hardship
and persecution, Jacov instructs the disciples:
James 1:22 My brethren, count it all joy when
ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this,
that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
It is important to
understand that these were the very first words of instruction from Jakov to the
church of Yahushua Messiah. The
believers are instructed to consider every difficult situation in their life as
an occasion for joy. One might easily
understand the birth of a child as a cause for joy, or one’s graduation from college,
an unexpected promotion, a wonderful gift…but all of these are pleasant and
desirable experiences. Jakov says to
count it ALL joy…no room for displeasure, complaining, grumbling, etc. How is this possible, and why would he give
such extraordinary instruction?
The word used for “temptations” (peirasmos)
refers to trying experiences that put you to the test to prove your
mettle. It can refer to temptation to
sin; but it is broader than just that.
It is anything that is a perceived hardship, difficulty, trial or
temptation. Specifically, it is anything at all that puts your faith to the
test. Jacov instructs the believer to look at every single temptation or trial
with joy because they put our
faith to the test. The reason to be
joyous about this is because every such occasion is an opportunity to observe
just how overcoming faith can be; and to observe the change for the good that
these trials can bring about in our lives if we relate to them correctly.
The parable of the sower,
taught by Messiah himself, made us realize this would be a natural part of the
believer’s life.
Mark 4:16 And these are
they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the
word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17 And have no
root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the
word's sake, immediately they are offended.
If
you study “this parable of the sower,” you will see four types of ground (which
represents the varying conditions of man’s heart). The seed is sown in all four types of ground;
and based upon the nature of the ground, different “temptations” are successful
at stealing the seed sown. The objective of the sown seed is the bearing of
fruit; and only one kind of ground produces fruit. All of the attacks against
the seed are essentially designed attacks against the heart. As our faith is tested, so is the purpose of
our heart to cleave to Yahushua being tested (Acts 11:22).
Jakov knows that as the
disciples dispersed and scattered throughout Judea and Samaria, they did not go
in controlled units, each having an experienced pastor or teacher. They were going to be found in the synagogues
(See James 2:2 “assembly”
is “synagogue” in the Greek),
wherever they went; and the Scriptures they heard were going to be the readings
during the Sabbath service. He needed to
insure that the disciples would not be reduced to living as do the unregenerate/unbelieving
Jews that attended synagogue with them.
They needed to shine as the light of the world; hence, the spirit of
Yahushua within them needed to have all obstacles to his manifestation in their
lives removed. Thus, “count it all joy”
was his primary message. It is the
obstacles of life, the hardships, the temptations, the persecution, the afflictions
of life that most readily produce a fleshly response from us; but if we look at
those through a different lens…if we see them as a venue through which the
flesh can be crucified and the glorious Master
Yahushua can shine through our lives…changing us from glory to glory in
the process, every single testing of our faith becomes a joyous occasion…a splendid
opportunity to become more like our Master.
James 1:3 Knowing this,
that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect
work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
That fourth ground does not
mention any attacks against it at all.
All of the attacks are in the first three types of ground/heart; because
once the heart is perfected in faith, the assaults against it are not even
perceived to be attacks at all because when one looks at the attacks with a
joyous perspective and allows their faith to be proven with patience in the
testing, faith rises to the point where what once was perceived to be a test is
no longer even considered a test. It is
hardly a gnat to be swatted off the skin.
Faith once proven in the test cannot be tested by the same thing a
second time.
Hebrews 2:10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all
things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their
salvation perfect through sufferings.
Notice here that even
our Master’s faith was tested in order to perfect it. He was our forerunner to demonstrate how it
is done; and how success at every level of persecution and hardship can be
achieved without failure.
Hebrews
4:14 Seeing
then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Yahshua
the son of Elohim, let us hold fast
our profession.
15 For we have not an
high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we
are, yet without sin.
The Scripture says much
about the basis for our faith to endure the test; and with patience to await
the manifestation of the victory that faith convinces us is ours.
Psalm 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but IAUE delivers him
out of them all.
1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no
temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but IAUE is faithful, who will
not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the
temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
2 Thessalonians 1:4 So that we ourselves
glory in you in the churches of Elohim
for your patience and faith in all your
persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
“COUNT IT ALL JOY,” is
not a suggestion. It is a command of
Scripture. A few verses later in the
epistle, Jakov say to be a DOER of the Word and not a hearer only. This is one of the things we are to DO. We are to count it all joy when we experience
trials to our faith…when we experience temptations to walk in unrighteousness.
Hebrews 12:1 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 patience
the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Yahushua 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 IAUE.
3 For consider him that
endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and
faint in your minds.
Remember the lessons
from our recent study on Academic Knowledge vs. The Truth. We are not to “count it all joy” as an
academic response. Joy has an
object. It is not something that exists
on its own. If you cannot see the
hardship, the test, as a means unto a glorious end, you cannot have real
joy. When difficulties arise, you must
immediately perceive it as an opportunity for the Master to prove within you
that your faith is more than enough to enable you to endure the trial without
sin; and that the outcome will be a stronger faith and more of the nature of
Yahushua free to manifest in your life.
If THAT is not a strong enough object for you to be joyous, maybe you
need to come to Messiah in repentance for the first time in your life; because
once born again, the nature of the New Man, the New Creature we become in
Messiah Yahushua, will find that object more than enough to count it all joy.
No comments:
Post a Comment