PERSEVERE IN TRIAL, RESIST TEMPTATION

Topic: persevere in trial, resist temptation

Source
Readings: James 1:1-18

[1]This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad.Greetings!
[2]Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
[3]For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
[4]So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
[5]If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
[6]But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.
[7]Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
[8]Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
[9]Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them.
[10]And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field.
[11]The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.
[12]God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
[13]And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.
[14]Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.
[15]These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
[16]So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.
[17]Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.
[18]He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

The Jews are find of attributing everything to God. They attributes both trials and temptation to God. The Apostle James therefore uses his letter to the twelve tribes of Israel to address this error. He explains the sources of trial and temptations and the role the believer plays in all these.

Source
The Christian has a role to play in either a trail or temptation. In trial the believer's responsibility is to make Perseverance finish it's work so that he will come mature and complete not lacking anything. Wisdom is required in handling trails. The wisdom one needs the have in times of trails is that God trials us in other to give us the crown of life.
Therefore, it is a whose thing to rejoice in times of trials. One area that God can put a Christian through trails is finances. It's a humbling experience but you don't have to look down on yourself because of your lack of money. If one perseveres in such a circumstance and remains faithful to God he will receive a crown of life. Trials are not to make us sin but to promote us.

Source
Apostle James explains the role that a believer plays in temptation. He Makes it clear that every good and perfect gift comes from the Lord. No one can cause God to do evil neither does He cause anyone to do evil. Sometimes when some believers are caught in sin they are quick to attribute it to the devil. Interestingly, Apostle James reveals that temptation starts with the evil desires of the individual.
These desires are latent but are awaken by our senses of we negatively engage them. The devil takes advantage of evil desires and entice the believer to sin which results in death. As believers we have to watch our desires very carefully. We should not allow evil desires to thrive in us. Those evil desires should be nib in the bud through prayers and meditation on the word of God.

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In conclusion, trials are test from God intended for is to receive the crown of life whiles temptations come from the devil with the intention of causing us to sin.

I hope we have learnt a lot today.
God bless us steamians

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