Title: Rejoice in temptation (James 1:2-4)
Contents
Celebrate the exam
James 1:2-4
There are many words in the Bible that seem impossible to hear as if they were on top of each other. “Love your enemies.” “Always rejoice”. When you think of that person because you hate them, your blood flows backwards. How do you love? How do you rejoice when hardships and adversity never stop? Even today's words seem impossible. “When you are tempted, count it all joy” How can you rejoice when you are being tested and your body and mind are painful and difficult?
However, there is not a single word of God that we cannot keep because we do not have the ability to obey God's word. God has not given us a commandment that we cannot keep. All of God's words are words that you can keep if you make a decision. And that decision is only possible with faith. I can't handle the tests I've been through right now, but I decide the attitude of my heart. Whether I am happy or sad is up to me. No one can force you to grieve because you have been tested. I cannot force myself not to rejoice because I have been tested. If I decide to rejoice, I can rejoice.
Obedience becomes easy if you have the belief that God lives, that the living God rules everything in the world, and that He is responsible for everything for those who obey His Word. Today's words are easy to understand if you have faith that God lives and takes care of all your work. If you believe in this fact, you can rejoice in whatever trials you face. We have the necessary faith to rejoice when we are tested.
First, there is a temptation for all who believe.
There are temptations and temptations in the Bible. Satan appeared in the form of a serpent and made them doubt the word of God and cause them to sin. This is Satan's temptation. Don't fall for this temptation. If you are sober and awake, you will not be tempted by this temptation. If you don't offer any opportunities or have no weaknesses, you won't be tempted. David was always victorious and his life became more comfortable. When he saw a woman, he fell into temptation. Those who are awake, pray, and sober will not be tempted. Therefore, temptation must be resisted.
However, everyone is tested. Children are tempted by bad friends at school. They hang out together, smoke cigarettes, and drink, and then they go on to worse things. But not all are tempted. Even tempting children select and seduce children who are likely to do so. However, every student in that school must take the exam without missing a single one. In the same way, the test must be experienced by everyone. Every believer in Jesus has a temptation. A person with good faith is subjected to a stronger test.
Abraham, the father of faith, was tested. - Offer your son as a sacrifice to God
The queen of Sheba tested Solomon's wisdom.
Most importantly, the test comes from God. The test sometimes makes the body and mind hard, but the test is given by God. And because God is good, it will surely bring good results. We should rejoice when we are tempted because temptation comes to all who believe, and the temptation is given by God to give us something useful. If you believe that the test is from God, you have nothing to worry about.
The purpose of the second test
1. Increases Patience
I rejoice when I know the purpose of the test. Temptation builds our patience. Normal people can't run because they run out of breath even after a short run, but athletes can run for an hour or two. It is because you have developed patience through hard training. Patience is not just about enduring difficulties. It refers to the transformation of many things from great to glorious. It is said that when Kim Mi-hwa, a broadcaster, was young, her parents sold alcohol in a one-room house. It is said that if drunkards stayed up late, they could not enter the house until the customer left and wandered around the neighborhood with his younger brother. And at that time, while wandering the streets, it is said that he sang along to famous singers in order to become a gag woman. But now I am successful and I am working in several broadcasting stations. The agony of the poor days is now a glory. The patience we are talking about in today's Word refers to this kind of patience. It's about turning anything into glory.
The early church members changed everything into glory. The martyrs of the early church did not die indiscriminately, but glorified God. When the pagans saw this, they were amazed. The pagans asked the martyrs what they saw and laughed. “I rejoice to see the glory of God,” replied the martyr.
2. Makes you whole and without blemish
In order to know whether a crafted object is perfect or imperfect, it must be tested. Tests allow you to know what your shortcomings and shortcomings are. It's hard to find me nervous and angry when there are people around me who always understand and care about me. God makes us realize our shortcomings, and He tests us in order to fix it and make it perfect.
When I meet difficult circumstances or bad people, I see the real me inside of me. And I realize. I thought I was a good-natured and meek person, but he makes me realize that I am petty, selfish, and evil. When students study on their own, they seem to know everything. However, if you take the test and get it wrong, you will find out which part you didn't know yet. And you have to work hard to replenish that field. The more times gold is put into the furnace, the more impurities are removed, leaving only pure gold. Testing removes impurities from our lives.
It strengthens the weak. There are saws or machines that cut iron. The tools for cutting iron were originally the same iron. However, if the iron is put in a furnace several times and beaten several times, it becomes stronger iron and becomes a tool that cuts iron.
The third temptation makes us rich
If you go through a lot of trials and get over it, even the little things can make a big difference. Through a lot of training and practice, gymnasts perform movements on small pieces of wood that ordinary people cannot do even in large spaces. Painful training made it more expansive than a gym spread out on a narrow block of wood. Those who have gone through many trials and tribulations can be grateful for even a small gift. You can rejoice. Those who have never been through a test may feel embarrassed when they encounter even a small difficulty, and they can't help it, but those who overcome a great test are at peace.