Title: Wisdom to overcome temptation/James 1:5
Content Wisdom to overcome temptation / James 1:5
James, the first bishop of the Jerusalem church and Jesus' younger brother, is to the Jewish believers scattered throughout the Roman Empire to escape the great persecution of Judaism against the Jerusalem church (Acts 8:1) after the martyrdom of Stephen. It was written to encourage perseverance in the midst of trials and to promote the maturity of faith through works and solid unity of the church community.
In James 1:2, ‘test’ is the word ‘peirasmos’ in the Greek Bible, which is originally derived from the verb ‘to throw’. In English, it is a word that corresponds to ‘testing’ or ‘trial’, which is close to the meaning of ‘touch once’. Therefore, in a strict sense, it is more like a ‘trial’ rather than a ‘test’. But how can we rejoice when we face these trials and trials? This is our concern.
Some students feel euphoric the moment they receive the test paper, while others become contemplative. Because I thoroughly prepared for the exam, it is a pleasure to solve the problems with a smile on my face when each exam question does not deviate from the expected range. But when not only does the first question seem unfamiliar and difficult, but all the problems that stand out are considered esoteric, the test is a series of pains.
That's right. There is certainly a secret to being happy when faced with a test. First of all, it is important to know exactly the nature of the test and the meaning of the test. Why does God sometimes test us? Why are you touching me? After all, it is because exams are beneficial. We study because there is an exam. You will fill in the gaps in advance to pass the exam. Tests allow us to examine ourselves. I can confirm who I am. Sometimes we may ask God a question. “Lord, how do you want me to go through this test?”
Job 23:10 says, “But he knows the way I go; and after he has tried me I will come forth like gold.” I say. What does it mean? Job complains to his friends who come to see Job in pain and ridicule and ridicule him. “You don’t know. that I suffer... … . But only God knows. After he has tried me, I will come out like gold.” Job was convinced that the afflictions and trials that were being inflicted upon him were a kind of tempering that was renewing his character. He had the wisdom to foresee himself to stand before the Lord as shining and beautiful gold one day. That is why the book of Job is classified as a wisdom book.
That's right. A test cannot be a pain to those who know in advance the purpose of the test and the results of the test. For those who have such faith and confidence, the length of the trial period is not a problem at all. You can be patient and wait. You can be patient. James said that the virtue we need in order to overcome temptation, or rather, to be able to regard it as joyful, is patience.
One day, the story of the choir of the Fort Worth Church in Texas was introduced in Zoji Reader's Digest Zhuge. This church tried to participate in a choral contest, but there was no fee. For this small church, such expenses were not on the budget. So, the choir members decided to raise money for the participation by washing the car in the church yard. They set the car wash day on Saturday, and it started raining that morning. Probably no one washes their car on a rainy day, right? As a result, everyone on the crew was discouraged and was forced to give up competing in competitions. All the crew had no choice but to fail the test. “God is great too.
Who is the praise contest for? I'm not saying we're good. I'm trying to glorify you... … . Even the sky is indifferent.” Disappointed, an operator came up with a brilliant idea. “Let’s take advantage of the rain from the sky.” This operator wrote “We wash” in paint on a large wooden board, then pointed an arrow to the sky and wrote “He rinses” on it. Then, by a few people who saw this sign, rumors spread throughout the village. It means that you can wash the car that God rinses. character! Wouldn't you like to do a car wash like this? I was upset. Villagers call each other on the phone, and the crew gently soaps and rubs the cars that keep coming in, and God washes the rest. In the end, I have a lot of money left over to cover the expenses of participating in the contest.
Even in the pursuit of God's good work, we are sometimes put to the test. There are times when we lose temptation by complaining, blaming, resentment, and being impatient. This is a complete lack of faith, a common occurrence when wisdom is exhausted. It is written in verse 5 that God gives wisdom to those who seek it. He will give you the wisdom you gave Solomon. The problem is the attitude of the seeker. You must know that it will surely be given to those who ask for it with strong faith. There is one more thing I want to emphasize here.
First, you need to know how every problem has a hint in the problem itself. English and math test questions. When solving a test question, it is important to find out the intention of the questioner as soon as possible. Finding this is the shortcut to the right answer. The second is to find the hints hidden in the exam questions and the key to solving the problems. In the case of the choir I just introduced, the pouring rain seemed like an enemy and a stumbling block for a moment, but when I think about it, it was a gift from God and a stepping stone.
When we have the eye or wisdom to know that God is doing what we are supposed to do, we can turn a hopeless situation into a hopeful situation, an impossible situation possible, and pain into joy. God blesses those who endure and overcome trials. Didn't he say that all things work together for good to those who love him? In James 1:12, He promises to give such people the crown of life.
Saints! Those who fail the test have something in common. They complain that the exam is difficult. I resent the author. Blaming others. Even the Apostle Paul asserts that God will never give us trials that we cannot bear. In James 1:13, it is said that God Himself does not tempt anyone.
It should be noted that the word temptation is used in the original language of the Bible as a different word from the test ‘peirasmos’ in James 1:2. It is a word for ‘feirazo’, that is, a kind of temptation. It means that God tests us as he did Abraham so that we may receive blessings through temptation and enjoy eternal life, but he does not try to tempt us and plunge us into the pit of destruction like Satan. We must not confuse the temptations of God with the temptations of Satan. Satan always provokes our covetousness and covetousness to tempt us into sin. They tempted Adam and Eve, and they eventually killed themselves. Even Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, but the Lord overcame it, and made us to be the firstfruits of creation, and it is recorded in James 1:18 that we may receive the crown of life.
The root of all the troubles we face these days is the result of our selfish greed. Satan is still tempting us. However, if you look through the eyes of faith, there will always be a gap in salvation here. God is always giving us various good gifts and perfect gifts as James 1:17 says as a weapon to overcome this temptation and temptation.
Saints! Arm yourself with the weapons of patience, wisdom and faith that God has given you, and defeat Satan's tricks and win.