James 1:12

Well, good morning, Saylorville Church.  Good morning.  If you have a copy of scripture, you can find the book of James, chapter one, verse 12, as we continue in our sermon series, Keeping It Real.

And as long as we’re talking about keeping it real this morning, there are few things in life that are as certain or as powerful at snapping us back into reality than a good old test, right? In fact, it’s probably safe to assume that everyone in this room this morning has taken or experienced some form of test at one point in their life.

As many of you know, this is a much different crowd than I am actually used to. In fact, I’m actually used to speaking in front of a bunch of seventh graders. So hopefully I have a little bit better audience than them. I teach at a local public school around here. Needless to say, I have seen my fair share of tests, as in literal tests. I did the math. I’ve taught for about 10 years now. I have administered no less than 1,050 tests. Youch! And through all those tests, I’ve learned a few things about tests and about the students that take them.

Today’s sermon is entitled The Tests We Take, and within God’s word, we also will learn a little bit about tests and the students that take them. Not tests about American history or math or science, but tests of faith… God’s tests. And so the book of James 1:12. Here’s what James writes.

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial;” (That word “trial” in the Greek is Peirasmos (Pie – Ross – Moss), which can actually mean “test.”) “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trials (or tests,) “for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

Indeed, the Lord, the God of all things, like any good teacher, he tests us. But why? What are the purposes of his tests? As pastor has already covered, one purpose is to build our endurance, to actually help us attach ourselves, to push us to Christ.

Yet now, James adds yet another benefit of undergoing trials that are tests. He says, “Blessed is a man who perseveres.” that actually, the Greek actually means “remain under” the tests. Remain under the temptations. Blessed is the man that perseveres under trials. Why? Because once he has been approved, that is once he’s passed the test, he will receive the crown of life. Now the crown of life, that sounds pretty important. What is exactly the crown of life? Many of us might picture like a literal, like a king’s crown, a nice golden crown decorated in jewels, sapphires. Probably not necessarily what James had in mind here. Instead, he was most likely picturing a kind of wreath, one worn by ancient Greek athletes upon finishing a race. In fact, other parts of scripture actually help us understand James’s picture here. Check out the words of the Apostle Paul from 1 Corinthians 9:24-25, Paul writes this.

[ESV, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.”]

“Run,” that is, persevere in your Christian faith, run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. “They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” The word “wreath” there in our Corinthian text, that’s the exact same word for “crown” in James. And indeed, Paul’s message is not much unlike James. It’s a call to persevere, to remain under trials and temptation in our Christian faith. But notice Paul’s language here. The wreath or the crown that Paul is persevering for is “imperishable.” It’s everlasting. It’s unfading. Why? Why does Paul run as he does? Because he has his eyes fixed on the imperishable eternal life, promised to him through his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And what does James have his eyes fixed on? The exact same thing. Notice James’ language here [in James 1:12],

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trials, for once he has been approved, he will receive a crown of life,” (now watch this,) “which the Lord has promised to those who,” (what?) “who love him.”

Who receives the crown of life? (that is eternal life,) Those who love God. And who are those who love God? Those who persevere. You see that word in James, “approved.” Many of your Bibles might say, “stood the test.” And that’s a really good translation. The word in the Greek is almost always related to testing. More specifically, the testing of metal. Right? You take a lump of gold with all the dross on it, you take a lump of silver, and you throw it into the furnace, and the extreme heat melts off the dross, and it comes out more precious, more beautiful. You could say that you show the authenticity of it. What is James saying? What is the purpose of God’s tests in our lives? Not just to build our endurance, although they do do that, but to actually test or approve the authenticity of our faith.

Many years ago when I was still in college, I visited my best friend in my hometown of Cordon, Iowa… (If you’ve never heard of it, don’t worry. You’re not alone.) in south central Iowa, and my friend had recently really gotten into motorcycles. He became a biker. Now this may come as a shock to some of you. I don’t know anything about motorcycles. But nevertheless, I wanted to be a good friend and ride with my friend. So I made it my mission that summer to pass the motorcycle permit test, and I went through all the steps. I got my book. I half studied. I marched up to the courthouse. I took my test… and I failed. Now, okay, now listen… It’s only the first test, okay, so it’s not a big deal. I can retake it. Right? So I opened my book. I studied a bit better. I marched up to the courthouse. I took my test… and I failed again. Now at this point, my friend’s like, ‘Really? Like, come on, man!’ like, ‘Summer’s literally gonna run out by the time you’re done.’ So I opened my book. I studied extremely hard this time. I mean, I dedicated the time. I marched up to the courthouse. I took my test… and I passed! And my friend and I could ride motorcycles that summer. By the way, that was the last time I rode motorcycles. So a lot of good time spent there.

Now I’ll ask you, what changed? Did the test change? No. What changed was my study habits. If I can’t pass the motorcycle permit test, I probably shouldn’t be approved to ride motorcycles. Right? If my seventh grade Social Studies students… (I love them so much!) if they don’t pass their Social Studies test, they shouldn’t have a passing grade as much as they’d want one.

The Lord Jesus Christ put it this way. [John 14:15]

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

Why did I change my study habits for the permit test? Because I wanted to ride a motorcycle. Why does the saint persevere through life’s tests and temptations? Because they love Jesus. They want Jesus. because they have their eyes fixed on that imperishable crown of life, which he has promised to those who love him. Friends, listen, listen. The true Christian saint fights for righteousness. They persevere, they remain under the test, under the temptation, even when all seems hopeless, even when God seems so far away, even when the world comes crashing down around them, when they lose their job, when they lose their health, when they lose that which they cherish most. Still they look to that imperishable crown, they look to King Jesus in all of his glory, and they persevere, they fight to maintain their faith. That’s the faith that saves. Now, not all the time, not perfectly. The true Christian can still struggle. They still mourn the loss. They still weep. They can still doubt. They can still even wrestle with God. If you read the Psalms, it’s full of people who wrestled with God. But the true Christian fights. They don’t give up easily. They don’t capitulate, they struggle. Friends, listen, we have the best sight of our faith when we fight for our faith. (I’m gonna take a drink. It’s cold season, and we’re all affected.)

That being said, we have the best sight of our faith when we fight for our faith. Isn’t it so incredible when you see a fellow Christian who’s struggling, who’s being tested, and they’re suffering well? I think of our brother, Nick Long, who got some terrible news last week, and yet he still struggles for his faith. Isn’t it amazing when you can go to a brother or sister in Christ and you can say, ‘I was tempted last night. I wanted to sin, but the Lord gave me victory.’ Why is the persevering saint blessed? Because it shows you and it shows the world that your faith is real.

And as long as we’re trying to keep it real this morning, can I be very real with you? Very real? If there is no fight for righteousness in your life, for obedience to Christ, even in moments of testing, it may be that you are not a Christian, that you are not truly born again by faith in Jesus Christ. If there is no fight, there may be no light. Seriously, ask yourself this morning, do I struggle towards righteousness when I’m tempted or when I’m facing a trial? The Apostle Paul put it this way. [2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV]

“Test yourself to see if you’re in the faith. Examine yourselves, or do you not recognize this about yourself, that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless, indeed, you fail the test.”

Yet James does not just cover the purpose of tests themselves, he also outlines the responsibility of the students taking the test. James 1:13-14.

“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” For God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.”

So what is James doing here? He’s proactively dealing with an argument that he assumes is going to come out of his audience, an audience, by the way, that was mainly Jews, mainly people that had a really high view of God. And what’s that argument? Here it is. If God is truly sovereign, in control over all things, (which he is) and if he truly tests us, (which he does) then why am I being held responsible for when I fail the test, when I give in to a temptation? Didn’t God set me up for failure? What is James’ answer? A resounding “NO!” No. As pastor has already illustrated, God is a teacher that wants his students to pass. Tempting us to fail is fundamentally against his nature as our good and loving Father. So what’s the point here? Friends, listen. Tests and temptations are two sides of the same coin. Every test that God sends our way comes with an opportunity to be carried away, as James says, by what we want versus what God wants. I mean, even in my own classroom this is true.

Okay, like I said, I’ve done a lot of tests with my kids, and they normally do very well, but every time I give them an assessment or any kind of project, you better believe there’s a temptation. There’s a temptation not to study. There’s a temptation to cheat, to copy someone else’s notes, to plagiarize. And yes, there’s sometimes a temptation to fire up the old Chat GPT and let AI just do the whole thing for you. (Which happens, by the way.) When I assign the test, am I hoping my kids will fail? Of course not. I love my students. Am I forcing them not to study? Of course not.

It reminds me of something that just happened in these last couple weeks. We were turning in a project for class, and I had this little girl come up to me, and she said, “Mr. Willey… Mr. Willey… I don’t have my project done.” I said, “Well, why so?” She’s like, “Well, I was really busy with volleyball last night and other stuff.” Now, she didn’t expand on what the “other stuff” was, but my favorite part is the student sitting next to her who looked at her and said this, and I quote, “Uh, hello… We’re all busy. Join the club!” (audience laughing) And all the teachers say, “Amen.” (audience laughing)

Now we laugh, but I do this all the time. I deflect ownership of my sin. I blame everything else besides my own selfish desires. When I’m grumbling at work, well, that’s my boss’s fault. When I get lazy at home and I veg out on way too much entertainment, well, I deserve a break. When I get angry at my beautiful wife, well, she’s sinning too. What are we talking about? … A lack of ownership for sin and temptation.

Maybe you’re here this morning and you’re struggling. You know that there’s something in your life that’s not congruent with the Christian walk. You know that some sin has crept into your heart, but you’re struggling to take ownership of that sin. You, like me, tend to divert blame. Temptation is sin, and our defense of it comes from our own sinful hearts, not from our holy and loving God. Always has and always will. But notice someone who’s not mentioned at all in our passage this morning… Satan and his legion of demons. While the enemy of our souls will be covered in James later, he makes no mention of him right here with temptation. Why? Because though our enemy is a tempter and a liar, James doesn’t want to distract us from his main point, which is this, that temptation ultimately comes from the heart of man. Listen, the enemy can entice us, but he never compels us. We choose it. Friends, listen, if God’s tests are meant to check the authenticity of our faith and we want to pass them, we must be students that take full ownership for our sin. It’s not God’s fault. It’s not your spouse’s fault. It’s not your kid’s fault. It’s not your co-worker’s fault. Society is not to blame. That political party is not to blame. It’s you. It’s me.

“Each one is tempted when he’s carried away and enticed by his own lust.”  [James 1:14]

But James doesn’t just want his audience to take ownership of their sin. He also wants them to understand the depth of their sin. Check out James 1:14-15 again. Here’s what it says.

“But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lusts. Then when lust has been conceived, it gives birth to sin. And when sin is accomplished, (that word means when sin matures, when it comes to full growth. Some of your Bibles might say that.) “And when sin is accomplished, it brings forth (what?) death.”

Now I don’t know about you, but when I first studied this passage, it made me think of one thing, pregnancy, something that (by the way) is very much on my mind right now for some reason. Through the grace of God, Rachel and I are currently pregnant with our first child, (and I just want to say, church, thank you. You’ve seen me up here where that was not the case. God bless this church for their prayers and their support. Thank you, thank you.) That being said, our due date is December 11th. And we’re praying that sometime around that time, our birth of our firstborn will go like many other births. But I can tell you one thing that won’t happen around that time. When Rachel goes in the hospital and our little one pops out, I’m not going to be like, ‘What? Where did that come from?’ That would be ridiculous! Rachel’s been nursing our little one within the womb this entire time. And trust me, she knows that she’s in there. Just ask her. What am I saying? Why would James use a birthing analogy? Seems kind of weird.

So many people, myself included, we kind of treat sin like a pothole. A lot of people say, ‘Well, I fell into sin last night.’ As if sin’s just, you know, the big old pothole and … you fall over it. Is that what James is saying? No. Friends, listen. You’ve got to hear this. We nurse our sin. Like a baby in the womb, we supply it with resources. We let it grow. We nurture it. True ownership of sin and temptation requires that we call sin what it truly is. It is a conscious choice to disobey God, to scorn the life that he promised us in Christ, and to choose its opposite. And what is its opposite? Death. Now, “death” in the Greek is a cool word. It’s “thanatos.” And it can mean literal death, as in someone physically died. It can mean eternal death, as in death in hell… judgment for our sins. But thanatos can also just mean death, just general death. So what is James perhaps saying here? As the writer of Hebrews puts it,

[Hebrews 9:27] “People are destined, (everyone) to die once. and after that to face judgment.”

Physical, spiritual death. Yet sin doesn’t just kill us when we die or when we face God. We all know this. Sin kills us right now. It kills our bodies. It kills our finances. It kills our relationships. Indeed, sin kills its victim a thousand times before they actually die. But Jesus? Not Jesus. When Jesus said that he came, that we might have abundant life, [John10:10]  he meant it. Contrary to our culture’s view today, when the Christian wants to persevere, they choose to limit their life. They choose to put barriers on things. They choose to say ‘No.’ They choose to practice self-control. It’s not meant to stifle the life of the Christian. It’s meant to give them life, because sin only does one thing. It kills. Perhaps Paul illustrated this better than anyone when he wrote to the Romans. Here’s what he says [Romans 6:17-18].

“Though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed. And having been freed from sin, in Christ, you became slaves of righteousness.”

Everyone in here is a slave of something. You’re either a slave of God or you’re a slave of sin. The Lord Jesus promises life abundantly, but sin, when it’s full grown, promises death. So what do we as students do? How do we pass the tests of God? What are some practical steps?

Just last week I snapped this picture. This is actually from my classroom, and yes, that’s a cartoon “Mr. Willey.” (Whatever it takes to engage those kids. Right?) And so this is a reminder for a quiz, for a test. So I’ll ask you right now, church, did my kids know a test was coming? They did. They definitely did. But in my experience, (and this happened, when kids, when my beloved students come into class) there’s usually four ways that those kids respond to tests. First of all, there’s the ace, the ace student. These are the students that studied for the test, they prepared for the test, and thus, they passed the test. How does the Christian fight for their faith amidst the tests and temptations of this life? The same way my students do. They study for their tests. They read the book, (that is) the Bible. They memorize scripture, just as a student would memorize concepts. They find a study buddy, the church, that helps them keep accountable. And they limit themselves from doing other things so they might study and pass the test.

Next up is the forgetter. These are some of my favorite, the forgetter. They walk into class, “There’s a test today?” Happens all the time! These are students that totally forgot there’s a test, (Right?) and so they didn’t study. They might do good or they might do bad… See what happens. Now, none of us go looking for God’s tests, but many of us are dumbfounded when we come across one. The Lord Jesus once put it this way.

“In the world, you will have tribulation.” [John 16:33]

God promises suffering. Tests… they’re unavoidable. They’re necessary for the Christian. Yet for many of us, we act as if we should never have to face them. We forget that we’re not entitled to a comfortable life, that God is our portion.

Next up, (I love these ones.) The gambler… They know there’s a test. They didn’t forget. They didn’t study. They’re going to come in and just roll the dice… see what happens. (Right?) I’ve been that a couple times. And again, they might pass, they might not. Many Christians today might feel they have a pretty good grasp on God’s tests and on their temptations. They occasionally read the Bible and confess sin, but in all honesty, they feel like they do a pretty good job of passing on their own. ‘I don’t need to study.’ See, the problem with that line of thinking is that eventually, they’re going to come face to face with a test or a temptation that’s too big for them. Now how do I know that? Because that’s the nature of God’s test. God tests us to kill our self-sufficiency.

And last up, the grower. The grower. These are the students who study hard. They do everything they’re supposed to do, and they still fail. Happens. And indeed, I’m sure that many of you, when it comes to your tests of faith, maybe you fit into that archetype this morning. You’ve been diligent in your study of the Word. You’ve been in prayer. You’ve confessed. You’ve sought fellowship, yet you still struggle in your tests and your temptations. You’re fighting for your faith, but you feel like you’re losing. Friends, first of all, you’re not alone. And second of all, the good news of the gospel is that there’s hope for you. Why is the fourth student, the failure, called “the grower?” Because the best students are the ones who, in their desperation to pass the test, they go to their teacher for help. Why does James want us to take ownership of our sin in testing? Because only when we take ownership of our sin will we realize how wicked we truly are and in desperation reach out for help.

Now, it’d be really easy for me to stand up here and just say all this stuff… theoretical. But the Lord hit me right in the face with this, this weekend. As many of you know, this weekend, Friday and Saturday, was our annual Saylorville Men’s Retreat. It was awesome! But this weekend, the Lord, himself, powerfully reminded me just how desperate I really am, even today, even now, even right in this moment. You see, when I first came to Saylorville 10 years ago, 10 years ago, I was a mess. I was immature in my faith. I didn’t know the Bible. I was struggling with life-dominating sins such as pornography, drunkenness, laziness. But friends, listen. I loved Jesus. I loved him. Why? Because in my immaturity and my temptations, I had no problem admitting I needed help. It was so incredibly clear to me how much I needed Jesus. Yet if I’m honest, now that I have a better understanding of the Gospel, now that I know more Bible verses, now that I have a few of my sins under control, now that I get to preach, I get this stupid idea that somehow I don’t need God. I swell with pride, and the Gospel loses its shimmer. The new life promised by Jesus becomes something I just talk about instead of experiencing. This weekend, God made it loud and clear at the men’s retreat, I want the old Colton Willey back, not the one who doesn’t know anything, not the one who was addicted to sins, but the Colton Willey who was desperate for Jesus.

We’ve talked about the test. We’ve talked about the student. But what about the teacher? Every one of these four students, even the ace, needs a teacher. Jesus once said, ‘No student is above their teacher, and so every student needs a teacher.’ [Luke 6:40] And who is the teacher of the redeemed saint? No one less than Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And what does the Lord Jesus say about tests? He says, [John 16:33b]

“In the world, you WILL have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world.”

Friends, the Lord lives to re-teach his students. He calls to us and he says, ‘Follow me… take the next step.’ And he leads us back to the path of life.

Yet for some of you here today, you can’t go to your teacher, because you don’t know him. Before any student can pass God’s test of authenticity, they must first pass God’s test of faith. And it’s a test with only one question. Who is Jesus Christ? Listen, that is the most important test you will ever take in your entire life, and the way you answer it will make a profound difference in your life now and in the life that will come, either separation from God or with your teacher forever. So who is Jesus Christ? Jesus Christ is God. Jesus Christ is Lord. Jesus Christ is Savior. He’s not just a teacher or a good leader. He is God in the flesh, and being God, he is also Lord, which means he has the ultimate authority over everything, including your life. But finally, he is Savior. Jesus Christ came in the world as a baby, because… we’re under the penalty of death by God because of our sin, because of all the times that you and I have failed the test. Apart from Christ, all of humanity is destined for hell and separation from God.

“But God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” [John 3:16]

And what must you believe in today? Today is the day of salvation… that Jesus Christ took the cross for you, and in doing so, he paid the full penalty of your sin. He died the death on that cross that you as a sinner should have died, that I should have died, but he didn’t stay dead. He rose again in victory over death. And he will raise all those who believe in him to new life as well. So students, ask yourself, do you pass the test? Do you know the teacher? Do you need some re-teaching? Go to Jesus.

Let’s pray.

Father God, Lord, we thank you. And God, we count it all joy, Lord, and you give us trials and testing, knowing that the testing of our faith builds endurance and proves to us, Lord, that our faith is real. Lord, be with all the saints in this room. Lord, grow them to be obedient in Christ. But like every student, Lord, may we never forget you, Lord Jesus, our teacher. And I pray for those in this room who don’t know their teacher. Lord you live that you might save sinners. May you do that today in Jesus name. Amen.