Introduction
James has been speaking of tests and trials,
which come upon the believer in many sizes, shapes and
colours.
He now moves into an
area that is so common to life, its the test of plenty
and want. There's no getting around this
test.
We live in a culture,
which promotes materialism, and it has a very strong
appeal. We live in a world, where happiness is
equated with prosperity.
The world says,
"count it all joy when you win the lottery, and
if you do not win, just keep playing!" James
says, "count it all joy when you face various trials."
What do we really value in our lives, money, fame,
fortune, -- poverty, and trials?
Illustration—William Law wrote in his book " A Serious Call to a Devout
and Holy Life"
How ignorant
–are they of the nature of religion, the nature
of man and the nature of God, who think that a life
of devotion to God is a dull, uncomforting state, when
it is plain and certain that there is neither comfort
nor joy to be found in anything else.
It is important for the
Christian to understand that a life of devotion to God
makes for a life of joy. Apostle Paul writes ---
Philippians
4:11-12 ---Not that I speak in regard to need,
for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:
12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound.
Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to
be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer
need.
It is interesting
to notice that in the opening part of his epistle,
James repeatedly sounds out a note of joy.
V.2 He calls for a joyful attitude in
the midst of Trials
He tells us
to evaluate the benefits of our many Trials. Outlook
determines Outcome and Attitudes determine Action. Trials
are profitable.
Illustration--It
was George Sweeting
who wrote" A Christian is like a tea bag,
he is not worth much until he has been through some
hot water.
Yet if we value the material more than
the spiritual, and comfort more that the forming of
a good Christian character, then trials will always
upset us.
In
this passage before us James describes
three men:
The Poor man, The Prosperous and the man who Perseveres
This passages
shows that the trials God allows brings all to the one
level.
A
Man with Poverty
James
1:9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he
is exalted: KJV
9
Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, NKJ
Low
degree--- means humble circumstance.
The Greek meaning is "one who does not rise far
above the ground" The word for Exalted
means "Height". If we paraphrase
what James is saying we arrive at an absurdity.
He
is saying, " Let the brother, who does
not rise far above the ground, rejoice that
he has height; he has a high position. In purely material
terms this makes no sense, but we must keep in mind
that James is speaking in spiritual terms.
Many of the
Christians in the days of James were slaves of the
lowest economic levels. James knew that too often
the test of poverty could cause a person to become bitter
at life and with those around them. When we are looking
at hard times of poverty, we should trust God and glory
in the truth that He will never leave us.
Low Degree does not mean that we are to
cast out poverty and to name it and claim it.
There are some, who are
poor and do not have an abundance of material things.
Jesus said--Mat
26:11 for ye have the poor always with you.
The
poor believer needs to remember, that
their God is "bigger and better" than any
earthly possession they might desire.
As Christians
we must always rejoice that we belong
to a heavenly realm. We should never look at riches
and poverty in the same light as the unregenerate man.
We
are of great worth to God, and we should rejoice
in the spiritual things that we can never loose, and
we should not give way to bitterness.
The poorest
Saints can rejoice, because, of their high Position
in Christ. Rejoice that their names are written down
in heaven, as those who have been redeemed by the blood
of the Lamb of God.
They can rejoice,
in their adoption into God’s family as His
son and daughters. They are now Royal family; heirs
of the kingdom and joint heirs with Christ, and they
Minister in Royal Priesthood. They can rejoice in the
hope of glory to come.
Rom
5:2 by whom also we have access by faith into this grace
wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of
God. (KJV)
Phil
3:20 for our conversation "Citizenship" is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord
Jesus Christ:
It
is God’s Grace, which has elevated the poor man
to new heights of Blessing.
By
Sovereign Grace, the brother of low degree, is now walking in a new way"
the path of righteousness. He is now wearing a new wardrobe.
The filthy garments of
his sin are gone, and through justification, he now
wears the garments of Christ Righteousness. He has moved
from the rags of his sin to the riches of God’s
amazing Grace.
He has experienced"
Increased wealth". "In every thing we are enriched by Him" 1 Cor 1:5.
The saved poor man has
entered into real blessing. Prov. 10:22- the blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he
addeth no sorrow with it.
Illustration---Sometimes we hear of a
poor man, one who has found it a constant struggle to
make ends meet financially, coming into a vast fortune
because of the death of a rich relative. They find themselves
entering into the benefit of someone else’s death.
2
Cor 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became
poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich KJV.
Every
Believer is far richer than a millionaire, for
he has unlimited resources at his disposal because of
his union with Christ through His death on the Cross.
The Brother of Low Degree
has also available to him, heavenly Wisdom.
Illustration --- In the year 1860, the
philosopher--- Jeremy Bentham said, "If
we can get universal and compulsory education by the
end of the century, all our social problems, moral problems
and our political problems will be over. How wrong he
was.
Mankind
has increased in knowledge at a tremendous rate since
then, but man needs something higher than knowledge,
before he can conduct his life in a way that is pleasing
to his creator. He needs a special kind of wisdom. This
wisdom is not a matter of natural application;
it is one of supernatural revelation by the spirit of
the living God.
Prov.
28:26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but
whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. Prov 2:6
For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh
knowledge and understanding.
The man of low degree
can rejoice, because God in His mercy has given to him
the wisdom of spiritual insight. Paul said to the Corinthians--
1
Cor 2:5-7 that your faith should not stand in the wisdom
of men, but in the power of God.
6
Howbeit, we speak wisdom among them that are perfect:
yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes
of this world, that come to nought:
7.But
we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden
wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our
glory: (KJV)
James is telling his
readers "that they must keep their eyes firmly
fixed on their real dignity as the Lord’s believing
people. A person in poverty must look beyond physical
and material circumstances and abide in spiritual values.
God
never put anyone in a place too small to grow in.
A Man with Poverty
A
Man with Prosperity
James
1:10-11 but the rich, in that he is made low: because
as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. 11 For
the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but
it withered the grass, and the flower thereof falleth,
and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also
shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
KJV
James now
speaks of a man who is prosperous, one who is rich and
one who has plenty. The early church had in the fellowship
those who were in poverty. They had also those who were
very prosperous and were among the wealthiest in Jerusalem.
Men like Joseph of Arimathaea,
Nicodemus, and Barnabas, the man who sold all his property
and gave it to the Church.
The Bible does not condemn
a person for having riches, but it does point out the
danger of prosperity. The question is how a person got
their riches! What they do with them! And what place
they have in the heart.
1.
Riches can be Dangerous---
1
Tim 6:10 for the love of money is the root of
all evil: which while some coveted after, they have
erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through
with many sorrows.
2.
Riches can be Deceitful—
In explaining the parable
of the seed, the Lord said;
Matt
13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is
he that heareth the word; and the care of this world,
and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and
he becometh unfruitful. (KJV)
3.
Riches can be Desirable—
There are many, who are
always seeking to increase their wealth, position, possessions,
and overall prosperity. Even Christians fall into this
snare, which the Devil has set.
Working
all the hours that they can in a day to increase
their bank balance, ever seeking something new; the
latest gadgets for the home, the latest toy trinkets
on the market, or the latest fad or fashion.
Matthew
6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either
he will hate the one and love the other, or else he
will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You
cannot serve God and mammon. Luke 18:25 "For
it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a
needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
4.
Riches can be Deceptive.
They are temporary and
fleeting.
Prov
27:24 for riches are not for ever: and doth the crown
endure to every generation? KJV
What
you thought would be there forever soon passes.
James says of the rich man, "as the flower of the
grass he shall pass away".
James
1:11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat,
but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth,
and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also
shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
Those, who are rich according
to the world’s standards, may take pride in their
possessions, but as the burning heat withers the grass
and as a flower soon perishes, so shall the rich man
fade away.
Illustration---
A number of men were standing at an open grave having
watched the burial of a friend. One man turned to another
and said, "I wonder how much Old John left"?
Another responded, "Old John left it all for
his shroud had no pockets".
Humble
Christians, who have riches, know that they
have been so blessed by the hand of God. Money is
not their focus, nor is it their hope for happiness
in this life.
They understand
that, as quickly as they have gained the riches of this
life, they can be gone like the flowers of the field.
Their joy is found in Christ, not their possessions.
They realise
that they have been brought into a low position, and
that for all their wealth, they are no more than hell
deserving sinners who are depending on the mercy and
the grace of God for their salvation. As is the poor
man
Illustration---
A London newspaper once offered a prize for the definition
of money. The winning entry was a follows. "Money
is an article which may be used as a universal passport
to everywhere except heaven, and as a universal pointer
of everything except happiness.
Friends, for believers,
poverty is temporary and so is prosperity, in comparison
to the eternal glory, which is our in Jesus Christ our
Saviour. Therefore neither poverty nor prosperity produces
lasting happiness in the Christian life.
The Lord Jesus reminds
us in Luke 12:1
Take
heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth
not in the abundance of the things, which he possesseth.
(KJV)
The
Poor man, who, in the eyes of the world,
is not worth very much, rejoices in his relationship
with the Lord, who has elevated him to a high position.
The Prosperous man rejoices, that the
Lord has brought him low, and has revealed to him his
only lasting security is to be found in a saving personal
relationship with Christ as his Saviour.
Illustration--- Alec
Motyer—in his little book "Tests of
faith" places, properly these verses in the context
of wisdom says,
The
poor man-- is able to go on with God in spite
of his adverse circumstances and poverty, because "wisdom
has opened to him the glories of heaven".
The
Rich man --is enabled to go on with God, in spite
of the snares and enticements of wealth, because wisdom
from on high has opened his eyes to the real state of
earthly things".
The
gospel has a leveling effect on both the Poor and Rich.
Jesus and His disciples
were in Jericho where they met two men on the same day.
One was Bartimaeus, who was in Poverty; the other was
Zacchaeus the Prosperous tax collector
The Disciples
said to Bartimaeus "rise for the Lord is calling
you" (Mark 10:49)
The Lord
said to Zacchaeus the Prosperous tax collector who had
climbed the up the sycamore tree to see him:
Zacchaeus,
make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at
thy house.
And
he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
Luke 19:5,6
The
heavenly wisdom that is revealed through the
Gospel opens the eyes of both the Poor and the Prosperous
to the glories of heaven and to the hollowness of earth.
The central verse in the Bible is
Psalm 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than
to put confidence in man. (KJV)
Whatever our circumstances
the Lord will enable us to go on with Him by reminding
us of the hollowness of earth and of the heavenly glories
that await the faithful.
The Mighty Saul was brought
low on the Damascus road, but he rejoiced in loosing
earthy prestige and possessions, for he knew that he
had eternal riches in Christ his Saviour.
Phil
3:8-9 yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss
for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things,
and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
And
be found in him, not having mine own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith
of Christ, the righteousness which is
of God by faith: (KJV)
I
counted all my money while God counted crosses
I
counted gains while he counted losses
I
counted my worth; by the things gained in store,
But
He sized me up; by the scars that I bore.
I
coveted honors and sought for degrees
He
wept as He counted the hours on my knees.
I
never knew-- till one day by a grave
How
vain are the things; that we spend life to save.
I
did not know till a friend went above
That
richest is he who is rich in God's love.
1
Tim 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that
they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches,
but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things
to enjoy; (KJV)
If we have Jesus as
our Saviour we have everything.
For in Him dwelleth the fullness of the Godhead bodily and we
are complete in Him.
Complete!
Complete! Complete in Him we are Complete in Him
A Man
with Poverty v 9
A Man with Prosperity v 10,11
A
Man with Perseverance v 12
James
1:12 blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for
when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life,
which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
(KJV)
Having dealt with this
subject in verses 2-4 James now returns to this theme.
For rich and poor alike face trials and come under stress.
Satan wants to use these things to cause believers to
stumble, but God allows them in order that His people
might learn to stand, that they might endure (Persevere)
hold their ground standing fast in Him.
The Poor man can come
under pressure because of his poverty the rich man because
of his wealth.
The
poor man can be tempted
to doubt
God because of his poverty.
The Prosperous man
can be tempted to desert
God because of his wealth.
The Man, who Perseveres,
will trust God and he shall be rewarded.
There will be growth
in His Character, he will bring glory to his God, and
he will be granted a crown of life, which the Lord has
promised to all that love Him.
The Risen Lord said
to the Church at Ephesus
Rev
2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer:
behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison,
that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation
ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give
thee a crown of life. (KJV)
The trials for both the
Poor and the Prosperous are purposeful and profitable;
if there is perseverance, every believer will receive
the "crown of Life" Surely this is enough
to encourage us to stand fast in the Lord and in the
power of His might.
To
him that overcomes God gives the crown
Through
faith we will conquer though often cast down
He
who is our Saviour our strength will renew
Look
ever to Jesus He will carry you through
Whether
we find ourselves in the test of want or plenty we need
to take Paul's advise and "learn"
To
be content knowing God will meet all our needs.
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