James 1:2-4 - Reid Ferguson

Walk in Wisdom – Gleanings from Scripture James 1.2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you
meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the
testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And
let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be
perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

The biggest problem you and I face in terms of our
spiritual growth, is not temptation or sin. At least
not in the sense we ordinarily think of it. In truth
the biggest problem most Christians face is a lack
steadfastness. Irregularity. Hit and miss spirituality.
On-again-off-again, hot and cold, up and down,
sporadic spirituality. Nothing more undermines true
spiritual progress and growth in the likeness of
Christ than the lack of consistency. Or in the words
of our text, steadfastness.

The argument most often
proffered against steadfastness however, is in fact a
categorical error. If it is suggested that one needs to
read their Bible daily, pray daily, worship with the
saints regularly and witness to others of God's
saving grace – the immediate response is – "what!
are you a legalist?" But of course that has nothing
whatsoever to do with it. If your doctor told you
you have to eat, drink, sleep and exercise to stay
alive the response wouldn't be that. Why not?
Because in physical terms, we understand that
while none of those things creates life, they are how
life is sustained. And it is exactly so with our
spiritual lives. If we were to suggest that one earns
God's favor by such things, or that our salvation is
the result of them – THAT, would be legalistic.
You ought rightly recoil at the thought. But what is
being talked about here, is the nature of sustaining
and maintaining one's health – supporting and
growing in the life you have been given by grace.
And nothing, nothing is more central to that growth
and the experience of the ability to obtain joy in the
midst of trials than steadfastness. This is why the
current trend of endless lists of techniques and
steps to cure loneliness or heartache or anxiety so
consistently fail. You tell me, how many sets of
steps and techniques can you digest and have at the
ready at all times to meet each circumstance? You
can't. Fresh trials and challenges require a fresh
supply, poured into us daily, and providentially
provided when we CONSTISTENTLY, and
STEADFASTLY look to His counsel in His Word,
His intervention in prayer, His provision for
encouragement in the saints, His presence by His
Spirit quickening all to us each day. You cannot, I
repeat you cannot just go, find in Scripture the best
strategy for dealing with temptation, and then log it
internally to bring out on any occasion. We must
receive it in humble, deliberate, daily, conscious,
steadfast reliance upon Him in the present. This is
living in the Spirit. Anything else, is religicized
self-help. --