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There is something about the Book of James that fascinates me. I don't know what it is, but I love that book. Maybe it's the very positive outlook that James shares with us.
"Count it all joy", he says, "when you fall into temptation (James 1:2) Different versions of the Bible use tested or tempted instead of temptation, but in my mind it all means the same thing. If you are tempted, your faith is being tested. And if you are being tested, there is the chance that you will give in to temptation and look for an easy way out. We are all tempted and tested, each one of us, and what should our response be? Mumble, grumble, moan, groan and complain. Oh, wait, that might be my response. What does James say? Count it all joy! Imagine that. And perhaps you will say to me, "Sure Rennie, it's easy for you to talk about joy. Your child is not in hospital fighting a fever, and your wife did not just lose her job. I am barely making ends meet, my life hangs by a thread, and you tell me to count it all joy?" True, I am not in that situation and I pray that I will be, but if I ever find myself in such dire straits, I hope I will recall one of the promises in the Bible in the words of Paul to the Corinthians: "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). So why does James tell us to count it all joy when we are faced with such a situation? He says, "Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 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" (James 1:3-4, 12) Perhaps we can take comfort in the knowledge that Christ Himself was tempted. The Spirit led Him into the wilderness where He remained for forty days, during which time he had nothing to eat. At the end of those forty days, He was hungry, and Satan said to Him, "If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread" (Luke 4:3). But Christ resisted (you'll find His answer in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 4). Three times Satan tempted Him, and three times our Lord rebuked him with Scripture. If we are immersed in the Word, and we are true followers of Christ, and we believe that God is our Lord, we stand a better chance of facing temptation without giving in. "Count it all joy when you fall into temptation. 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". Wonderful. Published: October 16th, 2005 My Sunday Examiner Articles
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