(James, chapter 1 kjv) (6.03.13) 6.27.13
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
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.” (vs. 2-4)
“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.” (vs. 12) {My understanding of the word,
perfect here is used in the sense of reaching the stage where one
might be useful in the kingdom of God, not sinless, nor Spiritually
perfect. {A level of maturity...}
Today I was privileged to have lunch with an elder; retired Pastor of
a Free Will Baptist Fellowship. We had worshiped together at a local
conservative fellowship and were discussing Spiritual principle. He
was discussing; I listened to my eternal profit. Afterward, I came
away with a renewed sense of the teachings from James chapter one,
although this was not the specific topic of conversation. Life seems
to come together and this was the passage that came next in my rea-
ding through the Scriptures tonight.
If my understanding is correct, one comes to a more perfect under-
standing of how our Lord works, as he faces trials, temptations and
struggles of life. Our Scripture bears this out very clearly. Conver-
sely, if one were not subjected to these “forces,” there could be no
progress toward Spiritual maturity. This principle is born out in the
life of a child or an animal. With work or struggle through depriva-
tion or hardship, whereby we are exercised, comes the strength to
face the next step in our development. It applies to the spiritual as
well as the emotional and physical and is consistent in each of these
areas of life. Recalling my youth, there were instances when a more
perfect understanding of the way the Lord works, would have kept
me from error and even sin in my walk. At times there were serious
doubts about my personal salvation because of my failure to "fully"
understand this fact: The work of Christ on the cross is sufficient to
save me. (The word "fully" here, is used, only in the sense of more
fully or more perfectly. We can never, with our mental, physical and
emotional limitations, expect to be fully advised or knowledgeable on
any subject and even less so in matters of the Spirit. So, my many
failures to follow Him as would a mature child of God, had no bearing
on my security as a believer. Our Lord is not dependent upon you or
me to earn or work toward our salvation. The problem was, my fail-
ures kept getting in the way of faith. As I begin to understand our
Salvation belongs to the Lord. It will become mine. This one belief
has delivered me from some of those early struggles. One part of the
doctrine of Salvation we must all learn is; Like Sanctification, Salva-
tion in the life of the believer is a continuing process and in a sense,
will not be complete until we see our Lord Christ, face to face. We
are saved from the penalty of our sin. We are being saved from the
practice of sin. We will be saved from the very presence of sin. Now
to work on other areas of Spiritual immaturity toward "perfection,"
I will need your prayers.
Thanks for looking and praying. "Arise, O Lord; Save me, O my God!
For you have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have bro-
ken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your bles-
sing is upon Your people. Selah** Psalm 3: 7- 8
"I, even I, am the Lord, and beside me there is no Savior." Isaiah 43:11
"Those who regard worthless idols forsake their own mercy, but I will
sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have
vowed; Salvation is of the Lord. Jonah 2: 8-9 (nkjv)
(*The book of Psalm is by it's nature musical or to be sung. The word
"Selah," is used to show suspension of musical accompaniment.
We say acapella or "in the Church style.")
http://biblicalclarity-don.blogspot.com/2012/11/take-acid-test-matthew-5-43-48.html
edited 2.06.17, donportersr 10.17.16
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
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.” (vs. 2-4)
“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.” (vs. 12) {My understanding of the word,
perfect here is used in the sense of reaching the stage where one
might be useful in the kingdom of God, not sinless, nor Spiritually
perfect. {A level of maturity...}
Today I was privileged to have lunch with an elder; retired Pastor of
a Free Will Baptist Fellowship. We had worshiped together at a local
conservative fellowship and were discussing Spiritual principle. He
was discussing; I listened to my eternal profit. Afterward, I came
away with a renewed sense of the teachings from James chapter one,
although this was not the specific topic of conversation. Life seems
to come together and this was the passage that came next in my rea-
ding through the Scriptures tonight.
If my understanding is correct, one comes to a more perfect under-
standing of how our Lord works, as he faces trials, temptations and
struggles of life. Our Scripture bears this out very clearly. Conver-
sely, if one were not subjected to these “forces,” there could be no
progress toward Spiritual maturity. This principle is born out in the
life of a child or an animal. With work or struggle through depriva-
tion or hardship, whereby we are exercised, comes the strength to
face the next step in our development. It applies to the spiritual as
well as the emotional and physical and is consistent in each of these
areas of life. Recalling my youth, there were instances when a more
perfect understanding of the way the Lord works, would have kept
me from error and even sin in my walk. At times there were serious
doubts about my personal salvation because of my failure to "fully"
understand this fact: The work of Christ on the cross is sufficient to
save me. (The word "fully" here, is used, only in the sense of more
fully or more perfectly. We can never, with our mental, physical and
emotional limitations, expect to be fully advised or knowledgeable on
any subject and even less so in matters of the Spirit. So, my many
failures to follow Him as would a mature child of God, had no bearing
on my security as a believer. Our Lord is not dependent upon you or
me to earn or work toward our salvation. The problem was, my fail-
ures kept getting in the way of faith. As I begin to understand our
Salvation belongs to the Lord. It will become mine. This one belief
has delivered me from some of those early struggles. One part of the
doctrine of Salvation we must all learn is; Like Sanctification, Salva-
tion in the life of the believer is a continuing process and in a sense,
will not be complete until we see our Lord Christ, face to face. We
are saved from the penalty of our sin. We are being saved from the
practice of sin. We will be saved from the very presence of sin. Now
to work on other areas of Spiritual immaturity toward "perfection,"
I will need your prayers.
Thanks for looking and praying. "Arise, O Lord; Save me, O my God!
For you have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have bro-
ken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your bles-
sing is upon Your people. Selah** Psalm 3: 7- 8
"I, even I, am the Lord, and beside me there is no Savior." Isaiah 43:11
"Those who regard worthless idols forsake their own mercy, but I will
sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have
vowed; Salvation is of the Lord. Jonah 2: 8-9 (nkjv)
(*The book of Psalm is by it's nature musical or to be sung. The word
"Selah," is used to show suspension of musical accompaniment.
We say acapella or "in the Church style.")
http://biblicalclarity-don.blogspot.com/2012/11/take-acid-test-matthew-5-43-48.html
edited 2.06.17, donportersr 10.17.16
