Count It All Joy

James 1:2-3 My Brethren,count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;3 knowing this,that the trying of your faith worketh patience. God's Word is to build us up Spiritually and to help us live in Christ. It's God's instructions on how we are to live in His love and grace. We are His children, and He wants nothing more than for us to live in His best. But what is His best? And what is the meat of His daily instructions to live righteous and obedient lives pleasing to Him? My goal in the next several months is to break down in Greek word for word certain scriptures that are given to me by the Holy Spirit and hopefully we will gain some wisdom and knowledge from The Lord and our teacher The Holy Spirit. Let me begin by giving you a little back ground on the person who penned this particular book, It is James the brother of Jesus. He was not a follower of Christ until after Christ was crucified and rose from the dead. Christ appeared to him, and it was then that he became a believer. At Pentecost he received the Holy Spirit. James later led the church in Jerusalem. He was known as" James The Just". He teaches the importance of dealing with stresses and afflictions from the stand point of faith. And the crucial relationship between faith and active works of obedience to the will of God. He was martyred in 62 A.D. Eight years later Jerusalem was destroyed. James starts by calling us his BRETHREN, Brethren in Greek is Adelphotes from Adelphos = (Brotherhood) But Adelphotes is derived from a copulative prefix (one that joins together words and expresses additions of their meaning) "a" and delphus "the womb" which gives the meaning of "one born from the same womb". Brotherhood is the quality of being brothers, sharing a common bond, and in this context a common "birth" the New Birth, all of one family ( Children Of God). John 1:12 Brethren, COUNT it all joy. Count in Greek is Logizomai from Logo = (The Word + Jesus) It refers to a process of careful study or reasoning which results in arriving at a conclusion. It means to continually count the facts or conclusions you come to.Thus standing firm in your convictions or truth. Therefore if we continually stay rooted in the Word, stay firm in Christ's truth,then the arriving conclusion will always be joy. So what is this Joy we are to expect? The Greek word for Joy is Chara (and rejoice) it is a feeling of inner gladness, delight or rejoicing. Joy in the New Testament is virtually always used to signify a feeling of happiness that is based on Spiritual realities (and independent of what happens).Joy is not an experience that comes from favorable circumstances, but is God's gift to believers.Joy is a part of Gods very essence , and His Spirit manifests this super natural joy in His children. Gal 5:22 It is given to God's children through faith and obedience. Brethren,count it all joy,when ye FALL, What did James mean when he said "when we fall?" Lets dig a bit deeper.The Greek word for fall is Peripipto from Peri = around + pipto = to fall into, to fall down. Means literally to fall around and so to fall in with or among trails. To be surrounded. This verb can also convey the sense of falling into something suddenly or unexpectedly. So now that we know what the literal break down of "fall" means, lets continue on with the verse. Brethren,count it all joy, when ye fall into DIVERS temptations. Lets study the word Divers. Poikilos is the Greek word which means existence in various kinds of modes, diversified, manifold, many colors. Poikilos was used to describe the skin of a leopard or a robe embroidered with many different colors.Thus stresses not the number of trials, but the great variety of the trials.(" Multi Colored " Like Joseph's coat of many colors) Various trails would include those common to all men as well as those related to the fact that they are believers in Christ. Temptations: Greek word Peirasmos- To make trial of, tempt, prove in either a good or bad sense. Refers to a test or pressures that comes in order to discover a persons nature. Pressures bring out what is really on the inside of a person. So we see temptations can not only be something tempting us, but can be an affliction, a trial or even a test of our faith. My brethren, count it all joy, when ye fall into divers temptations. James is telling us: Children of God, Continually abide in Christ and in His Word, and by doing so His Joy will abide in you, Spiritual joy, not worldly joy. But lasting joy. Because not if, but when various storms, problems, afflictions, temptations or testing of your faith come, you being established and grounded in Truth, you will, by obedience be able to endure with joy. James 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. Lets continue to break down the second verse, KNOWING- Greek word is Eido = a verb for describing absolute, positive, beyond a chance of a doubt type of knowing.The perfect tense speaks of the performance of the knowing.Thus their knowledge of the truth which follows. Now lets look into the word TRYING TRYING-Greek word Dokimion meaning proved, tried as metals by fire and thus purified, in turn from = Dechomai = to expect deliberately and readily, receives.) describes both the process of determining the genuineness of something. ( In this case our Faith ) as the result of testing. A trial or test is not only to approve, but to improve! In John 15:2, Jesus says in order for us to grow, we must be pruned that we may bring forth more fruit. We must go through tests and trials to strengthen us, in order for us to be useful to the vine. Jesus says if we abide in Him, He will abide in us and in doing so, He gives us HIS Joy, and that it might be full. We must trust Him enough to know that when we step into the furnace, we will not get burned, for He is with us. Knowing this that the trying of your FAITH worketh patience. Now this word FAITH is the meat of his subject. Lets see what the Greek meaning of Faith stands for. FAITH- Greek = Pistis- a believers personal confidence in God, Christ, His word and His promises. A conviction that only by Jesus Christ do you gain salvation. Faith is the hand that grasps. It is the means of communication between us and Christ. It is the open door by which the Angel of God comes in with His gifts. Faith is the determining factor weather we walk on water or we sink. Our last word is PATIENCE The Greek word for Patience is Hupomone from Hupo = under + Meno = stay, remain, abide, endure. The root idea is to remain under some discipline, subjecting one's self to something which demands the submission of one's will. It has in it a forward look, the ability to focus on what is beyond the current pressures. The submission of one's will by which one would naturally rebel. Hupomone has in it a forward look, the ability to focus on what is beyond the current pressures or circumstances. And thus " triumphant faith finds power to persevere by looking steadfastly on Jesus,the leader and completer of faith who, in view of the joy lying before Him, endured ( verb - Hupomeno ) the cross". Heb 12:2 And so Hupomone does not describe a grin and bear it attitude, but a triumphant facing of difficult circumstances, knowing that even out of hardship, God guarantees good. It is the courageous which accepts suffering and turns them into grace and glory. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this that the trying of your faith worketh patience. Now we've already established that if we abide in Christ daily and stay rooted in His word, God's gift to us is Joy. Spiritual joy, lasting joy. James goes on to tell us as believers we are going to go through all kinds of trials, afflictions, temptations and tests of our faith, but through every temptation, trial or test lean on Jesus, draw closer to Him. Put your faith in the one who has already over come. Put your faith in our Father, because when you do this, He is molding us into the image of His Son Jesus Christ. We are to endure by faith and submit to the will of God. Jesus endured the cross and submitted His will to the glory of the Father. And because of that obedience, we as believers have been given grace through Christ, and eternal life. You can not expect to receive a crown in heaven, if you don't endure a cross on earth. James 1:12 You can't win a race if you don't run it. And you can't be Christ like if you don't endure trials and storms of this life and come out of them over comers by Christs' redeeming blood. God has given us all that we need, He gave us His beloved Son, which in Him is our mediator to the Father. We have prayer, praise and worship which lifts God up and in the process edifies the Holy Spirit in us. He gave us His word, which is a two edged sword, and God gave us a part of Him, His Holy Spirit. Who guides us and strengthens us during our battles. So you see, James is telling us "BE JOYFUL" cause when you go through trials, God is working on you, He's purifying you, He's molding you into the image of His first born Son. And He's given you everything you need to make it through to the other side victoriously. Therefore, Be Joyful my Brethren, through the testing of your faith for God is molding you into a vessel of glory. 1 Peter 1:6-7 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

Profession or Possession

John 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. The Greek meaning for Word is Logos (derived from Legos-to speak with words) but Logos means a word uttered by a living voice which embodies an underling concept or idea. When someone has spoken the entirety of their thoughts concerning something, they have given to their listener the total concept of that thing. Thus Logos means the word or outward form by which the inward thought is expressed and made known. Let me give you an example, I may have a wonderful idea in my mind, have several different thoughts about it and it be impressed upon my heart, but unless there was some way, some means by which I could relate them to others, they would not know them. This is where words derive their value. Words are instruments for conveying thoughts to others. Jesus Christ is the Word, the conveyor to men not only of the thoughts of God and the wisdom of God, but the conveyor of who God is. John 1:18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared Him. Jesus who is the Word was made flesh. John 1:14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. Jesus' Word was the will of the Father. John 8:29-30 Then Jesus said to them; when you lift up the Son of man than you will know I am He, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father taught me, I speak these things. And He who sent me is with me. The Father has not left me alone, for I always do the things that please him. As He spoke these words, many believed in Him. They believed because Jesus' Words are Life. Written or Spoken, they lead to eternal life with Christ. The next couple verses are packed full of power and promise for a believer, it goes on to say in verses 31 and 32, And Jesus said to those Jews who believed him, If you abide in My Word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. Jesus said if we abide in His Word, His Word has the power to set us free. The Greek word for Abide is Meno meaning to remain, to stay or form a relation. In John 15:4-7 Jesus says, Abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, And I in him, bears much fruit: for without Me you can do nothing. Jesus is saying: We must remain in Him continually. And to remain in Him is to Abide in His Word daily. For without Him we are like the branch that is separated from the vine. There is no sustaining life being fed to it. We are dead. But when we are " In Christ" we are forming an intimate relationship with Christ and our Father. When we are Abiding in Christ daily, His Spirit is dwelling inside us, and as such we are in bodied with His ever lasting super abounding life. Jesus is our mediator to the Father. His Word translated to God from man. The Word is our Advocate to the Father. And if you are not in Him ( In Christ), In His Word daily, we fool ourselves into thinking we have any knowledge of who our Lord and Savior really is. You see Jesus conveys the thoughts and intents of the hearts of men. But if you are not Abiding in His Word , Then Christ has no words to convey to the father on your behalf. To know Christ, is to be intimate and personal with His Word. searching His scriptures and meditating on His commands, which are life giving. When we are doing this daily, Jesus assures us that while we are in Him, He is in us and we are in the Father. Therefore as we are in Christ and in His Spirit, Jesus says in John 11:25 I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet he shall live. And whosever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believeth thou this? So I ask you today, Do you profess Christ or do you possess Christ? Do you believe on Christ or do you believe in Christ? In the words of our Lord Jesus Himself: BELIEVETH THOU THIS?