Perseverance

Perseverance in James 1:2-8 does not mean at all what I thought it meant. In studying these scriptures for my Sunday School class I found out that perseverance is the ability given by God to stay or abide in faith and these verses say that you can only gain this ability by going through trials.

In this blog, I want to post two sets of verses. The first set is the verses from the New King James Version and the second is the version that I pieced together after studying the Hebrew/Greek meanings of the words in these scriptures and simply looking at definitions of words. Also, I have to say that a few pieces are from the McArthur study Bible (great Bible if you're looking for one!!)

James 1:2-8 (New King James Version)

New King James Version (NKJV)
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.


Profiting from Trials


2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.



James 1:2-8

2Consider, count, evaluate it wholly joy, a sheer gift when you are attacked or enclosed completely into a trial or you meet a trial unexpectedly, or you fall into a test to find a your true nature and allegiance.

3knowing, being assured, and understanding that a test to find your true nature and allegiance brings out endurance, patience, and steadfastness or the ability to stay or abide in faith.

4But let patience have its perfect work, that you may become perfectly mature in your relationship with God, growing a deeper communication and a greater trust in Christ allowing Him to create qualities in you that produce a stable, godly, and righteous character so that you will lack nothing spiritually.

5If any of you does not know what to do or lacks wisdom or in other words lacks the ability to be joyous and submissive in the trials of life, let him/her ask of God, who gives liberally, without reluctance, without reproach or faultfinding (in other words not holding against you what you did or did not do for Him yesterday.) Ask and it shall be given to you.

6But let him/her ask in confident faith in the Sovereign God boldly believing without a second thought, for he that doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind, he is never able to be settled or have perfect peace.

7For let not that man suppose he will receive anything from God.

8This type of person is wavering in purpose or intent, unreliable to God, and uncertain in what they believe; this person is a hypocrite who occasionally believes in God but when trials come he fails to trust Him and therefore receives nothing from God.


I post this here because I feel it directly relates to my first blog in that this trial was a testing of my faith to see if I was a hypocrite who only believes in God when convienent. Isn't it neat how God brings you to scripture that directly applies to your situation. I love it!