The Genuine Article (Part 2 of 2)

The there are many people come and go lives. Occasionally we find a true friend. Someone who stands the test who endures the bad times as well as the good faith can be like that too.

It is leaving for some, but enduring for other day on Truth for Life will learn how to determine if our faith is Alister Meg is teaching from James one verses nine through 11.

What does faith look like, how do we know whether our faith is the real thing. And the answer that James gives, at least in part, is genuine faith is to be discovered in the warp and woof of life in the day by day opening and closing if you like in the facing up to the challenges and the trials that come our way.

What is mean and to stand the test, you notice that the verse goes on because when he has stood the test.

The word is documents in Greek so well use words that were the fine for example, when Paul writes to Timothy as a young man of yours that was given to me on a Bible when I left Scotland in the age of 15 and left my Bible class behind, and the leaders gave me a Bible as a gift to take away down to England and in the front of the Bible. They wrote to Timothy 215 study to show yourself approved unto God, that word they are approved. As the word documents it means approved after testing and that is the word that he uses here when he has stood the test when he is the one who has the seal of God's approval on his life because he is a persevering believer, but without the trials. There's no test and without the test.

There is no graduation. We don't have a seal of approval without going through the text. Some of his undergraduate without taking the courses if I can do that. I believe in America. I see it all over the place. I have run for certain sum of money I can give you a list of credentials that would make your head spin. I see it all the time you get a PhD from here in the Masters of something from there never has he just send the money and and it all comes to I can imagine what you would do it.

How embarrassing would it be when the person said and what was your thesis and you have to say it will deposit advanced good good yes and worthless women just basically a qualification without any study without any text so would be silly to think that maturity and completeness in the Christian life would be a maturity and completeness that was conferred upon us without taking the courses and without going through the examinations. God is purposeful and what he does in the lives of his children. That's what James is saying. How long does this test take. When I looked at this at first I thought you know when he has stood the test. This is a moment in time and then I looked and I said no when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life. When you receive the crown of life and eternity. When does eternity come just after you finish with time.

When will you be finished with time at the end of your life. How long is this test going to last the whole of life. He basically were honest all of our lives is just one gigantic series of tests. There's something reassuring about that, though, is there because it gives us gives us an opportunity to think seriously and realistically about the things that we and other people are going through when were tempted to regard them as intruders rather than as James has welcoming them as friends. The Christian life is a real-time experience all the time every day you don't go in a simulator to find out how to deal with your children.

You don't go in a simulator to deal with the sudden loss of a loved one you don't go in a simulator to be prepared for whatever it might be that comes your way and hit you like a ton of lead in what James makes so obviously clear is that the experience of joy and trial is an experience that is a simultaneous experience. It is not as we've said before that in the absence of trial is the discovery of joy but rather that joy a joy that is an unfathomable joy may be discovered on account of the trial court to this verse to you before from the hymn, but it is a useful verses that is the hymn begins my God, I thank you Lewis made the earth, so bright, and all of the wonderful things in the air and then the hymn writer says I thank you to write thank you Les étude might be more, I thank you to that all my joy is touched with pain that shadows fall on brightest hours and thorns remain so that Eric's bliss may be my guy named and not my chain. You see the blisters and the encouragements of our earthly journey make Shayna's to a constant fixation with wanting more and more and more of that affirmation that approbation that good sign that save time and God in his heavenly wisdom brings into our experience pain in the reality of joy and order that we might become more like his son Andrew Murray wrote in his journals of his experience of dealing with trials.

I want just to mention these four things to learn to say them in their long form to begin with.

Don't try and write them down and if you do want them I'll give them to you in their abbreviated form as soon as I give you the long version all right this is Andrew Murray and our question is how do you persevere under trial. What is it mean to persevere under trial. Andrew Murray said, in my experience of trial.

I will say this one God brought me here is by his will that I am in this tough spot. And in that fact. I will trust number two God will keep me here in his love and give me the grace to behave as his child number three God will make the trial a blessing teaching the lessons he intends for me to learn a number four God in his good time can. If he chooses bring me out again how and when he knows so says Murray. Let me say here's a summary one. I am here bygones. Appointment to I am in his keeping three I am under his training for I am here for his time here by his appointment here in his keeping under his training and here for his time.

One of the Puritan said the providences a soft pillow. We are not tossed about on the sea of chance. We are not being manipulated by blind deterministic forces under God.

We are being trained in the school of his providence and what Murray puts so articulately at their Andre Crouch in a different genre puts so poetically and so lyrically and so melodically when in that wonderful song of his. Through it all, remember he says. And so I thank him for the mountains and I thank him for the valleys and I thank him for the things he's brought me through. Because if I never had a problem I'd never know that God could solve. I'd never know what faith in him could do through it all through it all I've learned to trust in Jesus. Paris is visiting under trial.

Fourthly, what then is this crown of life. What is this crown of life because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life. Now crowns appear in the Bible as symbols of a number of things of joy crown with joy of royalty of victory by the victors crown in the whole athletic mentor for and also as a symbol of honor and dignity. But in actual fact the notion that is conveyed here in this phrase and by the grammar is that the crown that consists of life that he will receive the crown that consists of life. Derek prime puts it this week. The crown is a picture of eternal life that God promises to his people picture of the eternal life that God promises to his people. The idea of God being present at the finishing line welcoming is over the finishing line and crowning is with honor and with blessing and with the life that is truly life when Paul writes to Timothy in first Timothy six. He urges him to take hold of eternal life to which he's been called. I think Phillips paraphrases it take hold of the life that is truly life in the fifth question on the final question is who are those who love God because this crown of life has been promised by God to those who love him, to those who love him.

If you if you're tempted to think here somehow or another that our love wins or our loved errands.

This crown then your thinking immediately, wrongly, and are neither our faith not our love wins or earns anything, it is all on account of God's grace and his goodness and Paul in first Corinthians 2 in verse nine. Remember, he says I has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those who love him who loved so the question is who are those who love God and the end series.

Those who love God are those who have responded to God's amazing love towards then in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. First John the apostle of love. First John 419. He says succinctly. We love because he first loved us and the person who loves God is the person who has been made aware of God's amazing love in Jesus, I love that is an initiative taking love, a love which is the love that calls us out a love which comes and seeks says when we are not seeking him, those who love God are those who have responded to God's love in this way and they are those who, at the same time express their love for God in a life of purposeful obedience still in first John now in chapter 5, John says quite straightforwardly. This is love for God, to obey his commands. This is love for God, to obey his commands. Jesus edited the if you love me you will keep my commandments.

See the idea that love for God is an introduction to do whatever we want. Again, we can get to from the Bible. No husband or wife worth their salt is prepared to make a lifelong commitment to an individual who says I love you but I want to do what I want anytime I want with anyone.

I want say that there's not a chance of that happening because that would not be love the crown of life is given to those who love God, the love of God in the children's hymn is very wonderful Jesus love is very wonderful so high you can get over it so low you can get under its own way you can get around the hymn writer at a more adult level says all love or love that will not let me go.

I rest my weary soul in the I give you back the life I will that in your ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller the let's end here because this is of absolute crucial importance.

It causes each of us individually to ask ourselves the question, do I love God do I love God is a very simple question is a very simple question, but it is a complex question two because we've already said that the answer to the question lies in the fact that a person who loves God is the person who is discovered that they're not roaming the universe looking for God, as if somehow or another.

Mice went looking for cats or is it Adam and Eve went looking for God in the garden by their individuals who realized that when they were perfectly content in their garden or in their lifestyle or in their vacation home or in their successful career that God came looking for them and loving them in Jesus and that it was the discovery of God's amazing love that broke their heart showing them their sin turn them over to God and their life is now lived in response to God's amazing goodness AAA in the obedience that marks the relationship do love God and mean that's the question is, I was a question that Debbie asked gold in fiddler on the roof wasn't say what while I know it's a long time ago.

But if you remember that you and go and listen to it later on tomorrow or whatever so wonderful section isn't where he says that he's given per chick permission to marry Hoddle, the daughter and Golder says but per chicks and nothing. He's got no money. He's useless your member tab. This is all yes. But he's a good boy and I like it.

And what's more, Hoddle loves him and it's a new world. Golder love in any system or do you love me and she says what you talking about, you have indigestion.

Why don't you go and lie down for a while to have you. What is up with you.

She says I'm your wife. He says I know but do you love me and then she says do I love him for 25 years I've lived with him fought him starved within 25 years. My bed is is if that's not love what is and to have you. Then says then you love me and she says I suppose I do. And he says, and I suppose I love you too. And then they sing together. It doesn't change a thing. But even so, after 25 years.

It's nice to know is not what Jesus asked Peter I when he made them breakfast. That was his question. Peter do you love me 3×1 to match each denial made a hash of made a hash of it made a hash of it. Do you love me. Yes, 11 Lord you know do you love me. Yes, okay, now you will feed my sheep ask the question you see to I love God, not a notion of an existence of a higher being, not a concept of doing my best duplicative deity. But have I come to an awareness of the fact that God has gone to the extent of the gift of his only son is an expression of his redeeming love so as to take me and my on loveliness and made me lovely on account of Jesus. That's a question to remember when you got married. I hope so, came down the front of the church minister was there wife was there to be your husband. The minister address student as to those questions which were addressed to your will, not your emotions in saying how are you today are you feeling about how you feeling about Susie today. Never ask that question.

He said do you take this woman to be your wedded wife. I do, and do you take this man to be your wedded husband. I do and back up the aisle went a couple that arrived as individuals to become a Christian is much like the standards that were before God the father looks down upon his son Jesus and upon the sinner who stands with Jesus and the father asked Christ, do you take this sin and Jesus says I do. And then he says to the sinner and do you take the Savior.

Note if you ask me if I'm married and I say I don't know I will. I think there's a severe problem somewhere you would agree with that. When you you want a resounding yes from me.

That goes back to 75 to Philadelphia and showed her soon. And that's what I want from her know if Bunsen maybes so my dear loved ones do not sit out here Sunday by Sunday being confronted by the straight forward questions of God's word Sanchez do you love me. Have you borrowed your will to Jesus Christ and satisfy yourself with a kind of I don't it will not do it will not do so yes or no sin in around single or married is a law that regulates I'm not soft selling you in anything would be one thing I said. And if you love God and and and let me tell you how it will be no more turbulence no more trials. Let me explain to you how you your profits will go up in your mortgage will come down and your health will be perfect and what a bunch of absolute triple triple nonsense. No right where you are because God knows your heart. You can cry out to him today say Lord I thank you for loving me in Jesus. My sins and I want to love you to. That is Alister Greg with the challenge that all of us need to consider if we love God will express are logged in the life of purposeful obedience so do you love God, if you're uncertain about your answer to this important question. We want to invite you to visit the learn more page on our website you will find there a couple of short videos.

One is Alister explaining the message of the gospel. The other video is an animated explanation of God's plan for our salvation. It's called the story's visit Truth for Life.org/learn more. The book of James certainly provides us with a lot of practical advice for everyday living. If you been enjoying our current series faith that works. Did you know you can own all 40 sermons in this series from the book of James the come on a USB drive titled faith that works in you can find it in the mobile app or online@truthforlife.org/store your truth like we are passionate about teaching the Bible every day in a way that is clear and relevant for daily living. Our prayer is that God will use these messages to convert unbelievers and to route and establish believers more deeply in their faith. So along with Alister's messages. We recommend books to help you and your family. Learn more about Scripture it's never too early to start sharing God's word with your children and that's why were recommending a storybook titled Bible stories. Every child should know this book contains an extensive collection of more than 120 Bible stories. The first story begins right in Genesis 1 and from there it moves through the storyline of the Bible all the way through to Revelation. These stories are a great way to introduce young children or grandchildren to God's people throughout history. The book lays a solid foundation on which your children can build as they grow older and begin reading the Bible on their own requester copy of Bible stories every child should know along with the donation of any amount you can simply tap on the image you see in the app visit the website Truth for Life./don't you prefer you can call us at 888588788 Bob Lapine ever heard someone say I'm being tempted to join us tomorrow as we find out why temptation is not one of God's tools for testing our faith Bible teaching about Mr. big is furnished by Truth for Life learning is