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James 1:12
James 1:12 is very similar to James 1:2 in that James 1:2 (NIV) states, “Consider it pure joy…whenever you face trials,” and James 1:12 states, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial…” So we have joy in facing trials and being blessed for persevering through trials. We also have “the testing of your faith” in verse 2 and “having stood the test” in verse 12; which are both relating to a growing/maturing of one’s faith in God. Both verses also gives the reward for enduring the testing of one’s faith. Verse 2 states, “so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything,” and verse 12 states, “that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” This lesson is not meant to be a simply a comparison of Bible verses, but a lesson that we can learn and apply to our lives; so we must ask the question of the promise that has been made by the Lord to those who love Him; can we find proof of the promise, or does the Bible support such a promise? The answer is “Yes,” but of the many promises that God has made throughout the Bible, we must strive to keep in the proper context of the text at hand, and that is the promise of “the crown of life.” It leads us to the most well known and memorized verse in the Bible; John 3:16 which proclaims (NKJV), “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
This is a promise of the reward for enduring trials and temptations in the name of Jesus.
This is a promise of the crown of life for all who will love our God and Savior Jesus Christ.
After searching Scripture, and the many references to “promises” and “crowns,” it became obvious to me of the depths at which we search the Scriptures, and yet God gives us the answer in plain sight – right in front of our eyes; if we will just open them as see what the Lord has to show us. The crown of life is the everlasting life that God gives us for believing in our Savior Jesus and opening our hearts to Him – to cleanse us from sin and set us free from it in reuniting us back to a right relationship with our Creator God. The crown of life is salvation in Christ Jesus! He is our crown, and we are His as we endure the trials and temptations of this sinful world and persevere through them in the name of Jesus! He is calling us back to Him today and every day. We bring praise and glory to God when we withstand the trials and temptations of this world because as we live in the midst of them, the only way to overcome them is through our faith in God and our Savior Jesus Christ. As we stand strong and grow in our relationship with Him in the midst of this sinful world, He will stand strong for us in the world to come, that we may be considered righteous in Him and receive the gift – the crown of life – for all of eternity – in heaven – in His glory!
Dear LORD,
Enduring temptation is never fun, but this helps us to put and keep our focus on You. And when we are approved, You have promised to give the crown of life to all who believe in You. Please give us the strength to endure whatever temptations may come our way that we would bring glory to You Lord. In Jesus name I pray, amen.