Test Your Faith (James) No.19- Be Faithful To The End

GraceLife Sarasota

Have you ever wondered if your faith is strong enough to endure real persecution & suffering because you follow Jesus? I’m not talking your garden variety 1st world American “bad day”, I’m talking about real suffering. Do you have what it takes to be faithful to Jesus no matter what circumstances life might visit upon you? Have you ever come to a place where you just weren’t sure that your faith was strong enough? Do you wonder if you personally have what it might take if your loyalty to God & His church was really tested? The answer is, no! No, you don’t. In fact, no human who has ever lived has had that kind of faith. So, wait, now what? Yet all through scripture, we’re commanded to have that kind of durable, steadfast faith, no matter what we face. So, what does this mean? What do we do with a seemingly unreasonable command, that’s humanly impossible to keep? That’s precisely the question we’ll wrestle with together, as we explore the next test of our ropes of faith in James. (JAMES 5:7–11) BE PATIENT, THEREFORE, BROTHERS, UNTIL THE COMING OF THE LORD. SEE HOW THE FARMER WAITS FOR THE PRECIOUS FRUIT OF THE EARTH, BEING PATIENT ABOUT IT, UNTIL IT RECEIVES THE EARLY AND THE LATE RAINS. [8] YOU ALSO, BE PATIENT. ESTABLISH YOUR HEARTS, FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD IS AT HAND. [9] DO NOT GRUMBLE AGAINST ONE ANOTHER, BROTHERS, SO THAT YOU MAY NOT BE JUDGED; BEHOLD, THE JUDGE IS STANDING AT THE DOOR. [10] AS AN EXAMPLE OF SUFFERING AND PATIENCE, BROTHERS, TAKE THE PROPHETS WHO SPOKE IN THE NAME OF THE LORD. [11] BEHOLD, WE CONSIDER THOSE BLESSED WHO REMAINED STEADFAST. YOU HAVE HEARD OF THE STEADFASTNESS OF JOB, AND YOU HAVE SEEN THE PURPOSE OF THE LORD, HOW THE LORD IS COMPASSIONATE AND MERCIFUL. [12] SO ABOVE ALL, MY BROTHERS, DON’T SWEAR, EITHER BY HEAVEN OR EARTH OR OTHER OATH, BUT LET YOUR “YES” BE YES & YOUR “NO” BE NO, SO YOU MAY NOT FALL UNDER CONDEMNATION.