AFFLICTIONS OF MANY KINDS
Read:
James 1:2-8
Development
The Apostle Santiago in this letter written to the first Christians, so that their faith lasts even in difficult times,
These verses serve the same purpose to us, to urge us that in difficult times our faith endures and is strong.
The Apostle knows that we are going to have tests, and that it is possible to learn from them, we are inevitably going to suffer when we face pain, the Apostle tells us that we must convert these stages of adversity in learning stages.
Difficult times can teach us to persevere, they also teach us patience and determination.
(Romans 5:3-5; 2 Corinthians 6:3-7; Peter 1:2-9).
A very true question is that until we are under pressure, we will not know our character in depth.
It's easy to be nice to others when things are going well, but when things are going bad?
The Apostle tells us that instead of complaining about our struggles, we should give thanks for the opportunity to learn from them.
We must always thank God for his promise to always be with us in difficult times.
God will not leave you alone with your problem, he is close and will help you grow, in verse 5 James tells us about wisdom, but not only about knowledge, but about the ability to make the right decisions in situations difficult or adverse. Whenever we need wisdom we as Christians can pray to God, and he will generously give us what we need, we don't have to grope in the dark.
God will give us wisdom, as long as our request is not petty or selfish. That is why to know the will of God, we must read the word, but what do I say? not just read, scrutinize it. Meditate on it day and night.
A concept to highlight Wisdom means practical discernment and this begins with respect for God, who leads us to live a good life (Fear of God).
Believing without hesitation means not only believing in the existence of God, but also believing in his care, affection and love that he shows us every day. For this reason we must discard our critical attitude when we come to him,
God will grant us all our requests according to his will, we must always trust that God will align our requests and desires with his purposes.
A wavering mind is a doubting mind, a mind that is not fully convinced that God's way is the best way to go. If your faith is new, or you feel weak, or you are struggling, remember that you can always trust God and be loyal to him, therefore, brothers, commit yourselves without hesitation to the things of Heaven, because God has a huge reward prepared for you, not doubt, do not hesitate.
I reflect and respond
1. Why does God allow us to go through difficulties?
2. What should be your attitude about going through difficulties?
3. What are the afflictions/difficulties in your life right now?
Read
James 1:12-16
Development
God never tempts anyone, that is what the Apostle James tells us in these verses, we Christians have objectives to meet and in turn we also have tests, but James calls them temptations.
The Apostle explains to us where temptations originate, and at the same time puts a brake on the excuses of all those who sin.
Showing us that the only ones responsible for this are ourselves and not God.
Let no one say when he is tempted: I am tempted by God, because God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself does not tempt anyone, but each one is tempted when he is led and seduced by his own passions "After when the passion has conceived, gives birth to sin, and when sin is consummated, it engenders death.” My beloved brothers, do not err.
The appropriate thing is to make a good difference between the tests and the Temptations.
In the first place we must say that the Tests come to us being allowed and contained by God, but these tests are not created by him.
Temptations are generated within man because of man's old sinful nature.
Both things, Trials and Temptations, are different from each other, while the first comes with the purpose of perfecting our faith and at the same time increasing our spiritual maturity, the second comes with the purpose of satisfying our basest desires, doing anything without matter who it affects
While the first, Trials, helps us get closer to God, the second Temptations separates us from the presence of God, (Romans 3:23) which leaves us in a vulnerable situation, obscuring the light of the spirit. holy in our lives (1 Thessalonians 5:19) and contrites him (Ephesians 4:30)
If we move to the original Greek, the words Trials and Temptation have the same translation Peirasmos. That is where the confusion of many people regarding trials and temptations comes from, so it is noticeable that they lack a little more instruction, but that is a separate topic.
Continuing with what concerns us, we can appreciate that these same have the meaning of Testing, Evaluating and Examining, but we can also appreciate that the Apostle Santiago uses them with the connotation of Temptation to do evil,
These tests can lead us to temptation only if we Instead of seeking God, we reject him.
Truly that is the question if we seek the quick exit or the definitive solution, that solution that only God offers us, the solution that the world gives us is a transitory solution, a patch that postpones, not inevitable, death for the crime of sin. That is why it is super important to ask God for wisdom when faced with a test, because if we do not learn to be patient and act hastily, we run the risk of those Tests becoming Temptations.
So based on what has been exposed, when does our own concupiscence, our calamity, our old man, our old self, that being that takes pleasure in evil act? Of such men the Apostle Paul speaks (Romans 7:18-25).
Now when we get into the subject of temptation, the Apostle Santiago sees the possibility that some reflect.
Why some say: If I go through everything, it is because of God, if God, as we know, does not put us in temptation, and that he can free us from it by working a miracle and solve all our problems, but then how come it doesn't.
So? Why do people say how does he put me in temptations? Do I do what comes to me or what I can? That is why the Apostle Santiago comes out at the crossroads saying:
Let no one say that he is tempted by God. And that is why the Apostle Santiago gives some arguments in this regard, he first says that God cannot be tempted.
There is another question in between that we must learn. What is sin? Although we know the classic definition, we can add that sin is everything that separates us from God, and we can also add that sin is everything that diverts us from the purpose that he has for us, however omitting to do good could also be classified as sin. Let's look at the following verses, (Psalms 1:1; 51:1-2; 119:133; Mark 7:20-23; Luke 6:45; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5 ; James 4:4; 4:17; 1 John 1:6)
God does not sin and cannot sin, God does not do anything outside of his will, he does not stop fulfilling his purposes, nor does he stop doing good, God is holy!
God is a 3 times holy being, Isaiah 6:1-5, he is the absolute opposite of a sinful being (Leviticus 20:26; 1 Samuel 2:2; Isaiah 57:15; Ezekiel 38:23).
Now that we know that Trials and Temptations are not the same and since it is clear that they do not come from God, we must then discover where they come from.
Santiago tells us about this, in some passages and tells us that one of the possible sources is our concupiscence, which as we saw previously has its origin in Our sinful nature, although Santiago does not mention it, he speaks of our Old sinful nature with which we must live until the coming of Christ, and until each one passes into his presence (Romans 6:6; Galatians 5:16; Galatians 6.8; Colossians 3:5).
The temptation of the Devil: another of the possible sources of temptation is the devil, who has been doing his misdeeds since the Garden of Eden. The devil can tempt us, in fact he does it daily, through the things that I create in this world for that purpose, because we remember that the devil is not omnipresent or omniscient. But to that, the decision to give in to these temptations never ceases to be ours. (Matthew 6:13; Hebrews 4:15; Ephesians 4:26-27).
For this reason, the responsibility is only ours at the moment of falling into temptation, for this reason each one must take charge of their own responsibilities, of their own acts, therefore this responsibility cannot be transferred to anyone, if we we let ourselves be guided or seduced by the impulses of the flesh, only we will be to blame, let us not blame God, who is he is a holy being, incapable of sin
So we sin purely and exclusively on our own responsibility and as if it were not a little knowingly, not because God leads us to it, we sin because we allow ourselves to be carried away easily and voluntarily because we do not have the spiritual strength to resist temptation even sometimes too due to ignorance, hence the importance of being in a continuous relationship with God, so that he gives us the strength and strength to resist.
The Bible continually tells us that we are guilty (Hebrews 12:1) so we have to be very careful with the consequences of sin Death, (Ezekiel 18:30; Romans 6:13; Romans 6:23; Galatians 6: 8).
Let's not get caught up in temptations, let's seek God's help, God's presence on that depends to a great extent on our search, let's get closer to God, and he will give us Strength, Wisdom, and Support.
If at any point we fall, we must get up and not give up the fight, that's why we must continue until this fight ends, remember Nobody is Perfect.
Reflect and Answer:
1. How can you endure through trials and withstand the test?
2. Where do temptations come from? What things tempt you? Have you discussed your temptations with God and with another disciple?
Read
1 Peter 1:3-9
Development:
In these verses we are going to notice some important characteristics, Blessed is God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who, according to his great mercy, made us be reborn to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Peter begins his letter with words of praise to God the Father and his son Jesus Christ, reminding us all that salvation is a gift of God's mercy.
Subsequently, the Apostle Peter affirms that a new Birth was given to all of us, which is what provides our living hope, affirming that wisdom is a gift from God, in the same way that a baby is born without having done anything to be born, we in the same way In this way we experience the new birth not because of who we are or because we have done something to deserve it, on the contrary, We are born of God
(John 1:13), and through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
Salvation changes who we are, (2 Corinthians 5:17); making us dead to sin and alive to the righteousness of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:5) this new birth serves as our reason for hope, the assurance of salvation.
In some parts of the world, the Apostle Peter is called the Apostle of Hope, but the hope that is associated with Peter is not what most people believe hope is, you usually hear people say things like " I hope I pass this exam well" or "I hope they call me from this job" that is the type of hope that the people of the world know, the type of hope that Pedro mentions is very different from the hope that Pedro has in mind
For this it is necessary that we locate ourselves a bit in the historical context, Peter was speaking to the Christians who suffered persecution, in Asia Minor, Peter's words were intended to encourage them in their problems, and remind them that their future was assured thanks to the resurrection of Jesus Christ and that their hope was found in his victory over death and his future resurrection life and the life that would come in eternity.
Our living hope is anchored in the past, since Jesus has already risen from the dead (Matthew 28:6) Jesus is alive (Colossians 3:1) and endures into the future promising eternal life (John 3:16; 4:14 ; 5:24; Romans 6:22; 1 Corinthians 15:23) living hope also enables us to live without despair, when we encounter suffering and trials in this present life, because this slight momentary tribulation produces in us a fall. Once again, excellent and eternal passage of glory (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
We must never forget the object of our living hope as described in (1 Peter 1:4) therefore we have an inheritance that death will never touch, that will not be stained by evil, nor will it fade with time, it is proof It is death proof, it is sin proof, it is age proof, it is error proof, because God keeps it and preserves it in heaven for us and it is totally safe, absolutely nothing can undermine the certainty of our future inheritance.
The world cannot survive for a long time without hope, it makes us go through painful experiences and fear of what the future holds. In (Ephesians 2:12) we are told that those who have no hope in Jesus Christ have no hope and we are also told that believers are blessed with real and meaningful hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, through the power from the word of God and the hand of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 4:12) the living hope of the believer is solid and sure which we have as a sure and firm anchor of the soul and that penetrates even within the veil, Jesus entered for us as a forerunner , made high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 6:19-20) Jesus Christ is our savior, our salvation, our living hope.
I reflect and respond
1. Why should we rejoice in difficulties?
2. How can you know if your faith is genuine or not?
3. Write a list of some tests that could come your way (Financially, Relationships, Persecution, etc.). How can you prepare today to face the trials of the future?
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