Our Lord is faithful

From James 1:12-18, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive_ the crown of life,_ which God has promised to those who love him.”

We’ve all passed through trials of some sort in our life. Maybe the career path isn’t what we’d expected, or retirement isn’t as we expected it to be. Maybe it’s the loss of a spouse or child. Perhaps it’s facing your own death. The point is, trials in this life will come. But these testings and trials all have an outcome.

The Lord tested Abraham. Jesus was tempted by the devil. The Lord’s test of Abraham was unthinkable and was given to strengthen faith and bring this chosen man closer to the Lord who called Him. The devil’s temptations, as we learn from Ma_hew and Mark, were about trying to lead Jesus to abandon His mission and the cross.

James makes it clear: God is not tempted by evil. In fact, with the Greek wording, God is untemptable. That is His nature, untemptable. Being untemptable, God’s desire is never to see His creatures fall into sin or despair or false belief. Ever.

James, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, tells us where temptation comes from. It comes from our own sinful desires of our own flesh. The old word for sinful desires is lust. It’s the lust, the sinful desire for power. The First Commandment identifies this as idolatry. Each of the commandments identifies a sinful desire, a lust that is born in us, that is, in our flesh.

But Jesus has taken on this same flesh and blood. As the writer of Hebrews tells us, “He was in every way as we are, tempted, yet without sin.” In Christ we are redeemed by His blood. In Christ, in His flesh He has suffered all that we by our sins have deserved. In Christ… the flesh in which we live is baptized into His death and resurrection. The ears of our flesh hear the word of Christ, the tongue of flesh is brought by the Holy Spirit to confess Jesus Christ crucified and raised for our salvation. With our flesh, we eat and drink Jesus’ own body and blood. In our flesh, we are simultaneously sinner and saint – holy ones of God who are given His promise. These are all gifts we receive in the flesh that is redeemed by Christ.

In the bleak wilderness of this world, living the baptismal life can be difficult. Yet, by the Holy Spirit, we are kept mindful of God’s promises. So, we look forward to the day when trials will be at an end, when we will be raised to resurrection life. Until that day, by the Holy Spirit, let us remain steadfast in Christ, knowing that our Lord is faithful, that His desire is to give us the crown of life which He has purchased for us, which He will give us on the last day. Amen.

rschmittyjr@yahoo.com