James 1:12 11.11.09
TNIV
12 Blessed are those who persevere under trial, because when they have stood the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
The Message
12 Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.
we’ll just cover this one verse today because in James’ letter it seems to kind stick out on its own. it doesn’t fit in with the verses before it or after. it seems like James had an ADD moment and wrote it in there.
this verse really has 2 different rewards for standing strong during trials or testing. the first would be a worldly reward because those who could endure the tough times and come out on the other side, came out stronger and better. like in the process of making metal, metal is heated and reheated until all the impurities are gone. once the impurities are gone the metal is as strong as it can be, but it has to withstand the tremendous heat and pressure to become the best. the same goes for us. if we can stand strong during the times of trials and temptation, withstand the heat and pressure, we will come out better on the other side because we have resisted or removed some of the impurities in our life that were holding us back from God.
the second reward in heavenly. this verse says those who persevere will receive a crown of life. the word for crown is stephanos and it had 4 great uses that meant different things.
#1 – a crown of flowers was worn during celebrations, like weddings, and was a sign of joy
#2 – a crown was a mark of royalty, worn by kings and others in authority. sometimes this crown was made of gold, but sometimes it was cloth tied to the forehead.
#3 – a crown of laurel leaves was the victor’s crown in the games, and was the prize they wanted above anything else.
#4 – the crown was the mark of honor and dignity.
Proverbs 1:9 – those who listen to their parents will receive a crown of grace
Proverbs 4:9 – wisdom provides a crown of glory
Lamentations 5:16 – in times of sin, “the crown has fallen from our head”
but James is including all these meanings in his statement.
#1 – We, as followers of Jesus, have joy that other don’t, like always being at a party
#2 – We have royalty that other haven’t achieved, because we are children of God
#3 – We have a victory that other haven’t won because in Jesus we can conquer life and all its trials and temptations.
#4 – We have great dignity because God considered us worthy of the life and death of Jesus.
So what is the crown of life, it is the crown that consists of life, life in Jesus. It is a new kind of living, because in Jesus, our life can be so much richer, so much better.
James is reminding us that if we can meet the testing and trials of life head on and not falter, not crumble, our life becomes immeasurably better than it was before!
