Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - James 1:5
What James just explained is divine wisdom, God’s view of life. However the world, which does not have or accept this revealed wisdom, generally fails to appreciate the value of enduring trials. The Christian is apt to take the world’s view toward his or her trials rather than God’s and try to escape them at any cost. An evidence of this is that the divorce rate among Christians is about the same as the divorce rate among non-Christians, at least in the United States. Most people count it all... read more
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - James 1:3-4
2. The end product of trials 1:3-4Trials are the means God uses to make believers the kind of people that bring honor to His name, namely, mature Christians. "Testing" (Gr. dokimion) implies demonstrating the true quality of something when it undergoes a trial. The true nature of gold becomes evident when the refiner heats gold ore over a fire. Similarly the character of God within a Christian that is there because of the Holy Spirit’s presence becomes apparent through trials, if responded to... read more