James 1:12-18
“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”
As Believers, the cross of Jesus Christ is a major part of our daily existence. We have a duty to integrate the spirit of the cross and all it represents into every aspect of our lives, and the responsibility to live up to its calling and eternal promise. The Gospel of Luke (9:23) records the admonishment of the Lord, “Then He said to them all, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. This invitation necessitates the Believer to steadfastly obey the directives and adhere to the dictates of God as a matter of daily observance. There’s no days off, vacation or holidays. It is what we do. Everyday.
But while the cross is crucial, it is not the ultimate prize. It simply qualifies us as legitimate participants in Kingdom construction. The goal of carrying the cross is to make us worthy to one day wear a crown of life. The cross is the currency of our soul’s work and proof of our labor. Our eternal objective is to one day exchange the cross for a crown.
Every Child of God must endure the process of living according to God’s holy ordinance, direction and guidance if they hope to receive the divine reward. There’s no shortcut to righteous living. James opens his epistle by challenging us all to endure temptation. And please note, while there are multiple types of temptations, there is some kind of temptation waiting for everyone of us. The temptations grow out of our own lust and desires. They are an inherent part of our flesh. They can’t be escaped, but thanks be to God they can be defeated. We have the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord.
And that’s what I’d like to focus on today. If we simply concentrate on the difficulties of life, we risk losing sight of our ultimate goal. Let’s think of the cross as currency. Its value is directly related to the price we assign to the crown. The more valuable the crown becomes to us, the lighter the cross will seem to us. Our efforts will increase. Our sincerity will increase. Our commitment, participation and dedication will also increase, because we are not simply carrying the weight of the cross for nothing. It has value.
I like what James says here: Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
Ultimately, the cross is the barometer which measures how much we truly love Jesus. Do we love ourselves, our proclivities and ungodly desires, or do we love the Lord? The cross will tell the difference.
God bless
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