Training a Christian

Training a Christian
James 1:2–8
Sunday Afternoon Service

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
At the previous Universiade which was held in Gwangu, Korea in 2015, Korea won the 1st place in total for the first time. It was such an honor not only to participate the most player but also to win the 1st place at the Universiade where 12,885 players from 143 countries participated.

After winning the 1st place, the players of Korea were invited to the Blue House, and were offered a ceremony. When they were asked how they were feeling, their eyes got wet thinking the hard trainings they had had.
Winning the 1st place was the fruit of the hard and heavy training they had had. It was the hard training; yet, their sweat from the training turned into joy.At the Nonsan Military Training Center, it is written, “Those who have sweat at the training do not have blood at the war.” It means, if you get the training well, you won’t die at the war. It means that getting the training well results in joy in the end.
Look at James 1:2 from today’s scripture. Let’s read it together.

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds
Amen.  In Korean translation, it says, “When you are on a test, consider it pure joy.” Considering test as joy. Generally, that doesn’t make sense.My younger daughter is now preparing for the university entrance exam. Few days ago, she was going to school although it was vacation. When I asked how many days were left before the exam, she said, 111 days. So I said to my daughter, “Good for you, Yejin! You are having your test in 111 days!”

She was confused. Because of that exam, not only students but also parents are tensed. But why did I say, ‘good for you?’ Because the Bible says, “When you are on a test, consider it pure joy.” Then my daughter said, “Dad, isn’t that test different from this test?”Church! Today’s scripture says, “When you are on a test, consider it pure joy.” If you know the reason why Bible says it clearly, you will say it is such a blessing to be on test.
Church, first, repeat after me. “Test is joy.” Amen. What does it mean? As we look into today’s scripture, you will get it and say, “Ah!”

The word from the original language, which is translated into test or trials here, is peirasmos. The root of that word is peira, which means,
• to make a proof of something
• experimentation
• training, drill; practice, exercise; (a) discipline.
How amazing it is! You can see the original word has a meaning which is quite different from “test.” Having that in our mind, let’s look at today’s scripture once again.
“When you are on a test, consider it pure joy,” can be understood as, “When you are under experiment, consider it pure joy.” It does makes sense. Experiment is a process of achieving a purpose which is already set. It can also be understood as practice.

practice. Exercise. “When you are on practice, consider it pure joy.” We practice repeatedly to achieve certain goal. For example, we practice driving to get a license. I hope it to help you understanding.
The goal of practicing driving repeatedly is to get a license. In other words, license is the purpose of the driving practice.

It can also be understood as discipline. Those who follow Christ are called disciple. It means follower. The disciples of Jesus were those who followed Him. We, as believers of Christ, are also His disciples. Disciples are those who desire to live desiring to live as Jesus lived, living according to the word of God, and accomplishing the pure will of God. Then, ‘test’ here means the life of the believers, who wants to live following Jesus.
Then, today’s scripture can be understood as this. “When you want to be Jesus’ disciple, consider it pure joy.” Amen. It does make sense. “When you want to follow Jesus, consider it pure joy.”
And the word training also makes sense. “When you are training, consider it pure joy.” Amen. At the beginning, I mentioned Universiade Gwangju 2015.

For the first time, Korea has won the first place. It is a result of training. Because the players had had good trainings, they could win the first place, with lots of joy.
Therefore, I hope you are having better understanding now. Let’s read it once more thinking what you just understood.

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you want to be disciples
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you are under training
Praise the Lord!

Yes, that’s right. I believe in whatever situation we are by the will of the Holy Spirit, we need to be joyful. After all, the life of a believer is a process God making him into someone as God desires, according to the power of God.  Therefore, we can’t help being joyful when we are under experiment, under training, and being discipled. Praise the Lord!Then, what is the reason God trains, tests, and disciplines us? Let’s look at the verse 3 to 4.

3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Amen. Church, Let’s say it together.
“So that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Amen. One reason God trains, tests, and disciplines a believer is to make him complete. What does it mean by, complete? The following verses are saying that complete is perfect.

The following verse says, not lacking anything. It says that the reason God tests, disciplines, and trains a believer is so that he is not lacking anything.
Lots of players got famous at the previous Universiade. One of them was Kim Kook-Young (김국영), who participated in the 100M running and set the Korea Record. It gave a shock to the Korean athletes. However, the Korea Record he set is still evaluated as insufficient to be in the world class.
What does it mean? Mr. Kim set Korea Record of 10’23 at 2010 in Korean Athletes Meet. He reset it in just 4 years. Recording 10’16, he also got the qualification to participate the world wide meet. However, although he set the Record, he got 6th place, not achieving any medal. That is why it is called insufficient.
Although it was the Korea Record, it was still not enough to be in the world class. To be in World Wide meet such as the Olympic, it should be at most 9 seconds.

And at today’s scripture, James is saying to the believers that the reason God tests, trains, and disciplines is to make us sufficient, lacking nothing.
Praise the Lord! Therefore, we can’t help but consider trials, tests, disciplines, and trainings as joy. People fear. Why? Because they haven’t experience something.
Therefore, experience is very important as we live. Experience makes faith stronger. In Korean idiom, it says, ‘In your youth, you even pay for your painful experiences.’ It does not mean the pain itself, but means that the experience through that pain brings the blessing and wisdom as you live on. Praise the Lord!
Verse 4 from today’s scripture says how we should prepare and endure the trial, training, and discipline. Let’s read it together.

4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Perseverance is the key to endure the trials, disciplines, and trainings.
In Chinese character, the first letter of the word corresponding to perseverance means “sword and heart.” It is to have sword in one’s heart. The second letter helps us understand the meaning of that sword. That second letter, nea 내, means to endure.
It is said that the letter nea came from the image of having hair on one’s cheek. What is the hair on one’s cheek? It can mean whiskers, but more generally, it is beard.
In the ancient China, there were lots of cruel and scary punishments. Some were physically painful. Some of the others were cruel in terms of humanity. One of the example of that was to cut one’s beard.
In the ancient China, beard indicated man’s authority. People envied those with beautiful beard. Guan Yu관우, a mighty general in the “Romance of the Three Kingdoms 삼국지,” was called mi yeom gong. It means, one with beautiful beard.

It was to cut that beautiful and luxurious beard. It was to ignore and destroy all of one’s right, authority, and social status. Perseverance is, to endure even when your beard is being cut, having serious trouble, being ignored and having hard time from the world.
How do you endure? What do you have in your heart? Sword. It is to endure, having sword in your heart. What does happen when you have sword in your heart? It will cut your heart into pieces. Stabbed, cut, bleeding, painful, paralyzed… It is seriously dangerous.

Have sword in your heart. How painful would it be? How sorrow was he whose beard was cut in the ancient China? He must wanted to die. He must have lost all of the reason to live on.
Church. What does this endurance mean? Jesus, to save us, had sword, which is God’s Word, on His own heart. It means Jesus’ endurance at the Cross, which was to accomplish the will of God.
Church! Jesus accomplished the complete perseverance. The night when Jesus was captured by the Roman soldiers, next to His disciples, He prayed.
“Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but now what I will but what you will.” How painful was it? It must be like having sword in His heart.
When it was about time when Jesus needed to take that painful Cross, Peter, a disciple who knew nothing, said, “Lord! You won’t take the Cross.” And then, he said, “Even if everyone deny you, I will follow you.” However, once Jesus was captured, Peter, saying “I don’t know Jesus,” “I am not His disciple,” denied Jesus with all the other disciples, even cursing Jesus. At that time, Jesus persevered.

Jesus must had the heart of perseverance; the heart that tore out into pieces. After that 3 years of miracles and signs, Peter denied Him, curse Him, as if He was nothing…… Having that painful heart, Jesus persevered.
Church! Perseverance is to look at Jesus. It is to look at Jesus, who make us perfect, holy, and new. It is to follow Jesus. It is to say, “Here I am Jesus, and I will follow You.”
It is pledge and decision to be a disciple; not one failing, not one betraying, but one who follow only Jesus. It is the perseverance of our Lord.
Beloved church! What kind of training is before you? Pray like Jesus. Look at today’s Scripture. Let’s look at verse 5.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. Amen.
It is that the answer of the problem, the answer of that experiment, discipline, and training can be found in God. Are you done with your own patient? Then here is a breakthrough. Pray to God. That’s the breakthrough.
Isn’t it natural to hit a limit? It is natural to say, “That’s it,” and “I’m done.” Then now, lay that down before God.
Cry before God. Does anything matter? Just cry out aloud before God, raise up your hands, and come before the Lord. God knows our own short. God knows our weakness. And our future is also in the hand of the Lord.
Come before the Lord. Lay down everything before Him, and ask. It is said that ask, and you will be given; Seek, and you will seek; Knock, and the door will be open to you.
It is said to worry nothing but to pray for everything. It is said to ask earnestly. It is said that the Lord knows each and everything that happens in your daily life.

And then, our Lord will give you peace. The one who knows everything will answer. Church! Verse 6 today is speaking about how we should pray. Let’s read it together.
6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. Amen.
Pray having faith. Ask without doubting. The prayer out of faith is strong. Believe that you have got everything you asked. Do not be disappointed. The Lord for sure will do it. Praise the Lord!