{"id":3036,"date":"2012-03-10T18:32:25","date_gmt":"2012-03-11T00:32:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/?p=3036"},"modified":"2012-03-11T20:05:19","modified_gmt":"2012-03-12T02:05:19","slug":"session-3-recap-zaspel-the-saving-word-james-112-25","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/2012\/03\/session-3-recap-zaspel-the-saving-word-james-112-25\/","title":{"rendered":"Session 4 Recap: Carson, “The Saving Word” \u00e2\u20ac\u201c James 1:12-25"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Note:<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0Tim Ragsdale is Pastor for Local Missions at\u00c2\u00a0Desert Springs Church<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0in Albuquerque, NM.\u00c2\u00a0This post is a summary of D.A. Carson’s message from Saturday morning, March 10, “The Saving Word<\/a>,” from James 1:12-25.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2<\/p>\n

Dr. D.A. Carson, in his message \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Saving Word,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d drew from\u00c2\u00a0James 1:12-25\u00c2\u00a0to teach about how Christians are to respond to trials and suffering.\u00c2\u00a0We were introduced to a pair of contrasting English \u00e2\u20ac\u0153chaps.” The first was a gifted preacher and communicator who, over the years had committed adultery and lost his pastorate on multiple occasions.\u00c2\u00a0If pressed on \u00e2\u20ac\u0153how could you do this?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he would simply quote 1 Corinthians 10:13 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and claim \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I could not endure it, therefore God is a liar!” The second chap was a faithful man who had tragically lost each of his children and finally his wife to Alzheimer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s disease. When testifying to God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s grace, this man never demonstrated any bitterness.<\/p>\n

We will all face trials, temptations, persecutions, and other suffering. How do we face it faithfully?<\/p>\n

1. Remember the Christian\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s goals.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If our goal is a life free of pain, any and all suffering will result in bitterness. If our goal is maturity in Christ, we will endure suffering gracefully, knowing that such testing refines us leading to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the crown of life\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (v. 12; cf. Revelation 2:10).<\/p>\n

2. When you confess God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sovereignty, don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t misunderstand His motives.\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

God does not tempt us, but He does test us. Temptation is an impulse to sin \u00e2\u20ac\u201csomething God is not susceptible to in the least. Equally absurd is for us to infer that God would have any motive to lead us into sin. Sin is a product of our own hearts (v. 14).\u00c2\u00a0God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sovereignty is not threatened (theologically) by human responsibility.<\/p>\n

3. When you feel abandoned and crushed, remember that God is good.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In verse 18 we see God, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153brought us forth\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0(ESV), or elsewhere translated, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153begat \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 us\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (KJV), \u00e2\u20ac\u0153gave us birth\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (NIV).\u00c2\u00a0This is not merely physical birth, but the new birth brought about by \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the Word of Truth,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d that is, the Gospel (cf. Ephesians 1:13).\u00c2\u00a0The gospel is the ultimate example of God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s goodness. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t doubt God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s goodness!<\/p>\n

4. When you hear gospel instruction, do not merely listen to it.\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just listen and fool yourself. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t listen to Gospel proclamation as though it is simply for the unbeliever. The word of the Cross is the power of God to those of us being saved (1 Corinthians 1:18).\u00c2\u00a0Salvation extends beyond justification (forensic declaration) to sanctification (life-long process of becoming more like Christ), and ultimately to glorification (Romans 8:29-30).\u00c2\u00a0We cannot underestimate the centrality and importance of the Gospel in our sanctification. It is the Holy Spirit that transforms us (crushing pride and fostering humility) and empowers us unto obedience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Editor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Note:\u00c2\u00a0Tim Ragsdale is Pastor for Local Missions at\u00c2\u00a0Desert Springs Church\u00c2\u00a0in Albuquerque, NM.\u00c2\u00a0This post is a summary of… Continue Reading ›<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[60],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3036"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3036"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3036\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3041,"href":"https:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3036\/revisions\/3041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}