On the evening of July 16, 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr. took off from Fairfield, New Jersey in a single-engine Piper Saratoga plane that he piloted himself. His plan was to drop off his sister-in-law in Martha’s Vineyard, then continue on with his wife to Hyannis Port. John, John as so many of us remember him was certified to fly under “visual flight rules,” meaning he was able to use visual cues to guide him when weather conditions were favorable. However, he did not hold an instrument rating, meaning he was not proficient in using a plane’s instruments to navigate through low-visibility weather. That along with bad weather and low visibility caused the crash of his plane and the death of all three abroad.

Experienced pilots will tell you there is the temptation to fly by your instincts or, as aviators says, “By the seat of your pants.” But as any good pilot will tell you, that’s a prescription for disaster. If you rely on your feelings and instincts, you become disoriented, thinking the plane is going up when it’s actually going down. The rule of thumb is let your instruments guide you, and follow the textbook it will help ensure safety in a storm.

Almost 10 years after Kenney’s’ crash on Jan. 15, 2009, Captain Chelsey Sullenberger (“Sully”) landed an Airways 320 Airbus Flight 1549 on the Hudson River after a bird strike disabled both his plane’s engines in the skies over New York City. Miraculously, no one was killed. It was Captain Sully and his crew who were well aware of the proper textbook procedures when they landed their damaged 320 Airbus safety on the Hudson River.

Just as there are storms that arise in air flight, trials and temptation are spiritual storms that you don’t want to trust your instincts. Flying by the seat of your pants responses can make matters worse.

God wants to guide you, and His Word is our “textbook” packed with wisdom and insights for living. No one is exempt from the storms of life.  His “Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105). God promises to guide you and me. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go” (Ps. 32:8). God also promises that He will grant a special award to those that persevere called the Crown of Life. It is for all peoples both rich and poor as James continues to his readers…

I. The Challenge to the Poor. V# 9

1. James says in verse 9 “Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted.” The phrase low degree “tä-pā-nos” means “humble circumstances.” Here it refers to those who are economically poor. And he says to them, you need to glory…the word means to boast, but it’s the joy or the boasting of legitimate pride. You may have nothing in the world, nothing at all, and that’s okay. Let the brother of those humble circumstances rejoice in his high or lofty position. He may have nothing in the world but he has a high position with God.

2. The poor individual may be, the worst off in the world, but one can rejoice because of one’s spiritual status is one of exaltation. Let him rejoice in that “in Christ” he is exalted. He may be hungry, but he has the bread of life. He may be thirsty, but he drinks of the water of life. He may be poor, but he has the true riches. He may be cast aside but he is received by God. One can still except his human humiliation, his lowliness and rejoice. He doesn’t need anything more. His position before God is enough, it is everything.

Application:

Even though some Christians may have little to be happy about materially, they can rejoice in the spiritual realm when they endure the trials of life. Poverty should not embitter and ruin Christians.

However, we as believers need to recognize that though we may be materially poor, when we endure trials we are becoming spiritually rich. It is a matter of what one really values. Our attitude about our financial position in life is a real test of our character and faith.

3. Thank God for how He gives you more happiness in your righteousness than in riches. David wrote, “A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked.” (Psa. 37: 16)

Thank God for the quiet contentment you can find with a simple lifestyle. Solomon wrote, “Better is a handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.” (Eccl. 4:6)

Consider how many people with meager fare find happiness in the lasting values of life. James wrote, “Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom?” (James 2:5)
Appreciate how much more valuable Godliness is than wealth. Paul wrote, “Godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we will carry nothing out.” I Timothy 6:6

James also has a word for the rich believer…

II. The Warning to the Rich. V. #10-11

1. but the rich, in that he is made low. . . (1:10a). Trials can teach the well-to-do believer that possessions cannot buy real peace and tranquility. Did not Jesus teach us in Luke 12:15 “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesses”.

When trials come to the wealthy believer he or she is made to see the vanity of riches because in spite of having wealth he is made low. In order to warn the rich believers about placing their faith in riches; read James verses 10-11.

It is the wealthy believer who has been humbled before God through trials really knows the vanity of riches. Through trials the affluent believer discovers true godliness. – II Co. 4:17-18

2. So one must learn to remain humble with their money remembering that it is God who gives the capacity to earn it. Moses wrote, “But you should remember the Lord your God: for it is He that gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” (Deut. 8: 18) The fear of God allows you to find great satisfaction with little. Solomon wrote, “Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith (Prov. 15: 16)

James says problems result in the poor person becoming rich in spite of adverse circumstances and the rich person turning to God in spite of the snares and temptations that accompany riches. Listen folks, trials humble all believers, regardless of their social status. Whether we are rich or poor, trials come into our lives to point us to God. These trials erase all shallow honors that may seem to separate rich and poor Christians. God does not discriminate. He has the…

III. Rewards to Come (1:12)

1. James ends this section with a beatitude. He says, Blessed is the man that endureth temptation…The word translated “blessed” means “happy or fortunate.” The word was often used in reference to the Greek gods who were thought of as being happy within themselves, because they were unaffected by the events of the world. The word translated temptation in Greek is the word pi-ras-mos meaning “trials or it could be temptation.” Temptation is an enticement to do evil. James is going to launch off into the other side of the word as it were in the next section. However, enduring trials and temptations is part of this life.

2. Trials are unavoidable and unpredictable, and they come at unimaginable times and diversity. George Whitefield once said, “All trials are for two ends, that we may be better acquainted with the Lord Jesus and better acquainted with our own hearts.”

Knowing that our sovereign God will walk with us and use trials to deepen our maturity, we can count them “all joy.” God will reward His children according to how they faced the test. In this passage James mentions one of five Crowns given to Gods’ people, the Crown of life. —Rev. 2:10

3. There are four others and Paul wrote: If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward (3:14). These rewards are often called “crowns.” There is the crown of rejoicing (1 Thess. 2:19), the crown of righteousness (2 Tim. 4:8), 2Ti 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. Next, the crown of glory that fadeth not away (1 Pet. 5:4). The incorruptible crown… and every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I Co. 9:25

 4. The Crown of Life is eternal life and James is concerned about this issue. He’s concerned about living faith, the real thing. He’s concerned about true Christianity, genuine salvation. From the beginning to the end of James’ epistle, he gives a series of tests that reveal the character of one’s faith. Is it the real kind of faith that saves, or is it a sham kind of dead faith that does not save? All through this epistle there are tests for a living faith. —-gospel

Conclusion:

We must be able to recognize our true spiritual condition, to recognize our faith and to discern whether it’s living faith or dead faith.. Verse 12 says when a person perseveres under trial, that would be persevering in faith, persevering in trust in God, persevering in belief in Jesus Christ, when a person perseveres under trial, clinging to God, clinging to Christ, unwavering in his faith, he has been approved and he is one who will receive the crown which is eternal life. That crown being promised to all who truly and genuinely love the Lord because they will endure throughout it all.