So my study this morning included James 1:4, but where God took me from there….well, let’s just say I love following rabbit trails with my Abba!
“Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be
mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
~~James 1:4~~
I learned yesterday that perseverance is the characteristic of the person who is unswerved (not changing or becoming weaker) from his deliberate purpose and who is loyal to his faith.
Our focus verse for today tells us that perseverance must “finish its work“. What’s that mean?? In the Greek language, finish <teteios> means to be brought to its end and wanting nothing necessary to completeness; and “its work” <ergon> means to toil or to struggle with hindrances. It is also used collectively to mean an aggregate of actions. What in the world is “aggregate”? So glad you asked. Haha
Merriam-Webster defines aggregate as a material formed by the collection of units or particles into a body, mass or amount; taking all units as a whole. Let’s put that all together. As I choose to remain steadfast and unswerving through trials, all those struggle-experiences are joining together, they are a collection of units, being used to make me stronger. “God works all things together” for my good and His glory”. BAM!!!!
So here comes the rabbit trail. Ready to take a walk with Abba and me? I googled “what is aggregate?“. Check this out. Aggregate, in material science, is a component of a composite material that resists compressive stress. It is used for concrete (hard surface to walk on), mortar (holds bricks together in a building), grout (holds tiles, etc together), roofing shingles (protects from the elements).
Ok, I’m getting excited because the Spirit is bringing passages of Scripture to my mind. Check out our “spiritual aggregate” described in 2 Peter 1:5-8, “…make every effort to add to your FAITH, goodness; and to your GOODNESS, knowledge; and to your KNOWLEDGE, self-control; and to SELF-CONTROL, perseverance; and to PERSEVERANCE, godliness; and to GODLINESS, mutual affection; and to MUTUAL AFFECTION, LOVE. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of the Lord.”
These character qualities make up our spiritual aggregate, and we remember that aggregate is a composite material that RESISTS COMPRESSIVE STRESS.
Second Corinthians 4:8-9 says “we are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed“, and Isaiah 43:2-3a says, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the holy One of Israel, your Savior...” How cool is THAT?!! Oh how I love the Word and how the Spirit ties it all together!
Ok…back to James. The result of perseverance finishing its work in me is that I will be “mature and complete, not lacking anything.” The Greek word for mature is the same work used for “must finish” <teleios> meaning wanting nothing necessary to completeness.
Complete <holokleros> means in no part wanting or unsound. This refers to no grace which ought to be in a Christian is left merely in its weak imperfect beginning but will reach a certain ripeness and maturity. “Not lacking” <leipo> means to lag or be inferior. “Anything” <medeis> comes from two Greek root words: <me> which means “not” and <heis> which means “one”; absolutely (not limited in any way) nothing. Not lacking even one thing!!!
“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
~~Philippians 1:6~~
Let’s look back at James 1:2-4 as a whole. James is telling us to “consider it pure joy, my brothers when you face trials of many kinds (AGGREGATE) because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be complete, not lacking anything.”
Yep, you guessed it. The word “testing” popped off the page at me and sent me to the Internet to see how aggregate is tested. Check this out! There are seven tests done to aggregate to test for strength.
- Crushing test
- Abrasion test
- Impact test
- Soundness test
- Shape test
- Specific gravity and water absorption test
- Adhesion test
How cool is that?!!! Just like physical aggregate must be tested , so our spiritual aggregate (faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, love) has to be tested to be proven strong. THE TRIALS OF LIFE DO THE TESTING.
“We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted,
but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed”
~~2 Corinthians 4:8-9~~
“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God, the holy One of Israel, your Savior…”.
~~Isaiah 43:2-3a~~
I think it is so awesome that, although we go through periods of uncomfortable and sometimes seemingly unbearable testing, we have an Abba who promises to never leave us or forsake us. He declares, I am the Lord your God…your Savior. And because of that, we can “consider it all JOY”.