Bearing Up Under Trials
Growing in the Knowledge of Jesus • Sermon • Submitted
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Welcome to part 6 of our series, “Growing in the knowledge of Jesus". In previous installments, we’ve noted that this growth begins with the foundation of faith (conviction and trust), to which we add the quality of virtue (striving for excellence), manifested by increasing in knowledge (regarding God's will), and finally last week we added the grace of self-control (mastering one's desires and passions).
Let’s go back to our text to read the lucky grace we have for this week.
But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Tada, to self-control we are to add perseverance. The KJV translates it as patience, the NKJV actually does as well in many other passages. The RSV has the word steadfastness.
However it’s translated, these words all bring something very similar to mind. But remember, we’re not just listing out various graces. We’ve established in previous weeks that these graces build one upon the other and are very tightly inter-related. So, what comes to mind when you hear these words, and How does this relate to self-control? Now ask yourself, are you adding perseverance to your life as a Christian?
So with that, we’ll start our message titled
Bearing Up Under Trials.
The Definition of Perseverance
The Definition of Perseverance
The Greek
The Greek
ὑπομονή
{hypomoné}
The Liddell and Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon translates it as “a holding out, patient endurance” Strong’s defines the word as “a cheerful (or hopeful) endurance”. It implies suffering, enduring, or waiting, as a determination of the will and not simply under necessity.
In other words, you’re holding out because you’ve chosen to, not because you have to. You are bearing up under immense suffering or trial out of sheer determination of your will.
Not a Passive Virtue
Not a Passive Virtue
What do I mean by passive? Well imagine a ship anchored in a storm. The wind and waves beating against it. But it’s anchored in place and it’s not going anywhere. That anchor has got it safe and secure. This is not the connotation of that word.
hypomoné is an active word. Think of that same ship in that same storm sailing despite the attack by the same wind and waves. Pressing on to its destination despite the obstacles. Now you’ve got hypomoné.
Passive endurance requires a “grin and bear it” attitude, but hypomoné requires that you bear all the trials and difficulties while keeping a steady and even-keeled mind, pressing forward, enduring and persevering through every last bit of it.
I’m talking, Jesus-type perseverance
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
He endured the cross! He didn’t just passively lie there and get nailed to it. He pressed forward, he carried His own cross after having endured a flogging, and the craziest thing is that the Bible tells us that He was looking forward to His passion.
The New King James Version Chapter 22
With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
Paul also serves as an example.
But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me.
Perseverance is not simply bearing with trials, but “bearing up under trials.” And it is a quality required of Christians. That brings us to the demand, for all of these graces have a demand.
The Demand for Perseverance
The Demand for Perseverance
It’s necessary for mature growth
It’s necessary for mature growth
We must allow hypomoné to develop a mature character
and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
We must bear fruit with hypomoné
But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.
It’s needed to endure trials
It’s needed to endure trials
Hypomoné helped the Thessalonians to endure trials.
so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure,
And even more famously, it helped Job to endure his trials..
Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
It’s Necessary for Eternal Life
It’s Necessary for Eternal Life
We must be patient (hypomoné) in doing good to receive eternal life.
eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;
We must have patience (hypomoné) to receive the promise -
For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
If we hope to grow, endure difficulties, and eventually receive the promise, we must “add” the quality of perseverance to our character!
But how? How’d I know you’d ask that?
The Development of Perseverance
The Development of Perseverance
The Right Elements
The Right Elements
Surprise, surprise, the first one is The Word of God!
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
And not just any hope, but a strong hope, which helps us to wait eagerly with perseverance.
But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
And well of course there’s always prayer… you knew it’d be in here right? And Paul seems to agree, when prays for the Colossians.
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;
Even tribulations themselves are an element to getting perseverance! Have you heard the story about the man who prayed for patience one night before going to bed, and the next day had the worst day of his life? One thing after another went wrong, and at the end of the day he angrily asked God, why did you let the enemy attack me all day? He was shocked when on this night he heard the voice of God respond, “The enemy was nowhere near you, I have been busy all day answering your request for more patience.”
How about:
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
Tribulations produce perseverance, and perseverance prepares us for tribulation, so we have a chicken/egg paradox happening here which makes obtaining this grace a bit more challenging that the others - well, more painful anyway.
but it’s really all about maintaining...
The Right Perspective
The Right Perspective
But that’s easier said than done sometimes isn’t it? Well, I would recommend that you look to Jesus.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.
The key to running the race set before us is to consider “Him who endured such hostility”. When we do so, we are less likely to grumble and give up.
Also, look the prophets.
My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
James holds up their example of steadfastness, and says it should motivate us. Consider what they patiently endured, and our excuses for lack of perseverance or failure to bear up under trial seem silly and foolish!
And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again.
Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.
But sometimes it’s easier to just look to each other.
Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Encouragement by brethren is a powerful aid to being persistent. Through daily exhortations and frequent assemblies, we are more likely to bear up under trials.
This next tip may seem a bit Pollyanna, but it is important and effective and it is, look at life with a positive attitude.
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
Remind yourself “Trials in life are for my betterment! They mold me and make me what God would have me to be! Therefore rejoice and glory in tribulations.
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Looking to the future.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Trials are short and light compared to eternal weight of glory! And for those who persevere, glory awaits!
But hold fast what you have till I come. And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—
‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron;
They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’—
as I also have received from My Father; and I will give him the morning star.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’
“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,
‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
So let the promise of future glory encourage us to persevere!
So, how does it look when we’ve learned to persevere?
The Demonstration of Perseverance
The Demonstration of Perseverance
Required in Trying Circumstances
Required in Trying Circumstances
There are times when remaining active for the Lord is difficult. (e.g., during lingering suffering, illness, grief, etc.). Many Christians make some disappointment, loss, or grief an excuse for shirking their duties to the Lord, but to truly demonstrate perseverance, we must continue to press on in doing good.
We can work for God, even if we are laid up in bed (you can pray for the work being done by others). It’s not always easy, but this but remember this is hypomoné. Remember that ship, and the difference between passive and actively pressing on.
Required in Tempting Circumstances
Required in Tempting Circumstances
This is particularly needed when faced with the delights, pleasures, seductions of the world! I mean, I know I shouldn’t have that second piece of banana bread, but man it was good! Such distractions are just as dangerous as tribulation in rendering us unfruitful.
Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
The famous Scottish teacher and author, Alexander MacLaren once said,
“Just as the dark clouds of trial may render us inactive, so
may the dazzling brightness of temptations blind us and render
us useless.”
Putting it All Together
Putting it All Together
Perseverance involves the idea of bearing up under trials and pressing on.
In times of tribulation, it means to spurn the trials.
In times of temptation, it means to turn our backs on them -- All the while continuing to do good as the Lord directs.
In a sense, it is an extended version of self-control, self-control is a daily exercise, perseverance is the self-control needed when the test goes from today, to tomorrow, the next day, and so on. And that’s why to self-control, we add perseverance.
to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,
Let me end with a question.
Are we living the Christian life with perseverance?
May we pray that we all have “the patience of Christ”
Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.
And may we heed the admonition Paul gave to Timothy to “pursue...patience”
But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.
As we develop “the patience of Christ”, we will continue to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ!