But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Trying of faith produces patience, and patience must be allowed to finish its perfect work until believers are mature, whole and complete, lacking nothing spiritually. Falling into varied trials is to be counted all joy, which is different from falling under temptation, for falling under is not necessary. God ordains or permits trials to test faith, reveal the heart, purify character as gold in the furnace, and develop virtues that seldom grow in prosperity. Letting patience finish its work means enduring troubles and delays without murmuring or discouragement, but with calm trust in God, thankful speech, and persevering prayer for wisdom in faith. This completeness is true sanctification of the whole person, reached by thorough obedience, overcoming of defects, and unreserved consecration, until fitted for service and ready for Christ's appearing.
Words and Immediate Context
The testing of faith produces patience, and patience must be allowed to finish its perfect work so that believers become perfect and entire, wanting nothing, spiritually mature, complete and whole. Enduring temptation cultivates that patience, and when patience is allowed to have its influence and do its work it is evidence of being sons and daughters of God, bringing a wonderful position of mature completeness with no lack that believers have the privilege of occupying. The trying of faith works patience, not ill will, murmuring or fretfulness, and not looking at difficulties and talking of them, which only magnifies them, but going to the Source of all grace and sufficiency, to God and Christ, for what is needed rather than carrying burdens to fellow men already weighed down.
Falling into divers temptations is to be counted all joy, which is different from falling under temptation, for falling into does not require falling under and falling under is not necessary. Trials are to be counted as joy because the trying of faith produces patience, and patience must be allowed to finish its perfect work to become complete and whole, lacking nothing, learning valuable lessons from trials with trust in Jesus to keep and strengthen and shield at all times rather than fretfulness and murmuring. Jesus helps those who look to God for support and strength in every emergency to endure without falling under, and the tempted soul feeling utter helplessness flees to Christ as a stronghold, clings more strongly as temptation grows fiercer, and by faith passes the temptation over to Christ and leaves it there, armed with faith in His strength and miracle-working power to overcome as Christ overcame, more than a conqueror. Temptations assailing God's children are Satan's wrath against Christ vented on those He redeemed, watched by the heavenly universe as a conflict between Christ in His saints and the deceiver.
The same context includes asking God for wisdom, who gives to all liberally and upbraids not, asking in faith with nothing wavering, for the wavering double-minded man is unstable in all his ways and receives nothing from the Lord. Asking for spiritual blessing only to please self receives nothing, while asking to impart to others with humility, sincerity and persevering faith claims the promise, pressing petitions to the throne with felt need for grace and intelligent knowledge of truth to give the bread of life to those in need, and then abundant supplies of grace are received so that nothing is wanted. This perfection by appropriating faith fully qualifies God's servants by the descent of the Holy Spirit to do their great work to perfection, making the church a powerful and holy people meeting the claims of the gospel and enjoying its fullness, for God requires heart service since to obey is better than sacrifice and without obedience and pure love the richest offering is too poor.
The instruction in James 1 is to be read carefully and prayerfully, understood clearly and applied personally to show individual responsibility and need, and heeded in order not to be weighed in the balances and found wanting. It is an individual work to be done before labor for others can accomplish anything, by taking the Word of life as one's own, bringing the promises to the Lord and claiming them, relying not on any human power but on the strength of the Lord, doing a work to clear the King's highway. That work requires bringing the will into conformity with God's will, overcoming self, temper, evil and inclinations, bringing oneself under God's discipline and moving steadily forward from victory to victory, with human effort succeeding through divine power. Diligently obeying reveals personal need and requires thorough, not superficial, work on character until life pleases the Lord and example is safe to follow, through unreserved consecration leaving self behind so works are found perfect before God, without which heaven will never be the home, one cannot enter the straight gate, and one is unfit to remain as a minister of the Word.
The verse is a promise to appropriate by faith. It belongs to the promise of James 1:1-7 that gives counsel of God to one who is burdened and sleepless and needs counsel from God, a promise to be believed when seeking Him.
Why God Sends Trials
God ordains or permits conflicts, trials, temptations and afflictions to test and prove faith and to school His people as students of Christ through the Scriptures. They reveal weakness and what is in the heart, discipline the heart, and lead believers to draw near to God, to know Him and trust Him, increasing love and perfect trust in Him. He brings everyone into trying positions to see if they will trust in a power outside and above themselves, for everyone has undiscovered traits that must come to light through trial. God allows those who are self-sufficient to be sorely tempted so they may understand their helplessness, sends trials because there are lessons not yet learned, and gives experience of value for future work.
He knows human necessities and weakness and will not allow testing beyond what can be borne, so there is no cause for discouragement even when the test has not always been stood in the past. Trials purify and cleanse the heart until mature and lacking nothing, removing impurity, roughness and unchristlike traits and strengthening weak points. As gold is put into the furnace that dross may be removed under the eye of the Refiner, so trial removes defect, and murmuring makes it more bitter while patience, endurance and prayer sweeten it and let it accomplish its work.
Believers taken as rough stones from the quarry are brought into God's workshop to be hewed, squared, chiseled, planed, burnished and polished and fitted closely joint to joint for the heavenly temple. The ax, hammer and chisel are in the hands of One who is skilful, used not to destroy but to work out perfection, standing the worker under His supervision far above selfish interests while conquering temptation. The process is painful and hard like being pressed down to the grinding wheel, yet such careful thorough work is given to no useless material but only to precious stones polished after the similitude of a palace.
Trials develop a class of Christian virtues seldom grown in the sunshine of prosperity, maturing faith, patience, forbearance, heavenly-mindedness, meekness and love into perfect fruit and perfect blossoms amid clouds, disappointments and bereavements. They do not create Christians but develop in them the mind and will of Christ and living principles of virtue and holiness, revealing the reality of faith and the strength of its anchor. Received in the right spirit they prove an advantage for good rather than discouragement, teaching loss of earthly dependence to mean more continual trust in the Saviour with peace, cheerfulness in God and fear of God alone.
Trials prepare believers for greater conflicts, service and responsibility, teaching full dependence on God and trust outside and above self. By drawing near to God and enduring in His strength believers learn valuable lessons and gain precious graces, becoming spiritually complete and increasingly established in truth. Rightly received with humble obedience and following His word they fit people through Christ's righteousness for the heavenly kingdom and for the work given them, and sharing Christ's sufferings prepares them to share His glory.
Temptations assailing God's children are Satan's wrath against Christ vented on those He redeemed, watched by the heavenly universe as a conflict between Christ in His saints and the deceiver. God deliberately does not explain the meaning of many trials because explaining would destroy the purifying work that calls forth childlike simple faith and perfect trust in thus saith the Lord. Trials and obstacles are a pruning process that gives patience and endurance their work, calling out patience and strengthening determination and steadfastness to help win victories over self rather than hindering or destroying. Received as educators they raise faith to meet the test rather than sink it, increase appreciation of truth, strengthen faith to be steadfast both to act and to endure, and bring honor and glory to God at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
Completeness God Requires
To be perfect and entire, wanting nothing, is to reach mature, whole, complete Christian character formed after the divine model through tests and faithful obedience to law, growing toward a higher life and more sanctified service. It is reached by allowing perseverance to finish its work until nothing is lacking, overcoming defects of character by strong effort, constant watchfulness and persevering prayer after the example of Christ as a perfect overcomer. Patience in the trials of life develops this completeness, making believers increasingly established in truth, ready to bear responsibility and to follow the divine pattern with fortitude. It requires earnestly curing personal defects rather than excusing natural makeup as unchangeable or trusting others to supply the lack.
Without the grace of patience no one attains this Christian perfection of being complete and lacking nothing. Patience can be learned and cultivated even by those naturally quick to think and act, through self-knowledge, divine grace and firm determination.
This complete state is true sanctification embracing the whole person, soul, body and spirit, fitting for the common duties of ordinary life rather than one religion for business and another for the church. It is the only safe course for developing the attributes of a true Christian, to be perfected during probationary time by letting patience finish its work, with no uncertainty. When the Word is cherished as an abiding principle in the heart and held fast under every circumstance, all entrusted capabilities and undivided powers, even the thoughts, are brought into subjection and captivity to Christ and blend in complete harmony. To lack nothing means keeping no part of self to do with as one pleases, but knowing one is bought with a price and glorifying God in body and spirit which are His. This maturity is not produced by outward appearance or instruction alone, but the heart must first be right with God and renewed by the creating power of the Holy Spirit so character and influence can help others grow toward the same completeness.
Every provision has been made in grace for each person individually, including the young, to be found in Christ perfect and entire, wanting nothing. This completeness is the impress of the Holy Spirit and is received by turning to Jesus with the whole heart while mercy lingers, realizing deficiency and being supplied from His fullness. It comes when the human agent submits to the control of the Holy Spirit and consecrates body, soul and spirit to God, and then God does His part, being found by all who seek Him diligently and improving their talents by His presence and blessing. It is connected with recognizing and correcting faults, repenting, confessing sin, and forsaking what grieves the Spirit. The lesson is pressed especially upon the young, and belongs with acceptable prayer and service, where a stammering humble prayer offered in faith and a loving appeal to the sinner carrying the spirit of Christ is wholly acceptable, and where a contrite, meek and lowly heart becomes a power for good by letting increasing light and truth shine.
This readiness for the appearing of Christ prepares believers to stand in the day of God. It requires putting away sin while probation and mercy remain, living without deceit, impurity, corruption and hypocrisy. Outward appearance cannot hide the heart from God, and neither the garment of readiness nor the wedding garment can cover what is corrupt, because God sees the thoughts, motives and intents of the heart.
The building is made perfect and complete as God planes, polishes and shapes each worker as material for His temple to fit together in unity and harmony, joint connecting closely to joint so every part is in harmony. Letting patience have its perfect work lifts His people far above selfish interests and enables them to conquer temptation under His supervision in the communion of saints. When this work is done they are filled with meekness and tenderness, know His love covering them, taste the sweetness of His fruit, and make a heaven below in preparation for heaven above.
Diligent obedience to the command to let patience have its perfect work reveals personal need and requires thorough, not superficial, work on character until the life pleases the Lord and the example is safe for others to follow. It means becoming Christlike through unreserved consecration, leaving self behind and making no blunders, so works are found perfect before God. This perfect work includes self-possession and self-control in varied circumstances, qualifying a person to adapt to situations and act without embarrassment. It forms a correct estimate of self that avoids both extremes of high self-opinion leading to arrogant independence and low self-opinion leading to inferiority, so life is dignified without vain self-confidence and yielding without loss of self-respect and has wide influence for good. Without this Christlikeness heaven will never be the home, one cannot enter the straight gate, and one is unfit to remain as a minister of the Word.
The call to become perfect and entire applies to ministers, who must be sanctified by the truths they preach and have clean hands and pure hearts, examining themselves and doing this work thoroughly to gain eternal life. All workers in the great field should be striving to become perfect, wanting nothing, because the day of God hastens on, coming behind in no gift while waiting for the appearing of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven. That condition is reached through the highest exercise of faith and the development of harmonious character, with each worker honoring varied gifts and his own important place instead of spending time bringing others to conform to personal ideas and opinions. The minister must stand perfect in Christ and come behind in no grace or gift in order to present every person perfect in Christ Jesus. This requires not seeking supremacy, regarding fellow laborers as workers for God, opening all plans before the council, and recognizing personal blindness, weakness, deficiencies and errors, with thorough reform without discouragement.
Allowing Patience to Finish
Letting patience finish its perfect work means bearing troubles, afflictions and daily vexations patiently, without complaining, bitterness, murmuring, fretfulness, faultfinding, scolding, sinking into sadness or discouragement, but with calm trust in God and counting it joy to endure for Christ's sake. Murmuring and complaining only make the trial more bitter, while patience, endurance and prayer sweeten it and allow it to accomplish its intended work of instruction, purification and cleansing of the heart unto maturity and wholeness. Patient endurance builds strength and knowledge to meet temptation without being overcome, to avoid hasty speech and reckless discouragement, and to bear still greater difficulties while continuing to trust through temptation.
It requires not looking at difficulties and talking of them, for that only magnifies them, and not carrying burdens for knowledge and help to fellow men who are already weighed down, but going instead to the Source of all grace and sufficiency, to God and Christ, for what is needed. Feeling utter helplessness, the tempted soul flees to Christ as a stronghold, clings more strongly as temptation grows fiercer, and by faith passes the temptation over to Christ and leaves it there. Faith in the Saviour's strength and miracle-working power then arms the believer with strength to overcome as Christ overcame, making him more than a conqueror, and endurance of temptation itself becomes the cultivation of patience.
Faithful speech educates the believer to see light when God presents it: trusting God to give what is asked even when it is not seen or felt, keeping thankful, and talking light and faith and hope and courage and the bright side while praying and believing. This means constantly looking and speaking on the bright side, dwelling on the attributes of God and the love of Jesus, telling experiences in His love whose fullness soothes the heart and causes disagreeable occurrences to be forgotten, and offering simple, trustful, earnest prayer. Discouraging speech, by contrast, sows bad seed to be reaped again and grieves the Holy Spirit, so self-discipline must exalt and ennoble rather than contract the mind upon little things, refusing to center on objectionable things, to judge by finite measure, to make a brother an offender for a word, or to speak criticism.
Delay in answering prayer is for special benefit, giving faith opportunity to be tested whether it is true, sincere and steady upon God's word or changeable like the waves of the sea. Immediate answers are desired and delay tempts to discouragement, but discouragement over delay is a great mistake. Faith grows through continual exercise in calmly trusting and waiting on the Lord, binding oneself upon the altar with strong cords of faith and love, saying one believes God will give what is asked even when His leading is not understood and there is heaviness through temptation instead of joy, seeking His purpose rather than insisting on one's own wishes. Such waiting is supported by precious promises that bring blessing, deepen love for Him, increase faith, brighten hope, and replace gloom, doubt and murmuring with cheerfulness.
Letting patience work also means pressing petitions to the throne of grace with felt need for grace and intelligent knowledge of the truth in order to give the bread of life to those in need, and then abundant supplies of grace are received so that nothing is wanted. Asking for spiritual blessing only to please self receives nothing, while asking to impart to others with humility, sincerity and persevering faith claims the promise. Waiting in prayer does not mean doing nothing, for when seeking healing believers should also use the means God has provided.
Adversity is to be received in the right spirit rather than mourned, saying from the heart that affliction is good and that loss of earthly dependence teaches more continual trust in the Saviour. Peace, cheerfulness in God and fear of God alone are to be kept through trusting faith, instead of making unhappiness from imagined trials, while invincible adverse powers of earth and hell cannot destroy that peace. After doing duty toward brethren, the believer is to go forward trusting the Lord to touch hearts, relying upon the Mighty One and living as a sunshiny Christian in the light, rather than grieving over imperfections. Patience under trial beautifies character, teaches full devotion of all affections and powers to God and leaving results with Him, gives experience of value for future work, and examines the heart to expose defilement, so that trusting the Lord, waiting patiently and humbling the heart keep the enemy from triumphing, with no cause for discouragement since God understands weakness and will not allow testing beyond what can be borne.
Perfection for God's servants and a powerful holy people comes by appropriating faith that asks God for wisdom, who gives to all liberally and upbraids not, asking in faith nothing wavering. By this, God's servants are fully qualified by the descent of the Holy Spirit to do their great work to perfection, and the church becomes a powerful and holy people, a name and praise in all the earth, meeting the claims of the gospel and enjoying its fullness, wanting nothing. God requires heart service, for to obey is better than sacrifice, and without obedience and pure love the richest offering is too poor to present to Him.
Applied to Life and Service
Testing of character shows whether faith is genuine and whether hearts draw life from Christ, calling for patient faithfulness to finish its work unto maturity and fitness to strengthen the weak and tempted, and failure appears as bitterness, suspicion and harmful speech needing prayer for God to search and cleanse the heart. The same perfecting brings light and encouragement to long-experienced pillars of the church to move wisely, to hold high esteem, and to walk carefully and prayerfully before the Lord so that He directs all ways. In institutional crisis it means staying in Battle Creek for the present instead of selling the school buildings, which would defeat God's purpose, holding steady while a decided work frees institutions from debt through united self-denial, self-sacrifice and earnest canvassing, waiting for God to show what to do next and for the coming time to leave. It also means bearing with tardy ones who delay with talk, unbelief and criticism without losing peace and joy and happiness in God's purposes, becoming men and women of opportunity who move promptly, thoroughly and earnestly with purposeful work for the Master under support of ministering angels.
In the home where different temperaments meet, patience does its perfect work when fathers and mothers as laborers together with God patiently and kindly restrain children from evil without scolding words that spoil influence, with mercy and tenderness exercised intelligently. That patient restraint is a constant school for the children, and children so trained will be a blessing to the school. In marriage, provocations and faults on both sides call for patience and self-control in the heart, with a husband restraining harsh authority, dictation and constant faultfinding to preserve love, aid reconciliation, and develop noble, generous, Christlike character. When God's work moves slowly and laborers are tried to the uttermost, patience completes its work by enduring patiently and going right on undisturbed.
The light of the Word must shine through care for the sick, Christ's miracle-working power, advocacy of truth, and uplifting school and sanitarium influence even if not established in a few months or as soon as desired, as was required in Australia. Likewise patience has its perfect work in waiting for the Lord's direction for His man of opportunity for financial management rather than appointing careless financiers, practicing Christ's meekness and lowliness while trusting His hand on the helm to adjust the matter, with trial giving faith increased strength. Perfection in inexperienced workers is reached when ministers show real earnestness to help them succeed, laboring with patience, kindness, forbearance, persevering effort, prayer and personal effort to teach them how to work, encourage them, develop talent and prepare them for responsibility. To be an entire Christian is to love God, keep His commandments, be temperate in all habits, and lay aside everything injurious to health or demoralizing such as tobacco.
This becoming entire cannot be done in human strength, but God helps those who trust Him, answers sincere humble prayer of faith, heals and delivers as Jesus healed, purges debasing appetite, and by faith makes the one who clings to Him a victor more worthy to worship a pure and holy God. Great trials bring great blessings that complete character leaving nothing lacking, as seen when the Boulder-Colorado Sanitarium bakery and laundry burned and other severe trials came, where God miraculously preserved His work with deliverances so evident even worldly unbelievers acknowledged divine interposition. Likewise the Dansville affliction was a blessing leading to heart-searching and deeper conformity to God's will, where spiritual refreshing did not bring immediate deliverance but prepared for greater trials. Patience has fruitful work even when usefulness appears suspended, for meekness in trial can win converts and cheerfully resting from labor can teach lessons at Jesus' feet, since the Master uses withdrawn Christians as effectively as active workers.
Opposition, setbacks and difficult circumstances can call forth trust in God and firmness, developing strength, self-reliance, ability and endurance needed for success and victory. Difficulties and adversity are instruments of discipline that make people more able and efficient, while avoiding toil, trials and responsibility for fear of failure forfeits growth and leaves without strength or endurance. Churches shaped by harsh, unchristlike labor are not being formed toward the maturity and completeness of being perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Trying of faith produces patience, and patience must be allowed to finish its perfect work until believers are mature, whole and complete, lacking nothing spiritually. Falling into varied trials is to be counted all joy, which is different from falling under temptation, for falling under is not necessary. God ordains or permits trials to test faith, reveal the heart, purify character as gold in the furnace, and develop virtues that seldom grow in prosperity. Letting patience finish its work means enduring troubles and delays without murmuring or discouragement, but with calm trust in God, thankful speech, and persevering prayer for wisdom in faith. This completeness is true sanctification of the whole person, reached by thorough obedience, overcoming of defects, and unreserved consecration, until fitted for service and ready for Christ's appearing.
Words and Immediate Context
The testing of faith produces patience, and patience must be allowed to finish its perfect work so that believers become perfect and entire, wanting nothing, spiritually mature, complete and whole. Enduring temptation cultivates that patience, and when patience is allowed to have its influence and do its work it is evidence of being sons and daughters of God, bringing a wonderful position of mature completeness with no lack that believers have the privilege of occupying. The trying of faith works patience, not ill will, murmuring or fretfulness, and not looking at difficulties and talking of them, which only magnifies them, but going to the Source of all grace and sufficiency, to God and Christ, for what is needed rather than carrying burdens to fellow men already weighed down.
Falling into divers temptations is to be counted all joy, which is different from falling under temptation, for falling into does not require falling under and falling under is not necessary. Trials are to be counted as joy because the trying of faith produces patience, and patience must be allowed to finish its perfect work to become complete and whole, lacking nothing, learning valuable lessons from trials with trust in Jesus to keep and strengthen and shield at all times rather than fretfulness and murmuring. Jesus helps those who look to God for support and strength in every emergency to endure without falling under, and the tempted soul feeling utter helplessness flees to Christ as a stronghold, clings more strongly as temptation grows fiercer, and by faith passes the temptation over to Christ and leaves it there, armed with faith in His strength and miracle-working power to overcome as Christ overcame, more than a conqueror. Temptations assailing God's children are Satan's wrath against Christ vented on those He redeemed, watched by the heavenly universe as a conflict between Christ in His saints and the deceiver.
The same context includes asking God for wisdom, who gives to all liberally and upbraids not, asking in faith with nothing wavering, for the wavering double-minded man is unstable in all his ways and receives nothing from the Lord. Asking for spiritual blessing only to please self receives nothing, while asking to impart to others with humility, sincerity and persevering faith claims the promise, pressing petitions to the throne with felt need for grace and intelligent knowledge of truth to give the bread of life to those in need, and then abundant supplies of grace are received so that nothing is wanted. This perfection by appropriating faith fully qualifies God's servants by the descent of the Holy Spirit to do their great work to perfection, making the church a powerful and holy people meeting the claims of the gospel and enjoying its fullness, for God requires heart service since to obey is better than sacrifice and without obedience and pure love the richest offering is too poor.
The instruction in James 1 is to be read carefully and prayerfully, understood clearly and applied personally to show individual responsibility and need, and heeded in order not to be weighed in the balances and found wanting. It is an individual work to be done before labor for others can accomplish anything, by taking the Word of life as one's own, bringing the promises to the Lord and claiming them, relying not on any human power but on the strength of the Lord, doing a work to clear the King's highway. That work requires bringing the will into conformity with God's will, overcoming self, temper, evil and inclinations, bringing oneself under God's discipline and moving steadily forward from victory to victory, with human effort succeeding through divine power. Diligently obeying reveals personal need and requires thorough, not superficial, work on character until life pleases the Lord and example is safe to follow, through unreserved consecration leaving self behind so works are found perfect before God, without which heaven will never be the home, one cannot enter the straight gate, and one is unfit to remain as a minister of the Word.
The verse is a promise to appropriate by faith. It belongs to the promise of James 1:1-7 that gives counsel of God to one who is burdened and sleepless and needs counsel from God, a promise to be believed when seeking Him.
Why God Sends Trials
God ordains or permits conflicts, trials, temptations and afflictions to test and prove faith and to school His people as students of Christ through the Scriptures. They reveal weakness and what is in the heart, discipline the heart, and lead believers to draw near to God, to know Him and trust Him, increasing love and perfect trust in Him. He brings everyone into trying positions to see if they will trust in a power outside and above themselves, for everyone has undiscovered traits that must come to light through trial. God allows those who are self-sufficient to be sorely tempted so they may understand their helplessness, sends trials because there are lessons not yet learned, and gives experience of value for future work.
He knows human necessities and weakness and will not allow testing beyond what can be borne, so there is no cause for discouragement even when the test has not always been stood in the past. Trials purify and cleanse the heart until mature and lacking nothing, removing impurity, roughness and unchristlike traits and strengthening weak points. As gold is put into the furnace that dross may be removed under the eye of the Refiner, so trial removes defect, and murmuring makes it more bitter while patience, endurance and prayer sweeten it and let it accomplish its work.
Believers taken as rough stones from the quarry are brought into God's workshop to be hewed, squared, chiseled, planed, burnished and polished and fitted closely joint to joint for the heavenly temple. The ax, hammer and chisel are in the hands of One who is skilful, used not to destroy but to work out perfection, standing the worker under His supervision far above selfish interests while conquering temptation. The process is painful and hard like being pressed down to the grinding wheel, yet such careful thorough work is given to no useless material but only to precious stones polished after the similitude of a palace.
Trials develop a class of Christian virtues seldom grown in the sunshine of prosperity, maturing faith, patience, forbearance, heavenly-mindedness, meekness and love into perfect fruit and perfect blossoms amid clouds, disappointments and bereavements. They do not create Christians but develop in them the mind and will of Christ and living principles of virtue and holiness, revealing the reality of faith and the strength of its anchor. Received in the right spirit they prove an advantage for good rather than discouragement, teaching loss of earthly dependence to mean more continual trust in the Saviour with peace, cheerfulness in God and fear of God alone.
Trials prepare believers for greater conflicts, service and responsibility, teaching full dependence on God and trust outside and above self. By drawing near to God and enduring in His strength believers learn valuable lessons and gain precious graces, becoming spiritually complete and increasingly established in truth. Rightly received with humble obedience and following His word they fit people through Christ's righteousness for the heavenly kingdom and for the work given them, and sharing Christ's sufferings prepares them to share His glory.
Temptations assailing God's children are Satan's wrath against Christ vented on those He redeemed, watched by the heavenly universe as a conflict between Christ in His saints and the deceiver. God deliberately does not explain the meaning of many trials because explaining would destroy the purifying work that calls forth childlike simple faith and perfect trust in thus saith the Lord. Trials and obstacles are a pruning process that gives patience and endurance their work, calling out patience and strengthening determination and steadfastness to help win victories over self rather than hindering or destroying. Received as educators they raise faith to meet the test rather than sink it, increase appreciation of truth, strengthen faith to be steadfast both to act and to endure, and bring honor and glory to God at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
Completeness God Requires
To be perfect and entire, wanting nothing, is to reach mature, whole, complete Christian character formed after the divine model through tests and faithful obedience to law, growing toward a higher life and more sanctified service. It is reached by allowing perseverance to finish its work until nothing is lacking, overcoming defects of character by strong effort, constant watchfulness and persevering prayer after the example of Christ as a perfect overcomer. Patience in the trials of life develops this completeness, making believers increasingly established in truth, ready to bear responsibility and to follow the divine pattern with fortitude. It requires earnestly curing personal defects rather than excusing natural makeup as unchangeable or trusting others to supply the lack.
Without the grace of patience no one attains this Christian perfection of being complete and lacking nothing. Patience can be learned and cultivated even by those naturally quick to think and act, through self-knowledge, divine grace and firm determination.
This complete state is true sanctification embracing the whole person, soul, body and spirit, fitting for the common duties of ordinary life rather than one religion for business and another for the church. It is the only safe course for developing the attributes of a true Christian, to be perfected during probationary time by letting patience finish its work, with no uncertainty. When the Word is cherished as an abiding principle in the heart and held fast under every circumstance, all entrusted capabilities and undivided powers, even the thoughts, are brought into subjection and captivity to Christ and blend in complete harmony. To lack nothing means keeping no part of self to do with as one pleases, but knowing one is bought with a price and glorifying God in body and spirit which are His. This maturity is not produced by outward appearance or instruction alone, but the heart must first be right with God and renewed by the creating power of the Holy Spirit so character and influence can help others grow toward the same completeness.
Every provision has been made in grace for each person individually, including the young, to be found in Christ perfect and entire, wanting nothing. This completeness is the impress of the Holy Spirit and is received by turning to Jesus with the whole heart while mercy lingers, realizing deficiency and being supplied from His fullness. It comes when the human agent submits to the control of the Holy Spirit and consecrates body, soul and spirit to God, and then God does His part, being found by all who seek Him diligently and improving their talents by His presence and blessing. It is connected with recognizing and correcting faults, repenting, confessing sin, and forsaking what grieves the Spirit. The lesson is pressed especially upon the young, and belongs with acceptable prayer and service, where a stammering humble prayer offered in faith and a loving appeal to the sinner carrying the spirit of Christ is wholly acceptable, and where a contrite, meek and lowly heart becomes a power for good by letting increasing light and truth shine.
This readiness for the appearing of Christ prepares believers to stand in the day of God. It requires putting away sin while probation and mercy remain, living without deceit, impurity, corruption and hypocrisy. Outward appearance cannot hide the heart from God, and neither the garment of readiness nor the wedding garment can cover what is corrupt, because God sees the thoughts, motives and intents of the heart.
The building is made perfect and complete as God planes, polishes and shapes each worker as material for His temple to fit together in unity and harmony, joint connecting closely to joint so every part is in harmony. Letting patience have its perfect work lifts His people far above selfish interests and enables them to conquer temptation under His supervision in the communion of saints. When this work is done they are filled with meekness and tenderness, know His love covering them, taste the sweetness of His fruit, and make a heaven below in preparation for heaven above.
Diligent obedience to the command to let patience have its perfect work reveals personal need and requires thorough, not superficial, work on character until the life pleases the Lord and the example is safe for others to follow. It means becoming Christlike through unreserved consecration, leaving self behind and making no blunders, so works are found perfect before God. This perfect work includes self-possession and self-control in varied circumstances, qualifying a person to adapt to situations and act without embarrassment. It forms a correct estimate of self that avoids both extremes of high self-opinion leading to arrogant independence and low self-opinion leading to inferiority, so life is dignified without vain self-confidence and yielding without loss of self-respect and has wide influence for good. Without this Christlikeness heaven will never be the home, one cannot enter the straight gate, and one is unfit to remain as a minister of the Word.
The call to become perfect and entire applies to ministers, who must be sanctified by the truths they preach and have clean hands and pure hearts, examining themselves and doing this work thoroughly to gain eternal life. All workers in the great field should be striving to become perfect, wanting nothing, because the day of God hastens on, coming behind in no gift while waiting for the appearing of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven. That condition is reached through the highest exercise of faith and the development of harmonious character, with each worker honoring varied gifts and his own important place instead of spending time bringing others to conform to personal ideas and opinions. The minister must stand perfect in Christ and come behind in no grace or gift in order to present every person perfect in Christ Jesus. This requires not seeking supremacy, regarding fellow laborers as workers for God, opening all plans before the council, and recognizing personal blindness, weakness, deficiencies and errors, with thorough reform without discouragement.
Allowing Patience to Finish
Letting patience finish its perfect work means bearing troubles, afflictions and daily vexations patiently, without complaining, bitterness, murmuring, fretfulness, faultfinding, scolding, sinking into sadness or discouragement, but with calm trust in God and counting it joy to endure for Christ's sake. Murmuring and complaining only make the trial more bitter, while patience, endurance and prayer sweeten it and allow it to accomplish its intended work of instruction, purification and cleansing of the heart unto maturity and wholeness. Patient endurance builds strength and knowledge to meet temptation without being overcome, to avoid hasty speech and reckless discouragement, and to bear still greater difficulties while continuing to trust through temptation.
It requires not looking at difficulties and talking of them, for that only magnifies them, and not carrying burdens for knowledge and help to fellow men who are already weighed down, but going instead to the Source of all grace and sufficiency, to God and Christ, for what is needed. Feeling utter helplessness, the tempted soul flees to Christ as a stronghold, clings more strongly as temptation grows fiercer, and by faith passes the temptation over to Christ and leaves it there. Faith in the Saviour's strength and miracle-working power then arms the believer with strength to overcome as Christ overcame, making him more than a conqueror, and endurance of temptation itself becomes the cultivation of patience.
Faithful speech educates the believer to see light when God presents it: trusting God to give what is asked even when it is not seen or felt, keeping thankful, and talking light and faith and hope and courage and the bright side while praying and believing. This means constantly looking and speaking on the bright side, dwelling on the attributes of God and the love of Jesus, telling experiences in His love whose fullness soothes the heart and causes disagreeable occurrences to be forgotten, and offering simple, trustful, earnest prayer. Discouraging speech, by contrast, sows bad seed to be reaped again and grieves the Holy Spirit, so self-discipline must exalt and ennoble rather than contract the mind upon little things, refusing to center on objectionable things, to judge by finite measure, to make a brother an offender for a word, or to speak criticism.
Delay in answering prayer is for special benefit, giving faith opportunity to be tested whether it is true, sincere and steady upon God's word or changeable like the waves of the sea. Immediate answers are desired and delay tempts to discouragement, but discouragement over delay is a great mistake. Faith grows through continual exercise in calmly trusting and waiting on the Lord, binding oneself upon the altar with strong cords of faith and love, saying one believes God will give what is asked even when His leading is not understood and there is heaviness through temptation instead of joy, seeking His purpose rather than insisting on one's own wishes. Such waiting is supported by precious promises that bring blessing, deepen love for Him, increase faith, brighten hope, and replace gloom, doubt and murmuring with cheerfulness.
Letting patience work also means pressing petitions to the throne of grace with felt need for grace and intelligent knowledge of the truth in order to give the bread of life to those in need, and then abundant supplies of grace are received so that nothing is wanted. Asking for spiritual blessing only to please self receives nothing, while asking to impart to others with humility, sincerity and persevering faith claims the promise. Waiting in prayer does not mean doing nothing, for when seeking healing believers should also use the means God has provided.
Adversity is to be received in the right spirit rather than mourned, saying from the heart that affliction is good and that loss of earthly dependence teaches more continual trust in the Saviour. Peace, cheerfulness in God and fear of God alone are to be kept through trusting faith, instead of making unhappiness from imagined trials, while invincible adverse powers of earth and hell cannot destroy that peace. After doing duty toward brethren, the believer is to go forward trusting the Lord to touch hearts, relying upon the Mighty One and living as a sunshiny Christian in the light, rather than grieving over imperfections. Patience under trial beautifies character, teaches full devotion of all affections and powers to God and leaving results with Him, gives experience of value for future work, and examines the heart to expose defilement, so that trusting the Lord, waiting patiently and humbling the heart keep the enemy from triumphing, with no cause for discouragement since God understands weakness and will not allow testing beyond what can be borne.
Perfection for God's servants and a powerful holy people comes by appropriating faith that asks God for wisdom, who gives to all liberally and upbraids not, asking in faith nothing wavering. By this, God's servants are fully qualified by the descent of the Holy Spirit to do their great work to perfection, and the church becomes a powerful and holy people, a name and praise in all the earth, meeting the claims of the gospel and enjoying its fullness, wanting nothing. God requires heart service, for to obey is better than sacrifice, and without obedience and pure love the richest offering is too poor to present to Him.
Applied to Life and Service
Testing of character shows whether faith is genuine and whether hearts draw life from Christ, calling for patient faithfulness to finish its work unto maturity and fitness to strengthen the weak and tempted, and failure appears as bitterness, suspicion and harmful speech needing prayer for God to search and cleanse the heart. The same perfecting brings light and encouragement to long-experienced pillars of the church to move wisely, to hold high esteem, and to walk carefully and prayerfully before the Lord so that He directs all ways. In institutional crisis it means staying in Battle Creek for the present instead of selling the school buildings, which would defeat God's purpose, holding steady while a decided work frees institutions from debt through united self-denial, self-sacrifice and earnest canvassing, waiting for God to show what to do next and for the coming time to leave. It also means bearing with tardy ones who delay with talk, unbelief and criticism without losing peace and joy and happiness in God's purposes, becoming men and women of opportunity who move promptly, thoroughly and earnestly with purposeful work for the Master under support of ministering angels.
In the home where different temperaments meet, patience does its perfect work when fathers and mothers as laborers together with God patiently and kindly restrain children from evil without scolding words that spoil influence, with mercy and tenderness exercised intelligently. That patient restraint is a constant school for the children, and children so trained will be a blessing to the school. In marriage, provocations and faults on both sides call for patience and self-control in the heart, with a husband restraining harsh authority, dictation and constant faultfinding to preserve love, aid reconciliation, and develop noble, generous, Christlike character. When God's work moves slowly and laborers are tried to the uttermost, patience completes its work by enduring patiently and going right on undisturbed.
The light of the Word must shine through care for the sick, Christ's miracle-working power, advocacy of truth, and uplifting school and sanitarium influence even if not established in a few months or as soon as desired, as was required in Australia. Likewise patience has its perfect work in waiting for the Lord's direction for His man of opportunity for financial management rather than appointing careless financiers, practicing Christ's meekness and lowliness while trusting His hand on the helm to adjust the matter, with trial giving faith increased strength. Perfection in inexperienced workers is reached when ministers show real earnestness to help them succeed, laboring with patience, kindness, forbearance, persevering effort, prayer and personal effort to teach them how to work, encourage them, develop talent and prepare them for responsibility. To be an entire Christian is to love God, keep His commandments, be temperate in all habits, and lay aside everything injurious to health or demoralizing such as tobacco.
This becoming entire cannot be done in human strength, but God helps those who trust Him, answers sincere humble prayer of faith, heals and delivers as Jesus healed, purges debasing appetite, and by faith makes the one who clings to Him a victor more worthy to worship a pure and holy God. Great trials bring great blessings that complete character leaving nothing lacking, as seen when the Boulder-Colorado Sanitarium bakery and laundry burned and other severe trials came, where God miraculously preserved His work with deliverances so evident even worldly unbelievers acknowledged divine interposition. Likewise the Dansville affliction was a blessing leading to heart-searching and deeper conformity to God's will, where spiritual refreshing did not bring immediate deliverance but prepared for greater trials. Patience has fruitful work even when usefulness appears suspended, for meekness in trial can win converts and cheerfully resting from labor can teach lessons at Jesus' feet, since the Master uses withdrawn Christians as effectively as active workers.
Opposition, setbacks and difficult circumstances can call forth trust in God and firmness, developing strength, self-reliance, ability and endurance needed for success and victory. Difficulties and adversity are instruments of discipline that make people more able and efficient, while avoiding toil, trials and responsibility for fear of failure forfeits growth and leaves without strength or endurance. Churches shaped by harsh, unchristlike labor are not being formed toward the maturity and completeness of being perfect and entire, wanting nothing.