(Further reflections on “Temptation”—Sunday 20-Feb-2022)
If blessedness is in your terms, it will be wild. It can be anything. It is likely to suit your imagination and expectation however you want to define it. Now if it is in God’s terms, do you know what it is?
Blessedness in God’s terms had never been about having what we want in life or how comfy and happy our life should be. God’s blessing to His people have always been about knowing Him relationally, and knowledgeably. Life (after Genesis 3) had never been easy. Life in Christ is a blessing which never meant the absence of troubles. Blessedness in fact can only be known by trials of various kinds. God’s goodness and greatness can only be appreciated through ‘out of Egypt’ (out of bondage of sin), ‘wilderness experience’ (trials and temptations), and journeying toward ‘the promise land’ (when Christ returns).* Blessedness of God is always available to those who desire to know Him and walk according to His Word in the midst of life’s trials and temptations. Faith in Christ needs to be tested. Faithfulness will be evident to those who remain steadfast under trials or temptations of all kinds. In order to do this, though God had been tested them from time to time, He never tempted people. Neither should we credit every temptation or trial as Satanic/demonic attacks, for the Bible (cf. James 1:13-15) is clear about the ultimate source of our human temptation.
Blessedness of God (cf. James 1:12-15) is what God has promised to those who love Him. This means, it will certainly come true when (here is the key) we remain steadfast under trial. The crown of life will be given to the faithful ones. There are many crowns on earth that we are more or less being distracted with or even un/intentionally seeking for without knowing that all ‘earthly crowns’ will perish in a ‘blink of an eye’ when the end (Christ’s return) comes or when our earthly life comes to an end.
Blessedness of God, unlike popular thinking, has never been about the pursuit of happiness, wealth, fame, power, etc—things that the world idolize/worship. Blessedness of God is clearly spelled out in James 1:12. Read it again, internalize it, connect it to your personal past/present troubles, and make it relevanfor you today and tomorrow. Allow God’s word to bring awareness to our blind spots; change our perception; and lead us into taking actions, so that the outcome, which is the Blessedness of God, can be seen/tasted/experienced in our journey of faith in Him with His Body—the local church. This is how you and I can honor and glorify God in various trials/temptations.
Stay blessed, stay faithful. — Pastor Lap
*Here it was a quick parallel connection. This does not mean to conflate or simplify events in the Old & New Testament.
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