Objection: We Are Supposed to Glory in Tribulations and Count Them All Joy (Romans 5:3, James 1:2-4)
“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope.” – Romans 5:3-4.
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” – James 1:2-4.
First, tribulation refers to persecution, not sickness. See the reply to We Are Promised Tribulation in this World for proof.
This objection reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the place that trials play in the life of the believer. God does not send trials to us. Living in the world with a bunch of sinners and the devil guarantees us trials. These trials are temporary. They will not exist in heaven, where only the will of God is done. Therefore, they are not from God.
Be careful how you read these verses. Paul did not say that we glory because of our tribulations. He said that we glory in them. You can be in a test and still give glory to God. In fact, you should give glory to God in a test because He is the one who will bring you out of it!
Notice that James calls trials “the trying of your faith.” It is your faith that is on trial. Your faith is the victory that overcomes the world (1 John 5:4). You win, as long as you persevere. Notice that the perfect work of patience is that you become perfect and entire, wanting (lacking) nothing. In other words, if you stay in faith, you will lack nothing. This is a far cry from the idea that you should be robbed by the devil and take it “patiently,” since then you would end up imperfect and un-entire, wanting something, namely, your healing!
Besides, James could not have been talking about being sick here. James made his position clear on what people should do if they are sick (James 5:14-16). He was surely not contradicting himself in the same book!
Being in a trial does not produce joy. James did not tell you to be joyful because you’re in a trial. You won’t have joy unless you know something. That something to know is that you are developing patience, which along with faith lets you inherit the promises of God (Hebrews 6:12). You can rejoice because you will inherit the promises of God! You don’t rejoice because the devil is stealing from you and you aren’t walking in the manifestation of a promise yet. Patience is a tool used to receive the promises, not a tool used to endure never receiving the promises!
The reason Paul why could glory in his tribulations was that he knew that God would deliver him out of all of them. He was trusting in God, not in himself. Paul was delivered from everything that happened to him. He was not saying that you should rejoice simply because you’re having tribulations. You rejoice because you know that God is getting you out of them! You develop experience watching God deliver you. Then, if you encounter a similar test in the future, you have a prior experience under your belt of being in the same mess and having God deliver you. That gives you hope.
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