¹²Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

Endurance is a hallmark of genuineness. The Christian life is not a 100-yard dash but a lifelong marathon. James comes back to this concept toward the end of his letter when he writes, “We count those blessed who endured” (James 5:11a), where the word “endured” is that same underlying word translated “perseveres” in our passage. Today, many consider this one of the seven so-called cardinal virtues.

Trials require the virtue of “stick-to-it-iveness.” James is the consummate “show me” guy, and not just with a short-term burst of effort to endure for the moment, but a long-term display of endurance. You see, anyone can survive some degree of hardship and difficulty, by the sheer force of their will. But endurance becomes more arduous the longer the trial lasts. The toughest trials are the ones that involve faith, for these are the deep struggles of the soul—and ultimately, at this level, one cannot sustain artificial faith for very long.

James, in a very real sense, draws a line between real faith and forgery. The nature of religion is that it appeals to human effort, with a very strong motivation to seek deity’s approval. The effort is always there, but the reality of the external is divorced from inner reality. Naturally, allowances are made for failure to meet up to the expected standard.

But with genuine Christian truth and faith, what we believe must be an inner reality. But how can one know whether one has real, inner faith or simply a pretense to faith? James tells us that trials are key to answering that question. Genuine faith will be proved by its endurance. God, of course, knows the heart and He needs no outward demonstration. However, we need the self-awareness of His approval of our faith. This does not come just from reciting ideas of faith, or theological truths about faith.

The apostle John wrote about the inner witness of the Word: “I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). James adds the outward witness of an enduring life. The overlap of the inner and outer witness of our faith brings God’s approval. He is not interested in a static profession of faith that has no bearing on our lives, disassociated from reality. The “crown of life” is God’s declaration of “well done, good and faithful servant.” Those who love Him are those whose live for His approval. That is a blessed life.

Lord, Yours is the only approval and blessing I want or need.