able to see if it can be tested out and be sustained. A colleague of mine on the faculty of Biola recent ly pointed out that there are really three levels of belief. All of these can be proved by the Bible. The first is in the area of descriptive be lief. We have memorized all the "right answers" to every possible problem. Such a belief is not genu ine because it never results in a true transformation in life. The second stage is an evaluative belief. This type is what Paul refers to when he talks about the spiritual man who discerns all things (I Corinthians 2). Jesus Christ said, "Where your heart is, there will your treasure be also." This is a matter of value systems. Yet, there is an even higher type of belief which is the matter of ut most commitment. The point of the Apostle here is the fact that what ever standard your belief may be it will prove itself whether it is just an attitude or simply a descriptive thing. It will not take long to be shown up as a valuative type of understanding which makes belief a worthwhile system. It may even show you that the belief which you hold is one to which you are totally committed. The proving is not something that happens instantaneously. It is rather processional and comes with maturity and spiritual depth. Why does God put us through a trial? In order that this matter of patience and steadfastness may be a part of life. The word used means literally to live under something. God is in terested in a conditioning process for us and that conditioning pro cess is to bring about steadfastness. Now James concludes, "Let pa tience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, lack-
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ing in nothing" (vs. 4). This has to do with the matter of the will. Many times, even after we have devel oped patience, we become impa tient for God to do something. We
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