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Steadfast:
1
a
: firmly fixed in place : immovable
b
: not subject to change
2
: firm in belief, determination, or adherence
Despite the fact that his audience is undergoing trial and persecution, James does not send an empathetic letter of commiseration. Quite the contrary, James exhorts his audience to be steadfast in the face of persecution! Was he unfeeling or uncaring about the very real plight of his audience? Not at all! Rather, he understood what was at stake.
When compared together, James fully understood that the eternal good of his brothers and sisters in Christ was infinitely more important than their comfort or ease in this life. It is because of this understanding that he challenged them to stand firm, be strong, and endure to the end. His approach flies in the face of human conventions. Closer inspection of his words, however, shows that he chose love over empathy, the eternal over the temporary, and ultimate good over temporary comfort.
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