Bipolar Disorder
The Bible is very clear here: the stabilizing factors in this process are faith and patience.
Faith can be described as simply being confident or certain that something is true or that it works. The purpose of temptations and trials are to help us determine where our faith is genuine and where it is fake. Genuine faith produces patience when faced with temptations and trials; fake faith, however, produces hypocrisy that is revealed when confronted with the same issues. Throughout the book of James, this issue is presented in a variety of ways. The pattern that becomes clear is that if you begin with genuine faith, it will produce a noticeable function or work, which in turn will produce the feelings or affections that accompany our faith.
It is important to understand this pattern: assurance produces actions which produce affections, or faith produces function which produces feelings. This is the proper view of life as seen in James. However, if we confuse faith with feelings, as so often is the case, if we are looking for a feeling instead of basing our beliefs upon a certain confidence, then we will not achieve the same results. Because feelings that produce functions will produce frustration. If our actions are based upon our feelings or the pursuit of feelings, then we will not have the same results. The result of this will instead be hypocrisy, which is spoken of extensively in James.
Notice the contrast of genuine faith and hypocritical faith beginning in James 1:22
Hearing vs. doing – 1:22-25
Genuine religion vs. Vain religion –1:26-27
Respect of God vs. respect of men – 2:1-10
Personal obedience vs. judging others – 2:11-13
Compassion vs. neglect – 2:14-16
This is why James teaches that it isn’t what we say but what we do that reveals the true nature of ourfaith. As we said earlier, genuine faithproduces works that are evident in their nature. However, a fake faith, one that is in wordonly when faced with temptation and trials, will be evidenced by the error thatit produces and it will crumble when confronted. James spells it out in this fashion inchapter 2 verses 17-26.
“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”