LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION
(Matthew 6:13)
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
In these last days, there is much talk of oneness amongst
those who name the name of Christ. Many are speaking of unity in the body.
Some are even making great strides and efforts to see to it that those who "call on the name
of Jesus" carry themselves as one.
As I dwelt on these happenings one day, the Lord laid something on my heart
and all I could do was break into a mild chuckle. The Lord brought to my remembrance
the verse of scripture that says, Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth
sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every
one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity (2 Timothy 2:19). No
matter what people say, no matter how people from various denominations attempt
to come together under "one roof", no matter what people claim, the
truth is that the Lord knows them that are His. Oneness with the Lord and in
the body of Christ is not something that can be faked. It is something that
falls into place naturally as His children commit themselves to being obedient
to and strive to embrace His will.
Housed in 2 Timothy 2:19 is a very strong and key point -- Let every one that
nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. With all the efforts to bring
the body (or those who might claim to be in it) into agreement, many fail to
realize that God has already set forth certain identifiers and standards --
undeniable creeds and passions that are the mark of a true child of God. Here
are a few, courtesy of the apostle John:
- (1 John 3:9-10): Whosoever is born of God doth
not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because
he is born of God. {10} In this the children of God are manifest, and the
children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither
he that loveth not his brother. Here, the word "commit" refers
to lifestyle or that which one practices and/or finds comfort in. The true
child of God does not practice sin.
- (1 John 5:18): We know that whosoever is born of
God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that
wicked one toucheth him not. The true child of God is one that "keepeth himself". The word "keep" means "to
protect or to guard from loss or injury". In other words, one of the marks
of a child of God is that he or she is resolved to "fight the good fight
of faith" regarding the things of God, keeping himself/herself from
that which is contrary to the will of God and striving to embrace that which
pleases Him.
- (John 8:47): He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them
not, because ye are not of God. A child of God has the ability and desire to
hear (give audience to) the words of the Lord. The Pharisees did not have a
desire, nor the ability to hear, embrace, retain and treasure the word of God
and, therefore, could not relate properly to what Jesus said or did. They were
religious, yet blind.
- (2 John 1:7): For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. This "qualifier" informs us that a child of God will confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh (that He is indeed deity and not just a man). The deity of Christ is an extremely pivotal point of faith for the Christian because it is the major determining factor that takes us beyond religion and places us out of touch from the beliefs of the world. Since Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh, this repudiates the claims of ALL other religions because the word of God basically declares Him to be the very God that many of the other religions claim to serve. To deny the deity of Jesus is to discredit the record that God gave of His son and in so doing, an individual that does this is actually calling God a liar (1 John 5:10).
These are just a few of the "rougher", tell-tale signs in scripture
that separate those who reside in the true grace of God and, as Jude calls
them, the mockers (Jude 18). One trait of the Christian and our challenge of
the day is highlighted in the verse from 2 Timothy and today's text. It's regarding
our attitude towards sin -- not just in others, but in ourselves as well. Everyone
who names the name of Christ is responsible for departing from iniquity.
Luke and Matthew both cite what is commonly referred to as The Lord's Prayer.
There are many lessons to be learned from this "model" of prayer
that the Lord leaves on record for us. We see recognition (Our Father). We
see honor and respect for authority (hallowed be thy name). We see the desire
for the "program" and reign of God (thy kingdom come). We see agreement
with His will (thy will be done...). We see supplication (give us this day
our daily bread). We see the need for forgiveness and the commitment to being
forgiving (and forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted
to us).
I know. I know. We've already said and covered a lot today. The main thought
for today, however, is in the next statement -- lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Now, really. When was the last time you mentioned
this in your prayers. This statement is a reflection of what our attitude
towards evil should be. The best thing about it is that if we ask God to
lead us not into temptation, but to deliver us from evil, we're asking something
that's in direct accordance with His will. What does this mean? HE WILL DO
IT!!!
Do you desire more victory in the Lord? Do you crave success in Him and the
power to overcome everything that's contrary to the will of God? Is it your
heart's desire to endure temptation and let patience have its perfect work
in your life? If the answer to these questions is yes, make sure that asking
God "lead us not into temptation..." is a regular part of your prayer
life.
If we're all honest, we would all have to admit that there are times this
issue has not been a focal point of our prayer life. If deliverance from
evil is not at the forefront of our minds (which is an ongoing thing for
all of us), what is? The challenge today is to check our attitudes towards
sin and that we embrace God's faithfulness and dedication to empower us and
equip us that we might present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable
unto God, which is our reasonable service, being not conformed to this world
but transformed by the renewing (renovation) of our minds so that we might
prove the good, acceptable and perfect will of God.
God is determined to present us unblameable, unreprovable and unrebukeable
in His sight. Faith in the work of Christ has made us righteous, but it doesn't
end there. 1 John 3:6-7 says, Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever
sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man
deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
Since we have been made righteous, we have a responsibility. Many think this
is a hard task, but in addition to giving us the responsibility, God has
also given us everything we need to accomplish the task at hand. When we
are resolved to ask the Lord that He lead us not into temptation, we can
rest assure that help will be there when we need it, that we might be delivered
from evil.
Until next time, keep the word and be blessed!
Reprinted from Remnant Online, Volume 2,
Issue 21 -- Lead Us Not Into Temptation
Copyright © 1998-1999, Scenario Ministries International. All rights
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An outreach ministry of Remnant Christian Assembly,
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