Thinking It Through: Actions Should Follow Theology not Emotions (Part 14 of 15)

Yo,

"14. It is backwards and dangerous to search for theology after deciding on a course of action: You have decided upon a course of action for the immediate future: you will be dating another guy. From what I understand, your own emotions and desires are driving your decisions. You're open to the idea that your previous convictions are mistaken, yet you have not settled on a methodology for confirming or correcting your theology. There are several problems with this approach:

     First, since the Bible is sufficient and authoritative, then the study of it should be directing your course of action. However, in this case, you have chosen to do what you said you know or have believed (and still believe?) is contrary to Scripture. This reverses the proper roles and perhaps reveals a lack of commitment to the authority of Scripture. If you were committed to the authority of Scripture and you genuinely believed that there is ambiguity about what Scripture teaches, the outcome would be different: you would have erred on the side of caution. This would have meant postponing a course of action until you have studied the Scriptures and received Biblical counsel. How committed are you to the authority of Scripture? Do you believe that there is ambiguity about what it teaches or how it applies in your circumstances?

     Second, if your emotions/heart are driving your decisions, there is a serious danger that you will use your study of Scripture to justify your decisions. On the one hand, it is good to examine our beliefs and actions against Scripture. But, if we are instead committed to the authority of our own emotions and thoughts, we risk distorting the Scriptures to fit our predispositions and agendas. Paul spoke of Churches that would accumulate teachers who would simply tickle their ears: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths" (2 Timothy 4:3-4). These teachers would not simply shrink back from teaching the whole counsel of God, but twisted it to teach what people wanted to hear -- i.e. what would accommodate their desires. How are you guarding against this danger?"

Honestly, at the very beginning of this, I don't even know if I was willing to think that my convictions may have been mistaken. It was more just that it wasn't working and something needed to change. I do think I'm open to the idea that they may have been mistaken now. "It wasn't working" kinda says something was mistaken, either me or the convictions? All I did was postpone action and that got me nowhere. So I jumped in. I probably should have been a bit more methodical. I should have. Jumping in was a little rash. Some people have gotten hurt that I could have avoided by spending more time in research and study first. Perhaps because research and study and logic and stoicism and repression is what got me to where I am now I reacted so suddenly and impulsively and emotionally as a means of finding a different way forward.

Do I believe that the Bible is the ultimate authority? I think God -- creator of all things, sovereign of eternal destiny, sustainer of all things, just and the one who justifies -- should be the ultimate authority, and His word -- as unchanging as He is -- should be taken with just as much seriousness. I'm doing what I can to get back into regular Bible reading and prayer about it. I still want to uphold God and His word. I want good solid teaching. But like none of it matters unless I have a good relationship with God ya? God's gotta be saviour, then Lord, ya? It's kinda like I'm starting over again, trying to realign myself with who God is and what it means for all aspects of me. But I need to know Him more closely again first.

Do I want this to work? Ya. I feel so much more happy and alive than before. Do I understand that God calls everyone to turn away from sins that they cherish and turn to Him with everything they have? Ya. Do I understand that God leads us through difficult times in valleys to get to better pastures? Ya. If they hated Jesus, they will hate His followers. I don't want to just hear things that justify decisions I make. I want to be challenged, I want to grow, I want to be real, I want to be able to stand behind what I believe with passion and conviction. I need to hear both sides of the argument and seek solid research. I very much appreciate that I have a number of people I can talk to about whatever as I figure this all out. But yes, I have made a decision, whether it was fully intentional or not at the time. I am going to be dating a guy. :)

Ttyl.

D.Fa

Thinking it Through: Progressive Sanctification is Active (Part 6 of 15)

Part 6. Leggo

"6. Progressive Sanctification Involves Active Exertion and Means of Grace - Christians are commanded to "work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in [us], both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:12b-13). Although being conformed (in practice) to Christ's image day-by-day is God's work, it does not happen without active involvement. God has provided means of grace that strengthen our faith, equip us to do good works, and that stimulates us to good deeds. These include reading the Bible; individual and corporate prayer and confession of sin; corporate worship; evangelism; Christ-centered friendship; baptism; the Lord's supper; hospitality with other Christians and strangers; among other things. If we neglect these means, our faith and spiritual progress will diminish and wither. If God provides and we make use of these means, our faith and spiritual progress will increase. You have mentioned that you have neglected many of these means of grace in recent days. Don't you want to get back on track? If you wanted to get back on track, what would you do differently?"

Interesting. A direct call out at me. :P First off, yes, I do fully think that in the process of sanctification (God refining us, purifying us, making us more into the image of Christ, etc.) that we also play an active role. We are to walk in step with the Spirit (Gal 5:16) and not to grieve Him by our actions or words (Eph 4:30).

I had admitted that I hadn't read my Bible much; that I had been praying more and more rarely; that I'd been very isolated by the pandemic; that I was unwilling to evangelize since I had been so trapped in feeling sinful and broken. It was not a good place to be. So I needed a change. At least I could feel good about myself, so I went to the gym and got a personal trainer. I got a new chiropractor cause my other one didn't help at all. I needed to focus on making me better, but I also had way too many responsibilities on my plate that were draining me and taking all my time. A friend joked about how I wasn't using alcohol and drugs. hehe. Thanks for planting that seed. ;P But that kinda led me in the end to talking to the guys who were in my life (virtually) and the encouraged me to step back and rest. So I stepped away from those responsibilities for the summer. I got a handful of people more involved in my life for that time. And then I pretty suddenly moved apartments to get away from a lot of the negativity and resentment that had built up in that place. And then, I guess I ended up dating before I'd figured it all out. Oops? And then work and life got extremely busy and stressful and I just needed to escape it all and retreat into a happier place. I ended up having a month off work while I healed from a sore throat and then went on a vacation, which again was a bit of an escape. Now finally, I've changed stores and work is much less daily weighing on me. I've started listening to the Bible on my walks to work. I'm trying to pray a bit through that time. I've been going to church every week since I got back from vacation. I've involved a LOT of people in my life more recently. I'm talking to one guy a bunch about these things. And SH really wants me to figure things out, so I'm trying real hard to get my head back into the mess and figure it out. I want to be in a place where time with God is something I desire. I want to be in a place where I look forward to work. I want to be in a place where I have friends that I see regularly.

Anything valuable requires effort being put into it.

The kingdom of God is like a treasure buried in a field. When a man found it, he went quickly, sold all he had, and purchased the field.

Meaningful relationships take time and effort. You need to build trust. You need to learn how each other works. You need to know how best to encourage and support them. You need to learn when to talk and when to listen and when to show up with flowers.

If your family is meaningful to you, you will drop those other tasks and go visit them in the hospital.

You will make time and put in effort if you believe something is valuable. It's so hard for me though, because I think both are incredibly valuable. I sat on the fence for years to both avoid losing God, and avoid losing the chance at a relationship. I couldn't decide which one I felt was more valuable, and I kinda wasted 3 years. I don't want to choose incorrectly. I don't want to waste time. I don't want to hurt anyone. Is there a way that both can work? Can I be close to God and close to my partner? Can I do all the things required of me? "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8). Can that work? Or is the humbly part where admitting my sinfulness and turning away from those things goes?

Idk.

D.Fa

Thinking it Through: Approval of Fornification is an Issue (Part 4 of 15)

Yo yo. Part 4.

 "4. The approval and practice of fornification are primary gospel issues: The gospel is what unites and sets apart any congregation as a Christian Church: Each member is committed to the authority of Scripture; shares the same basic doctrine; preaches the same gospel; and demonstrates the fruit of the Spirit in their walk with the Lord.

     The approval or practice of sexual intimacy outside marriage and its approval are incompatible with a commitment to Scripture, the gospel and Christianity as a whole. In the epistle to the Romans. Paul speaks of God's wrath being poured out on those outside of Christ - on those who suppress the truth in their unrighteousness. He raises the practices of sexual impurity and homosexuality as direct manifestations of God's wrath. Because of men's unrighteous exchange of God's truth for a lie (Rom 1:25), "God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonoured among them" (1:24). Similarly, "For this reason God gave them over to degrading passion; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the women and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error" (1:26-27). But perhaps, the climatic manifestation of God's wrath is the reality that not only are men practicing sins that they know are worthy of death, but that they also give hearty approval to those who practice them (1:32). But, these manifestations of God's wrath today pale in comparison with the judgement to come against the ungodly.

     in the epistle to the Hebrews, the author exhorted them, "See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that there be no sexually immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.  For you know that even afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it with tears" (12:15-17). He warns later, "Marriage is to be held in honour among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge" (13:4).

     Jude also warned of "ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ" (1:4). Jude alerted them to the reality that God will eternally punish the ungodly. In that vein, he raises the example of Sodom and Gomorrah: "just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire" (1:7). In contrast to sinners like Sodom and Gomorrah, there is "no condemnation" for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1): God's wrath has been averted and they are no longer given over to the power of sin; rather, they have been redeemed and been set free by Jesus' death (Rom. 3:21-26).

     Since the one who practices sin remains under God's wrath, the church has no fellowship with them. They cannot "associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolator, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler - not even to eat with such a one" (1 Cor. 5:11). Paul writes, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inheirit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 cor. 6:9-10) He explains, "Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:11)."

Ok. So, like, I know all this, I've read all this, I've heard all this before. Why does it feel like it doesn't matter? Like I said last time, ya, I do think it's unnatural. I had long conversation with a friend years ago about this sort of stuff and like, nothing they said was like a solution to anything so much as their main point which was something along the lines of "you need to be a child of God first, and then you can worry about figuring out how to obey" like, I was so concerned with how my failures and temptations were making me not good enough, and that I'd never really get over them. I spent years trying to ignore and repress these things and keep a happy face on. There were literal days I'd just go to my bed and lie face down and just try to do nothing instead of giving into temptation. I was so mad and angry at myself that I'd never be good enough. Even when I better understood that God's grace is what makes me good enough, not me, I still felt so guilty and bad for how I'd continually misuse that grace. I would pray. I would beg for strength to overcome temptation and just end up giving in again. The goal is purity. "Be perfect as I am." He alone is the one who can purify. And it just wasn't getting anywhere. Maybe it's because my heart is hard right now. Maybe it's because I'm a bit distant from God and tired of just playing Christian. But I need to do something different for a bit.

What does intimacy with God look like? I asked that once back when I was living with LD and struggling super hard with temptation and asking in what ways God could satisfy me that would make temptation not worth it. The answer was "go to bed". And that was like the closest I'd ever been to knowing what being close with God was. And then not long later I made a bunch of bad decisions. 

How can there be churches that affirm same sex relationships? What does that look like? How do they justify it? I want to be able to do good and feel good. I don't want to let anyone down, but I feel like I've been letting myself down for years. Love your neighbours as yourself. I want to be able to be proud of myself and love myself and love God and love others.

'They will say to me on that day "didn't we do this and this good deed in your name?" and I'll say I never knew you, depart from me.' When I look back on the last decade, I think there's been a good number of times where I feel like I was understanding what God wanted from me, and like legitimately wrestling with following Him, but wanting to. When I look at more like the last 5 years, it feels much more like "I know I should be doing good, but I have no motivation to do so." Like God has been distant. I have been distant. But I've been doing what I should because I should and slowly getting more frustrated and isolated. If something is going to suddenly change and make me want to work hard to be good and somehow at the same time make room for me to be able to love myself while doing it, I need it to happen soon because I feel so much more alive and free right now than I have in a long time. I feel so much more able to show love to others authentically.

If that means I have to be excluded from some places, maybe that's ok. Idk yet though.

I will say though, I do really appreciate that I have friends who are willing to say hard things to me. I do appreciate that this 7 page letter was typed out and sent to me by mail. Even if I'm kinda hating writing these posts because the topics are so serious and I don't have good answers, I still need to hear it and I need to give a response, if just a poorly formed one that doesn't really answer the question.

And with that I think I'm done with this section for now. I don't know how to justify same sex relationships while upholding the Scripture. But I'm happy where I am right now and want to find something that can make it all make sense.

D.Fa

PS. I did read through Genesis the other day and reading about Esau did make me think of Hebrews where it calls us out not to give over our birthright for some soup. "what good is my birthright if I'm dead? Just give me some soup". 'What good is eternity with God when I'm upset at God for making my personal present life so much suffering?' Or some sort of analogy like that. idk.

Thinking It Through: The Law and the Gospel (Part 1 of 15)

Heyo,

I promise I've been trying not to procrastinate this. It just seems that every time I set aside that hour or whatever to sit down and think and write, I have like 5 other things that neeeeed to be done, or like I just don't have any energy and I push it off again. I'm here and it's gonna be a little more off the cuff because I just need to do it. 

Quick catch-up: It's been a few weeks. Work was insane, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to ask to be transferred. I was offered a transfer. Woooooot. So this week I've been at a quieter community-style store (that also has Uber Eats ;P) and it's been good so far. Uhhhhhhhh what else? My mom is doing fine. It's been way too cold and wet lately. Idk..? 

Anyways, here's today's topic:

"1. The Law and the Gospel speak directly to you: The law condemns sinners like us. If men are proud and convinced of their own righteousness, the Law is "God's hammer" that pulverizes such presumption (Luther). The Law demands perfection and pronounces the ultimate curse on those with the slightest disobedience in their ledgers. The Law teaches us that we are helpless slaves of sin under God's wrath (Romans 3:9-20). the Law teaches us that we need a Saviour, the ultimate sacrifice who will (1) appease God's righteous anger against our sin once-for-all; and (2) supply the perfect obedience we need to stand justified before God in the judgement. So, the Law drives us to Christ Jesus, our promised Lord and Saviour. On the cross, He freely bore God's wrath in our place and He obeyed the will of God perfectly to the end. God promises to credit His perfect righteousness to all who turn from their sin and trust in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. This gospel urges us now to repent and be saved! This message speaks today to you. Repent and believe!"

Ok, so. 100% I do believe I am a sinner. I definitely know and attest that I have done wrong and regularly do wrong, whether intentionally or not. I am not convinced in my righteousness. There's no way I can ever by my own deeds or actions or thoughts or anything else make myself holy and pure. The sinful nature in me will draw me to brokenness and depravity in attempts to make myself feel whole or fulfilled, but only leave me just as empty if not worse. I've tried before. Willing myself into purity doesn't work. Shaming myself into behavioural obedience doesn't work and feels crap. I've had to deal with so much untangling the shame that I've layered upon myself over the years as I hid feelings and desires and thoughts; as I fought to not do that things I knew was wrong; as I suffered to be better because I thought that would help my relationship with God. I was definitely humbled and weak and needed God's help. But I think I missed the message of God's love in that or something. Idk. Point: ya. I'm a sinner and I defffffinitely need a Saviour. I know that. and I know I can't be that saviour. 

Paul went on in the letter to the Romans about how he wouldn't have known covetousness if the Law had not pointed it out. Sin in him used that as an opportunity to draw out every sort of covetousness in him and lead him to death (Romans 7:7-9). The law highlights our sinful nature and points to our need for a Saviour. Yes. Agreed. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:20-23), what we deserve for our sin is death, eternal separation from God's goodness, and eternal pain and suffering, "gnashing of teeth" as Jesus put it (Matthew 13:42), where the worm never dies and the flames never cease (Mark 9:43-48). We need the perfect sacrifice to take our place so that we can live, now and eternally, and Jesus is that sacrifice. The one who was mentioned in Genesis 3 (the seed of the woman who would crush the serpent's head), the one who was typified in the sacrificial system (see all of Leviticus, especially chapters 1-7) and the constant sacrifices for willful and unintentional sins (Lev 4:2). The one who would take the place of many for He had never sinned. The payment for sin is death, one animal for one sin, one insignificant life for small forgiveness, but the ultimate forever payment through the one who didn't deserve to die, the one who didn't need to pay for His own sin first. The sacrificial system only a shadow of Christ to come, the blood of bulls and rams not actually able to take away sin, but Christ dying in the future paying for those past sins and all who would come to Him in faith in the future as well. (See all of Hebrews 10. For real. Hebrews is the best.) There is no one else who can save us the way Christ can. He is the only way to the Father (John 14:6), His is the only name by which men can be saved (Acts 4:12). Point: Only in Jesus can we truly be saved. He alone can be the Saviour we need.

So, like, this point isn't the most difficult in what it's explicitly saying. You are sinful: ya. You need Jesus: ya. Repent and believe: hmmm. This I think is where there might be wiggle room in applicable grace? Or where there might be the most need for God-sent conviction and hope to change? I've heard repentance defined so many times when I was in university. To repent is to agree with God concerning your sin and to turn away from it. Which is then generally also followed by asking for forgiveness and grace and renewed fellowship with the Holy Spirit in you. This I think is where I need more clarification: is what I am doing explicitly sinful (I'm currently leaning towards yes) and is there a way to make it acceptable (I'm not sure)? If it is sin, is there room to acknowledge it, claim forgiveness and grace, and live in such a way that is for God (depending how you say it, it feels like either pretending it's not sin, not fully believing that God has said it is, making excuses, lying to yourself, or like not really repenting or whatever)? Is there grace to live in such a way that you can be yourself 100% without shame, loving yourself, while also 100% loving God and living for His glory with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? As written, that sounds very possible. It should be how every Christian lives. It just also in my life sounds like the decade of shaming myself into acting and pretending things were all fine while in cycles of active sin and forgiveness. How is that better? 

I want to be strong enough to do what is right and feel good about it at the same time. 

Repent? I'm going to be looking into this. I googled affirming churches, but I feel like what I want to do with that is steal someone affirming and debate them.

Believe? I think I do. I just am avoiding everything right now. Before I was avoiding everything from the top of the fence. I spent years feeling crap, not acting in either direction. Now I've spent like 3 months on one side of the fence, while holding onto it. On the day to day I don't feel like I'm terrible, but I feel like I might be further from God than before? And like, that's the real problem. 'And this is eternal life, that they know You, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent' (John 17:3). What is life apart from the source of life? What is 'true life' if only 60 years of joy then suffering? I've started listening to the Bible on my 30 minute walks to work. I want to actively try to pursue God again and see if it can work. My head still says it's incompatible. tbd.

Anyways, that's it for today. My brain is tired of thinking this deeply without real answers. :P

Next time: Jesus gave himself to redeem us. It won't be 3 weeks this time I promise. :)

Ttyl.

D.Fa

Thinking It Through: Introduction (0 of 15)

Hey there. :P

It's been a bit. It'll be 3 months with SH soon, which honestly blows my mind. I've had a month off work in September (slightly sick for 2 weeks, vacation for 2 weeks), we celebrated SH's birthday and a couple of the people in his friend group, I'm feeling more comfortable about how crazy work is and might be changing teams soon(?), but I'm also here and haven't deeply thought through how my relationship does or doesn't work which I kinda expected I'd have at least started by now. Obviously random thoughts and verses have been ruminating, but I have not been actively or directly addressing concerns. I was starting to feel guilty about it, like I'm kinda holding SH in limbo not knowing if I'm fully committed to our relationship because I did tell him I'd need to think it through. And he's cried a bit, but he's happy I'm being honest and wants me to think it through. But more recently he said I need to start. So, that's what I'm gonna do.

Conveniently(?), one of my friends wrote out a 7 page letter with 15 important things that needed to be said concerning my relationship / pursuit of relationship with another guy. He wrote this back on September 6th. When I got it in the mail I skimmed the headings, but otherwise I have not read the letter. So, it's definitely a place to start.

I have talked to many people generally about the relationship / the Biblical side of it and where I was at. But like those were all pretty brief or shallow? In any case, I feel like I still currently am thinking what I was before, but feel better about who I am, but haven't really thought it through fully. I have thought about talking to someone more affirmative and basically arguing against them cause I kinda feel like I don't really have any arguments strongly in favour of my relationship. Like, I have weak or subjective ones, but like, everything I'd been taught and studied before is still in my head providing some like logical answers against some of the questions I'm asking? idk if that makes sense. 

I'm gonna read over the next paragraph before writing my thoughts so I have more time to ponder and think and pray perhaps.

Next Time on Thinking It Through: The Law and the Gospel speak directly to you.

Ttyl. :P

D.Fa

Lead Us Not Into Temptation, But Deliver Us From Evil

Feb 18, 2018

Over the last couple months we’ve been going through the classic passage on prayer from Matthew 6, the Lord’s prayer, looking at the larger meaning and concepts behind each segment. We’ve looked at everything from praying together with and for others, to our position as children of God through the cross, to God’s greatness and His Kingdom to be established, to our daily need for provision and forgiveness that flows out to others. Today we will be tackling the last major chunk in the prayer: And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

What is this temptation? What does it mean to not be lead into it? What does it mean to be delivered from evil? And what was our example in Jesus? This is where we are going today and pretty much all the scriptures quoted will appear on the screen.

But first let’s pray. (Pray: Thanks that we have an example. Thanks that we have a guide. Thanks for the scriptures. Lead us into understanding and knowing His strength in our lives.)

So, first,

(1.) What is temptation?

The words we translate as a temptation in the Bible generally imply a test of faith of some sort with there being three general uses:

1)    Testing of God’s faithfulness (as in Exo17:7 “And he called the name of the place Massah … because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”).

2)    A “trial”; a test of our faithfulness (as in James 1:2-3 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.)

3)    “Temptation”; an enticement to sin (as in 1 Tim 6:9 “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”)

In this prayer the meaning can be determined largely by the context of the following phrase “but deliver us from evil”. A passage in James 1:12-17 makes the comparison of these different types more clear:

James 1:12-17 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Concerning the first type of trial, the testing of God’s faithfulness, this passage states “there is no variation or shadow due to change” or in another translations there is no shadow of turning with God, great is His faithfulness. For those who have become sons and daughters through faith in the cross, and as much as we try God’s patience and love, He waits and nothing can separate us from His love. From the Lord’s prayer this is clearly not the temptation mentioned, especially since we are to pray for us to not be led into temptation, not God.

As for second type, trials, the passage says “blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial”, they “will receive the crown of life”, “every good gift … is from above”. As His children God sends trials that are good and meant to further establish our faith as we trust in His provision. Peter in his first letter says “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1Pet1:6-7) These trials are for our benefit and for God’s praise and glory. Although we may not always enjoy the trials in the moment, they are ultimately a good gift, and definitely not an evil to be delivered from.

Thus, we come to the third definition, temptation to sin. This takes up the bulk of the passage in James: James 1:13-15 “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” Here we see clearly that both God cannot be tempted to evil, He is the father of lights with no darkness or shadow within Him; but also that God does not tempt, clearly opposed to the trials that He may send. We also see the biggest reason why we need to pray against temptation: if we walk into temptation, if we stay in temptation, we are all the more likely to give into temptation as it leads towards sin. If we continue to remain there rather than turning and going back to God, sin then grows and leads to destruction. This is the temptation we are to pray against. This is the danger being warned against here: sin and destruction which flow from temptation.

A definition given by John Owen¹ states that temptation is “any thing, state, way, or condition that, on any account whatever, has a force or efficacy to seduce — to draw the mind and heart of a man away from the obedience which God requires of him, into any sin, in any degree whatever.” Let me say that again. Temptation is “any thing, state, way, or condition that, on any account whatever, has a force or efficacy to seduce — to draw the mind and heart of a man away from the obedience which God requires of him, into any sin, in any degree whatever.”

¹ John Owen. 1658. Of Temptation: The Nature and Power of it; The Danger of Entering into it; and the Means of Preventing that Danger: with a Resolution of Various Cases Belonging to it.

That is the temptation we are to pray against, temptation that draws our minds and hearts away from obedience to God, and leads us into any sin; temptation that leads to choosing disobedience and making other things more important than God in our daily lives.

This is what we need to both pray against being led into, and deliverance from it daily. This temptation can come from various places, and will look different from person to person, but generally come from three places or combinations thereof: the devil (spiritual attack); the fallen world around us (and other people); and our flesh (indwelling sin). We see this in various passages in the Bible, especially concisely in Ephesians 2:1-3:

1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

James 4:4 “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

Romans 7:17-18 “So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.”

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” Ephesians 2:1-3

Whether from the world, from the devil, or from the flesh, giving into temptation and living a life of walking in sin results in destruction; broken relationships, emptiness, ultimately the wrath of God.

Continuing in Ephesians 2 we see the truth that ultimately removes wrath from all who believe: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— … For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Eph 2:4-6,8-10)

Through the cross, even though we had all sinned and been deserving of wrath and destruction, God made a way for us to be made alive. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection on the cross the power of sin and death was defeated. By trusting in Jesus’ atoning sacrifice we can be forgiven. The wrath of God, poured out on the cross. This, not by any power of our own, but through the power of God. And now that we are alive in Him, we are freed to walk in the purposes God has for each of us. We are freed to “walk in the light, as he is in the light” resulting in “fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleans[ing] us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) As the workmanship of God He has prepared good works for us to walk in. This is where temptation arises. Although freed from sin, we are now still tempted to turn our back on God and what He has done for us and choose sin.

Now that we know what temptation is as well as where it comes from,

2. What does it mean to pray “lead us not into temptation”?

As we’ve already seen, God does not tempt us. So, why pray for Him to lead us not into temptation? It is a prayer of reliance on God. If we only got here because of all God has done, how can we stop trusting in Him? How could we now expect to do it ourselves?² Ultimately God leads our every step³, even as the enemy, the world, and our flesh seeks to tempt us at every turn. This here in the first part of the verse is proactive prayer. Prayer against falling into future temptation. Prayer for God to guard us as temptation comes from all sides.

² Gal 3:3 “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

³ Prov 20:24 “A man’s steps are from the Lord”; Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”; Rom 8:14 “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

On this subject John Piper writes:

“Every step we take is a step into the presence of temptation. There is no moment of your life that is not a moment of temptation—a moment when unbelief and disobedience is not a possibility.

The Lord’s prayer does not teach us to pray against that kind of sovereign guidance.

What it teaches us to pray is that the temptation does not take us in. Don’t lead me into temptation. Deliver me from this evil that is set before me.

Today I will stand before innumerable temptations. That’s what life is: endless choices between belief and unbelief, obedience and disobedience. But, O mighty God, forbid that I would yield. Hold me back from stepping inside the temptation.” Bind my wandering heart to thee!

Ultimately our call is to love God with all we have and to love our neighbours as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31) as we walk in the light. Daily many things will suggest and draw us towards idolatry or selfish ambitions to love ourselves instead of those we are called to love. We need God’s strength to win against temptation, to flee, to resist, to worship God.

In addition to praying against temptation, for God to give us divine protection from falling into it, praying for the opposite of temptation is a logical extension: not just praying NOT to be lead into temptation, but also praying TO be lead into times of deeper faithfulness and joy in God that temptation would lose its power to entice us.

Psalm 19:13 “Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.”

Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”

Psalm 25:5 “Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.”

Psalm 143:10 “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!”

May He lead us. May He guide us in that way everlasting as He roots out evil in our lives. May we trust His ways and His love are better than anything the world could tempt us with (Psa 63:3)!

Luther in his smaller catechism states:

“God surely tempts no one to sin, but we pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us, so that the devil, the world and our flesh may not deceive us or lead us into false belief, despair and other great and shameful sins; and though we are tempted by them, we pray that we may overcome and win the victory.”

Our duty then in the first half of the verse is as Christ had stated elsewhere (Matthew 26:41) “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” We need to do our part in avoiding temptation, to be on alert for any sign that temptation is approaching us, so that there would be less chance for us to fall in and allow temptation to have a grip on our hearts. And we are to pray, daily, ultimately relying on God’s strength to work through us in this endeavor.

As part of this alert watching we need to know ourselves, know our weakness, be willing to admit our weaknesses, and be willing to ask God for strength. Paul warns to those at Corinth (1 Cor 10:12) “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” And to the Galatians “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Gal 5:16). To the Ephesians: (Ephesians 6:10,18b) “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might … To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints”

Now we know what temptation is, and to pray proactively before temptation draws us in. So now,

3. What does it mean for us to pray “deliver us from evil”?

The reality is that even as we watch and pray against temptation there will be times where we are drawn in. This is the first reason we need to cry out for deliverance. God is powerful and mighty to save us. For:

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Cor 10:13)

And “the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment” (2 Pet 2:9)

God faithfully promises He will provide when we call upon Him. He will provide a way out. Although our ability runs short, He provides by His Spirit greater ability yet to love Him above all else. In other passages yet the Word says that the Spirit of God, the one who raised Christ from the dead, He is in us and is stronger than the enemy. And do not get me wrong, the enemy is very strong. On our own we would lose, but God is with us to the end of the age when every enemy is struck down and His Kingdom is fully established.

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” (Rom 8:11)

“and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Rev 20:10)

This, the establishment of His Kingdom, is the second reason we cry out for deliverance. The world as it is now is fallen and the devil rules as the prince of the power of the air (Eph2:2), the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4). But God has assured ultimate victory in this war through the cross. The Kingdom of God is forcefully advancing in the hearts of men and women worldwide. The enemy cannot stop it.

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” … “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev 7:9-10, 21:3-4)

On this I would love to discuss more fully especially as it presents itself as a second layer to the entirety of the Lord’s prayer: praying for the Kingdom to come and God’s name to be praised and exalted as He rightfully deserves as He frees men and women from the power of darkness in this world. We are to participate in this battle for the Kingdom through prayer (2 Cor 10:3-5) as well as the sharing of the good news of Christ, though we were dead in our sins and deserving of wrath, He has made a way for all to come to know Him through the cross, through the payment of our sins on Christ. And more so He has a purpose for us and will provide for us to walk in the light He calls us to.

God is ultimate in power and His deliverance for us will come when we cry out in the midst of temptation as well as for ultimate deliverance of the nations in the age to come.

As Luther put it in his smaller catechism concerning deliver us from evil: “We pray in this petition, in summary, that our Father in heaven would rescue us from every evil of body and soul, possessions and reputation, and finally, when our last hour comes, give us a blessed end, and graciously take us from this valley of sorrow to Himself in heaven.”

A two-fold deliverance, now and in the age to come.

So we know what temptation is, to pray proactively, and reactively against it, trusting fully in God’s power now in this age. On a final note,

4. What was Jesus’ example?

Cause that is really the make or break point. If the one we are to follow and emulate didn’t live this out, why should we? If He says we should pray like this, did it apply to Him also? Absolutely.

When Jesus was on earth he was tempted throughout His ministry, with the greatest series of temptations recorded at the beginning of His ministry when He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where the devil tempted Him (Matt 4:1-11). Jesus was tempted by the devil concerning bodily desire, world fame, and the personal glory He would obtain through the cross. In each case, Jesus trusted in God’s plan and patiently fought back with truth of scripture. Later when Peter would try to talk Him out of going to the cross Jesus rebuked that thought stating that Peter was “not setting [his] mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Matt 16:23).

But Jesus was adamant. He was patient. He was alert to any inclination of temptation. He prayed ceaselessly. (1 Pet 2:22-24) “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

Because He rejected temptation at every point, all can turn and receive God’s graces. Because he now lives and His Spirit in us, we are alive and can follow in His footsteps. “Because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Heb 2:18)

This was Jesus’ example: faithfulness through every temptation and trial. He was tempted in every respect as we are, yet was without sin. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb 4:15-16)

Though temptation to evil be all around, we can pray for God to guard us from falling into it and to lead us in His ways instead, we can pray for deliverance when we do fall into temptation and for the ultimate deliverance as His Kingdom comes defeating all enemies, in Christ we have a Brother who is always there to help us.

Oh God,

(Psalm 143:9-12) “Deliver [us] from [our] enemies, O Lord! [We] have fled to you for refuge. Teach [us] to do your will, for you are [our] God! Let your good Spirit lead [us] on level ground! For your name's sake, O Lord, preserve [our lives]! In your righteousness bring [our souls] out of trouble! And in your steadfast love you will cut off [our] enemies, and you will destroy all the adversaries of [our souls], for [we are] your servant[s].”

[Pray for us.]