May 17,
2003
TEMPTATION,
Part I
"And
do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil
one" (Matthew 6:13, NKJV).
"Temptation
is enticement to sin, and this does not proceed from God,
but from Satan and from the evil of our own hearts. 'God cannot
be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone' (James
1:13).
"Satan
seeks to bring us into temptation, that the evil of our characters
may be revealed before men and angels, that he may claim us
as his own. In the symbolic prophecy of Zechariah, Satan is
seen standing at the right hand of the Angel of the Lord,
accusing Joshua, the high priest, who is clothed in filthy
garments, and resisting the work that the Angel desires to
do for him. This represents the attitude of Satan toward every
soul who Christ is seeking to draw to Himself. The enemy leads
us into sin, and then he accuses us before the heavenly universe
as unworthy of the love of God. But 'the Lord said to Satan,
'The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord
who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked
from the fire?' And to Joshua He said, 'See,
I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you
with rich robes' (Zechariah 3:1-4).
"God
in His great love is seeking to develop in us the precious
graces of His Spirit. He permits us to encounter obstacles,
persecution, and hardships, not as a curse, but as the greatest
blessing of our lives. Every temptation resisted, every trial
bravely borne, gives us a new experience and advances us in
the work of character building. The soul that through divine
power resists temptation reveals to the world and to the heavenly
universe the efficiency of the grace of Christ.
"But
while we are not to be dismayed by trial, bitter though it
be, we should pray that God will not permit us to be brought
where we shall be drawn away by the desires of our own evil
hearts. In offering the prayer that Christ has given, we surrender
ourselves to the guidance of God, asking Him to lead us in
safe paths. We cannot offer this prayer in sincerity, and
yet decide to walk in any way of our own choosing. We shall
wait for His hand to lead us; we shall listen to His voice
saying, 'This is the way, walk in it'
(Isaiah 30:21).--Thoughts From The Mount Of Blessing,
pp., 116, 118.
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