The Lord's prayer

 

While dealing with the subject on prayer let us look at one particular sentence in the Lord’s model prayer which He taught His disciples but has unfortunately brought about a lot of issues even to the point where Pope Francis vehemently objected to it, thus leading many spiritually ignorant and unstable people to begin disputing the legitimacy and veracity of that particular statement of the Lord’s prayer which simply states; “And lead us not into temptation.”

Instead of people taking time to study, meditate and understand the word of God and try to find the intent and logic for the statement they rather dishonor and discredit the Lord Jesus Christ by refusing to accept His spoken word as gospel truth and causing those who are weak in the faith to question the veracity of the scriptures.

Please note carefully that facing temptations is all part and parcel of the development and growth of the believer and the one who endures and overcomes will be approved and will receive the crown of life. God leads His people into temptation as a form of purification, for thus says the Lord; “I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'This is My people'; And each one will say, 'The LORD is my God.' (Zechariah 13:9).

We are further admonished saying; “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith --- the salvation of your souls” (1Peter 1:6-9).

So the important question is where is God when His people are going through all these trials and temptations? Is He allowing them to go through it alone or is He leading them through it?            We have for example been given the assurance saying; “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1Corinthians 10:13).  

We also have David the Psalmist stating; “He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalms 23:4).

Here we see clearly that, the Lord is the One who leads His people in their daily pursuit in life as also alluded to by the apostle Paul who wrote; “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Romans 8:14).

God is the One who leads His people, He leads them through trials and temptations that the genuineness of their faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, but He is not the One who tempts them for we have been instructed saying; “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed” (James 1:12-14).

So the rationale for being led into temptation it is to be approved with the assurance that, God is faithful, who will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that we may be able to bear it.

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To be continued, stay tuned

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph