Well, let us turn once more to
God's Word as we continue in the pattern prayer in Matthew
chapter six. This part of what is familiarly
called the Sermon on the Mount, as the Lord Jesus Christ is giving
instruction to his disciples. Remember back at verse five,
when thou prayest, he says, and tells them how thou to be different
to the hypocrites, tells them how they are to pray in the secret
place. And then he gives this pattern of prayer at verse eight
following. And tonight, looking at the first
part of verse 13, Matthew 6, the first part of verse 13 in
the petition, and lead us not into temptation. And lead us not into Temptation,
the sixth petition of the prayer. And it reminds us that this present
life that we're living is in many ways a life of temptations. And it continues, so does it
not, all the days of our mortal life. Back in Joel chapter seven,
we read, is there not an appointed time to man upon earth It's interesting
to observe the marginal reading there, which says, is there not
a warfare or a temptation to man on earth? Certainly, we know
that the life of the Lord Jesus Christ was a life of many temptations. When he comes to the end there
in Luke 22-28, He says to his disciples, you are they which
have continued with me in my temptations. And as that was
the case with regards to Christ's life here upon the earth, so
also with regards to his disciples, with regards to Christians. Remember
the words at the end of John 16, in the world ye shall have
tribulation. or we are surrounded then on
every hand by temptation. And here, in this petition that
we're considering tonight, we see quite clearly that we're
not to pray that God would take them away, but rather we're to
pray, lead us not into them. I suppose in a sense the very
last petition covers that first idea of things being taken away,
where we finally pray for deliverance from evil. And that deliverance
will be the blessed release that comes a death, where it's absent
from the body, present with the Lord, it's heaven. That holy,
happy place where sin no more defiles, where God unveils his
blissful face, and looks, and loves, and smiles. But as I said,
this is a life of temptations. And so, the need for the words
of this petition, and lead us not into temptations. First of all, we must define
our terms. And so we ask the question at
the outset as to what is meant by temptation. The word that's
used here is not always translated temptation in the New Testament.
In fact, oftentimes it's translated by the English word trial. temptation
or trial. And it is the context in which
the word is used that determines precisely what the meaning of
the word is. Because, in a sense, temptation
and trial are very different things. Different in their motives,
different in their aims. Temptation is that that will
lead to sin and Did we not see that in the portion that we read
there in the opening chapter of that epistle of James? The words that we have at verse
14, every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own loss
and enticed. Then when loss hath conceived,
it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished bringeth
forth death. Here is the point, the purpose
of temptation, to draw into sin. And interestingly, in that 15th
verse, we really have the history of sin from its conception to
its bitter end. When lust hath conceived, we're
told it bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, bringeth
forth death. in those few words, the whole
history of the life of sin. Temptation, then, is that that
leads to sin. But trials are something quite
different. The point, the purpose of the
trial, is to lead to growth in grace. And again, James declares
that. There, in that chapter, at verse
2, he says, Count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations,
knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect
and entire, wanting nothing. The purpose of the trial then
is that there might be that growing in patience and other graces
of the Spirit. As Peter says, the trial of your
faith is that that is precious. It's that that he compares there
to a trial of silver and of gold, that it might be purified. Very different then to a temptation. Trial is for the good of the
soul, for the growth in grace. And so we have to recognize at
the outset that temptation is not that that is of God, but
it is that that is of Satan. Again, the language that we have
in James 1 verse 13, let no man say when he is tempted, I am
tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted with
evil, neither tempteth he any man. God does not tempt his children. But we know that it is the Lord
God who does try his children. All blessed is that man who endureth
temptation or trials. For when he is tried, he comes
forth, and he comes forth as gold. He receives also, says
James, the crown of life. there is something profitable
in the trial. And so, defining our terms, we
have to see that there are these two ways in which the word, the
particular Greek word that's used in the text, is translated. Sometimes the context indicates
it's the work of Satan that is being spoken of. It's temptation
to evil. But there are occasions when
it is used more especially of trials and so though it's the
same word yet these are very different ideas that we have
when we consider our English words temptation and trial. It's interesting what we read
concerning Abraham in Hebrews chapter 11. He's there of course
amongst that catalogue of the faithful of the Old Testament. In fact He is in many ways the
great example of saving faith. He is the father of all them
that believe. And concerning Abraham's faith,
Hebrews 11, 17 tells us by faith, Abraham, when he was tried, offered
up Isaac. And he that had deceived the
promises offered up his only begotten son. Isaac was very
much the son of promise. His whole conception and birth
was miraculous. Because Isaac is really a type
of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we see it there in what the apostles
said concerning Isaac. When he tells us that Abram offered
up his only begotten son. Or he points us to the Lord Jesus,
but how his faith was trying We have the trial recorded back
in Genesis chapter 22, but it's interesting that in the opening
verse of that 22nd chapter, it says God did tempt Abraham, but
God didn't tempt Abraham. God tried Abraham. God tries the faith of Abraham. And when there comes that trying
of faith, it presupposes that there is some good in the man.
There is something good, something that will stand up to the trial. And it's compared, as I said,
to silver and to gold. We have the promise there at
the end of the Old Testament in the book of the prophet Malachi
concerning the coming of Christ. We read of the ministry of John
the Baptist, the messenger who prepares the way and then messenger
of the covenant himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, the opening
words of Malachi 3. Behold, I will send my messenger,
and he shall prepare the way before me. And the Lord, whom
ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger
of the covenant, whom ye delight in. Behold, he shall come, saith
the Lord of hosts, but who may advise the day of his coming?
And he shall stand when he appears, For he is like a refiner's fire,
and like full of soap. And he shall sit as a refiner
and purifier of silver. And he shall purify the sons
of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer
unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. All the ministry
of the Lord Jesus Christ is that that he's being spoken of, and
he is like a refiner. There is that aspect of the Lord's
ministry that that sifting, that searching aspect of his ministry. And when he ministers to his
children now, even in this time of crisis, also that aspect. Now we know that there is nothing
good in any of us as sinners. The old nature does not change. The old nature cannot change. We're born dead in trespasses,
and in sins, and that which is born of the flesh, says the Lord
Jesus, is flesh. And that which is born of the
spirit is spirit. And though Paul says these are
contrary one to the other, the flesh lusting against the spirit,
the spirit against the flesh, that you cannot do the thing
that she would. The old nature never changes.
And though Paul doesn't just speak of it there in Galatians
5.17, but he knew it in his own soul's experience. As he cries
out in Romans 7, I know that in my, that is in my flesh, there
dwelleth no good thing. There is nothing of any value
or profit then in the old nature. What then is that good thing?
that must be in us, that good thing that is being tried. It
is faith. And it is, it's not natural faith,
it's not duty faith, it's not that faith that every man and
woman on the face of the earth is accountable to God for. We're all God's creatures and
all are to believe in God. All should be seized. The fool
says in his heart there is no God. No, the faith that is being
Tried is that spiritual faith, that saving faith, that faith
that is God's gift and God's work, that faith that is of the
operation of God. For by grace are you saved through
faith and that of yourselves, it is the gift of God. And so Peter says, the trial
of your faith, being much more precious than the gold that perishes,
though it be tried in fire, shall be found unto praise and honor
and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. God tries the faith of his people. And we're to make that distinction
then between that that God is doing and that that the devil
does when he comes with his temptations. There is a good end in view in
the trial of faith. And we have it again there in
that portion in James, the trying of your faith worketh patience,
remember. But may patience have a perfect
work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. All that blessed growth it grows. Again, we can think of the language
of the Apostle Paul when he writes in the Epistle to the Romans
and there, in the opening parts of Romans chapter five. Look
at the words that we have in Romans five at verse three. Following, he says, not only
so, but with glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation
worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope,
and hope maketh not his shame, because the love of God is shed
abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us,
have all these things and are working under God's sovereign
hand in the trying of the faith of his people. But coming back
to the words of the text and the petition, lead us not into
temptation. Now I want us, in the second
place, to see how there is that sense in which even temptations
are decreed part of God's decree. In fact, nothing can be outside
of that decree. And the fact that we have this
petition in the Lord's Prayer indicates to us, or reminds us,
of the absolute sovereignty of God. Doesn't the Apostle say,
we must, through much tribulation, enter into the Kingdom of Heaven? We must, it's God's decree, it's
God's appointment. The devil tempts, God doesn't
tempt. The devil tempts, but the devil
is not a free agent. And that is the mystery. God
is not the author of sin, and yet it's made so abundantly clear
in the history of Job. Remember, There in Job chapter
1 at verse 6 following, and then again in the opening verses of
chapter 2, we see how the devil, a fallen angel, presents himself
amongst the sons of God. He has to obtain permission.
He is not free. And God permits him initially
to try Job and how he's tried so deeply. he loses everything
possessions and children but Satan cannot touch his life cannot
touch him at all in his person and Job in the midst of all that
the devil is doing still will not curse God and
so the devil comes again and receives permission now to try
Job in respect to his own person. But he cannot, he cannot take
his life. And so the man is sorely afflicted
now in his very person. And he's covered from the sole
of his foot to the crown of his head with sores. And he goes and takes
a potsherd and sits amongst the ashes and scrapes his flesh. He's in a sorrowful condition.
But in all of this we see that Satan is not a free agent, he
can only act under the sovereign hand of God, and yet God is not
the author of sin. And now, in that mystery of the
Lord's dealings with Job, we see how that ultimately the man
is brought to acknowledge God and God's hand in all of these
things. And those familiar words that we have in the 23rd chapter
of the book, There in Job chapter 23, verse 8 following, he says, Behold, I go forward,
but he is not there. Backward, but I cannot perceive
him. On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold
him. He hideth himself on the right hand, but I cannot see
him. Oh, he's searching for God. But then he comes to this, but
he knoweth the way that I take, when he hath tried me, I shall
come forth as God." Well there we see the remarkable faith of
that man, how he was tried. And how he was tried even by
Satan's workings and Satan's temptations. And as with Job,
as with all those who are the godless, so it was with the Lord
Jesus Christ. How the devil dares even to tempt
Christ himself. And as we've said before, how
bold he is. He tempts him with regards to
his very relationship to the Father. He is the eternal son
of the Father. And at his baptizing in chapter
three of this Gospel of Matthew, the Father speaks those words
from heaven, this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. Oh, he's the son of the Father
in truth. and in love, and then immediately in the temptations,
what does the devil say to Christ if thou be the Son of God? Oh, what an if was there, says
dear Joseph Hart. But he should challenge Christ
in terms of his very relationship in the eternal Godhead with the
Father, the eternal Son of the eternal Father. The devil tempts
Christ. But again, we have to recognize
that though Christ is tempted of the devil, yet in all of that
he is being led of the Spirit. What does it say back in the
opening verse of chapter 4? After his baptizing, then was
Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted
of the devil. He is led of the Spirit. The
Father has given the Spirit without measure unto Him. In all His
actions, He is ever under that gracious influence of the Holy
Spirit. After the temptations, He returns
in the power of the Spirit. How interesting it is! Or even
the activity of Satan. And so we can come and pray to
God, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. And
it's interesting in the clause that follows, deliverance from
evil, that the definite article is before the word evil. Literally
it says, but deliver us from the evil. And it could be understood
to be a petition, a request to be kept from the evil one. The
evil one. I said in this world we know
temptation. tribulations, trials. It's a
scene of all those things. And what are we told in 1 John
5, 19? The whole world lieth in wickedness. And again there, the article
appears before the words wickedness. And literally, it could be rendered,
the whole world lieth in the wicked one. The evil one, the
wicked one. Who is this? It is Satan, the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in
the children of disobedience, says Paul. And Peter says we're
to be sober and vigilant because your adversary the devil is a
roaring lion walking about seeking whom he may devour. Whom resists? Whom resists in the fight? Oh, we have to look to God. We
have to look to God and we have to pray to God and we have to
recognize that God is sovereign and God overrules all the devices
of Satan and all the machinations of that wicked one and we have
examples of it of course in holy scripture we can think of the
life of a man like Joseph and all that befell him yet what
does he say there at the end when he speaks to his brethren
in the last chapter Genesis 50 and verse 20, he says to them,
ye thought evil against me. Ye thought evil against me, but
God meant it unto good. And all that Satan might seek
to do in his wicked temptations, his allurements, he means evil. Ah, but God, God is sovereign. God works all things out for
good. We know that that is the way
of God. All things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are the caught according
to his purpose. And that's our confidence, the
sovereignty of God, the decree of God. Or the hymn writer says
again, afflictions make us see what else would escape our sight,
our very foul and dim old way, and God's O bright! Why is it that God suffers his
children to be so assaulted by his great adversary? Why is it
that God suffers his children to be tempted of the devil? Well, it is in order that we
may learn to know ourselves and that we might learn to know himself,
the God that he is. What does David say in the psalm?
Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now have I kept thy
law. And again, it is good for me
that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes. In all these trials, troubles,
afflictions, all the assaults of Satan, everything that comes
upon us, God is working things for good. And so Peter says,
beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial that
is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you.
As I said, this is the life of Christ. This is the life of those
who are the followers of Christ. But we have that promise of God,
there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to
man. And God will not suffer you to
be tempted above you are able, but with the temptation shall
make a way of escape. that she may be able to bear
it. Well, God has given that promise.
But God has not only given that promise, God has also given his
only begotten son. Think of all that the Lord Jesus
Christ is and the reality, the reality of his human nature.
We read of him in the days of his flesh when he had offered
up prayer, and supplication with strong crying and tears unto
him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in
the thing that he feared. Though he were a son yet, learnt
he obedience through the things that he suffered. How he suffered,
how he was assaulted of the devil. And why so? It's the reality
of his human nature. He never sinned. Oh, but he knew
what sore temptations were. We have not a high priest which
cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, saith Paul,
but was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. O let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find
grace to help in time of need. And as we come we can make this
prayer, this petition, and lead us not into temptation. or the Lord Jesus Christ is that
one through whom we pray, but he is that one who also prays
for his people. Remember how he prayed for Simon
Peter. How the Lord spoke plainly to
Peter that he would deny the Lord thrice before the cock crewed
twice. What does he say there in Luke
22, 31? Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired
to have you that he may sift you as wheat, I have prayed for
thee, that thy faith fail not, and when thou art converted,
strengthen thy brethren. And how significant it is, and
I know I've mentioned it before, but it brings out so clearly
the accuracy of our authorized version. Simon, Simon, Satan
hath desired to have you, that's the plural pronoun. He is speaking
of not just Peter, but all the disciples. Satan hath desired
to have You all. But I have prayed for thee, that's
the singular pronoun, that thy faith fail not. Oh, it was Peter
who was so vulnerable. And how the Lord praises thee
for his disciples in particular. It doesn't mean he only prayed
for Peter, he would pray for all of them. But how Peter was
the one in the greatest need, and so it is with us. The Lord
Jesus Christ. He knew what sore temptations
were, and He is the one who instructs us, and we need to come and to
pray to God that He would not lead us into temptation, but
that He would deliver us from evil. Oh, will the Lord be pleased
to impress His truth upon our heart and to help us as we turn
to prayer just now. But before that, we're going
to sing Our second praise, it's the hymn 305, and the tune is
171. The soul that would to Jesus
press must fix this firm and sure that tribulation more or
less would not and shall endure. The hymn 305.