You Can Overcome Temptation #2
Posted by: forthrightmag <forthrightmag@...>
http://www.forthright.net
Going straight to the Cross
Randal continues a three-part series today. The
first part, "The Divine Perspective," may be read
at this address:
forthright.antville.org/stories/264271/
You Can Overcome Temptation #2
Part 2: The Divine Character
by Randal Matheny
As is true of every aspect of Christianity,
winning over temptation depends upon the character
of God. Paul knows this as he affirms that "God is
faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted
beyond what you are able" (1 Cor. 10:13 NASU).
So overcoming temptation depends not only upon
adopting the divine perspective, but relying upon
the divine character.
God Points the Way
From the beginning, the Lord has pointed man to
the way of righteousness. When Cain showed signs
of wandering, the Lord confronted his anger with
the need to repent and choose good over evil.
"If you do well, will not your countenance be
lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is
crouching at the door; and its desire is for you,
but you must master it" (Gen. 4:7).
Never has God led man into sin (Jas. 1:13-15). He
has no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezek.
33:11). He does not wish that any should perish,
but that all should reach repentance (2 Pet. 3.9).
Isaiah speaks in terms that give a different
impression. "Why, O Lord, do You cause us to stray
from Your ways and harden our heart from fearing
you?" (Is. 63:17). But as the Lord insisted they
repent, their sins multiplied and God gave them up
to judgment (Rom. 1:22-32). His continued
chastisement resulted in their straying further
away from him.
So the Lord promises to help man overcome
temptation. He has always fulfilled this promise
and will continue to do so.
Divine Limits Show Divine Purpose
God does permit that we be tempted. He respects
our free will. He encourages us to do right. So
that we may be able to choose what is right, he
imposes limits and restraints upon what Satan can
do, just as he did during Job's trials.
This divine permission and restriction of Satanic
effort shows that the Lord is in charge of the
whole process. Our verse says, "he will not
allow." Thus, God is in the temptation, not to
lead us to sin, but to bring us through it
strengthened in our resolve to love and serve him.
God Showed Faithfulness in Jesus' Temptation
The Spirit of God led Jesus into the wilderness in
order to be tempted (Mat. 4:1-11). On the face of
it, God appears to be against his Son, but the
leading actually reveals his faithful presence in
order that he may win over Satan and fulfill his
mission in the world. The confrontation is
inevitable, and though we might shrink from it,
God's Spirit leads us to meet it head-on.
Many think of angels as protectors from evil, but
the angels came to serve Jesus after Satan had
already left him (v. 11). Our Lord had One greater
than the angels to help him at the critical
moment. He counted on the faithfulness of his
Father.
Though Satan was slinging him around from one end
of the world to the other, the powerful Word of
God brought him the unfailing power of the Creator
to defeat the tempter.
With this confidence in the faithfulness of the
sovereign God, Zacharias praised his salvation,
"To grant us that we, being rescued
from the hand of our enemies,
Might serve Him without fear,
In holiness and righteousness before Him
all our days."
(Luke 1:74-75).
This thought will take us to the next installment:
The Divine Escape.