Course: Solid Ground - Faith & Family
August 04, 2022 | Dave Rueter
Passage: 1 Corinthians 10:13
Sixth Petition
What does this mean?
God tempts no one. We pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Although we are attacked by these things, we pray that we may finally overcome them and win the victory.
How tempting is it to walk into the kitchen after your wife has been baking up a storm? You were not really hungry before you came home, but now you are not sure you will be able to escape without getting into something you know you really do not need to snack on this close to dinner.
This is a rather innocent form of temptation unless, of course, your wife has asked you to stay out of the freshly baked cookies that you just started mowing through. Not every temptation that we might struggle with is as innocent. This is why God has promised to not tempt us Himself. God has no desire to see us stumble and while He may allow for temptation to enter into our lives, He is never the author of it. When God allows temptation He does so knowing that He has our backs fully and completely. We are never alone in our temptation. God is always there to support us and leads us out of temptation.
Paul promises in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that “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.” This promise is huge because not only are we not left alone in temptation, but God has promised that in Him we will always have the strength to endure. Now, this strength is the Lord’s and not our own, so if we find ourselves struggling in our temptation we need only turn to Him and rely more fully upon His provision to see us through. We will stumble. We will not always succeed because we will not always fully trust in the strength that is ours in Christ, but that is where the ministry of the Holy Spirit comes in, training us to more fully trust and rely upon the Lord.
Thoughts for Reflection
What areas of temptation do you need to trust in God’s strength more?
Course Information
The catechism has been a foundational tool in teaching the Christian faith across generations. Yet, too often the catechism is treated as a tool to be used during confirmation class and then placed on the shelf thereafter. This series explores three of the six chief parts from Luther's Small Catechism, focusing on the 10 Commandments, Apostles' Creed, and Lord's Prayer. Each part is an essential foundation for our faith and something that Luther emphasized ought to be revisited in the Christian home with regularity.
