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Here is a passage about which I think we could have a very fruitful discussion; it is a part of the “Lord’s Prayer,” which Yahshua taught His disciples: “And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Luke 11:4)
When I was a mainstream Seventh-day Adventist, I always thought that this verse was a little strange. And interestingly enough, when I became a Creation Seventh-day Adventist, this was one of the few places in the Bible that didn’t immediately become clearer. After all, having accepted the undiluted, unadulterated Gospel, I now knew that “whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin.” (1John 3:9) Like the apostle, I could say with perfect confidence, “We know that whosoever is born of Yahweh sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.” (1John 5:18)
We are very familiar with these verses, for they are clear and unambiguous descriptions of the genuine Christian experience. Not by the efforts of our hands, but by the Sabbath of our souls, we remain in our Father’s grace, walking in the Spirit and denying the works of the flesh. Why, then, should we pray not to be led into temptation? Any temptation that arises, we overcome, because Christ has already overcome all sin, and given us His perfect victory. Any enticement to transgression, we rebuke, because our Savior is stronger by an infinite measure than the flesh and the fallen angels. What remains to cause a person to sin, except for these already-defeated foes?
Nevertheless, Yahshua instructs His people to pray, “Lead us not into temptation.” In the Garden of Gethsemane, He told His disciples, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mat 26:41)
Paul writes to the Church, who have supposedly accepted this very Gospel that we teach, saying, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” (Col 2:8)
Peter writes to the Church, in whom he expresses great confidence, saying, “Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.” (2Pet 3:17)
I do not share these warnings in order to undermine any confidence in our salvation. The Scriptures and later inspiration tell us that those who come to Christ, He by no means turns away. Those who place their trust in Him have an everlasting inheritance laid up for them to claim. As it was with Christ, it is our perfect trust, which does not permit any thoughts to linger on the possibility of failure, that is blessed by the Father with success. Why, then, are these verses here?
The Scriptures are given to us in order for us to perfect character. Consider this carefully, because this is going to sound rather strange… “not sinning” is not the key to salvation. A man in a coma does not sin. A child that is asleep does not sin. Someone born with a severe disability, to the extent that he cannot reason properly, would not be considered “guilty” of wrongdoing by any reasonable judgment.
And consider our own cases. We claim to commit no sin of which we are aware, but the destiny to which we are called requires us to be free entirely from all sin, even those sins which we have never in our lives encountered. How is that to be judged? How do we know we will never sin, even though we will not be subject to every possible temptation in our lifetimes? When we had a series of “questions” that we asked of baptismal candidates, one of them was, “How do you know you will not sin again?” It might be interesting to ask a few members and visitors that question. But ultimately, the question is, how do we know that we are “safe” to permit into Heaven, where we are promised that rebellion will never rise again? (Nahum 1:9)
You see, this is why salvation cannot be of works. If it was of works, we would have to be given the opportunity to resist every evil work before our everlasting life could be secured, tempted in “every point” as was Christ. Instead, salvation is by faith, and the sign of it is the Christ-like character. Now, this is something on which we can rely with perfect trust. Christ says, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock.” (Mat 7:24, 25)
We could list the various things that Yahshua has instructed His people to do, but He actually didn’t give a lot of specifics with regard to behavior. In addition, we are not legalists. We don’t have a “checklist of good works.” Instead, the Master has said, “Take up your cross and follow me.” He has said, “Be healed. Go and sin no more.” It is rarely about the specifics, because once one has the character of Christ, the specifics don’t matter. The nature of the temptation is irrelevant, because the Spirit of Christ overcomes it by its very nature. The strength and subtlety of the demons sent to trouble us are not of any account when compared to the divine character. This is why the saints know that they will not fall into temptation, because the character of Christ endures all by its own defined characteristics. When you built your house on a rock, it stands firm… it does not matter how strong the rain, or how powerful the wind, or the direction from which it blows. In fact, you can trust that your house will stand firm, even though it has not endured every kind of storm, because it is constructed well, and on a solid foundation.
You will know the face of the enemy, and avoid it, whether it comes by a Sunday Law, or a Church’s trademarked name.
Now, having said that, we do have a testimony to give. How shall we help our fallen brethren, if we say to them, “Accept Jesus as your Savior, and nothing will ever go wrong in your life again?” How strong is our testimony, if we say, “Since the day I was born again, nothing ever tried to convince me to sin?” The carnal mind has no patience for such things; it needs something it can grasp, something it can relate to… it needs a promise of help in times of the trouble in which it is already experienced.
The power of Christ is displayed in its conquest of evil. Paul writes, “And having spoiled principalities and powers, [Yahshua] made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” (Col 2:15) We read in Revelation, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.” (Rev 5:12) “The Lamb that was slain...” in death, He openly defeated the enemy. Finally, “For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” (Heb 2:10)
I do not want to make the answer here too long. The Scriptures, as well as our experiences, are designed to perfect the Christ-like character in those who have the Faith of Yahshua. Trials and temptations are permitted by our Father to reveal the tares so that they may be removed from the wheat, and then to reveal to the wheat any imperfections it may retain when being gathered into the barn. Without the presence of temptation, the saints would not have a “mirror” in which any remaining defects are revealed, and in these last days, the lessons of holiness are those which we are to learn quickly.
When, therefore, Christ says, “lead us not into temptation,” it is apparent that He is not teaching us to ask for no challenges at all; in fact, He clarifies with the next phrase, “but deliver us from evil.” It is not, “Lead us not into temptation, so that we never encounter evil,” but rather, when we encounter evil, we will be delivered from it, kept safe in its presence, unstained by sin through participation in the evil we endure.
Paul provides the same clarification and understanding, writing, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but Yahweh is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1Cor 10:13)
So we see here, Yah will not prevent us from being tempted at all, which would be the fulfillment of Christ’s prayer if it were read at its face value in English, and probably other modern languages as well. Instead, in order for us to perfect character, to reflect on our choices, to process our thoughts, we are allowed to encounter evil. And yet, we are never led into the trap unprepared. We are never led “into temptation” in the sense that we will be helpless against its power; instead, as a testimony to the universe, as a refining fire on our souls, as a way to see for ourselves that we will overcome no matter what the temptation may happen to be, we are delivered in our integrity, because we have the Faith of Yahshua. This is the experience of the Bride of Christ Yahshua.
These Scriptures are valuable; the warnings are valuable, because remember, the entrance of sin is a mystery. Lucifer was perfect, confident, faithful, and yet pride was the path to his darkness. Perfection does not eliminate free will, and so, because we know sin will never rise again, perfect freedom will always choose humility, meekness, kindness, longsuffering, and all the other elements of Agape-love.
We read in the Scriptures of the Everlasting Kingdom to which we go, “‘And it shall come to pass, that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me,’ saith Yahweh.” (Isa 66:23) What a glorious scene this is, and yet, what a tragedy it is, that almost every human being that calls himself a Christian is entirely ignorant of how important the Sabbath is, and has no clue to so much as the definition of a “New Moon.”
These are our occasions of worship. These are our most sacred times in the World to Come and, because we are the Bride, because we are the Wise Virgins, we know our Groom’s ways, and permit all things to be, as the prayer goes, “as in Heaven, so in earth.” (Luke 11:2) Not everything can be done on earth as it is in Heaven just yet… but those things pertaining to our Father’s worship, those we are permitted to enjoy. They bring strength, healing and in the case of the New Moons, just like those warnings of Scripture that we have read, a reminder of our dependence on our Creator’s love and grace.
The New Moon is an ordinance of humility, and it actually completes the Plan of Salvation. Have you considered this? Even though we are taken to glory, even though humanity is restored to the very image of Yahweh and blessed with perfect freedom, sin will never rise again, pride will never again take root in the heart of a creature, because we both have the character of Christ, and we are eternally reminded of the consequences of sin. Yahshua will remain our human Savior, the nails forever imprinted in His palms. (Zech 13:6) The records of earth will be forever open to the universe, so that we may examine the effects of Lucifer’s rebellious kingdom which we are now enduring. And Sabbaths and New Moons will be an everlasting reminder of the rest we are given in Christ, and the darkness that exists wherever the Sun of Righteousness does not shine.
The warnings of Scripture are reminders that, as long as we have been born again, as experienced as we may be in the faith and doctrines of Christianity, as faithful as our course has been, and will be, it is only through Christ, and our reliance upon Him, that we live in eternal ages. This is the truth that avoids any Luciferian rebellions in the world to come. Even though sin is a mystery, even though it had the potential to appear in the most exalted, noble, and intelligent of God’s servants, we overcome it now, and we will overcome it forever, because we are taught, even in our victory, that we are entirely dependent on Yahweh’s mercy, with every breath, for the lives that we enjoy. This is how the saints forever defeat temptation.
King David writes, “Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me, then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.” (Psalm 19:13) What is “the great transgression?” It is no mystery… the teachings of Christ regarding blasphemy against the Holy Spirit being unpardonable is not a New Testament doctrine. David well knew this, writing, “Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.” (Psalm 51:11)
To willfully sin, knowing the truth about Yahweh, and His love, as Lucifer did, prevents the soul from being influenced by the Holy Spirit. It happened to Esau, to King Saul, and various others, so that even though they desired to find repentance, they could not. They had cast away from themselves, really, the very means by which the Father pardons the guilty. This is why we say, when seeking souls hear this message of victory, of righteousness by faith, “Jump in! Do not delay! If you are convinced that Christ has died to set you free from sin, and led you with His People that are preparing for Heaven, then don’t let any consideration keep you from declaring your unity with His will and His Church.” Who can tell how long, or how often, the invitation will be extended? We are “scarcely saved,” as Peter writes; (1Pet 4:18) every soul that finds the Way is literally a billion-to-one miracle in these days. There is no room for wavering, one foot in the Church and the other in the world… today, today is the day of salvation.
And it is important to understand, if you don’t know how to do this, if you don’t know how to live a life of righteousness, that is okay. That is not a prerequisite of the conversion experience. If you don’t know how to give up your sinful habits, or your negative emotions, or your impatience, or your pride, that is okay. That knowledge is not the prerequisite to coming to Christ for healing. You must just be willing to learn these things. You must be “willing to be made willing.” You must want to want these things. It is those who “seek” the Kingdom of Heaven that find it, not those who figure it out for themselves. When you have these things, these desires to be holy, then you will believe the Father and Son when They tell you through Their servants that you are healed.
The Victory does not mean you already have all spiritual wisdom. You do not consider a temptation and then say, “I can do it all myself,” or even, paradoxically, “All I need is Yahshua.” That sounds good, but many misunderstand who this Yahshua is, seeing Him as an example, a guide, an ideal to which we aspire, one who leads us forward. That falls short of the Biblical faith. The question arises, “Who is Yahshua to you?” That is another one of our Baptismal questions from that list we used to use. “Who is Yahshua?”
Yahshua in the flesh is in Heaven, but if that is the only part of Him you think of, as the Man who traveled, taught, died, and was raised back to life, that is only part of Him. Yahshua is also His spirit, as we non-Trinitarians know. (2Cor 3:17) Yahshua is also our life, as we come to realize. If He is only a Savior outside of you, you haven’t really accepted Him yet, for He said, “If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him.” (John 14:23)
Christ in us, the hope of glory – that is the life of the saint. Christ is not ahead of us, nor behind us, nor even carrying us, as that famous “Footprints” poem goes, but He is abiding within us, in the very core of our beings, so that we are forever in His presence, surrounded by His power, joined to His Person, and nothing shall take us out of His hand.
When we say, “All I need is Yahshua,” we mean all of Him. Not only His flesh that was sacrificed for us, but also the presence of His Spirit, which consists of the gifts, the teachers, the fellowship, the counsel, the rebuke, the reminders of humility, these things that come to us through His People – because that, all of that, and only all of that, is truly Yahshua. Of all people, non-Trinitarians should understand this, and seek the unity that His true Spirit always inspires… but it is not enough. Only those who are genuinely seeking His truth, and not merely doctrinal orthodoxy, will feel this desire for one-ness with the brethren.
There is a false idea of Victory that, once you have it, you no longer need anything, or that you fail if you can’t overcome a temptation or locate a false thought all by yourself. But that is not what it means. What it means is that you overcome by learning who Yahshua is: Yahshua in His flesh, Yahshua in His Spirit, and Yahshua in His Bride with whom He is One. These things all work together to perfect the saint, but this cannot be accomplished if a soul refuses the assistance of the very means by which He tells us about Himself.
I have called this study “The Hem of His Garment.” Let me explain why, even as we draw to a close.
I am sure you know the passage from which the idea is drawn: “And Yahshua arose, and followed [a man who had come to Him for help], and so did His disciples. And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind Him, and touched the hem of His garment, for she said within herself, ‘If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole.’ But Yahshua turned Him about, and when He saw her, He said, ‘Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.’ And the woman was made whole from that hour.” (Mat 9:19-22)
Mark’s Gospel, though shorter, gives us a little bit more insight into her condition, repeating that it had been troubling her for twelve years, and adding that she “had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse.” (Mark 5:26)
Twelve years is a long time to suffer, and she had not been slack in attempting to rid herself of her problem. She had spent a lot of money, she had seen many physicians, but what she needed, only the Savior could provide. There are many, many, who see salvation as a work-in-progress, as the result of great efforts, extreme deprivation, and joyless sorrow for sin. It is because of this, they reject the Victory message when it comes to them, because they say, “I have done all this, and it still isn’t enough? I have pushed down my urges for years, resisting almost every temptation, and now you say that we are required to be free from all sin? How can that be possible? If even I, with all my great effort, cannot stop sinning, who are you to tell me that you just did it, just like that?”
Well, that is rather the point; we didn’t “just do it.” We didn’t do it at all. We received it, we accepted it. We reached out and touched a garment… we partook of the tiniest contact with the righteousness that saturates the clothes of the Son of Yahweh… and for us, it is enough. Even that momentary contact, even that crying out for help, even that one fervent prayer, “Lord, save me, I need your help,” even that is enough. We have righteousness by faith because our Father has promised us righteousness by faith, and He always fulfills, and over-fulfills, His promises. His grace is sufficient for us, and we rejoice in His mercy.
All He says is, “Watch and pray.” All He says is, “Partake of My wisdom.” All He says is, “Beware the temptations into which I am not leading you,” for there is unnecessary suffering, and there is pride. Because of these Scriptures, because of the Sabbath Day, because of the New Moon, and because of the Fellowship of the Brethren… because we have all these things, we need not rely on the efforts of human beings, including our own. We may have been trying, suffering, for twelve years, spending all our energy, trying every trick to be a “good Christian.” We may have relied on the efforts of the spiritual physicians, the pastors, and priests, and ministers who do not know for themselves how to stop bleeding…
But we read, to conclude, “And [they] besought Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment; and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.” (Mat 14:36)
We who come with humility, who come with hope, who come with trust, in this Savior of whom we have heard, we touch His garment, and we receive His virtue. He knows us, and He welcomes us, and He heals us, and He saves us. It does not matter how long we have suffered because of human ignorance – even with the best of intentions, because of pride, because of the carnal nature. In that moment, nothing else matters. We receive life. We receive peace. We even receive the warnings about temptation, and rebukes against carelessness gratefully, knowing they are for our everlasting good. Finally, we are clean. Finally, we are whole. Finally, we are Family. Finally, we are Home.
David.