And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
Luke 22:39-40
Helps Word Studies ~ ‘enter into’
1525 eisérxomai (from 1519/eis, "into, unto" and 2064/érxomai, "come") – properly, come into, go (enter) into; (figuratively) to "enter into" for an important purpose – for believers experiencing the result of the Lord's eternal blessing.
As an intensified form of 2064 (érxomai),1525/eisérxomai ("going into for a purpose/result") focuses on the outgrowth (purpose, effects) of the entering – i.e. emphasizing where this naturally leads. 1525 (eisérxomai) characteristically underlines the deep personal involvement (self-interest) of the "entering into." This stresses the purpose (result) of the "entering into (unto)," forcefully extending to what naturally proceeds from it.]
You would think, as we noted last week, the disciples knowing Jesus prayer for their faith to not fail, would be sufficient to keep them from entering into the temptation. Yet, we see that while God is Sovereign, He has limited himself to man’s free will and that free will needs to submit to Gods instructions.
We know Peter entered into the temptation and learn there was a part Peter had to play through prayer. While it’s an encouraging thing to know Jesus is praying for us, it does not eliminate our responsibilities to obey His directives. We understand Peter’s engagement to pray would have kept him from entering into the temptation. We know they all left Jesus and we know they all later chose to follow Peter when he returned to fishing.
From the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus told his disciples it wasn’t the external that defiled people but the things within them. It is with this understanding that we guard our hearts and perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord.
Jesus tells us that in this world we will always have temptation. It is something we cannot avoid or escape. What we can do is overcome it. John 16:33.
By choosing what we allow ourselves to lean into we find either the grace that is so abundant in these moments or we simply do what Peter did, lean into the temptation.
The Apostle Paul wrote of the circumstances experienced in Asia, so utterly burdened beyond strength that they despaired of life itself, feeling they had received the sentence of death. Paul said it was to make them rely not on themselves but on God who raises the dead. This reliance leans into the grace He provides and can always be seen through obedience.
There are just no short cuts in this life God has called us into. It is a daily pursuit ‘into’ righteousness, right thinking, right doing, right being, that enables us to join with Jesus and in the moments of our temptation, knowing we can be of good cheer through any and all momentary light afflictions, for He has overcome the world. This becomes our victory, for as He is so are we in this world and the victory that overcomes is the faith we hold as we remain in(to) Him.
This email was sent to <<Email Address>>
why did I get this? unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences
KVCM · PO Box 2502 · Sidney, Bc V8L 3Z4 · Canada