This month, I would like to take a little time and focus on the Sixth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer, "and lead us not into temptation."

I suspect that through the years, a goodly number of people have been a bit puzzled by this petition. On the one hand, through the Scriptures, they have come to know that God is good and in no way desires to place them into any type of situation that would weaken their faith or lead them into sin. Yet, on the other hand, our Lord teaches us to pray, "and lead us not into temptation." How does one fit these two seemingly contradictory thoughts together?

I have always appreciated the way in which Dr. Martin Luther, in his Small Catechism, explains this petition: "God indeed tempts no one; but we pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world and our flesh will not deceive us nor seduce us into misbelief, despair and other great shame and vice; and though we be assailed by them, that still we may finally overcome and obtain the victory."

It is not God’s nature to tempt anyone to sin or to fall away from Him. That just isn’t our God. True, He does sometimes place us into situations that test and try our faith. But these always have but one purpose — to strengthen faith, not to weaken or destroy it.

For instance, we think of Abraham and his young son, Isaac, when God asked Abraham to offer up his only son as a sacrifice. Or we might think of the Master’s dealings with Philip in John 6. Jesus asked him, "Where can we find bread to feed all of these people?" We read then, "This Jesus said to test Philip," — to strengthen his faith in Him as the almighty promised Messiah.

No, our God never tests or tempts us to weaken or to destroy our faith.

What then are we asking of God when we pray, "and lead us not into temptation"? The answer is two-fold.

First, we are asking that God would divert from us any temptation that would weaken our faith or draw us away from Him and His holy will.

Where do these temptations come from? Some come from the devil, who as a roaring lion still walks about seeking whom he may devour. Still others come from the evil world around us, that world the Scripture says "is pitted against God." Unfortunately, a third source is that old sinful nature or hankering to do wrong that exists within each of us due to our inborn sinfulness. Whatever the source, temptations are there. And in this petition we pray, "God, keep these temptations to sin away from me. For as one of your redeemed children, I do not want to walk down that road in my life."

But there is also a second aspect to this petition. It has to do with the times when temptations do come — and daily they do. In this case, we find ourselves here praying that God would give us the power and strength to resist the same and remain faithful, both to Him and to His almighty saving Word. For as baptized, redeemed children of God, that is how we want to be. When such temptations do assail us, we do not want to give in to these, which, as Luther says, can only lead us "into misbelief, despair, and other great shame and vice."

I can almost hear you saying, "But what about all those times when, despite my best intentions, I succumb to temptation and do fall into sin, even grievous sin?" At those times, Satan and the world can point a long accusing finger and say with a smirk, "Look at you now. You call yourself a Christian? A follower of the Lord? Sure you are."

Well, it is at those moments, as we find ourselves sin-stained, convicted and sorrowing before God over our sins, that our loving Savior once again reaches out and touches us with the good news of the Gospel. He again directs our eyes to the cross, the open tomb and the Holy Scriptures. He again speaks to us as penitent sinners, the words that only a forgiving God in Christ can speak: "I did it all for you. Yes, for you. And through it all, though your sins are as scarlet, they are now as white as snow. I have truly removed your guilt as far as the east is from the west." And if you and I want to find the true power for then moving ahead, striving to do what is right — there it is, in the Gospel.

Maybe one concluding thought. If we pray this petition and then turn right around and run headlong into situations that are geared to lead us into sin, this leads to a very counterproductive lifestyle. There are certain places we as children of God should not go, certain things we should not do, and certain activities in which we should not be found involved. Consequently, our task as believers is early on to identify those things that can pull us away from God and avoid those kinds of situations.

In other words, ours is not just the task of praying this petition and then forgetting it. Ours is the task of praying it and then so structuring our lives as to make this petition come true in our daily activities. And it is for this wisdom also that we are here in this petition asking the Lord to provide.

Yes, Lord, lead us not into temptation. Keep those things from us that could pull us away from you and your will, and when these do arise, daily give us the will and strength to make those kinds of decisions that will glorify you in our lives. For this also we pray in this your most holy prayer.

God bless!

Jude 24-25