Saturday, June 23, 2007
2 Corinthians 4:8-11 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed -- always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL
Luther breaks these this verse into two separate petitions, but they are related -- even connected by the word "but". The first of these states our request in the negative -- lead us not into temptation. The second states it in the positive -- deliver us from evil. There is a close connection between these two phrases as we confess that we are in need of God's deliverance from temptation and from all evil. By our own strength we are not able to stand up against these attacks against our soul -- this comes from the grace of God -- so we plead for His help.
Notice that we are not taught to pray that God would keep temptations and evil from us, but that He would not lead us into temptation and deliver us from evil. Do you see the distinction? We need to realize that God uses temptations and trials for our good.
Hard pressed, pressured, perplexed, confused, persecuted, suffering, struck down. But we are not defeated. Paul tells us that when we face these things, we are reminded of what Christ has done for us. We carry about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus. Paul is describing a paradox here. We are alive and yet carrying the death of Jesus, being delivered to death for Jesus' sake. At the same time, He says that Jesus' life is manifested in our body, our mortal (sinful, dying) flesh!
In spite of the troubles we face in this life through the devil, the world and our sinful flesh, through the working of God, we also can be confident in Christ's life for us. Because Christ rose again, we too shall rise again to a life without sin, without trials and without evil! Thanks be to God for all He has done for us.
