Prayer review, Part 8: introduction; John 15:16.

Title: Prayer review, Part 8: introduction; John 15:16.

 

The last petition in this model prayer:

 

Matt 6:13 'And do not lead us into temptation [peirasmo,j; peirasmos], but deliver us from evil. [For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.]' not in the original.

 

The key to this verse is the word “evil”. It means that which causes pain, malignancy, sorrow, and that which does evil and harm.

 

God does not want to put us in such a place, but yet a place does exist because of evil creatures. Why would God’s universe, filled with His children fall under such evil? It is because in the AC His permissive will allows.

 

This means that certain trials and temptations come upon you, not because God willed it, but because it must be allowed in a world of fallen creatures who possess a free will.

 

All sin is evil but not all evil is sin. Sin is an isolated act, while evil is a system of thinking. The prayer here is for our deliverance from temptations that fall under God’s permissive will, the temptation to evil.

 

  “lead” - eivsfe,rw[eisphero; aorist active subjuctive] this is the only petition in the subjunctive mood. To lead, to bring, to carry.

 

The subjunctive reveals the two types of trials, those God directs and those God has to allow under the rules of the Angelic Conflict.

 

This, like the other petitions is made to strengthen your faith in what you already know. “Don’t lead me there Father, because I feel pulled there.” And the word which you already know will come flowing with truth. God never put you in this place, yet this place, under His permissive will, exists.

 

 “temptation” - peirasmo,j[peirasmos] = a trial, test, or temptation that discovers good or evil, strength or weakness in a person or thing.

 

In secular Greek this word was used for medical experiments. This is what Satan is doing, not God. These tests are a result of a messed up system and not directed by God. These are what are allowed. Your Father didn’t pull you there, it overcame you, and He gave provision.

 

Some temptations or trials we are warned to avoid:

 

A similar petition is commanded by Jesus in the Garden:

Luke 22:40

And when He arrived at the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation [peirasmos]."

 

God has allowed evil in His universe and that evil must run its course until the end of human history when it will be full abolished and destroyed, never to return. Until then this evil tests, temps, and tries His children. This is not His desire, but it must be allowed. Satan is not concerned about your sinning, but he is concerned about your system of thinking. Evil reverts thinking from grace to works, from freedom to guilt, from faith to fear and it is these later things that satan tempts God’s people with.

 

1 Tim 6:9

But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.

 

Temptation, trials, and testing are a fact of the spiritual life; unavoidable.

 

“Lead us not into temptation” — James 1:13 tells us that God cannot tempt, it is impossible and incompatible with His character to solicit to evil.

 

James 1:12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial [peirasmos temptation]; for once he has been approved [assayed or tested for purity], he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

 

James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted [verb of the same word], "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.

 

God never provides any temptation of any evil for any member of the human race. However, God does lead believers and nations into situations of testing for good.

 

Remember the difference between evil and sin. When God tests He knows that you have the right stuff. When He tests He’s testing power within looking for certain victory. When Satan tests he’s banking on failure and God does not desire this, but must allow it under the rules of the AC.

 

There are two words in the Greek New Testament both meaning “to test;” dokimazo and peirazo.

 

It is important in the interests of accurate interpretation, to distinguish between them, since they refer to different kinds of testings.

 

Dokimazo refers to the act of testing someone or something for the purpose of approving it. Example.

 

The word has in it the idea of proving a thing whether it be worthy to be received or not. In classical Greek, it is the technical word for putting money to the test.

 

In the New Testament almost always it implies that the proof is victoriously surmounted. The word further implies that the trial itself was made in the expectation and hope that the result is positive and the thing is proven to be true.

 

Peirazo, which is the verb form of the noun we have in Matt 6:13,  means to try or test intentionally, and with the purpose of dis­covering what good or evil, what power or weakness, was in a person or thing.

 

But the fact that men so often break down under this test, gave peirazo a predominant sense of putting to the proof with the intention andthe hope that the one put to the test may break down under the test. Thus the word is used constantly of the solicitations and sugges­tions of Satan.

 

Peirazo means to test for good or evil with the hope that the person would break down under the test. Example

 

Dokimazo is used generally of God, but never of Satan, for Satan never puts to the test in order that he may approve. Peirazo is used at times of God, but only in the sense of testing in order to discover what evil or good may be in a person.

 

It is im­portant that we recognize the difference in these words which both mean “to test,” especially when one learns that they have the same translation in some parts of the New Testament.

 

Luke 14:19 "And another one said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out [dokimazo]; please consider me excused.'

 

The man who bought the oxen went to examine them, not for the purpose of discovering what their good points might be or whether they had any defects. He bought them for sound, healthy stock, and fully expecting that they were what the seller represented them to be, he merely went to put his approval upon what he had bought. That is dokimazo.

 

John 6:6 And this He was saying to test him [peirazo]; for He Himself knew what He was intending to do.

 

When our Lord propounded the question to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, that these may eat?” He was testing him to discover what faith or lack of faith, what dear spiritual insight or lack of it, what natural or supernatural view, that apostle might have. The test brought out what was in Philip’s thinking. He was reasoning along a naturalistic plane. That is peirazo.

 

REV 2:2 'I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot endure evil men, and you put to the test [peirazo] those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false;

 

The Church was suspicious of these stran­gers. It had no reason to believe that it would find in these men that upon which it could put its approval. Thus dokimazo is not used here. The Church put these men to the test, that is, examined them to see what good or evil there was in them, intending to accept them if good, but to reject them if evil. They found them to be liars.

 

1 Cor 3:13 each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test [dokimazo] the quality of each man's work.

 

At the judgment Seat of Christ, the believer’s service will be test­ed, not for the purpose of finding out what good or evil there was in it, but to put God’s approval upon that part of it which was the work of the Holy Spirit.

 

The believer’s works are not up for judgment with a penalty at­tached for those works not done in the power of the Holy Spirit. These latter works will be burned up, and the be­liever will lose the reward he would have received had they been done in the power of the Spirit. The Judgment Seat of Christ is not for the judgment of the believer himself, and certainly not for his retention or loss of salvation. It is not peirazo, to discover what evil or good there may be. It is dokimazo, to examine in order to approve. God expects to find that in the service of the saint upon which He can put His approval, for the Holy Spirit produces good works in all the saints (EPH 2:10), more in those who are defi­nitely subjected to His control.

 

 

1 Cor 11:28 But let a man examine himself [dokimazo], and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

 

It is expected that the believer partake of the bread and wine at the Lord’s table only when he can approve his life after having examined himself. If he finds nothing between him and his Savior, then he is in an approved state, eligible to observe the Lord’s Supper. This is dokimazo.

 

2 Cor 13:5 Test yourselves [peirazo] to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves [dokimazo]! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you —  unless indeed you fail the test?

 

The members of the Corinthian assembly are ex­horted to examine themselves to see whether they are in the doctrine or not, and they were not and Paul knew it. This is in accord with the meaning of’ peirazo, namely, that of finding out what there is of good or evil in a person.

 

Then he exhorts them to examine themselves for the purpose of approval. Christ is in you because you are believers so examine this so that you may approve that you are the holy temple of God. That is the meaning of dokimazo.

 

1 Thess 2:4 but just as we have been approved [dokimazo] by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men but God, who examines [dokimazo] our hearts.

 

1 Peter 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,

 

1 Peter 1:7 that the proof [dokimion - noun form] of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested [dokimazo] by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

 

1 Peter 1:7 is the type of testing that the directive will of God desires. This is when God tests you for the purpose of approval, yet that is not what is in view in Matt 6:13, which is peirazmos, being tested with the hope that you fail.

 

Periazmos is the testing, tempting, and trying of satan and the KOD who hope to get the believer involved in evil thinking, which includes sin but is not isolated to sin.

 

This testing is a part of the permissive will of God.

 

It almost amusing to hear a believer say that Satan tested them to smoke, drink, swear, lie, etc. Satan is not interested in getting you to sin unless the sin is a step towards getting you to believe in evil. Evil is a system of thinking, ingrained in the soul, so that a person rejects God’s truth. Evil is the system of the world where those contained by it don’t want to even hear the truth, they are not interested at all. Evil is religion, legalism, human good, as well as entrenched immoral degeneracy.

 

So we will examine passages that contain the verb peirazo.

 

Matt 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

 

This is the evidence testing of the Lord, and though the Spirit is doing the leading, this testing is allowed by God under His permissive will and not His directive will. The Father knows the strength of His Son’s humanity and He doesn’t have to test it to see it, but satan is allowed to test the humanity of Christ and satan’s hope is for Him to fail.

 

Matt 19:3 And some Pharisees came to Him, testing Him, and saying, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause at all?"

 

1 Cor 7:5 Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again lest Satan tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

 

1 Cor 10:13 No temptation [peirasmos]has overtaken [unexpected] you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted [peirazo] beyond what you are able, but with the temptation [peirasmos]will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.

 

One of the rules of the AC is that God will not allow the testing to evil to exceed our capacity to pass it. His way of escape is always the application of pertinent doctrine while remaining in the test.

 

Every believer is exposed to the evil in the world, positive and negative believers. If the believer neglects doctrine the evil will come and he will be consumed by it having no power to defeat its beckoning to false doctrines.

 

GAL 6:1 Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted [peirazo].

 

1 Thess 3:4 For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know.

 

1 Thess 3:5 For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you [peirazo], and our labor should be in vain.

 

1 Thess 3:6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you,

 

HEB 2:18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.

 

James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.

 

James 1:14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

 

James 1:15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

 

Temptation that is designed to make us fail is an unpleasant reality that will always exist. This is the devil’s world and the permissive will of God has allowed sin and evil for a time. We must be constantly alert and aware of these trials, tests, and temptations because they are designed with one thing in mind; draw you away from the plan of God and destroy your spiritual life. Therefore, they should not be taken lightly.

 

Luke 8:13

"And those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.

 

While it is not God’s desire, He is not defeated. Christ was submitted to the same evils and God always makes provision.

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