170. Keep from Temptation
Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
A conditional promise: If you keep the word of Jesus’ patience, then He will keep you from the hour of temptation. The condition, keeping the word of His patience, is the same as remaining faithful unto death; that is, maintaining faith in Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness and salvation. Being patient means hanging on to the promises of the Gospel even while tempted by the World to give up. In every Christian’s life periods (“hours”) of temptation will come, just as they come upon all people in the world. God uses trials, temptations, crises, suffering and pain to try, test and tempt a person to throw away faith in God; all are tempted to be disappointed in God because things didn’t work out the way they wanted them to.
These hours of temptation may be strong temptations to sin, and consequently to disbelieve that I could be forgiven since the guilt is severe and the consequences painful; thus we ignore God. The temptation may be to just go along with the world and its ways of coping instead of turning to a gracious God. The temptation may be to live and act according to what I see and feel instead of believing God’s Word and Promises. The temptation may be to simply drift unknowingly and aimlessly into despair because we can’t see a way out; we don’t see or feel God’s Love. The temptation may be to trust in the wrong thing, like science, government, money, health, my own thoughts and opinions and feelings, philosophy, psychology, friends and family instead of trusting in the only One who can help.
All earth-dwellers will be tried in some way: passing the test is coming to a surer faith in a loving God; failing the test is letting the test win and casting away one’s confidence. Each trial will make one stronger or weaker, will draw one closer to or farther from God, or will instill more hope or more despair.
The believer who holds on to His Word has the promise that Jesus will keep him from the temptation, meaning that He will see him through it and he will come out on the other side. It does not mean he will not be tempted, since it comes to all, but He will with the temptation make a way of escape. This is why we pray daily: “Lead us not into temptation.” That is, “lead us out,” and overcome. He will keep you.