Sermon for 6/19/22: First Sunday After Trinity

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Temptation and Faith

Genesis 15:1-6

 
Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

Several times, St. Paul uses this story of Abraham, his faith, and the promises God made to him, as a proof that we are justified, put right with God, through faith in Jesus Christ. But more than that, these words unpack an important chapter in the spiritual history of the patriarch Abraham, the “father of many nations.” Even after his call from God to leave his homeland and go to the land that would be his inheritance, his life was full of severe temptation. And Abraham, unfortunately, failed often before those temptations. But by the help of God, he was eventually able to overcome them. And now, even as Abraham’s call to faith is a picture of our own call into the kingdom of God, so we also find here great truths which still hold firm in the life of those whom God has called by faith into His kingdom.

Abraham faced temptation. We, too, face temptation. Facing temptation is not sin. We can’t avoid facing it in a world that is so corrupt and evil. The question is, what do we do? How do we respond in the face of temptation? The Church is the free-born daughter of heaven; the New Testament makes that abundantly clear. And yet, she was hated and abused in those early days, and still is, though, perhaps, less overtly so. She is a source of blessing for the whole world, but, to this day, she must submit to oppression and persecution. Just consider the attempts being made to curtail the religious freedom of Christians to live their faith in the daily lives. Consider the many ways, and how rapidly, the societal norms of morality have changed, and how “in your face” many of the practitioners of such evil are. Oppression and persecution, and the temptations that follow, don’t have to be physically violent to be effective. Mental and emotional persecution, the oppression of the mind and heart, can be equally devastating.

And what is true of the Church as a body is also true of Christians individually. The Christian and the cross belong together. Jesus said it: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” Whatever form temptation takes, ultimately it is an attack on our faith in the faithfulness of God. Luther called this “anfechtung,” being attacked by the devil! When blinded by temptation, our confidence in the truthfulness of God begins to waver. God’s promises do not harmonize with our present condition—at least, not as we see it. And that is where sin breaks in to steal away our hope and our joy.

There is a pastor’s prayer in which the pastor prays, “Lord, You know that I am not the strong man of God my people think I am...” Every honest pastor must admit this is true. I deal daily with demons which you know nothing about. They try to lead me to give in to doubt and despair; and, more than I care to admit, these demonic temptations are successful. You, too, are afflicted by temptations that lead you into sin. You, too, have sinful thoughts and desires that eat away at your soul. Perhaps they have not become sins of action, but they are sin nonetheless. And Satan keeps throwing it in your face, trying to convince you that God will forsake you. What do you do? What did Abraham do? He appealed to God. “Lord, what will you give me?” Or, as the father of an ill child said to Jesus, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!”  

Why do temptations come? As contrary to reason as it may seem, temptations come so that we might see the loving purposes of God that are hidden within them, and that we, by the grace of God, might overcome them. As odd as it might seem, temptation comes so that we might learn of the comfort God promises us in the midst of temptation. So it was with Abraham. The Lord took Abraham outside and pointed to the stars in the sky and promised that Abraham’s descendants would be like those unnumbered stars.

And so it is with us. When we are surrounded by our own doubts and fears, the Lord comes to us in His Word and says, “Fear not, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” He opens our eyes of faith so that we may see the great things He has already given us: countless spiritual blessings as well as daily bread. And then the Lord admonishes us: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

It is written: “[Abraham] believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness.” What is the nature of faith? Faith is not something we do; faith is a gift, something that comes from outside ourselves. It is a gift of God which allows us cling solely to the almighty and gracious God who offers Himself to us in His Word. This is just what Abraham did. All he had was the promise of God. But Abraham believed that promise and, by faith, he had the consolation and comfort of God and the strength to overcome temptation. And, more importantly, He had the promise of the forgiveness of God when he was defeated by temptation. And so it is for us. Faith expects all help to come from God alone. Faith relies only on His Word. And in this way, your heart is filled with comfort; rest returns to your soul; temptation is overcome. You can joyfully say, “If God is for me, who can be against me?” In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.