Gooding, David: 1 - Three Sources of Temptation and Testing

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, sir, for your very kind and generous welcome. It is a great pleasure for me to be back with you here in Castle Ray. It is not your fault that I haven't been earlier. I thank you for your persistence in your kind invitations and apologize for the sluggishness with which I have been able to get round to accepting them. The loss has been altogether mine, and I thank you again for persisting in inviting me until now at length I have been able to come. May God bless our coming together. I was recently in the Flemish-speaking part of Belgium, where, as you may know, God has in recent times been signally blessing his word and his work, so much so that in the past, I suppose, fifteen years, some twenty or more assemblies have been planted in that country, which hitherto has been almost completely Roman Catholic. And there, on numerous occasions, the Flemish-speaking Belgian believers asked me if I would convey their warmest Christian greetings to my fellow believers here in Belfast. So it is a pleasure to do so, and I fulfill the duty that they laid upon me in conveying to you here in Castlereagh the greetings of your fellow believers, many of them recently converted believers in the Flemish-speaking parts of Belgium. Remember that work in your prayers as you have time. Castle Ray, in my mind, is always associated with a vigorous missionary interest. And perhaps the names you should pray for, particularly in that part of the world, are the names of Richard and Marina Havercamp and Mr. and Mrs. Henk Gelling. They do a tremendous work. God is so blessing his word that there are more assemblies than they can possibly look after. They have to take the believers, give them what elementary instructions they can, and then make them, like the apostles did, stand on their own feet. And God is causing them to stand, and it is a delight to see these numerous companies of believers beginning to learn the ways of the Lord and giving themselves to public testimony for him. Their greetings then to you this evening. Now, shall we begin our own study by reading in three passages of scripture, the first of which is found in the book of Genesis chapter forty nine. The book of Genesis chapter forty nine. We shall read there verses three and four. taken from the address of Jacob to his twelve sons, and these verses to his firstborn, Reuben. Genesis 49, verse 3. Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power, unstable as water. Thou shalt not have the excellency. Because thou wentest up to thy father's bed, then defilest thou it. He went up to my couch. And those few words recall a sorry lapse in the life of Reuben that cost him his birthright. He was the firstborn son of Jacob. And normally with that position came the rights of the firstborn, guaranteed to him by the scripture that said that if a man have two wives and one is less favored than the other, nevertheless, if the eldest son be the son of the less favored, he shall still be the firstborn and have firstborn rights. Reuben was Jacob's firstborn by his less favored wife, Leah. Nevertheless, the birthright was his, but he lost it. In a moment of temptation, a moment of yielding to a legitimate pleasure, he lost his birthright. He remained one of the twelve tribes. His name shall be on one of the gates of the eternal city. But he lost his birthright, being unstable as water. That is an event and a description that we shall remember as presently we come to our main portion of reading this evening. But for the moment, we turn to a New Testament passage found in Hebrews chapter twelve. Hebrews chapter twelve verses 16 and seventeen. Lest there be any fornicator or profane person, as Esau, who for one mess of meat sold his own birthright. For you know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it, that is the blessing, diligently with tears. Here then the record of another man, who not so much lost his birthright as sold his birthright. Eldest son of Isaac, legally entitled to the birthright, but in a moment of temptation, he sold it. And oh, how cheaply he sold it, for a mere basin full of porridge, satisfying an urgent but trivial need. In that moment, he sold his birthright. And then lost his blessing. Sure, afterwards he was given a minor blessing. And when we read the terms of that minor blessing, we might indeed be thrilled at the grace of God and the grace of his father Jacob, but the major blessing that could have been his, he missed it. And when afterwards he changed his mind, it was too late for the thing to be undone. There was no room for repentance because the blessing that should have been his had gone to somebody else. What a sad and sorry thing temptation is when it leads to permanent loss of that order. With these two examples in our mind, then, I want us to read together from the epistle by James and chapter one. The epistle by James and chapter one and the first eighteen verses. James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are of the dispersion, greetings. Count it all joy, my brethren, when you fall into manifold temptations, knowing that the proof of your faith works endurance. And shall we notice that term as we proceed, for we shall meet it many times again this evening, and let's get it right from the start. Knowing that the proof of your faith works patience, if that's how you like to translate it, but if you so translate it, then you should understand that it is patience in the old English sense of endurance. Positive, vigorous, active persistence and endurance. We are to count it all joy, says James, when we fall into manifold temptations, knowing that the proof of your faith produces, works endurance. And let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting, for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord, a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. But let the brother of low degree glory in his high state, and the rich in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun ariseth with the scorching wind and withereth the glass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth. So also shall the rich man fade away in his going. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he has been approved, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man, but each man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and is enticed. Then the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin, and the sin, when it is full grown, bringeth forth death. Be not deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect boon is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. And we remember those two men who, by natural birth, had right to the birthright. Then we think of ourselves, who by divine birth have been brought forth a kind of first fruits of God's creatures. The Lord give us true understanding of his holy word. Now, as you have gathered from our good chairman this evening, it has been thought appropriate at this time that I should try and talk with you on things that relate to our practical daily Christian life. And therefore, as I thought of these things, I could think of nothing more practical than the topic of temptation. Temptation is a thing that sooner or later, and mostly sooner, all of us have to face. Sometimes it comes suddenly and is soon past. Sometimes its tests go on for week after week and months after months. Be it short and sharp or long and drawn out, temptation is a thing that all of us as believers, sooner or later, must face. New Testament indicates that temptation comes to us from at least three different sources. Sometimes, of course, the temptations will come from all three at once. In chapter one here of James, James reminds us that temptation in the bad sense of that term does never come from God. God himself is not tempted by evil, and he does not tempt anybody to evil. And the point of that remark we shall have to consider later on. But thus, let's notice then that temptation in the bad sense, temptation to do wrong, does never come to us from God. Where does it come from then? Well, from two possible sources. There is a great deal of temptation that comes simply from within, from our own evil desires. For every man is tempted, says James, when he is drawn away and enticed by his own wrong desires. Temptation comes from within. Then, of course, there is temptation that comes from without, and notably from the devil himself. We read of our Lord that he indeed was tempted by the devil. He had no wrong desires within him ever. Nonetheless, he was tempted, and tempted externally by the devil himself. And if the devil has the effrontery to tempt our blessed Lord, we may be certain that he will not be slow in tempting us as well. Indeed, Paul reminds us in his second letter to the Corinthians of his concern for the believers. He says, you know, I fear lest that old serpent, the devil, who by his craftiness deceived Eve in his coming, I fear lest he should corrupt your thoughts from the simplicity that is towards Christ. Temptation then from within, from our wrong desires. Temptation from without, from the activity of Satan. And then we shall have to have a third category in our study, and we shall not normally talk about it as temptation, but rather as testing. We shall think of such things as happened to Abraham, of which we have record in Genesis twenty two. And in our beloved authorized version of Genesis twenty two, we are told that it came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham. And somebody perhaps will say, but how could that be? If James says that God never tempts anybody, how does Genesis twenty two verse one say that God tempted Abraham? And the answer is, of course, that there are two kinds of temptations. One is a temptation to do evil. That's our modern sense of the term. In that sense, God doesn't tempt anybody. But in our ancient English, there is another meaning of temptation. It means to try, to prove, to put through a trial. In that sense, God proved, God tried Abraham. In that sense, God will allow us to be tried. Of that kind of trial, Peter speaks to us, does he not, in his first chapter, likening our faith to a lump of gold, and God to the goldsmith who is intent on purifying that gold, and therefore tries it, proves it, purifies it, until it comes through its test more resplendent and valuable than ever. Three kinds of testings, then. Two kinds, temptations to wrong, and one kind, a trial to bring out what is good and demonstrate its validity and value. And of course, we shouldn't forget, should we? That while God never, never test- tempts us to do wrong, God does allow Satan to tempt us. Sure enough, before Satan does it, he has to ask permission, as he had to ask permission in the case of Job, as he had to ask permission in the case of the twelve apostles. As our Lord said, Satan has asked to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. And that's a matter for great encouragement, isn't it? Satan is not allowed to tempt and test a believer just as he will, but must seek permission from the Almighty. And sometimes God is pleased to give Satan that permission, as he did in Job's case and in the case of the twelve apostles, and will from time to time do in our case. And so, because this is exceedingly practical and altogether general, and sooner or later will affect every life of every one of God's dear people, let's spend our evenings thinking together about this topic and how, by God's grace, we may resist these temptations to the glory of God. Let's begin, therefore, because we have two evenings on the topic, let's begin, therefore, by putting this whole topic of temptation in its New Testament context, and letting the New Testament show us of how fundamental importance this matter of temptation is. Our danger here, actually, would be to look upon temptation as a small thing. You know, a dear believer is going around Supermac, getting his weekly groceries, and is a bit peckish, and before he knows where he is, he's stolen a Mars bar or something, and he oughtn't to have done it, and in the end he brushes with shame and he goes back and pays the girl at the desk. Yes. Well, that's bad, of course. But temptation in the New Testament sense is a thing far more serious than that, far more fundamental than that. And therefore, let us take some time in, first of all, learning from the Lord Jesus what he had to say about temptation, and then seeing how his apostles follow him in his teaching, and of profound importance, they attach to this practical matter. Let's read, shall we, therefore, in the Gospel by Luke and chapter eight. Gospel by Luke and chapter eight. And here we come to the parable of the sower and to our Lord's explanation of its significance. Luke chapter eight and verse eleven. Now the parable is this. Luke chapter eight and verse eleven. The seed is the word of God, and those by the wayside are they that have heard. Then cometh the devil and taketh away the word from their hearts, that they may not believe and be saved. And those on the rock are they which, when they have heard, receive the word with joy. And these have no root, which for a while believe, now notice, and in time of temptation fall away. Verse fourteen, and they which fell among the thorns, these are they that have heard, and as they go on their way, they are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. And that in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and a good heart, having heard the word, hold it fast and bring forth fruit with, and here comes our word again, patience, if you like, but it's the same word as James uses and means patience in the sense of endurance. They bring forth fruit with endurance. Four classes of people, then, our Lord here depicts as listening to the word of God. Four different kinds of results, and I put it to you at once. Of the four, tell me, which represent the true believers? Well, you say there's no difficulty in that at all. The true believers are group four, those who receive the word and bring forth fruit with endurance. You say these are the true believers. None of the others? Why you say no, none of the others? The first lot, obviously not. They hear the word, but that's all that happens before they have chance to receive it and get saved. The devil comes, and away goes the word. They are never saved. That's clear. They're not believers. What about the second group, however? It says that for a while they believe. Would you classify them as true believers? You say certainly not. Why not? Well, you say, listen to what our Lord speaks about them. He says they wither away. Why? Because they have no root in them. An onward joy they believe. Like the people that, uh, John the Evangelist tells us of, isn't it, in John chapter two, that when they saw the Lord's miracles, they believed on him. But our Lord didn't commit himself to them, for he knew what was in them and saw they had no root in themselves. Their belief was superficial, and presently it expired. Or like those people that, uh, John talks about in chapter eight of his gospel. They said they believed on the Lord Jesus. And so our Lord Jesus said to them, now, good gentlemen, said he, if you continue in my word, then you shall be really my disciples. You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. But alas, they didn't continue in his words. In fact, it was not long after that they were seriously objecting to what he said. He presently picked up stones to stone him. So shallow had their so-called beliefs been. And our Lord had to tell them straight, they had no root in themselves. They were not Abram's children. They were not God's children. They were of their father, the devil. I'm going to suggest to you, therefore, that that second group of people, and they're the ones that are going to interest us this evening, that we must watch them carefully. What happened to them? Well, for a while they believed, but in time of temptation they fell away. So manifested that they had no root in themselves and were not believers at all. Now that does put things on a very basic level, doesn't it? For the parable is going to teach us this, amongst other things, that temptation is the time and the method that in the end will show who are genuine believers and who are not really believers at heart. Temptation then is no superficial thing, is it? These temptations that we shall have to face, manifold temptations. They're obviously important, profoundly important. They will in the end demonstrate whether we are genuine believers, whether we have root in ourselves, whether we endure, or whether we fall away because we have no roots and were never genuine believers at all. Let's sum up the lesson that our Lord is teaching by the parable, shall we? It is this, that the genuine believer endures, and therefore he brings forth fruit. Let's go back to the parable itself. Isn't that true? Doesn't every farmer know it? That the only crop that is of any use, the only seed that is of any use, is the seed that, um, actually grows on going and growing and growing and growing, and persists in growing and carries on growing, whether the rain comes and the hail and the frost, or whether the wind comes, or whether the drought comes, whether the sun burns hotly or it is shiveringly cold. The only crop that's any use, the only seed that's any use. Is the seed that whatever the weather, carries on growing and brings forth fruit. And so our Lord enunciates a rule, doesn't he? What's the secret? What is it that distinguishes the genuine from the not genuine? Aye, the not genuine has no root. It may persist for a time then, but come wind or drought or sun, and it withers away. And because there's no root, there's no endurance. And because there's no endurance, there is no fruit. The genuine are it has root. And because it has root, it endures. And because it endures, it brings forth fruit. Because truth to tell, there is no fruit without enduring, is there? So this then was the lesson that our Lord taught. That the genuine, the mark of the genuine believer is this, that he endures Temptation. temptation. Let's repeat it again. What was the thing wrong with the second group in the parable? Why didn't they endure? What was it that caused them not to endure? Well, actually this, they had no root, and then temptation came. And in the time of temptation, because they had no root, they fell away. The mark of the genuine, that in that same time of temptation, because the genuine has a root, it endures. Now, if you say to me, Mr. Preacher, I find that kind of teaching alarming. Are you saying that the genuine believer always endures temptation and never falls? And are you saying that if somebody who professes to be a believer falls under a temptation of some kind or another, he is thereby shown to be not a believer? What do you mean, Mr. Preacher? Well, what I mean is what the Lord Jesus said. But let's settle that practical question, shall we? Do we mean, does our Lord mean that if you are a genuine believer, you'll never fall to temptation? And does he mean that if you fall to temptation, that shows you're not a genuine believer? No, of course he doesn't mean that, does he? How do we know? Why, take the famous example of Peter himself. Our Lord warned him, did he not? Peter, he said, Satan has desired to have the whole twelve of you to sift you as wheat, but I prayed for you that your faith shall not fail. And in that severe temptation, Peter fell, didn't he? Yes, could you say he was still a true believer? That's perfectly true, thank God. He was a believer, wasn't he? He fell to the temptation, but as we know and as the future proves, Peter had the root in him. And though he fell on that occasion, he didn't remain fallen, did he? But came back to the Savior. Though he fell on that occasion, the root was in him, and the Savior prayed that his faith should not fail, and it didn't fail. And Peter got up again after his fall and was restored to the Lord, and with an endurance that lasted a lifetime, he brought forth tremendous fruit, didn't he? For yes, any one of us could be overtaken in a fault, surely. And we have to consider ourselves lest we be tempted, for if we were tempted, who knows but what we might fall. But if there is the root in a man or a woman, then Christ will see to it by his intercession that they get up again and return to the Lord, and things are put straight, and that the person goes on with endurance to bear fruit. So it's possible for a believer to fall to this or that temptation, but then let's listen. When that same terrible testing period came on the twelve, they found a man called Judas. The love of money proved to him an overwhelming temptation, and he fell too, didn't he? He never came back. Why not? Well, the temptation showed what had always been true. He had no root in himself. Never had been a genuine believer. When the temptation came, he fell away to Supervision. perdition. Temptation then. It is a serious and profound and basic matter in the Christian life. Our Lord assures us that as sure as the sun and the rain come upon the crops, presently temptation will come our way. And the basic effect of temptation will be this, it will show who are true believers and who are not. It will show that by the fact that those that are true believers and have the root within them will persist and endure and bring forth fruit. The man or woman that hasn't the root in them will fall away and be lost. So let's come to James. And what does James say? Oh, he says, my dear brethren, count it all joy when you fall into manifold temptations. You say, how could I possibly do that, James? How could I count it all joy when I fall into temptation, if temptation is so serious a matter? And temptation will show in the end whether I be a true believer or not a true believer. How can I count it all joy? Ah, this first we must learn as we face the great tests of life. We can count it all joy as believers when we fall into manifoldation temptations because we may know No. one One basic basic, abso- absolutely immovable truth, utterly reliable, and it is this, knowing that the proof of your faith produces endurance. What a lovely assurance this is from God himself. The thing, the armament, the sure foundation with which every believer may confidently face the temptations that come. We are to know, says James, that the proof of our faith, the proving of it, the testing of it works. Endurance. That is, of course, if there's faith there to start with. If the root of the matter is in us to start with, then the believer is entitled to know that the proving of his faith will work endurance. I remember once, many years ago, going to work in the northeast of England, and I discovered across the road, living across the road, a gentleman who had been an atheist and had not long found the savior. When I met him, he was vigorous and happy in his faith. He said to me, David, he says, there's just one thing that worries me. I said, what's that? Well, he said, you see, suppose one of these days a little, my little girl, for instance, were to run out in the street and get knocked over and killed by a lorry. He said, you know, I don't know if I can still go on believing. How could I still go on believing that there's a God of love? Who cares? And of course, if I can't believe in a God of love anymore, well then, exit all question of salvation, doesn't there? Because if there is no God of love, there is no God that gave Christ to die at Calvary. If God doesn't love me today, he's never loved me. There isn't a God who loves me, loved me yesterday and forgets to love me today. And my friend saw the point of it, and he said, you know, if a van were to run over my little girl and she were killed, I don't know if I could still go on believing that there's a God of love. Oh, what a temptation. How many a believer has been called to face grievous temptations as that? I was in East Germany not so many months ago. There I met again a good friend of mine, who at the end of the last war, with his mother and he a little child and his brothers and sisters, little children, were simply put on the railway and taken to the border and cast loose into a foreign country with absolutely nothing. And after the devastations of the war, very little food anywhere and rampant disease. His story of God's faithfulness to him in those days made a delightful and wonderful story. Now a grown up man and an elder in his assembly, thanking God for his goodness. Two children grown up now to young manhood and young womanhood, and in that particular country, giving themselves vigorously to work for the Lord Jesus among young folk, prepared for all the sacrifices that that means in a communist country like East Germany. These two lovely young folks, I was told, going off one night to a young folks meeting to work and witness for the Savior, and there came a car accident, and both of them killed. What do you say to such a brother when you stand to face him with the word of God. Oh, what a temptation to have stood in a communist country for the Lord, to see your two children bearing the sacrifices that inevitably come in a country like that when young folks take their stand for the Lord vigorously and publicly. And then to see them both killed. Don't you think the enemy whispered in his ear from time to time, is that all God can do for you? Where now is your God? Oh, what a temptation. It was a marvelous victory to see in that man's face both the tears of grief and the determination of going on, trusting to save. Few of us are called to such extremes of temptation, of trial, of testing, are we? That this we may know, James tells us that when temptations come, bitter as they can be, extreme as they may be, we can count it all joy, not because the experience is joyful, but we can be sure in our hearts that if we are genuine believers, the testing of our faith will work endurance. James isn't the only one to tell us that, is he? Paul talks about the same topic in Romans chapter five. Let me, at the close to this evening, remind you of it. It is utterly basic in this matter of temptation. In Romans five, you may remember, Paul is telling us that if we have been justified by faith, we can have peace with God, and we have access into this grace wherein we stand, and we can enjoy, we can in fact confidently exult in the certain expectation that we shall at last attain the glory of God. All the wonder of our eternal security, the fact that we shall be at last conformed to the image of God's Son. Yes, but Paul says in Romans chapter five, you can have confidence in another matter, namely in this, you can be confident in the face of tribulation. How could I possibly be? You say, if the waves of tribulation were to rise against my little boat and threaten to swamp it, how could I be confident? You can be confident, says Paul, knowing this as an absolute basic thing in your spiritual armory, that the tribulation, when it comes, produces, now here comes our word, produces endurance. James says it. Paul says it. Our Lord says it, doesn't he? The good. How do you mark it? How do you know it? Why, it endures. Not only our Lord, and not only James, not only Paul, but Peter adds his testimony as well, doesn't he, to this delightful certainty with which we face our temptations and our trials. In his first chapter of his first epistle, Peter says, now look here, your faith is like a lump of gold. Just as a goldsmith will sometimes put a lump of gold through the crucible of the fires to melt away the dross, so God will allow your faith to be tried and tested. And in consequence, you may feel one of these days very much like a lump of gold when it's been put through the crucible. Have you noticed that effect in the Lord's people? Here's a good man who's come up through the Sunday school and the Bible class, firm in his faith for the Lord. He knows what he believes, he believes it for certain, and then he moves out into the world, to a college, to a university maybe, and under the withering attacks of rationalism, a seed of doubt is inserted. And presently he goes to, to throw it off and crush it and hold on to something else that he thought was certain, and that kinds of melts in his hand as well. And in his desperation, he, he tries to latch onto something else, and that seems to melt away. So what he once thought was solid now seems to him to be like a cake of butter, all melted, and he can't find anything to grip hold of. I've met more than one such. The old confidence gone. Now inside, kind of nothing solid. Like a go- lump of gold that once was solid but has now been melted in the crucible until it's all, uh, watery. Yes, and God in his mercy is watching. Just like no goldsmith would allow that gold to perish, too valuable. So our blessed Lord watches the fate of his people. He's not going to let it perish. Use the trial to get out of the dross, not no little bit, not the tiniest bit of gold will be allowed to perish. And presently the man will be brought through with his faith more solid, more valuable than ever. Our Lord says it then, and Paul says it, and Peter says it, and James says it, where you have the root of it in yourself to start with, where you are a genuine believer. And even if temptation comes, in whatever form it comes, let trial come in whatever form trial comes. You may in your heart, sad and sorrowful though you may be, you may put up a fierce defiance and be counting it all joy in the art of the knowledge that the trial, the temptation will prove to seem genuine and work in good. One final word tonight from James. Only my brethren, he says, you know, let endurance have her perfect work, that you may be entire, wanting nothing. You say, why does God put me through these tests and trials and to allow me to suffer temptations just so that these things can work endurance. My dear sir, because endurance is the only way God knows of producing fruit. Isn't that true? We come back to our parable. The sower goes out to sow. You say, that's lovely, that, look, that bit has really taken root. I do believe that piece is now springing up and coming through the earth, that lovely green leaf, I believe it's got the root of the matter in it, and it's going to grow. Oh yes, there isn't got much fruit on at the moment, is it? When will we get the fruit? We won't get any fruit, in fact, unless the thing grows with Endurance. endurance. Yes. Look, says James, if your faith is genuine, then the temptation, when it comes, will have the effect of producing endurance. Only, my brethren, he says, let endurance have her perfect work, that you may be entire, wanting nothing. What in the end shall be the full fruit of it? All, says James, blessed is the man that endures temptation, for when he has been proved genuine, he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to them that love him. Everyone who loves the Savior should get the crown, thank God. He has promised it to them that love him. And from our point of view, how do I know which they are that love him? Really, truly. Genuinely. I know that by the fact that they endure. You know so? You see, my dear Batson, if I came to you and said, I'm a believer, you know, you'd say, thank the Lord for that. You'd like to be here at my brother. How would you judge whether I were genuine or not? You'd say like James, wouldn't you? Well, it's nice to hear you say it, sir, that you are a genuine believer. But we shall be looking for the evidence. We shall be looking for the work. We shall be watching to see if you endure. What other evidence could we have? All my brethren, says James, you can face trial and tribulation with confidence, for if you are genuine believers, then it will produce endurance. The only way known to God of producing fruit, of getting the crown at last, is if the seed endures and brings forth fruit with endurance. The Lord used his word to fortify our hearts, so that on this foundation of certainty, we may face the practical lessons on temptation that await us tomorrow. Now shall we pray? O Lord, we thank thee for thy word, for this wisdom that comes from above, and sheds light on our earthly pathway here. O Lord, thou knowest how complicated our lives can be, and what the pressures are that are constantly upon us. We bless thee for this divine assurance from thy word, that where there is faith in the Savior, the result of trial will be endured. Write into our hearts and into the hearts of all that love thee this assurance, this steadfastness, this encouragement, this hope, that we may face life's temptations, and as our brother James exhorts us, to count them all joy. O Lord, we do beseech thee, lift our eyes from this dark world to the coming of the Savior. Set our eyes and affections, we beseech ye, on the crown of life that awaits us in his hand. By thy grace, help us to use all the divine resources that thou hast given us to face temptation, and in spite of it all, to stand, and having done all, to stand and to endure and bring forth fruit for thy glory. Thus bless thy word to our hearts this evening, we beseech thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.