if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He is not able to deny Himself.
having little faith or being faithless does not mean we do not have faith, it means we do not practice it, because it would appear we are not able to overcome the temptation of our own reasoning ...
however
No temptation has seized you, except what is common to man. And God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but will also provide with the temptation the escape, to be able to endure it.
so what is this escape which God provides with the temptation ...
Dear one, I understand your concern what is
this escape which God provides, that He allows us to be tempted.
This is what we have heard:
For we do not
have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who in every respect has been TEMPTED as we are, yet without sin. -Hebrews 4:15
Let us first consider our Lord Jesus Christ as high priest what He has done for us. This is what we have heard:
how much more will the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God,
purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. -Hebrews 9:14
What happened when tempted ! What happened to conscience ? This is what we have heard :
To the pure, all things are pure,
but to the defiled and unbelieving,
nothing is pure;
but
BOTH their minds and their consciences are defiled. -Titus 1:15
Since it is written BOTH, we know the mind cannot be the conscience nor the conscience is the mind.
Then what is conscience? Conscience is of the heart. How do we know this ? This is what we have heard:
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit,
of joints and of marrow,
and
discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. -Hebrews 4:12
Since thoughts are of the mind, conscience is the intentions of the heart — of joints and marrow.
What is conscience ?
Conscience is described as an aspect of self awareness!
In sum, conscience is defined as an aspect of self-awareness that produces the pain and/or pleasure we "feel" as we reflect on the norms and values we recognize and apply.
Do our norms and values conform to God’s norms and values ? Do our conscience always good ?
This is what we have heard:
To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. -
Titus 1:15
So we can consider there are those whose consciences are defiled because their hearts do not conform to the norms and values that are from God. And there are those who whose conscience is pure because their heart conform to the norms and values that are from God.
Aren’t those tempted mean to be hindered from obeying the truth ?
This is what we have heard:
You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? -Galatians 5:7
This persuasion is NOT from Him (Christ) who calls you. -Galatians 5:8
A little leaven leavens the whole lump. -Galatians 5:9
So the call of the devil through temptation or persuasion is to leaven a little to leaven the whole lump. So in other words, the act of temptation/ persuasion of the devil is to defile the heart by first influencing the mind who held to close to the heart like that of joints and marrow.
How about THIS ESCAPE?
This is what we have heard:
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. -Romans 8:26
Yes, we have heard our Lord Jesus Christ, our High Priest sympathies with our weaknesses,
For He is the one who in every respect has been TEMPTED as we are, yet without sin.
So our Lord sympathies with our weakness by sending the Holy Spirit to help us in our weakness.
So we escape the temptation through the Holy Spirit. How? This is what we have heard:
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but
those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. -Romans 8:5
For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but
to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. -Romans 8:6
So when we identify our minds on the things of the Spirit, we set our minds on the things of the Spirit. When our mind have been ruled by the Spirit of God, then we will have life and peace.
In other words, the words of God that we treasure in our hearts that purify our conscience; make us aware in our minds the things of God and things that are not of God; because the words of God enlightened us; the understanding of our mind is not darkened; then with our mind, we can decide to follow the things of God.
That is how we escape the temptation. That is our Heavenly Father have said :
My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. -Proverbs 4:20
Let them not escape from your sight;
keep them within your heart. -Proverbs 4:21
For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. -Proverbs 4:22
Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. -Proverbs 4:23
So to escape the temptation, follow what our Heavenly Father have said through our Lord Jesus Christ who is our High priest after the order of Melchizedek, who sympathizes with our weakness by sending Holy Spirit to help us.
