“And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us [who has offended or wronged us]. And lead us not into temptation [but rescue us from evil].”
— Luke 11:4 (AMP)
I wanted to look at this verse because it sounds contradictory to what we talked about last week when it says “lead us not into temptation”. James says God will never tempt us or lead us into temptation, so how do you explain this verse?
This translation is a violation of His name and the finished work of Jesus. He can not be our deliverer and lead us into captivity at the same time. They are opposites. This translation violates God’s identity as revealed by His name as well as other scripture and is inconsistent with Jesus’ revelation of the Father.
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus just told us that our daily needs are met and we forgive and we are forgiven. Temptation comes when we feel lack, suffering and distress. Lack has been taken care of, so a better rendering might be “because my needs are met and I have forgiven others and been forgiven, I am not under the load of temptation”.
In the past, I never reconciled verses that seemed contradictory, so I was often befuddled. But as I am studying the character of God through His names and Jesus’ revelation of Him, I see inconsistencies in translations. He can only be who He shows us He is. This has caused me to trust Him more fully.
Don’t get your picture of God from the world or mistranslations. Stop and be quiet. Remind yourself of who He is through the life of Jesus and what He reveals about Himself. He is kind, compassionate and understanding. He has peace and direction for you, not lack and suffering. He will not abandon you. He will not make you go through difficulties or put bad things on you. Look at evidence about God from His Name and the life of Jesus. This is what you must focus on to be victorious. Throw out feelings that do not line up with who He says He is.
In this world, you will have problems and challenges, but they do not come from God. Yes, He uses them in our life, but He does not cause them. That would go against His character.
“Don’t change who God is to fit your beliefs. Change your beliefs to fit who God is.”
Be Open