Amen, Pastor Sean! "Often when in conflict with the enemies of the gospel, they repeated His words, and as they saw their effect upon the people, they rejoiced greatly."
When our minds are not stayed upon Christ, we are no different than Moses when he struck the Rock, or when Abraham called his wife his sister, or when he took Hagar in an attempt to provide that which only God could provide. Do we think we are safe when using our own wisdom? Have we not yet learned our true state when apart from Christ? Why do we not cling to Christ continually?
As I was reading this morning I read this: "While He was personally with them, to point out their errors, and counsel and correct them, the Saviour sent them forth as His representatives." Jesus does the same today. The Holy Spirit wants to point out our sins and errors. Not to condemn us, but to save us. We are already condemned when we sin. We need to understand the true nature of sin, our sins. They have an effect far beyond what we often see.
And, do we think we are more clever than Satan? Do we think when apart from Christ we can outsmart him? No, we cannot. He weaves a web around us that when we separate from Christ, we fall into a trap like the ones he had spread for Abraham, Moses, and Peter. Our only safety is being reconciled to God. They we have power of discernment and power to withstand whatever temptation God allows to come. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 1 Cor. 10:13.
As we labor for souls, we can be assured that we have supernatural help, not only to resist sin, but to be an example to others. We do not understand all, we still have much to learn, but we will know just what God wants us to know today. He is working for our good and His glory as we put our entire will into His hands.
The Bible shows us God in His high and holy place, not in a state of inactivity, not in silence and solitude, but surrounded by ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of holy intelligences, all waiting to do His will. Through channels which we cannot discern He is in active communication with every part of His dominion. But it is in this speck of a world, in the souls that He gave His only-begotten Son to save, that His interest and the interest of all heaven is centered. God is bending from His throne to hear the cry of the oppressed. To every sincere prayer He answers, "Here am I." He uplifts the distressed and downtrodden. In all our afflictions He is afflicted. In every temptation and every trial the angel of His presence is near to deliver.
Amen!!!