He Is Able To Help Us

Feature 1 – June 2023 – Grace & Truth Magazine

He Is Able To Help Us

For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. —Hebrews 2:18 NKJV

The “He” in our verse is the Lord Jesus. He is the living, glorified Man; the Son of God seated at the right hand of God. “We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor” (v.9). The Lord Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Mt. 28:18). “Authority” can also be translated “power,” as in the King James Version. His power is unlimited. He lives in the power of an endless life and He lives for us as our great High Priest (Heb. 7:16, 4:14). He is able to provide all that we need from the day of our salvation to the moment we enter into His presence.

In Our Temptations
We may wonder, “If the Devil tempted the Lord Jesus, will he not also do the same to us?” Surely, he will! We are told, “Everyone is tempted, drawn away, and enticed by his own lust; then lust, having conceived, gives birth to sin; but sin fully completed brings forth death” (Jas. 1:14-15 JND).

In His temptations He displayed His absolute sinless perfection (see Lk. 4:1-13). He endured hunger for 40 days rather than yielding to the Devil. He “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15 NKJV). Therefore, He is rightly qualified to help us to be faithful whenever we are tempted, and by coming to Him “we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (v.16).

We cannot be victorious over temptation by our own strength. If we attempt to do so, we will yield to the temptation, and yielding is sin. The Lord Jesus is able to give divine help in our hour of need so we can be victorious. “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13).

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (Jas. 1:12). How thankful we are that the Lord Jesus is always there, ready to help and relieve us!

Through manifold temptation, My soul holds on her course, Christ’s mighty intercession Alone is her resource; My gracious High Priest’s pleadings, Who on the cross did bleed, Bring down God’s grace and blessings, Help in each hour of need. —A. P. Cecil (1841–1889)

“He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25). The Lord Jesus “has saved us” (2 Tim. 1:9). He is “our deliverer from the coming wrath” (1 Th. 1:10 JND). “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12 NKJV). In order to become our Savior, He paid the price for our sins on Calvary’s cross. “Christ died for our sins” (1 Cor. 15:3). Is He your Savior?

In Our Trials
Those of us who know Him as our Savior and Lord realize that He is able to save us from our enemies and help us in all our infirmities. He never slumbers nor sleeps (consider Ps. 121:4), but is always there for us. He is able to save us completely. Let’s take a moment to consider what took place in the lives of several individuals in the Bible.

One night in a boat being tossed by waves, the disciples saw Jesus on the sea. Peter asked the Lord Jesus to command him to come to Him walking on the water. In response, “He said, ‘Come,’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord save me!’ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him” (Mt. 14:29-31). Only the Lord Jesus could completely save this experienced fisherman from drowning.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who refused to bow to the image King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, faced his “rage and fury” (Dan. 3:13). The men said to the king, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king” (v.17). Did God deliver them? Absolutely! Only He could deliver them completely from the furnace and from the hand of the king, who then even praised God too.

Regarding one of the judicial trials near the end of his life, the apostle Paul said, “At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me … but the Lord stood with me and strengthened me … also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!” (2 Tim. 4:16-18).

How encouraging it is to know we have One – the Lord Jesus – whose ability to save, protect and deliver us is without question. “All that trust Thee shall rejoice: forever shall they shout joyously, and Thou wilt protect them; and they that love Thy name shall exult in Thee” (Ps. 5:11 JND).

He, in the days of sorrowing flesh, Poured out His cries and tears, And, though ascended, feels afresh What every member bears.
Then boldly let our faith address The throne of grace and power: We shall obtain delivering grace In every needed hour. —Isaac Watts (1674–1748)

By Paul Palmer