What is temptation?
The true child of God is not to love the world - the world system.
1 John 2:16 "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."
We have 3 things here that we are to consider:
1) The lust of the flesh - the tree was good to eat.
2) The lust of the eyes - the tree was good to look at.
3) The pride of life - the tree was to be desired to make one wise.
These are 3 danger signals we ought to be aware of every single day.
Our Lord Jesus said
that these sins of the flesh come out of the heart of man, way down deep.
This is where Satan makes his appeal.
This is the method he uses to reach into our hearts and lead us astray.
We ought to pray every day for our Lord to deliver us from evil.
"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen!" (Matthew 6:13).
This deliverance is from the evil one - the Devil.
Satan is an awful reality.
The world has tried many times to get rid of him.
People laughed at Martin Luther who threw an inkwell at him.
Any person who stands for God knows the awful reality of Satan.
But, we have this petition,
"And lead us not into temptation" - lead us not into testing.
I dont know about you, but I do not want God to test me.
"but deliver us from the evil one" - that is Satan.
As our Lord Jesus, in the verses preceding this prayer, said that prayer is not to be for display.
It is a relationship between us and God, and the most effective prayer is when we enter into our closet - a private place.
Matthew 6:6-7 "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."
Our prayer should be personal and sincere.
Many an unknown saint of God today, will one day be revealed at the judgment seat of Christ as a real person of prayer.
1) The lust of the flesh - the tree was good to eat.
Genesis 3:6 "And when the woman saw that that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat."
but that is not all; that is not the important thing,
"It was pleasant to the eyes" -
this was an appeal to the flesh but also an appeal to the psychological part of man, to his mind.
"And a tree to be desired to make one wise" -
this is an appeal to the religious side of man and when we are hungry this is a good place to eat.
Gluttony is one of the many sins of the flesh.
The Lord Jesus was also tempted by the devil to command the stone to be made into bread.
Luke 4:3 "And the devil said unto Him, If Thou be the Son of God, command this stone, that it be made bread."
Our Lord never did make the stone into bread.
He answered and said,
Luke 4:4 "It is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God."
The Lord Jesus was being tested in the same way that we are tested in this world today.
The only difference between us and the Lord Jesus Christ is that
He could have turned the stone into bread.
He chose not to do so.
There is no sin in being tempted, the sin is in yielding to the temptation.
The same principal applies to sex, or any other realm of the desires of the flesh.
For yielding is sin Each victory will help you
Some other to win; Fight manfully onward,
Dark passions subdue,
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through.
Chorus.
Ask the Saviour to help you,
Comfort, strengthen, and keep you;
He is willing to aid you,
He will carry you through.
Shun evil companions, Bad language disdain,
God's name hold in reverence, Nor take it in vain:
Be thoughtful and earnest, Kindhearted and true,
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through.
To him the o'ercometh, God giveth a crown;
Through faith we shall conquer, Though often cast down:
He who is our Saviour Our strength will renew;
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through.
Amen!
2) The lust of the eye - the tree was pleasant to look at.
Genesis 3:6 "And that it was pleasant to the eyes......"
Remember that the devil showed the Lord Jesus all the kingdoms of this world.
But the Lord Jesus said to him
Matthew 4:10 "Be gone, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, And Him only shalt thou worship."
This world that we live in is very attractive. There are so very many things that we can look at. All those things that are brought about by human glory - man today glories in himself and makes himself more and more attractive.
He loves to put on a beautiful display and he loves to be looked at.
We are clearly told in Scripture, that we are to
LOOK TO THE LORD JESUS,
"who is the author and finisher of our faith."
There are many temptations in the world that the devil offers us in order to lure us away from
our fellowship with the Father.
Satan is running everything in this world today and he promises us many different pleasures if we will just bow down and worship him.
He wants to get every person in this world to ignore
God's only way
and follow his way.
I used to sing this chorus in Sunday school.
I met Jesus at the cross roads, Where the two ways meet,
Satan too was standing there, And he said come this way,
Lots and lots of pleasures I can give to you today,
But I said no! There's Jesus here! Just see what He offers me!
DOWN HERE MY SINS FORGIVEN~ UP THERE A HOME IN HEAVEN!
PRAISE GOD THAT'S THE WAY FOR ME.
We can PRAISE GOD TODAY that He has made every provision for us, through our precious Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, our advocate, to overcome temptation.
He is always there to assist us and to restore to us the joy of our salvation.
When you are in your closet, close the door quietly, and read Psalm 51. Linger especially on verse12 "Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit."
The Word tells us in
Hebrews 7:25 "Wherefore, He is also able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them."
This is a most marvelous and wonderful truth.
It is very good news to our hearts.
The Word of God is so rich, so full of good food, and full of fresh living water.
The LORD JESUS CHRIST, is the real true JOY OF LIVING.
I
have found a wondrous Saviour
Jesus Christ, my
soul's delight
Every blessing of His favour
Fills my heart with hope so bright
Jesus
is the joy of living, He's the King of life
to me.
Unto Him my all I'm giving, His forever more to be.
I will do what He commands me, Anywhere He leads I'll go.
Jesus is the joy of living, He's the dearest friend I know.
Life is growing
rich with beauty
Toil has lost its weary strain
Now a halo crowns each
duty
And I sing a glad
refrain
You ask why? I say...
Heavenly wisdom He
provides me
Grace to keep my spirit
free
In His own sweet
way He guides me
When the path I cannot see
O what splendour,
o what glory
O what matchless power divine
Is the Christ of Gospel
story
Christ, the Saviour who is mine.
Words and music: Alfred H. Ackley (1887)
Amen!
Are you also like me just now, filled to the very brim and overflowing with real true JOY because the Master is in residence? If He is not in residence in your heart, then just invite Him to come in. Ask Him to come in and then tell Him everything that is in your heart. He knows it anyway but the real joy comes when you tell Him exactly how you are feeling at this very moment. Tell Him about all your troubles. Tell Him about all your dislikes. Tell Him about all your temptations. Tell Him about all your weaknesses and tell Him about all your needs. Tell Him about the things that make you happy and tell Him also about the things that make you sad. Tell Him about the bitterness, the jealousy, the hurt and the pain that is in your heart. Talk to Him out of the abundance of your heart and you will find unreserved communion with God the Father through Christ Jesus. I know that He longs to have wonderful fellowship with you. He has created you for this very purpose. There is just no way to describe the marvelous joy that fills ones heart, soul and mind when we commune with God the Father. The Lord Jesus is truly a wonderful Saviour.
Jesus is a wonderful Saviour! He will carry you through,
Jesus is a wonderful Saviour! He will carry you through - my brother,
Jesus is a wonderful Saviour! He will carry you through
And when the battle is done And the victory is won
My Lord will carry you through,
My loving brother, When the world is on fire,
You'll need my Jesus To be your Saviour.
He'll ever hide you In the Rock of ages,
The rock of ages That was cleft for me
THAT WAS CLEFT FOR YOU.
Thanks: Losinda.
The Lord Jesus warned us that we would have trouble in the world but they we should not be troubled, because He has overcome the world.
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
We have seen the lust of the stomach - good things to eat.
The lust of the eyes seeing - the longing to look at attractive things.
Now,
3) The pride of life - the tree was to be desired.
Genesis 3:6 "And a tree to be desired to make one wise....."
Eve believed that if she ate the fruit from the tree, it would make her wise. This is pride - the pride of life;
To think that we are wise, better than others, or worse that we come from a superior race - apartheid.
That was the appeal that Hitler made to the Germans.
The devil tempted our Lord Jesus in this very way.
He told Him to cast Himself down from the top of the temple, as a witness, to show that He was superior.
Matthew 4:5-6 "Then the devil taketh Him up into the holy city, and setteth Him on a high pinnacle of the temple, And said unto Him, If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down: for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee, and in their hands they will bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone."
This deals with the realm of the spirit and faith.
Satan wanted the Lord to demonstrate that He was the Son of God.
It was not faith; it was presumption. It was daring God.
Genuine Faith is quietly waiting upon God, and
doing His will.
It is interesting to notice that when Satan quoted from Psalm 91:11–12, he misquoted Scripture, just as he misquoted God’s Word to Eve.
Why was Jesus Christ tempted?
To demonstrate to us that we have a sinless Savior.
He proved that all power had been given to Him.
There is a Man in the glory today, who understands us, and He is able to sympathize with us.
Isn't it wonderful to have a Savior like that!
Isn’t the love of Jesus something wonderful!
There
will never be a sweeter story,
Story of the Saviour's love divine,
Love that brought Him from the realms of glory
Just to save a sinful soul like mine.
Refrain:
Isn't the
love of Jesus something wonderful,
Wonderful, wonderful!
O isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful!
Wonderful it is to me.
Boundless as the universe around me,
Reaching to the farthest soul away—
Saving, keeping love it was that found me;
That is why my heart can truly say:
Love beyond
our human comprehending,
Love of God in Christ - how can it be?
This will be my theme and never ending,
Great, redeeming love of Calvary.
Thanks: homewithgod.com
Amen?
Apostle John writes,
"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:1–2).
The Lord Jesus never cast Himself down from the top of the temple that day or any other day for that matter. He never at any time did any miracle to demonstrate His superiority. Our precious Saviour, was totally without sin. dear reader, He is truly, the Scriptures tell us in
Hebrews 7:26 "For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;"
This is glorious, let us truly rejoice with chosen Mary, mother of our Lord Jesus Christ.
My soul doth magnify - the Lord,
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour
For He that is mighty hath done great things, And holy is His name.
My soul doth magnify the Lord, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour
For He that is mighty hath done great things, And holy is His name. (Repeat)
My soul doth magnify the Lord, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour
For He that is mighty hath done great things,
AND HOLY IS HIS NAME.
Amen!
There are 3 of the attractions that are in this world today.
The first one is food - we are not to make food the goal of our lives.
The second one is beauty - and we are not to make beauty the goal of our lives.
The third one is to make that which is religious, the goal of our lives.
All of these are deadly and they are the very same temptations that came to Eve and to the Lord Jesus.
Satan has not changed at all and he still uses the same tactics that he used back then.
We are warned that we are not to love the world - the world system - the organized religious system that is headed up by the devil and that leaves out entirely, the true, living God - the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is in opposition to Him. The thing that we are to hate is that thing which is organized against God and His Messiah - Antichrist.
In the parable of the ten pounds, we clearly see the message that the world has for the Lord Jesus Christ today
Luke 19:13 "We will not have this man to rule over us."
God does not love this world system and He is going to destroy it someday.
If you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ then you have been given a pound. Each one of us, who belong to Him, have been made a steward and we have been given a pound. We are to be faithful to that over which He has made us a steward. Your pound may be an entire city, or perhaps a handful of people in the workplace, or a home. Whatever it is, we are to be faithful.
Some of us may gain five pounds and some of us may gain ten pounds while our Lord is away.
We are to keep busy with the things that fulfill the purpose of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are His stewards, called to be faithful while he is away, and when He returns He will reward us according to our faithfulness.
Are you doing something with your time, that will last?
The things of this world will pass away and so we should not love them.
1 John 2:17 "And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever."
For
Thy Gift of God the Spirit,
With us, in
us, e'er to be,
Pledge of life and Hope of glory,
Saviour, we would worship Thee.
He who in Creation's dawning,
Brooded o'er the pathless deep,
Still across our nature's darkness
Moves to wake our souls
from sleep.
Moves to stir, to draw, to quicken;
Thrusts us thro' with
sense of sin;
Then, Himself,
the Pledge,
He seals us - Saving Advocate within.
He, the mighty God, indwells us:
His to strengthen, help, empow'r;
His to overcome the
Tempter—
Ours to call in
danger's hour.
He it is, the Living Author,
Wakes to life the sacred Word;
Reads with us its holy pages,
And reveals our risen
Lord.
He it is who works
within us,
Teaching rebel hearts
to pray;
He whose holy intercessions
Rise for us both night and day.
Thanks: SermonAudio.com
Amen!
Reply to Caryl@cherith.co.za.
THIS PAGE UPDATED: 7-4-2009.