As A Man Thinks In His Heart... Series

It has been argued, we are the sum of our thoughts. Every action begins as a thought, so a person's thought-life is very important. We will often rationalize bad thoughts by saying, “Well, I didn't do it, I just thought about it.” Well, there are two levels to thinking about it, one is temptation. That is, a thought that appears in our mind, tempting us to do wrong. That is not sin, that is temptation (more on that in a few minutes). Then there is mulling over something, meditating on it, entertaining the carrying out of that temptation in the mind, that is sin. Jesus said to lust after someone is to commit adultery in the heart. Temptation and sin are NOT the same, but they relate to one another and both begin in our thoughts.

Temptation: We often falsely think, if we were more spiritually mature, that we would now be tempted with sin. We wrongly believe temptation in our mind is the result of our own sinfulness, but it's actually the opposite, sin happens because of temptation. To be tempted is not a sin. How do I know? Simple, JESUS was tempted, yet He was without sin.

“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” Hebrews 4:15

Did you realize EVERY temptation we struggle with, Satan tempted Jesus with it also? The difference is, Jesus, being God in the flesh, never gave into temptation. Likewise, Adam and Eve were tempted in the garden, but they remained sinless in the garden of Eden, until they took it past temptation, to carrying it out. While it remained temptation, they had not sinned. Baptist preacher/author Harold Vaughan defined temptation as “an enticement to fulfill a God-given drive in a God-forbidden way.” We often don't think about it that way, that temptation plays to desires God gave us. Desired that are good and right in their correct role. BUT, Satan entices us to fulfill those desires in a way that is displeasing to God. For example, the sex-drive. It is natural to want to fulfill that desire. But God gave parameters for that gift: marriage. It is not wrong to fulfill that desire within the marriage relationship. It is wrong/sinful to fulfill that desire outside the boundaries of what God created it for: love and intimacy between a man and wife. Satan takes that and other God-given desires and seeks to get us to use them in ways that are not ordained by God. He did it to Jesus, let's look at Matthew 4:

"If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. 4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."

“If you are the Son” in other words, prove it. Satan is daring Jesus. He is calling on Jesus to do what He has divine power to do. Jesus hadn't eaten, He was hungry. Wanting food is not sinful. Eating food is not sinful, it's a natural desire. Yet, the sin would have been to use the power He had to satisfy His physical needs. Likewise,

5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'"

7 Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God."

Could Jesus have done it? Sure, and it was the temple, a very public building. If Jesus had listened to Satan, surely many would have put their faith in Him. Honestly, from a standpoint of getting people to believe in the messiah, it seems like a pretty good idea. Imagine if Jesus had done it and folks saw Him do it, they would most certainly have followed Him as Messiah. Why would Satan want people to see and be impressed to follow Jesus? Satan was fine with letting people come to believe in Jesus, as long as he got Jesus to give in and sin. Had Jesus sinned, He could not have redeemed mankind.

Jesus had not only the power, but the right, He was God in the flesh after all. Why couldn't He use that power here? The answer lies in Paul's letter to the Philippians.

8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. , "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me. Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.”