Lessons From The Temptations Series

TEMPTATION! WHEN IT COMES TO DEALING WITH OUR HUMAN NATURE AND SIN, WE KNOW THAT “HINDSIGHT IS 20/20!” YES, IT IS EASY TO SEE SIN FOR WHAT IT IS WHEN WE ENCOUNTER AND DEAL WITH ITS EFFECTS FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD.

WHAT IS NOT SO APPARENT IS HOW WE GET TO THIS POINT. WHEN LEFT UNTREATED AND IT ADVANCES AND WHEN IN ITS BEGINNING STAGES, SIN IS NOT SO OBVIOUS OR APPARENT.

SIN ALWAYS BEGINS FAINTLY, HARMLESS, BUT GROWING UNTIL IT CAN BE SEEN FOR WHAT IT IS; DEADLY. GREAT SIN DOESN’T JUST HAPPEN IN A MOMENT, BUT OVER TIME. TEMPTATION IS THE NUTRIENT THAT GROWS AND YEILDS SIN AND DEATH.

JESUS SHOWS US NOT ONLY THE IMPORTANCE OF HOW TO DEAL WITH TEMPTATION, BUT WHOM WE ARE DEALING WITH WHEN WE ARE TEMPTED AND ENTICED TO TURN FROM THE WAYS OF GOD.

THE CALL FOR PRECAUTION IS DUE TO THE POWERFUL FORCE THAT IS BEHIND TEMPTATION WHICH IS SATAN HIMSELF! SATAN IS ALWAYS SEEKING FOR AN OPPORTUNE TIME TO NOT JUST TEMPT US, BUT TO TOTALLY ANNIHILATE US. 1 PETER 5:8, “STAY ALERT! WATCH OUT FOR YOUR GREAT ENEMY, THE DEVIL. HE PROWLS AROUND LIKE A ROARING LION, LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO DEVOUR.

HE WANTS NOTHING MORE THAN TO KEEP US AWAY FROM GOD, TO LIVE BROKEN, DEFEATED AND POWERLESS LIVES IN BONDAGE TO SIN SO THAT WE ARE MISERABLE, DISPLEASING AND UNFRUITFUL FOR GOD THE FATHER.

SATAN DOESN’T WANT US JUST FALLING INTO SIN, BUT TO SEE US STAYING IN SIN BY JUSTIFYING OUR ACTIONS, MAKING EXCUSES, OR BLAMING OTHERS OR OUR CIRCUMSTANCES AS IF WHAT WE’RE DOING ISN’T EVEN SINS AT ALL. SATAN TRIED TO USE THIS TACTIC ON JESUS IN THE WILDERNESS TEMPTATIONS.

WHAT IS SO FASCINATING IS THE CONNECTION TO GENESIS 3! SATAN USED THESE VERY SAME TACTICS ON ADAM AND EVE IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN AND WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL. THE ARROGANCE OF SATAN IS ASTONISHING TO THINK THAT HE USES THE EXACT SAME TECHNIQUES TO TRY TO FOOL AND DEFEAT JESUS.

HE WAS VICTORIOUS WITH THE FIRST ADAM. NOW, HERE WE WATCH SATAN TRYING TO GET THE “NEW ADAM” TO JUSTIFY MEETING HIS OWN NEEDS IN HIS OWN WAY, NOT JUST TO OBTAIN BREAD, PROTECTION, AND AUTHORITY, BUT TO KEEP HIM FROM GOING TO THE CROSS AND COMPLETING HIS TRUE MISSION.

OF COURSE, WE WILL NEVER BE TEMPTED IN THESE UNIQUE WAYS, SINCE WE ARE NOT THE SON OF GOD, BUT WE MUST BE AWARE AND PREPARED SINCE WE WILL BE CHALLENGED BY THE SAME KEY ISSUES THAT FUELS TEMPTATION: FAITHFULNESS!

SATAN’S PRIMARY USE FOR TEMPTATION IS TO DESTROY OUR FAITHFUL ALLEGIANCE TO ALMIGHTY GOD. ONE OF THE EASIEST WAYS HE ACCOMPLISHES THIS IS BY OFFERING US SHORTCUTS TO SPIRITUALITY! "DO-IT-YOURSELF-I-CAN-HANDLE-IT" SPIRITUALITY!

THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT JESUS, AS THE NEW ADAM, WAS PREPARED, CAPABLE AND FAITHFUL TO HIS FATHER. HE DIDN’T FALL FOR THEM, AND NEITHER SHOULD WE! LET’S LOOK AT THE LESSONS BEHIND THE THREE TEMPTATIONS OF JESUS:

THE FIRST TEMPTATION WAS FOR JESUS TO TURN A STONE INTO A PIECE OF BREAD. THIS TEST OF FAITHFULNESS WAS FOR JESUS TO "FEED HIMSELF" AND PROVIDE HIS BASIC NEEDS WITHOUT ANY OF GOD’S HELP.

SATAN’S TEST WAS FOR JESUS TO GET HIMSELF OUT OF A DIFFICULT SITUATION BY AN ACT OF DISOBEDIENCE. HUMAN NATURE WILL ALWAYS CRY OUT THAT, “I DON’T NEED YOUR HELP! I CAN DO THIS MYSELF AND I’LL DO IT MY WAY!”

GOD LED HIM TO THE DESERT SO GOD WOULD PROVIDE FOR HIM. THIS TEST WAS AN OBVIOUS TACTIC FOR JESUS TO USE HIS SONSHIP IN A WAY INCONSISTENT WITH HIS GOD-ORDAINED MISSION. HE WANTED JESUS TO USE HIS POWER IN THE WRONG WAY AT THE WRONG TIME.

JESUS REJECTS THIS TEMPTATION, AS SHOULD WE, BY QUOTING DEUTERONOMY 8:3 TO SIGNIFY THAT EVERYONE MUST RECOGNIZE THEIR UTTER DEPENDENCE AND TRUST IN GOD. GOD CALLS US TO REORDER OUR PRIORITIES AND PLACE ALL OUR CONFIDENCE IN HIM, AND HIM ALONE.

THE SECOND TEMPTATION TOWARDS FAITHFULNESS IS TO JEOPORDIZE GOD’S WILL IN ORDER TO SHOW PEOPLE TO WHAT EXTENT WE’RE WILLING TO GO TO PROVE WE “TRUST GOD.” IT IS ALSO IS A TEST TO SEE IF WE ARE WILLING TO TAKE SCRIPTURE OUT OF CONTEXT IN ORDER TO PROVE OUR POINT.

IN OTHER WORDS, SATAN USES SCRIPTURE OUT OF CONTEXT TO TRY AND PUSH JESUS INTO FULFILLING THE PROPHETIC MESSAGE OF MALACHI 3:1 IN ORDER TO GAIN PUBLIC ATTENTION THROUGH SENSATIONALISM AND SHOWMANSHIP RATHER THAN THROUGH HIS RIGHTEOUS LIFE, TRUST, AND OBEDIENCE OF GOING TO THE CROSS.

SATAN QUOTES PSALM 91:11-12, BUT DOES SO OUT OF CONTEXT BY LEAVING OUT THE PHRASE “TO GUARD YOU IN ALL YOUR WAYS.” THE DECEIT: IS NOT IN OMITTING THE WORDS, BUT IS MIS-APPLYING SCRIPTURE INTO A TEMPTATION BY MAKING IT SOUNDS AS IF GOD CAN BE FORCED INTO DEFENDING HIMSELF BY PROVIDING HIS SON SUPERNATURAL INTERVENTION AND TRICKING PEOPLE INTO THINKING “THE MESSIAH HAS ARRIVED” WITHOUT ATONEMENT.