IF YOU WERE TO ASK ANY STUDENT WHAT THEY FEAR THE MOST, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE TAKING A TEST. PROBABLY CLOSE BEHIND IS THE INEVITALBE “POP QUIZ” TO TEST THE PROGRESS OF LEARNING.
TESTINGS AND TRIALS ARE NEVER PLEASANT, BUT NECESSARY IN THE LIFE OF FAITH. STANDING FIRM AND WELCOMING THE HOLY SPIRIT TO HELP US WITH RESISTING TEMPTATIONS TO HAVE VICTORY OVER SIN IS NOT ONLY A TEST, BUT AN EVERYDAY BATTLE.
WE MUST CHOOSE TO FIGHT AND ENGAGE THE BATTLE WITH THE HELP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. JAMES 1:12-15, “GOD BLESSES THOSE WHO PATIENTLY ENDURE TESTING AND TEMPTATION…WHEN YOU ARE BEING TEMPTED, DO NOT SAY, “GOD IS TEMPTING ME.” GOD IS NEVER TEMPTED TO DO WRONG, AND HE NEVER TEMPTS ANYONE ELSE. TEMPTATION COMES FROM OUR OWN DESIRES, WHICH ENTICE US AND DRAG US AWAY. THESE DESIRES GIVE BIRTH TO SINFUL ACTIONS. AND WHEN SIN IS ALLOWED TO GROW, IT GIVES BIRTH TO DEATH.”
SIN ALWAYS BEGINS QUIET AND HARMLESS, BUT WHEN LEFT UNCHECKED AND UNCHALLENGED, IT GROWS UNTIL IT CAN BE SEEN FOR WHAT IT IS; DEADLY. TEMPTATION IS THE NUTRIENT THAT GROWS AND YEILDS SIN AND DEATH. WE MUST FIGHT IT DAILY!
JESUS SHOWS US NOT ONLY THE IMPORTANCE OF HOW TO DEAL WITH TEMPTATION AND BUT TO KNOW THE POWERFUL FORCE THAT IS BEHIND TEMPTATION WHICH IS SATAN HIMSELF!
SATAN WANTS TO KEEP US AWAY FROM GOD, TO LIVE BROKEN, DEFEATED AND POWERLESS LIVES IN BONDAGE TO SIN SO THAT WE ARE DISPLEASING, DISHONORING, AND UNFRUITFUL FOR GOD.
OUR LESSON TODAY IS TO LOOK AT JESUS AND HIS TESTING IN THE WILDERNESS TO NOT ONLY STAY ON THE ALERT, BUT TO BE PREPARED WHEN WE ARE CHALLENGED BY THE SAME KEY ISSUES THAT FUELS THESE TESTINGS AND TEMPTATIONS: FAITHFULNESS!
LET’S LOOK AT THE LESSONS BEHIND THE THREE TEMPTATIONS OF JESUS: THE FIRST TEMPTATION WAS FOR JESUS TO TURN A STONE INTO BREAD. THIS TEST WAS TO GET JESUS TO DOUBT GOD’S CARE AND PROVISION. HE WANTS JESUS TO MEET HIS OWN BASIC NEEDS UNDER HIS OWN POWER REGARDLESS OF WHAT GOD HAS SAID AND PROMISED AND WITHOUT ANY OF GOD’S HELP.
SATAN’S TEST WAS FOR JESUS TO GET HIMSELF OUT OF A DIFFICULT SITUATION ON HIS OWN BY AN ACT OF DISOBEDIENCE. HUMAN NATURE ALWAYS SAYS, “I KNOW WHAT I WANT AND I KNOW BETTER! I CAN DO THIS MYSELF AND I’LL FIND AN EASIER WAY TO DO IT!”
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 BY QUOTING DEUTERONOMY 8:3 TO SIGNIFY THAT EVERYONE MUST RECOGNIZE THEIR FULL DEPENDENCE AND TRUST IN GOD. GOD CALLS US TO REORDER OUR PRIORITIES AND PLACE ALL OUR CONFIDENCE IN HIM.
THE SECOND TEMPTATION SHOWS THAT WE WILL NEVER WIN FORMING AN ALLIANCE WITH SATAN. WE CANNOT AFFORD TO LOWER OUR STANDARDS, COMPROMISE, AND BE MORE LIKE THE WORLD.
IT IS ALSO IS A TEST TO SEE IF WE ARE WILLING TO TWIST THE MEANING OF SCRIPTURE AND TAKE IT OUT OF CONTEXT IN ORDER TO JUSTIFY OUR ACTIONS. ABANDONING OUR LOYALTY TO GOD AND COMPROMISING WITH THE WORLD IS A VIOLATION OF THE FIRST COMMANDMENT BY LIFTING OUR IDOLS ABOVE THE LORD GOD.
DEUTERONOMY 6:4-5, “LISTEN, O ISRAEL! THE LORD IS OUR GOD, THE LORD ALONE. AND YOU MUST LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, ALL YOUR SOUL, AND ALL YOUR STRENGTH.”
ALL THAT WE ARE AND ALL THAT WE HAVE COMES FROM GOD. WE LIVE IN FULL TRUST AND RADICAL OBEDIENCE THAT NEVER QUESTIONS HIS FAITHFULNESS OR HIS GOODNESS TO US.
THE THIRD TEMPTATION GOES 450 FEET ABOVE THE KIDRON VALLEY WHERE THE HIGHEST POINT OF THE TEMPLE TOWERED ALOFT ON MOUNT MORIAH.
THIS TEST IS TEMPTING JESUS TO FORCE GOD INTO ACTING ON HIS BEHALF. IT IS ALSO A WARNING NOT TO TEST GOD BY TAKING SHORT-CUTS AND MAKING RASH DECISIONS TO “SPEED THINGS UP” BY JUMPING AHEAD OF GOD THINKING HE WOULD APPROVE ANYWAY.
JESUS MAKES IT VERY CLEAR THAT WE WORSHIP ONLY GOD AND SUBMIT TO HIS WILL FOR OUR LIVES. HIS WILL. HIS WAY. WE DON’T TAKE COMMAND OF OUR LIVES TO FORCE GOD TO OUR WHIMS AND WISHES IN LIFE.
JESUS SHOWS US THAT IF HE HAD ACCEPTED ANY OF THESE THREE OFFERS FROM SATAN, HE WOULD HAD FORFEITED HIS MISSION AND SALVATION TO THE WORLD WOULD NO LONGER BE POSSIBLE!
THE GRACE WON FOR US BY CHRIST’S OBEDIENCE MEANS THAT SIN IS NO LONGER OUR MASTER. WE BECOME ITS MASTER AS WE CONQUER AND SUBDUE IT IN THE NAME OF JESUS.
ROMANS 6:6, “WE KNOW THAT OUR OLD SINFUL SELVES WERE CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST SO THAT SIN MIGHT LOSE ITS POWER IN OUR LIVES. WE ARE NO LONGER SLAVES TO SIN.”
THREE TEMPTATIONS JESUS SHOWS US VERY CLEARLY THAT SPIRITUAL VICTORY CAN NOT ONLY BE OURS IN THE FACE OF ALL TEMPTATION, BUT ALSO IN THE REALM OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE.
I LEAVE YOU WITH 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13, "…REMEMBER THAT THE TEMPTATIONS THAT COME INTO YOUR LIFE ARE NO DIFFERENT FROM WHAT OTHERS EXPERIENCE. AND GOD IS FAITHFUL. HE WILL KEEP THE TEMPTATION FROM BECOMING SO STRONG THAT YOU CAN’T STAND UP AGAINST IT. WHEN YOU ARE TEMPTED, HE WILL SHOW YOU A WAY OUT SO THAT YOU WILL NOT GIVE IN TO IT."
WE WILL ALWAYS FACE TRIALS, TEMPTATIONS, AND TESTINGS. WE USE THE SEASON OF LENT TO REMIND US NOT ONLY OF OUR MORTALITY, AND HUMAN SINFULNESS, BUT TO REMAIN STEADFAST IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS.
FAITH IN JESUS, TRUSTING IN GOD’S FAITHFULNESS AND GOODNESS, AND THEN ALLOWING THE HOLY SPIRIT INTO OUR LIVES TO EMPOWER US, WE CAN BE AWARE OF SATAN’S TACTICS, RESIST HIM AND MAKE HIM FLEE!
LET US “PASS THE TEST” OF OUR WILDERNESS JOURNEY THIS LENTEN SEASON AND BEYOND. MAY WE ALLOW GOD’S WILL FOR OUR LIVES. MAY WE LISTEN TO HIM, REBUKE SATAN, AND FOLLOW HIS LEADING WHEREVER HE TAKES US. AMEN!
