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There's more to being a Christian than simply praying a prayer to receive Jesus as one's Savior. Don't get me wrong, receiving Christ is vital. No one can have a relationship with God and the hope of Heaven apart from doing so. However, this most significant decision is but the first step into a new way of life; a way of life that is all about experiencing the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, who molds us into the likeness of Jesus Christ.
Listen to the way the apostle John puts it in the 2nd chapter his 1st epistle. I share it with you as it appears in The Message.
Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived.
The point is clear. Being a Christian is all about learning from and following the example of Jesus.
With all this in mind, I begin today a series of articles entitled, "Living the Life". It will be my aim in these weekly pieces to do three things: examine specific incidents from the life of Christ in which we find him facing the sorts of issues we deal with daily; observe how Jesus responded in those situations and then to apply the lessons learned to our own lives. In this first article our focus will be on the matter of temptation.
If I were to ask you if you have faced at least one temptation in the past 24 hours, I'm quite sure I know what your answer would be. Dealing with temptation is a "real life" issue and it was one Jesus had to face as well. Let's see what we can learn from his example.
Our scripture reading today is found in Matthew 4:1-11...
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
Jesus answered, It is written: "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"
Jesus answered him, It is also written: "Do not put the Lord your God to the test."
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
Jesus said to him, Away from me, Satan! For it is written: "Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only."
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Since this incident in the life of Christ is quite well known, we are not going to take a great deal of time reviewing the details. Simply put, at the outset of his ministry, after a period of forty days of fasting and prayer in a desert place, Jesus, the Son of God, was tempted by the devil.
The first temptation was to turn bread to stones. It's important to bear in mind that when Jesus came to earth, he laid aside the independent use of his divine attributes and, though he was God, he lived as a man in total dependence upon his Heavenly Father. He did this in order to serve as a role model for us. We, too, are to live in that manner. Now, had Jesus fallen back on his divinity and whipped up a miracle to satisfy his own personal needs, he would have ceased to serve as an example to us. However, he would have none of it. He did not surrender his credibility as our example in order to meet his own needs.
Temptation number two for Jesus in the wilderness was to jump from the pinnacle of the temple, which was situated some 490 feet above the valley below. I think Satan's attempt here was to appeal to Jesus' desire that all men would recognize him for who he was - and still is - the Son of God and the only Savior of mankind.
The devil might have whispered in Jesus' ear, "You want all men to recognize you as Messiah, right? So why not jump? God will send angels to scoop you up before you hit the ground. Imagine how impressive such a sight would be! Who wouldn't believe in you if they saw you rescued by a band of angels?"
Jesus was wise enough to know he didn't need the devil as his press agent. He refused to act presumptuously. His commitment was to do only those things the Father led him to do. He would obey only God and leave the job of convincing people as to who he was to the Holy Spirit.
The third temptation Jesus faced in today's text was that of worshipping Satan. This was the devil's attempt to get Jesus to avoid the cross. "If you listen to me, you can experience the crown without the cross. If you'll bow before me you can have what is rightfully yours - the kingdoms of the world - but it won't cost you all the pain and suffering of Calvary." That was Satan's message.
I'm so glad Jesus didn't listen! He knew the cross was necessary in order to provide salvation for you and me. He went all the way to Calvary, despite the pain and suffering involved. That's how much he loved us.
Jesus saw through the attempts of Satan to distract him from the purposes of God and did not yield for even a moment to any of the devil's suggestions. And, by the way, this was not the only time Jesus experienced temptation. As Luke concludes his account of Jesus' temptation he wrote, "When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time." (Luke 4:13 - Emphasis mine) I suspect that Jesus was subject to continual temptation at the hand of the enemy much as you and I are.
Well, just what are some of the most important lessons we learn from Jesus' wilderness temptation? Here are several for you to consider:
No one is exempt from temptation - not even Jesus! Though it may be alluring to believe that we will somehow outgrow temptation the further we travel down the road to holiness, the truth is that so long as we are alive on this earth we will experience temptation. No one was ever more holy than Jesus, yet he was tempted. Being tempted is not a sin. While the Bible clearly states that Jesus was tempted in all points as we are, yet he never sinned. (Hebrews 4:15). Clearly then, being tempted is not sinful in and of itself. Sin enters the picture when we yield to temptation. The enemy attacks us at some point of need - and at a moment when he believes we are vulnerable. Notice that after Jesus had fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, the temptation was to satisfy his physical appetite, not to steal hidden treasure he might have come upon out there in the wilderness. You can be sure that the enemy of your soul will also approach you at some point of need. That's what makes temptation so tempting! You and I don't have to yield to temptation. If we follow the example of Christ, we, too, can be victorious in the face of the traps the devil sets for us.
I think you'd agree with me that these four points listed above are good things to know, but the real issue is how we get these lessons out of the book and into our hearts; the real issue is applying what we've learned. So, let's talk about...
Living the Life
If we would be successful in resisting temptation, like Jesus we must...
Make prayer a part of our lifestyle. Jesus spent significant time in the presence of God before the moment of temptation. He had fasted and prayed for 40 days and nights. He had a reservoir of spiritual resources to draw upon due to his interaction with God. If you wait until the moment of temptation to start seeking God, you may well discover your spiritual resources are too limited to meet the challenge. Make prayer a part of your daily life. Understand that God has a purpose for our lives. As early as 12 years of age, Jesus evidenced a clear sense of who he was and why he had come to earth. (Luke 2:49) In the wilderness temptation and on other occasions as well, Jesus absolutely refused to allow the devil to sidetrack him. (Remember, he was tempted in all points as we are, yet never sinned - Hebrews 4:15.)
I believe the fact that Jesus understood his purpose helped him to overcome temptation. He was entirely committed to doing the will of God and anything less held no sway over him.
God has a purpose for you and me, too. It certainly is not that we would dabble in things that displease him and only enslave and destroy us. God has called us to live a holy life. (I Thessalonians 4:7) Focus on God's purpose and ask God to help you to be repulsed by anything that move you off course. Take our stand on the truth God has revealed in his word. The invitations to sin the devil delivers to our doorsteps may be appealing. They may even seem reasonable! However, make no mistake about it, Satan goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. (I Peter 5:8) He is not interested in showing you a "good time", he is out to destroy you.
We need to feed our souls on the word of God, hide it in our hearts and stand on it in the moment of temptation. Notice, that in the wilderness, Jesus always responded to Satan by saying, It is written. Jesus' knowledge of the scriptures and his determination to live in obedience to them led him to victory.
As we bring this week's reflection to a close let me remind you that as disciples of Christ, we are to learn from and follow the example of our Savior. And what a marvelous example he has set for us! If we walk in his footsteps, we, too, can experience victory in the hour of temptation.
To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy- to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. - (Jude 24-25)
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