Message topic: Temptation. What is It?
Scripture text: Matthew 4:1-10
It is quite common that our blood pressure can rise suddenly because of what is taken place around us or a statement we hear from someone that could affect us in one way or the other.
I do believe that you were listening, and heard as brother Paul red the topic of what we are about to shear among ourselves today: he said that we are going to talk about temptations: he also asked, what is it? And let me ask, have you ever had any temptations?
We know that God provides for all His sons and daughters, is temptation something which God provides for His children? Listen to what He tells us about Himself in (James 1: 13-14)
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempted He any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
What is the meaning of temptation? To temp is to try influence, to urge or induce or entice to do something immoral, or to run or take a risk.
Listen to the story of one who in his own way is trying to tell others what it means to be tempted: I have a friend who has been trying to get me to go out fishing with him for a few months now: everyone has friend who fishes. He goes out, hikes in the mountains, then return and tells me all about these cool fishing spots.
As I listen to him talk, I can’t help but feel a little bad for the fish. There’s just something so pathetic about a dumb fish being lured out of it’s shelter, tricked by a false bait, trapped by a deadly hook, and dragged out of the water to its death against its own will.
He goes on to say, I don’t mean to make fishing sound depressing; it really is a whole lot of fun when you’re the one fishing, but when you’re the one being fished, the whole situation is a lot grimmer because it becomes a matter of life and death.
This is how the Bible describes temptation, with a fishing metaphor. Temptation lures us out, tricks us with a lie, traps us against our will, and drags us towards death. In order to understand how not to end up as a dead fish, we will be reading out of James 1: 13-15. We will then explore three things: (1) the source of temptation. (2) the consequence of temptation, and (3) ways to find freedom from temptation.
Our scripture text for the day, tells us of the greatest temptation ever: the tempter was the most evil that has ever walked this earth, and he was tempting the most Holy who ever walked this earth as a man to show us how we too can overcome temptations as He did for the sake of redeeming mankind back into fellowship with God the source of all things.
God never tempts us, but He allows for difficulties in our lives because He desires for us to learn to be steadfast in Him so that we can become perfected in him.
From where comes temptation and original of sin?
Temptation is as old as, well: the Garden of Eden. The devil, known as the evil one, in the form of a serpent, tempted our first parents, Adam and Eev. They fell for the lie which flattered them, and were led into the trap of death and loss. The rest of the Bible unfurls the redemptive plan of God through Christ Jesus.
In Matthew four, verse one stated that as soon as Jesus was baptized, the Spirit led Him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil: after forty days and night of fasting, He was hungry: then the tempter, (the devil) said to Him: if you are the son of God, command that these stones be made into bread, so that you can satisfy your hunger.
He answered and said, it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh Him up into the holy city, and setet him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith 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 shall bear thee up, lest at anytime thou dash thy foot against a stone.
He the tempter was actually reminding Him that His father has plans to protect Him at all cost, and no harm will come to Him. then Jesus said to him; it is written again, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them. And said to Him, all these things will I give thee, if thou will fall down and worship me.
Then said Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leave him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto Him.
Have you ever had a feeling of relief after you had finally overcome the idea that was in your mind to do and you know in your heart it was against the will of God?
How often do you realize that some of the ideas in your head are temptations of the evil one? How often do you realize that the evil one desires to make you an agent of his, By using you to tempt others around you to do that which displeases God?
Where Adam and Eve failed the temptation of the evil one in the garden, Jesus triumphed over his temptation in the wilderness, and made it possible that we can regain what was lost in Eden.
Jesus victory over temptation secures the righteousness we need before a Holy God: but we must never suppose that because we are hidden in Christ, we are exempted from temptation: it is a more dangerous form of temptation in itself to believe otherwise. In fact we should build spiritual bulwarks around our lives to overcome the temptations we have to face daily.
How then should we answer the question; what to do about temptation? In a word, the best recourse for temptation is to be delivered from it by faith in Christ. Submit yourself therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Temptation dies when the steel teeth of the trap are unmasked, temptation loses its power when the love of Jesus Christ satisfies our desires.