“Do
not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the
love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the
flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the
Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts;
but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” –
1 John 2:15-17
There was a wristband that was very popular that had WWJD on it. What would Jesus do? The question was to be a reminder of how the wearer of the band was supposed to respond to the world and life. I think a more appropriate question is WDJD. What DID Jesus Do? And how did He do it?
Jesus, the God-man, faced life just like we do. Jesus was tempted as we are tempted. Jesus is called the last Adam. He was not born with a sin nature, as we are, but He did have the capacity to sin, just like the first Adam.
"It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.” – 1 Corinthians 15:44-46
When we are born again, we have the capacity to choose to not sin, just like Jesus. Temptation is the considering of an opportunity to do your own thing and disregard God. For you to decide what is best for you, what is right.
When Jesus was tempted in the desert (Matthew 4:1-14) the first temptation (lust of the flesh) was to satisfy His flesh, “turn stones into bread”. He had not eaten for 40 days! Seems reasonable, but then most sin seems reasonable. It was well within His power to satisfy His hunger. He had turned water into wine. But that was really not the point of the temptation. It was to choose something other than God. Jesus response: “Man does not live by bread alone but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Often what seems innocent can be deadly to our spiritual relationship with the Father. The second temptation was to throw himself off of a pinnacle and the angels would catch him. (Pride of life) Jesus response: “You shall not put the Lord, your God to the test”. You want God to prove you have value to Him. He already has. The third temptation, (lust of the eyes), “[Satan] showed Him [Jesus] all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” Jesus replied “You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.”
The things of this world are merely enticements for you to place your trust elsewhere. For many, many people, they don’t own possessions, the possessions own them. I know many Christians who say no to God because they are shackled by the things of this world. Satan is called the god of this world. (2 Corinthians 4:4) He could offer everything Jesus saw to Jesus because it was his dominion. We say, “God owns the cattle on a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10) as if to justify our lust for possessing “the cattle”. We, in fact, are God’s possession. Bought with a price.
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.” – 1 Peter 2:9-12
We belong to God and should face temptation to act otherwise with the power of the Word of God, just like Jesus did. (Psalm 119:11)
There was a wristband that was very popular that had WWJD on it. What would Jesus do? The question was to be a reminder of how the wearer of the band was supposed to respond to the world and life. I think a more appropriate question is WDJD. What DID Jesus Do? And how did He do it?
Jesus, the God-man, faced life just like we do. Jesus was tempted as we are tempted. Jesus is called the last Adam. He was not born with a sin nature, as we are, but He did have the capacity to sin, just like the first Adam.
"It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.” – 1 Corinthians 15:44-46
When we are born again, we have the capacity to choose to not sin, just like Jesus. Temptation is the considering of an opportunity to do your own thing and disregard God. For you to decide what is best for you, what is right.
When Jesus was tempted in the desert (Matthew 4:1-14) the first temptation (lust of the flesh) was to satisfy His flesh, “turn stones into bread”. He had not eaten for 40 days! Seems reasonable, but then most sin seems reasonable. It was well within His power to satisfy His hunger. He had turned water into wine. But that was really not the point of the temptation. It was to choose something other than God. Jesus response: “Man does not live by bread alone but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Often what seems innocent can be deadly to our spiritual relationship with the Father. The second temptation was to throw himself off of a pinnacle and the angels would catch him. (Pride of life) Jesus response: “You shall not put the Lord, your God to the test”. You want God to prove you have value to Him. He already has. The third temptation, (lust of the eyes), “[Satan] showed Him [Jesus] all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” Jesus replied “You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.”
The things of this world are merely enticements for you to place your trust elsewhere. For many, many people, they don’t own possessions, the possessions own them. I know many Christians who say no to God because they are shackled by the things of this world. Satan is called the god of this world. (2 Corinthians 4:4) He could offer everything Jesus saw to Jesus because it was his dominion. We say, “God owns the cattle on a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10) as if to justify our lust for possessing “the cattle”. We, in fact, are God’s possession. Bought with a price.
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.” – 1 Peter 2:9-12
We belong to God and should face temptation to act otherwise with the power of the Word of God, just like Jesus did. (Psalm 119:11)
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