Tempted by the Devil
Temptation is not inherently sin, but becomes so when we harbor evil suggestions, and the path to true power and salvation is through the cross.
F.B. Meyer discusses the connection between Jesus' baptism and His subsequent temptation in the wilderness, emphasizing that temptation itself is not sin unless we entertain the evil suggestions. He highlights that after significant spiritual revelations, one can expect trials as a means of strengthening faith. Meyer explains the three temptations Jesus faced: using His divine power for personal needs, acting without God's guidance, and seeking authority through improper means, ultimately illustrating that true power comes through sacrifice and obedience to God.
Text
Matthew 4:1-11
Then marks the close connection between the heavenly voice of the baptism and the fiery ordeal of the forty days. Notice that temptation is not in itself sin; only when the evil suggestions of the tempter are harbored do they become sin. Notice also that all around us is a dark region of evil, out of which temptations arise. Whenever you have received a conspicuous revelation, you may expect a time of testing. This is God’s way of rooting the trees in the soil, and burning in the fair colors which He paints on the vessels that are being made meet for His use.
The first temptation was that our Lord should use for His physical needs the power which had been entrusted to Him, as Son of man, for the service of men.
The second was an effort to incite Him to act presumptuously, at the dictate of self-will and apart from the clear guidance of God’s Spirit. The third was to attain the throne by a wrong method. It was only by the cross that He could win power to rule and save. See Hebrews 4:15-16; Hebrews 5:8-9.
Sermon Outline
- Temptation and Sin
- The First Temptation
- The Third Temptation
- Attaining the throne by a wrong method
- The cross as the path to power and salvation
Key Quotes
“Notice that temptation is not in itself sin; only when the evil suggestions of the tempter are harbored do they become sin.” — F.B. Meyer
“It was only by the cross that He could win power to rule and save.” — F.B. Meyer
Application Points
- We must seek God's guidance to avoid falling into temptation.
- The cross is the path to true power and salvation, as demonstrated by Jesus Christ.
- We must resist self-will and seek God's will in all things.