CRCF\u201d\u201d6-14-09<\/p>\n
Questions of the Heart #7<\/p>\n
Introduction\u201d\u201dVideo Clip from \u201cPirates of the Caribbean:\u00a0 Dead Man\u201d\u2122s Chest\u201d about temptation\u201d\u201d<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Dc-oDIUU8RY<\/p>\n
Did you feel the powerful tension of temptation?\u00a0 Captain Jack captures well the essence of temptation and our propensity to give into it.\u00a0 We are curious\u201d\u201dcurious as to whether the promises of temptations to give greater freedom, to allow us to do what we want to do, curious as to whether or not these promises are true.\u00a0 We daily stand on the edge of those questions\u201d\u201dwill we jump off and give into temptation?\u00a0 And if we do, will we find what we\u201d\u2122re looking for?
\nSound familiar?\u00a0 Oh, we know the answer to the question.\u00a0 We know that temptation\u201d\u2122s promises are empty and that we won\u201d\u2122t, in the long run, find what we\u201d\u2122re looking for by giving in and experiencing sin.\u00a0 But, oh, the ever-enticing power of temptation!
\nAnd sexual temptation may be \u201cin our face\u201d more regularly than most other temptations today.\u00a0 It\u201d\u2122s everywhere we turn!\u00a0 We know Jesus wants us to overcome temptation and not sin.\u00a0 But does He really understand the stuff we\u201d\u2122re dealing with?\u00a0 Did He struggle against temptations, feeling the power of the human curiosity, wrestling with the possibilities temptation offers?<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen, if ever, was Jesus tempted by sexual sin?\u201d<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The New Testament does not record an occasion of Jesus being tempted sexually.<\/p>\n
However,<\/p>\n
2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The New Testament describes Jesus\u201d\u2122 life as inevitably including occasions of sexual temptation.<\/p>\n
Luke 15:1\u201d\u201d\u201cTax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach.\u201d
\nNo doubt, there were attractive and sexually promiscuous women often around Jesus.\u00a0 They came struggling in the emptiness of their sin, looking for a Savior.\u00a0 But nonetheless, potential temptation for Jesus as a man was there.<\/p>\n
Luke 7:36-39\u201d\u201d\u201cOne of the Pharisees asked Jesus to come to his home for a meal, so Jesus accepted the invitation and sat down to eat.\u00a0 A certain immoral woman heard he was there and brought a beautiful jar filled with expensive perfume.\u00a0 Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping.\u00a0 Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair.\u00a0 Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.\u00a0 When the Pharisee who was the host saw what was happening and who the woman was, he said to himself, \u201d\u02dcThis proves that Jesus is no prophet.\u00a0 If God had really sent him, he would know what kind of woman is touching him.\u00a0 She\u201d\u2122s a sinner!\u201d\u2122\u201d<\/p>\n
Again, while this woman came in a spirit of repentance, not seeking to tempt Jesus at all, she was no doubt an attractive woman kissing his feet and washing them with her hair.\u00a0 The potential for the temptation to lust was there for Jesus as a man.\u00a0 I\u201d\u2122m NOT saying that Jesus WAS tempted sexually in this situation\u201d\u201dI\u201d\u2122m just saying that it was possible.
\nThe point here is that Jesus, while the Son of God, lived on this earth as also 100% man.\u00a0 And the simple reality that He WAS a real man is sufficient to deduce that He was tempted sexually.<\/p>\n
3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jesus seems to have a personal understanding of sexual temptation as seen in his pointed teaching on dealing with sexual temptation.<\/p>\n
Matthew 5:27-30\u201d\u201d\u201cYou have heard that the law of Moses says, \u201d\u02dcDo not commit adultery.\u201d\u2122\u00a0 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart.\u00a0 So if your eye\u201d\u201deven if it is your good eye\u201d\u201dcauses you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away.\u00a0 It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.\u201d
\nJesus seems to thoroughly understand how the eyes and mind can be tempted.\u00a0 I believe that this passage also shows us that Jesus resisted temptation every time it came by controlling his eyes and his mind, choosing to love His Father with purity and obedience more than His own pleasure.<\/p>\n
This next passage shows us that experiencing life in our skin (and all the temptations that come with it) was part of God\u201d\u2122s plan of salvation:<\/p>\n
Hebrews 2:17-18\u201d\u201d\u201cTherefore, it was necessary for Jesus to be in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God.\u00a0 He then could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.\u00a0 Since he himself has gone through suffering and temptation, he is able to help us when we are being tempted.\u201d<\/p>\n
4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jesus was tempted in the same ways we are, but He never gave in to the temptation.\u00a0 He never sinned!<\/p>\n
Hebrews 4:15\u201d\u201d\u201cThis High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even though the New Testament doesn\u201d\u2122t record a specific instance of sexual temptation, I believe this verse make it \u201ccrystal clear\u201d that Jesus DID face such temptation as well.<\/p>\n
5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jesus was tempted directly by the Devil, which was, no doubt, more intense than any of our temptations (even sexual ones).<\/p>\n
Jesus\u201d\u2122 Temptation by the Devil is recorded in 3 Gospels:
\nMatthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13<\/p>\n
Matthew 4:1\u201d\u201d\u201cThen Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted there by the Devil.\u201d
\nThe Holy Spirit led Jesus to the desert for the purpose of Jesus being tempted by the Devil\u201d\u201das a test for Jesus.\u00a0 Remember Hebrews 2\u201d\u201d
\nHebrews 2:17-18\u201d\u201d\u201cTherefore, it was necessary for Jesus to be in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God.\u00a0 He then could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.\u00a0 Since he himself has gone through suffering and temptation, he is able to help us when we are being tempted.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew 4:2\u201d\u201d\u201cFor forty days and forty nights he ate nothing and became very hungry.\u00a0 Then the Devil came and said to him, \u201d\u02dcIf you are the Son of God, change these stones into loaves of bread.\u201d\u2122
\n(Lust for Physical Satisfaction\/Pleasure)
\nBut Jesus told him, \u201d\u02dcNo!\u00a0 The Scriptures say, \u201d\u02dcPeople need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every word of God.\u201d\u2122<\/p>\n
Then the Devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, \u201d\u02dcIf you are the Son of God, jump off!\u00a0 For the Scriptures say, \u201d\u02dcHe orders his angels to protect you.\u00a0 And they will hold you with their hands to keep you from striking your foot on a stone.\u201d\u2122
\n(Pride of Life\u201d\u201dLust for Power)
\nJesus responded, \u201d\u02dcThe Scriptures also say, \u201d\u02dcDo not test the Lord your God.\u201d\u2122<\/p>\n
Next the Devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him the nations of the world and all their glory.\u00a0 \u201d\u02dcI will give it all to you,\u201d\u2122 he said, \u201d\u02dcif you will only kneel down and worship me.\u201d\u2122
\n(Lust of the Eyes\u201d\u201dLust for Possessions)
\n\u201d\u02dcGet out of here, Satan,\u201d\u2122\u00a0 Jesus told him.\u00a0 \u201d\u02dcFor the Scriptures say, \u201d\u02dcYou must worship the Lord your God; serve only him.\u201d\u2122<\/p>\n
\u201cSex to the Power of Ten\u201d\u201d\u201dCharlton Heston
\n(In the Arena:\u00a0 An Autobiography, 1995)\u201d\u201dDescribing the filming of the movie El Cid and, specifically, the taking of the city of Valencia:\u00a0 \u201cI led a mounted troop to the gates of the city, real iron gates set in real stone walls of a medieval city.\u00a0 The sun and the sea were as they\u201d\u2122d been a thousand years ago.\u00a0 The gates swung open, two thousand people screamed welcome.\u00a0 I rode through, Babieca dancing under my hand, both of us aroused by the roar \u201cCid! Cid! CID!\u201d.\u00a0 I swung off the horse, down into the welling sound, and climbed the steep, time-worn stone steps set in the wall.\u00a0 At the top, I turned, the sea behind me, the city and the people lying below, reaching, entreating, warm and open as a woman.\u00a0 \u201cCid! Cid! Cid!\u201d\u00a0 You don\u201d\u2122t have to act that.\u00a0 You can\u201d\u2122t act it.\u00a0 I was there.\u00a0 It happened to me.\u00a0 I know, in my bones and blood, what it is to take a city.\u00a0 Yes, of course, it\u201d\u2122s like sex.\u00a0 It is sex\u201d\u201dto the power of ten.\u201d
\nCommentator:\u00a0 \u201c. . . when the Devil offered Him the glory of the nations, Jesus encountered a temptation aimed at his human, masculine sexuality, a temptation which cut far deeper than a comparably trivial inducement to \u201d\u02dcmere\u201d\u2122 coitus.\u201d
\nI agree with this commentator\u201d\u201deven if Jesus never faced a temptation to, in the moment, lust after a woman or have sex with a woman, His temptations directly from the Devil certainly encompassed and surpassed the deep drives that are involved in sexual temptations.<\/p>\n
Then the Devil went away, and angels cared for Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luke 4:13\u201d\u201d\u201cWhen the Devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.\u201d
\nThis verse tells us that this wasn\u201d\u2122t Jesus\u201d\u2122 only encounter with the Devil, nor His only occasion of temptation!<\/p>\n
6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jesus understands our temptations and knows how to help us, no matter what temptation we face!<\/p>\n
Hebrews 4:14-16–\u201cThat is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God.\u00a0 Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him.\u00a0 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin.\u00a0 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.\u00a0 There we will receive his mercy and we will find grace to help us when we need it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Practical Help for Dealing with Temptation:<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 God often allows temptation to test us, though He never tempts us to sin.<\/p>\n
James 1:12-13\u201d\u201d\u201cGod blesses the people who patiently endure testing.\u00a0 Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.\u00a0 And remember, no one who wants to do wrong should ever say, \u201d\u02dcGod is tempting me.\u201d\u2122\u00a0 God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else either.\u201d
\nNKJV\u201d\u201dJames 1:14-15\u201d\u201d\u201cBut each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.\u00a0 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.\u201d<\/p>\n
2.\u00a0 God always provides a way out of temptation.<\/p>\n
1 Corinthians 10:12-13\u201d\u201d\u201cIf you think you are standing strong, be careful, for you, too, may fall into the same sin.\u00a0 But remember that the tempations that come into your life are no different from what others experience.\u00a0 And God is faithful.\u00a0 He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can\u201d\u2122t stand up against it.\u00a0 When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Temptation often comes when we are at our weakest\u201d\u201despecially when we\u201d\u2122re hungry and\/or tired.<\/p>\n
4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 God\u201d\u2122s Word used in prayerful dependence on the Holy Spirit is our only weapon for fighting temptation.<\/p>\n
Ephesians 6:17\u201d\u201d\u201cPut on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.\u201d
\nBut beware!\u00a0 The world, your flesh and the Devil will twist certain Scriptures to get you to feel justified in sin, which is why you must be acquainted with the whole of Scripture.
\n2 Timothy 3:16-17\u201d\u201d\u201cAll Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.\u00a0 It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.\u00a0 It is God\u201d\u2122s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Be encouraged\u201d\u201dwhen you draw near to God by standing on God\u201d\u2122s Word and resist temptation, the Devil will go away and God will be near!<\/p>\n
James 4:7-8\u201d\u201d\u201cResist the Devil, and he will flee from you.\u00a0 Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Conclusion\u201d\u201d
\n2 Corinthians 5:21\u201d\u201d\u201cFor God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n
Not only is Jesus a sympathetic High Priest who knows what we feel in this skin, He is also a saving High Priest who made the offering of His own life so that God can forgive us.
\nJesus is an awesome Savior\u201d\u201dsaving us eternally from sin\u201d\u2122s penalty and then daily helping us overcome sin\u201d\u2122s power in our lives practically!
\nDo you know Him as YOUR Savior?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
CRCF\u201d\u201d6-14-09 Questions of the Heart #7 Introduction\u201d\u201dVideo Clip from \u201cPirates of the Caribbean:\u00a0 Dead Man\u201d\u2122s Chest\u201d about temptation\u201d\u201d http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Dc-oDIUU8RY Did you feel the powerful tension of temptation?\u00a0 Captain Jack captures well the essence of temptation and our propensity to give … Continue reading