;i
December 1926
742
T H E
K I N G ’ S
B U S I N E S S
lying with evil as children play with fire. How a pure woman would suf fer if exposed to the ribald Jests and insults of the vile and obscene! . . . . Our growth in grace may be measured by our increasing abhorrence of sin. We never get beyond temptation in this world. Indeed the more spiritu ally minded we b e c o m e , the more subtle and deadly are the temptations that beset us. A saint is tempted in ways that would be impossible to a sinner.—The King's Business. m How Christ Helps The Tempted Luke 4:1-13; 1 Cor. 10:12, 13. Golden Text: “In that He himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted." Heb. 2:18. Approach: As many Christians know so little of Satan’s origin, position and power, it will be well to state briefly, from a Scriptural standpoint, these facts. The tract entitled "Satan, his o r i g i n , history, ELEMENTARY doom,” i s v e r y Mabel L. Merrill good. Can be se cured at Biola Book Room, Los Angeles. Arnold’s intro duction to this lesson also gives a very concise account, with Scripture refer ences. Why does God permit Chris tians to be tempted? How is g o l d refined? Lesson: O u r previous study on “Prayer" is a splendid preparation, and if we are following Jesus, He will help us over every difficulty and seem ing Impossibility if we but trust Him. Go back to the Garden of Eden and see Satan’s method with Eve: “Hath God Said?” (Gen. 3:1). He Implants a doubt in her mind as to the truth of God's Word. That is his greatest tool today as he works in our institu tions of learning, undermining t h e faith of youth, getting them to doubt the Bible. Doubt serves the Satanic purpose better than heresy. He uses the same method in his attack upon the Son of God: “If thou be the Son of God." In Luke 3:22, Just after His baptism and the descent of the Holy Spirit, God had spoken from the open heaven, “Thou art my beloved Son.” He “ifs” God’s Word at every opportunity. Is it any wonder he is so bold and daring today? Christ’s tool was the Word of God, the only weapon that will absolutely defeat the great enemy of our souls. Christ was physically hungry, and the temptation is to use His power for His own glory. Ministers and Christian workers are being set aside today because they are taking to themselves the glory that belongs to God. A very dangerous thing, and God’s Word is full of warn ing. Have we stored our hearts and minds with God’s Word, the sword of the Spirit, ready to draw forth at a moment’s notice and use it in time of need? A moment of hesitation may lose a battle. When temptation comes, learn to resist promptly before the de sire has time to grow strong, recog nise and rejoice in God’s purpose in letting temptation come into your life. He knows how to help us and will make us victor in every conflict. Look to Jesus in every act of your life. (Jas. 1 : 1 , 2 ) .
ourselves. We can, however, rejoice that with every temptation a way of escape is provided. Were it not so, how could we endure the pressure un der which we ofttimes find ourselves laboring? But “His grace is suffic ient," and thus we are enabled in our times of pressure to bear the burdens imposed upon us. There seems to be a twofold purpose in our temptations. They are first of all testings. God would try us, to see how far we have truly appropriated His Divine power for these needs. He has made ample provision,—to what extent have we taken advantage of His beneficence? And secondly, we can bear adequate witness only to those things of which we have had personal experience. By appropriating His all sufficient grace we secure bless ing not alone to ourselves, but by our appropriation of His saving power we are able to point others to the way of deliverance. Of Christ Himself it was said, that, since He was so tempted, He is able to succour those that are tempted. So we too, because of our own personal deliverances, are thereby enabled to help others in their times of testing and trial. m Suggestive Scripture References For Class Hour Use Grace Maxwell A Central-Truth Text: Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat. Luke 22:31. Let the righteous fear lest they fall: Remember Adam and Eve: Gen. 3:1- 6; and David: 2 Sam. 11:27; and Peter: Mark 14:66-72. The Christian must meet entice ments of the flesh: Gal. 6:16, 17; 2 Peter 2:18-20; and of the world: 1 Cor. 7:31; 2 Cor. 4:4; 1 Tim. 6:9; 2 Tim. 4:10; and of his own heart: Obad. 3; Acts 5:4; 1 Tim. 3:6. Dally not with the Tempter: Mark 14:38; 2 Cor. 11:3. Note Paul’s re proof of Peter: Gal. 2:11-13. In the Lord there is victory over temptation: Matt. 7:25 (2nd cl.); 1 Cor. 1:8; 1 Thess, 5:23, 24; 1 John 4:4. (If time allows—other Scripture: Matt. 13:19-22; 1 Thess. 5:22; Heb. 11:24-26). If you apply a magnet to the end of a needle that moves freely on its pivot, the needle, affected by a strong at traction, approaches as if it loved it. Reverse the order, apply the magnet now to the other pole, and the needle shrinks away trembling, as if it did not love, but hated it. So it is with temptation. One man rushes into the arms of vice, another recoils f r o m it in horror. According as the nature it addresses is holy or unholy, tempta tion repels or attracts, is hated or loved.—Sunday School Times. The mere contact with evil must have brought to Christ Intense suffer ing. Familiarity with sin has bred in us not contempt but a measure of insensibility. The purer a being is, the more he would suffer under temp tation. Some even seem to enjoy dal A Vital Truth Illustration, Selected by Rev. Albert Mygatt
Conveyed to a pinnacle of the tem ple, again the tempter says, "If thou be the Son of God.” The appeal now is to His Messiahship. Satan quotes Scripture (Psa. 91:11-12), for he is learned in all the wisdom of the ancients and moderns: « F o r h e «h a ll i< T t h i« anicels ch a rg e o v e r thee, to h eep th ee la all th y w i j t , «T h ey «h a ll bea r th ee o p la th eir hand», leat thou dash t h y -fo o t a g a in st a ■tone.” He omits the words "to keep thee in all thy ways," wresting the Scrip ture to his own hurt, as do many others (2 Pet. 3:16). The test is, “Prove your power as the Messiah. Claim the adherence of the people. Make them marvel at your miracle." This corre sponds to the appeal to Eve, “pleasant to the eyes," the pride of life (1 John 2:16): « F o r a ll th a t In la th e w o rld , th e lu st o f th e flesh, and th e Inst o f th e e y e s, and th e pride o f life . Is n ot o f th e F a th er, but In o f th e w o rld .” It was a challenge to God to deliver Him from a peril into which He had brought Himself, not in the service of men, but for His own display; to put Himself into Satan’s hands in the field of "lying wonders” (2 Thess. 2:9): «E v e a him , w h ose rou tin g Is a fte r the w o rk in g o f Satan, w ith a ll p ow e r and sig n s and ly in g w on d ers.” To trust God is to abide in His will. To tempt God is to have your own way, yet claim God's protection. Jesus immediately met Satan with another thrust of the sword (Deut. 6:16): «Y e sh a ll n o t tem pt th e L o r i y o n r God.” _ Practical Points (1) Satan met his match when he met the Master. (2) God moulds men through many testings. ( 3 ) The devil uses Scripture to snare men; the Lord uses it to save men. (4) God’s Word works wonders in a fair fight. (5) You can “put it over” on Satan, if you put the Scripture to him. (6) The angels of God minister to the men of God. r (7) The “bread and butter” ques tion is a real test for most men. Meet it with Phil. 4:19. M What a comfort to know, in our times of temptation, that Jesus over came on every occasion. And this He was able to do by the power of the in dwelling Holy Spirit, DEVOTIONAL through whom we COMMENT also may live victor- Wm. A. Fisher iously day by day. Had we not the same means of overcoming as He, it would be futile for us to hope to "follow His steps." His example would still be an object worthy of emulation, but the at tainment of this high ideal would be beyond our natural ability. Only a power greater than our own could en able us to triumph over the tempter. We may sometimes feel that we alone are subject to these testing ex perienced. However, “there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man." So we need not feel that our own trials are peculiar to
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker