A ll the wonderful promises of God found in the Bible are as suredly true for they find their ful fillment in our Lord Jesus Christ. Consider how we can find all our needs met when it comes to tempta tions which are prevalent for old and young alike. In Matthew four we find how the Saviour was tempt ed in all points like as we are, yet He did not yield and sin. This is vital for us to remember: there is no sin in the temptation itself. It is when we yield to temptation that we fall into iniquity. Looking at Matt. 4, verse one tells us, “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.” The devil would have you think that if you are tempted you have already succumbed and slipped. Don’t let Satan get away with that one. Sin only de velops when we give way to the temptation or enticement, the solici tation to do evil. This portion of Scripture tells us that the Holy Spir it, not the devil, led Christ into the wilderness to be tempted. Read this passage and you will see how that the devil comes, trying to sow a doubt. When people are moving into tempta tion, they are frequently doubting whether they are Christians or not. They do not have joy or assurance of their own salvation. Notice what the devil says to Christ, “If thou be the Son of God.” Note that in the first recorded temptation of Satan, (Genesis three), he also begins with a doubt, “Hath God said?” There is not an open and blatant flat denial; it is something much more insidious. Christ answered by saying, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that pro- ceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Deut. 8:3). Do you realize that this
is a blessed promise? The Lord is showing us so perfectly that we don’t have to succumb to temptation. We can live in the strength of Jesus Christ because all the promises of God find their “yes” in Him. The second temptation of Christ was when He was taken up into the Holy City, to the pinnacle of the temple. Since Christ had quoted Scripture, the devil did the same, taking a portion out of the 91st Psalm, however, leaving out, four very important words, “in all thy ways.” The promise was, that in every situation the angels would bear Him up. The devil didn’t want to emphasize that point. Satan sought to use the Scripture to satisfy his own desires. (Remember that some of the people who come knocking at your front door, quoting Scrip ture, do exactly the same thing.
Mr. Merv Fishback, executive administrator of Biola's Phoenixaffiliate, theArizona Bible Col lege, looks over some of the books in the school's growing library. Books are always welcome gifts to the Biola ministry. If you have some merelygathering dust, why not get them into service? Please contact the school at your earliest convenience.
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