Temptation!

Without Sin!

“See, the Word of GOD is alive! It is at work and sharper than any double edged sword – it cuts right through to where soul meets spirit and joints meet marrow, and it is quick to judge the inner reflections and attitudes of the heart. Before GOD, nothing is hidden, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must render an account.

Therefore since we have a great cohen gadol (High Priest) who has passed through to the highest Heaven, YESHUA (JESUS), the Son of GOD, let us hold firmly to what we acknowledge as true. For we do not have a cohen gadol unable to empathize with our weaknesses; since in every respect He was tempted just as we are, the only difference being that He did not sin. Therefore, let us confidently approach the Throne from which GOD gives grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:12-16 CJB (emphasis mine)

He was tempted as we are, we have heard many teachings on this passage over the years and I really have nothing to add to that. Of course the three temptations He faced after His baptism and 40 days of fasting with testing and temptations; lust of the flesh and gluttony, by using His power to turn stones into bread to satisfy His hunger; pride (vanity), by jumping off a high place to test GOD the Father’s Word; greed for power and sloth (laziness) by circumventing GOD’s process of taking back the authority of man over the earth by worshiping satan. But what of the rest of the seven deadly sins; the seven are pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth.

Pride: He dealt with that by not demonstrating His authority and power as the Son of GOD by judging and punishing as He could have, but He spoke the truth in love for the lost no matter who they were of how they treated Him. He reminded the disciples that while He was their LORD He came to serve not be served. He taught that to be His disciples we must live and trust as children, love one another as He loves us and to lay down our lives as He did by taking up our cross as He did.

Greed: He could have been the best carpenter in the world and made a fortune building for the wealthy and rulers of the world, but He lived simply and humbly. He never owned a home, He always traveled by foot, except once, He lived off the support of women. He taught us to store up heavenly treasure not earthly treasure.

Lust: He could have anyone or anything He wanted, but He did not take anything not offered and He did not take everything that was offered and He forced no one to obey Him. He did not ask others to supply His needs, only His Heavenly Father whom He sought daily. He taught us to seek after the things of GOD’s Kingdom not the satisfaction of the flesh.

Envy: He did not desire the things of the flesh or the world, but only to do the will of His Heavenly Father. He did not desire the recognition of people on their terms, He remained humble to the end yet He always spoke the truth, not in a condemning way, but in a manner so as to touch the heart of the listener. He taught us to love and serve others before ourself.

Gluttony: While He sat and ate with the wealthy, He fed the people from meager supplies. He and His disciples lived off the generosity of women and at one point the disciples were hungry enough to pick grain and eat it raw. He often left everyone to be in the presence of His Heavenly Father to make sure that He was seeking GOD first and His righteousness rather than the comforts of life.

Wrath: He spoke of the judgment to come for those who rejected the Father and Himself. He did in indignation clear the Temple twice during Passovers, of the money changers and sellers, reminding the people that the House of GOD was for Prayer. He did call the religious leaders hypocrites and whitewashed (liars) based on their public actions and words. He never attacked anybody, He never sent His disciples to attack anybody, He did not even revile those who falsely accused Him. He taught us to love our enemies and not to judge anyone.

Sloth (laziness): JESUS sought and obeyed the will of GOD for Himself, He walked the whole of Israel to proclaim the Gospel and discipled twelve men to lead His followers and the soon to be born Church. While He sought as much alone time as He could with His Heavenly Father He spent most of His awake time giving to the people; healing, casting out demons, teaching and feeding them as individuals and in mass. He taught that we are to seek the Kingdom of GOD and His righteousness, that we are to do the will of the Father in the earth as it is in Heaven, to love and serve one another and to go to the whole world and proclaim His Gospel.

But here’s what started this paper today, as I was thinking about verse 15, that He was tempted as we are in every way, I thought about wrath which includes anger and hatred. That JESUS as the eldest child and first born son had to put up with is younger siblings, not just childhood rivalries but even when He was ministering His siblings did not believe Him and mocked Him. They had to have heard the story of His birth from their parents who would have to explain to them the rumors they heard about JESUS, yet He still had to deal with that issue. He submitted to His parents which meant that He had to learn His father’s trade as a carpenter, He probably had to watch over His siblings on occasion and He did not give into temptation.

His whole life was not about Himself but about serving humanity by doing the will of His Heavenly Father. That is the call He has given us, when we are born again we are no longer to seek our own needs and desires but to do the will of GOD by seeking His Kingdom in Heaven, living according to His righteousness and doing His will (works of His Kingdom) in the earth. This is not some easy thing that happens just because the Spirit of GOD (Holy Spirit) now lives in us, it is a daily process of seeking and doing, just as JESUS did.

That is what being holy as He is holy means, set apart to GOD, we are not our own because He purchased us (redeemed us from the authority of the devil to destroy us) by the life of CHRIST, cleansed us from our sins by the Blood of CHRIST and made us His temple in the earth by filling us with His Spirit.

I have to stop making excuses or just overlooking my fallings to my temptations and live as the born again, Spirit filled temple of GOD that I am! How about you?

The Bible teaches that JESUS, who knew no sin, became sin for us so that we could stop sinning!