The Tupelo journal., 1903-04-17
Isit temptation which comes through

Isft temptation which comes through
the many forms of the pride of life?
Ambition, power, influence? Again
face the temptation honestly. The
Devil being such a liar himself would
like nothing better than to get O
to lying about the temptation which
is pressing SO sorely upon you. He
would like to make you believe it was
no temptation at all, only a silly de-
fusion. Or he would like to get Won
to lodging the main point at issue
and to have you slip around to the
rear and look for the door of escape
there. And he would have you sure il
you did, just as he got poor Peter while
the words of his boast that he would
not deny Jesus were still warm upon
his lips. But face the issue ~suuarely
and honestly. Admit that ambition
for world influence, power, wealth.
is Turing you on, if the temptation
m to you from that direction.
and then say, you must not crowd God
out. He must worship God alone, and
behold the door of escape swings open
and the soul realizes how little the
world had to offer after all, and how
worthy of worship and praise God is.
Yes, the door of escape from every
temptation is found straight ahead
as the soul faces the temptation. The
spring which will make it swing wide
is the magic touch of Jesus Christ, for
He who has been tempted in all
points like as we knows how to sue
o them which are tempted.
~ TEMPTATION comes to all. It
L serves the purpose of testing. A
piece of steel is tested to see how
much strain it will bear. 1t proves
it's capacity for service by the amount
of strain it sustains without breaking.
The Christian is tested to prove his
capacity for service in the Lords
work. If he stands the pressure of
the temptation he proves himself
capable of a larger service. If he fails
it proves unfitness. Temptation
serves to strengthen his faith, if the
temptation is overcome, for the try
ing of his faith worketh patience, and
when patience hath had her perfect
work he is entire and wanteth moth
ing to make his character a full-round-
ed and symmetrical one.
BLESSED is the man that endureth
temptations: for when he is tried, he
shall receive the crown of life, which
the Lord has promised to them that
love Him." The tested steel is valued
according to it's strength. The test
ed Christian is declared blessed in the
estimation of God according to the
degree of his endurance, and when the
testing of this life is finished he bows
before his King to receive the crown
of life.
Temptation is not sin. else would
not James admonish the brethren to
count it all joy when We fall into
divers temptations" and Christ would
not have been subjected to the will
derness experience. Sin leaves it's dis
figuring mark only at the point where
temptation has given place to the CON-
mission of the deed.
yield not to temptation, for yielding Is
sin"
The testing did not put the weak
spot in the bar of steel and cause it
to break. The testing only served
to reveal the flaw and prevent that
bar of steel being put into the engine
and thus averting certain disaster
and possible loss of life. The testing
of the Christian does not put the
weakness into his life which causes
him to yield and stain his life with sin.
ness in his character and prevented
a possible greater disaster at a later
time, through that weakness, if it
had not been discovered.
THE steel which withstands the test
L ing proves its capacity for service.
The Christian who endures temptation
demonstrates his capacity for service.
The steel which develops the flaw I'M
der the testing proves its unfitness for
service. The Christian who yields to
the temptation proves his unftness
lpA Z NdOSCS, WHICH hC IlSt cS"
poused the cause of the Hebrew slaves
in Egypt, proved he was not ready to
become the nations deliverer when he
lost his temper and in impatient zeal
killed the brutal Egyptian. But when
he had endured the 40 years of testing
his capacity for service and was called
of God to lead the people forth. When
Christ was tempted in all points like
as w are, yet without sin," He proved
His right to become the Saviour of the
world, and to 'succor them which are
the other side of the wilderness of
temptation. The privilege of service
for every Christian lies just beyond
the dreary land Of temptation expert
ences.
God does not tempt, but He permits
temptation. The warning of Scripture
on this point is: "Let no man say
when he is tempted, l am tempted Of
God; for God cannot be tempted with
evil, neither tempteth He any man."
God did not tempt Job, but He per-
mitted Satan to test Him. Satan is
made to furnish the fire which tries
out Gods gold. He is made to sweat
in the service of the Almighty, for
every blow he strikes against the
Christian who overcomes hardens his
muscles and steadies his nerve to
strike back the telling blow. The hiss
ing serpent on the ground that is