The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1906-02-02


Copyright. 1906, by Joseph b Bowles)
Scripture Lesson: Matthew ALI.
/ Golden Text. I'm all points tempt
ed nike as we ere, yet without sim"
Already in our study OF the life of
Ch rist. we have seen Him in His re-
lation to man and earth. Oils birth.
Matt. -; and in His relation TO God
and Heaven CHS baptism, Matt. -. In
this lesson we see Christ in His rela-
ton to Satan and the world of evil.
Immediately after the Heavenly testi-
mony at Jordan we find the Messiah
driven by the Spirit into the wilder
ness" The language of the text leads
US TO believe firmly that
Temptation Is No Accident.
1t is a part of Gods plan for our
development. 1t was an item in Gods
programme for Christ; it is also in
me programme of every man. Tempta-
ton is inevitable. The unspotted holt
ness of Christ did not exempt Him
from the fiercest assaults of the devil;
nor can any goodness of ours make us
proof against the fiery darts of the
evil one. Life itself is a great tempta-
ton. To exist, 10 be, is to be in the
hands Of the tempter. No man can
speak in bated breath about sneaking
into Heaven without any temptation.
No man has ever done that. Search
the Scriptures, study biography, and
see must be tried, tempted assailed
thrown down, browbeaten, wounded
stamped upon. Jesus Christ can be of
absolutely no service to the man who
is not undergoing testing and trial.
Temptation Is a Compliment.
1t is good for us to know that we are
worth being tempted. How proud God
was Of Job because the devil found
something in Him worth contesting
for. Boys do not break into orchards
where there is no fruit. SO long as
men are willing TO rest satisfied with
the grosser things of life and do not
aspire towards a higher and better life
Satan is not bothering himself much
about them. If you are not being
tempted. then begin to woTrY If you
are passing through fiery testings
thank God and take courage Metal TO
be pure must pass through the cru
chile.
Temptation Is Not Sin.
This distinction must te carefully
borne in mind Temptation becomes
sin only when harbored and INDUCED
in The old saying, I'VE cannot pre-
vent the birds flying over our heads
but we can prevent them building nests
in our hair" is fttingly applicable
with regard to temptation. | cannot
prevent wrong thoughts, for instance
coming into my mind. but | can refuse
to allow them to lie on my tongue as a
sweet morsel 1t is the indulgence Of
temptation which becomes sin.
Could Jesus Christ Have SinnedP
Was Christs temptation a real temp
.ation? Could He really have sinned?
Of course it was. OF course He could
Otherwise, where would be the comfort
for us in this story? Christ was
tempted in all points like we are"
He suffered in being tempted; and
hat very fact makes his able to sue
cor those who are tempted" Satan
S not foolish enough to waste ammu-
milton on a man when there is no pos
;ibility of the mans surrender. ms
satanic majesty is far too wise for
hat.
Men Need Not Sin.
There is no imperative for our yield
ing TO temptation We can overcome
just as Christ overcame. In fact. this
wilderness conflict with the evil one
was for the purpose of revealing to us
not only the nature OF the powers Of
darkness, but also the secret Of vic
tory over all tne hosts of wickedness.
Satan may place us on pinnacle
Of temptation, but he cannot cast us
down. We must cast ourselves down.
We have the deciding vote in the mat
.er. What makes sin awful is the fact
that as we look back over our wrong
doing we are forced to make the ad-
/ mission that not one of these acts of
, sin was necessary
How Christ Overcame Temptation.
One noticeable thing about the an
swers of Christ to the appeals of satan
- ludL lUey were written answers.
They were not the result of any daz-
cling originality, any superior powers
Of mind and intellect to which we hui
man beings lay no claim. Christ over
came not because He possessed read
Ter wit than ours. nor because ne was
endowed with moral courage and
force unique and impossible TO man
kind. Nor did these answers come TO
Christ on the spur of the moment
answers that had never been used be-
fore and never could be again The
answers of Christ rest on quotations.
they are flashes from the Divine Word; ;
they are answers that had been given
before. They were shafts that had
gone quivering from many a previous
bow. In His conflict with Satan Christ
used the Sword of the Spirit, which is
the Word of God"
How We May Overcome.
If we would overcome temptation let
us follow Christ's example Let us not
try to be original, but be willing to
nuota' from, tho cap,a niy;pa rraocrrx,.