The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1906-02-02

tcopyright 1919. py Joseph u Bowles.)
Scripture Lesson: Matthew q: ILL.
Golden Text. I'm all points tempt
ed like as we are. yet without sin
Already In our study Of the life OF
Christ we have seen Him in His re-
lation 10 man and earth. CHS birth,
Matt. -: and in His relation TO Coo
and Heaven (His 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 az 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
II is a part OF Gods plan for our
development. 1t was an item In Gods
programme for Christ; it is also In
the programme Of every man. Tempta-
ton is inevitable. The unspotted holi-
ness OF Christ did not exempt Him
from the hercest assaults of the devil;
nor can any goodness of ours make us
proof against the fiery darts OF the
evil one Life itself is great tempta-
| ton. To exist, to be, is 10 be In the
hands OF the tempter No man can
sneak 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.
II is good for us to know that we ar.
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 higher and better life
Satan is not bothering himself much
about them. II you are not being
tempted. then begin to worry. IL you
are passing through fiery testings,
thank God and take courage Metal 10
be pure must pass through the cru
chile.
Temptation Is Not Sin.
This distinction must be 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 10 temptation. | cannot
prevent wrong thoughts, for instance,
coming into my mind, but can refuse
to allow them TO lie on my tongue as
] sweet morsel II is the Indulgence Of
1 temptation which becomes sin.
J Could Jesus Christ Have Sinnedp
Was Christ's temptation a real temp
: tation? Could He really have sinned?
o. course IL 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
= that very fact makes his able 10 sue
cor those who are tempted" Satan
is not foolish enough to waste ammu-
q milton on a man when there is no pos
a sibility OF the mans surrender. ms
satanic majesty is far too wise for
y that
J. Men Need Not Sin
! There is no imperative for our yield
ing 10 temptation. We can overcome
y just as Christ overcame. In fact. this
= wilderness conflict with the evil one
Z was for the purpose Of revealing TO Us
= not only the nature OF the powers OF
Z darkness but also the secret Of vic
= tory over all LIE hosts of wickedress
~ Satan may place us on a pinnacle
4 Of temptation. but he cannot cast "a
y down We must cast ourselves down.
a. We have the deciding vote in the mat
= ter What makes sin awful is the fact
a. 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.
e. How Christ overcame Temptation.
W one noticeable thing about the an
ed swers Of Christ TO the appeals of satar
&c Is that they were written answers
an They we're not the result OF any daz
ne cling originality. any superior power
10, of mind and intellect TO which we hu
ne man beings lay no claim. Christ over
ly came not because He possessed a read
Ter wit than ours, nor because ne wa
endowed with a moral courage an,
n force unique and impossible to man
ID. kind. Nor did these answers come Z
an Christ on the spur of the moment
ng answers that had never been used be
he fore and never could be again. Tn
answers of Christ rest on quotations
nd they are flashes from the Divine Word
I'm they are answers that had been give
mt before They were shafts that ha
he gone quivering from many a previou
ed bow. In His conflict with Satan Chris
te, used the sword of the Spirit, which
the Word OF God"
ne How We May Overcome.
ip- II we would overcome temptation Il
'se us follow Christ's example Let us nc