The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1906-02-02

p =. LHsHVNsl
Copyright. 1906. by Joseph B Bowles)
Scripture Lesson: Matthew 4:1-11.
Golden Text. In all points tempt
ed like as we ere, yet without sin"
Already IN our study OF the life OF
Christ. we have seen Him IN His re-
lation to man and earth. (Elis birth,
Matt u, and in His relation to God
and Heaven (His baptism, Matt. 81. In
this lesson we see Christ in His rela.
tlon 10 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
as TO believe firmly that
Temptation Is No Accident.
II Is a part OF Gods plan for our
development II was an item In Gods
programme for Christ; It is also 10
tne programme Of every man. Tempta
tion is inevitable. The unspotted holi.
ness of Christ did not exempt Hin
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 a great tempta.
ton. To exist, to be, Is to be IN the
hands OF the tempter. No man car
speak in bated breath about sneakine
into Heaven without any temptation
No man has ever done that. Search
the Scriptures study biography, and
see. must be tried, tempted, assalled
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.
Il is good for us to know that we are
worth being tempted How proud Go5
was of Job because the devil found
something in Him worth contestinp
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 botherlng himself much
about them. II YOU are not boina
tempted, then begin to worry II you
are passing through fiery testings
thank God and take courage Metal "a
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 1tdngly applicable
with regard to temptation. / cannot
prevent wrong thoughts. for instance
coming into my mind, but / can refuse
TO allow them 10 lie on my tongue as q
sweet morsel It Is the indulgence oil
which becomes sin.
Could Jesus Christ Have sinnedP
Was Chrlsts temptation real temp.
tation? Could He really have sinned /
OF course IL was. OF course He could
Otherwise, where would be the comfort
for us in this story? Christ was
tempted In all points Ike we are;
'7le suffered in being tempted and
that very fact makes his "able 20 sue. |
Tor those who are tempted" Satan |
Is no. foolish enough 10 waste ammu-
milton on a man when there is no pos
iibility Of the mans surrender. ms
satanic majesty is far too wise for
that
Men Need Not Sin.
There is no imperative for our yield
Ing TO temptation. We can overcome
Just as Christ oyercame. In fact, this
conflict with the evil one
VAS for the purpose OF revealing to Us
bot only the nature Of the powers Of
darkness. but also the secret Of vic.
ory over all tne hosts Of wickedness
Satan may place us on a pinnacle
# temptation, but he cannot cast us
Town. We must cast ourselves down
Ve have the deciding vote IN the mat.
er. What makes sin awful IS the fact
hat as We look back over our wrong
loing We are forced 70 make the ad.
mission that not one Of these acts Of
.in was Necessary.
How Christ overcame Temptation.
One noticeable thing about the an
wers Of Christ TO the appeals Of satan
s that they were written answers.
they we're not the result Of any daz.
ling originality, any superior powers
4 mind and intellect to which we hu.
nan beings lay no claim. Christ over
anne not because He possessed a read.
er wit than ours. nor because lie was
with a moral courage and
orce unique and impossible 10 man.
ind. Nor did these answers come to
'hrist on the spur Of the moment
nswers that had never been used be.
ore and never could be again. The
nswers Of Christ rest on quotations.
hey are flashes from the Divine Word;
hey are answers that bad been given