The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-06-21
The Temptation of Jesus
Sermon by
REV. LLOYD II. WILSON, ID. D.,
Pastor Grace Street Baptist Church.
written for The Times-Dlspatch.)

! Then wa. Jesus led up OF the Spirit into
The baptism and the temptation OF
Jesus were crowded close together
scarcely had tho voice from heaven died
away when a whisper was heard from
he'll. Out of the baptismal bcnedictior
| or the Father. Jesus stepped into !,
| desperate struggle with the devil.
| There are sudden and violent changes
| of weather in the spiritual world 1t
was while coming down from the
mount. where for forty days he had
held communion with God that Moses
lost his temper and smashed the tables
| OF the law to pieces. II was just after
! leaving the communion table that Pc
| ter denied his Lord and swore that he
i ala got know Him. The purcst deed is
| Dordered with temptation: our finest
| moods may be married by an evil sug-
gession. When God is especially bless
! ing us. Satan Is always nearby wait
| ing for his chance to get us into trou
| bic. If he dared to attack our Lord we
need feel no wonder that he will un-
! dcrtake TO turn our hottest exercises
! and our highest experiences into occa :
! sions for his deadliest assaults upon
| us We never need To DO more watch
full against the Evil One than I'm our
| happiest days. for our days of delight
are cur days of danger
Ihcre are Just two thoughts which I
desire TO notice in this discussion
hrst mat the temptation of Jesus was
| not an accident or an evil fate but n
thing Of divine appointment: second.
that the temptation was real, and that
the narrative found in the ScriptureS is
real history. After discussing these
points | may suggest some lessons
which they teach ius.
TEMPTATION or, JESUS WAS
ny DIVINE APPOINTMENT
/. The temptation of Jesus was not
IN accident, or an evil fate but "A thing
OF divine appointment
There can be no doubt but that this
was part of the divine plan. Jesus
vas Led OF the Spirit. And I NAV add
Just here that the devil was forced into
this battle with Jesus and that he did
MS BEST. The test was necessary be
lore Jesus could enter tlpon His
great life work. This is always true
or every one who is to do Il great work,
as II is of every engine. every bridge
every snip, every great piece of ma
chinery. 1t was needed for JESUS own
sake 1t was necessary that He might
know how TO succor us when we are
tempted.
temptation has its place and use in
the world. Had we been building ,
world we would have shut it out. but
God let IT in. He knew that n world
vi moran development would not be pos
siplc without IT. There is nothing wrong
III being tempted the wrong is when
we begin 10 consent TO il. We are not
10 run into temptation. but we NAV be
sure mat the path of duty will take
us INTO III sometimes. Satan is our en-
envy ana is opposed TO all good We need
not hunt for him, but we may certain
~ expect TO meet him If we are true to
the call OF God. But there is often n
blessing i'll temptation. Some one has
well ana truly said: "All who would be-
come strong and userul must gain their
power largely through victory over
temptation. And may add, II is thus
inc soul builds itself larger mansions.
temptation is a chief factor in educa-
ton, transmitting the bascr metal of
each individual into the nobler Heaven
is TO steer: hell is to drift.
we must dinerentiate between temp
tations and tests. Satan tempts, and
God suffers us to be tempted that He
may test us, but we have His promise
that He viii not suffer us TO be tempted
more than we are able to bear The
stories of job and Peter furnish us In
terestinS studies We all need the
training that testing gives.
TEMPTATION WAS REAL.
AND ACCOUNT Is Or FACT
:. The temptation of Jesus was real
aud the narrative Of the Scriptures is
real history
II this temptation was rot real. then
this story should have no place in
the sacred Scriptures. Jesus was hu-
man. with n human body and Il human
mind and the evils III the world made
the same appeal to Him that they
make 10 us, and lie Eel, them Just az
profoundly as we do This was not a
sham hight, but a real battle. Jesus
is not counterfeit He Himself "suf-
Tered being tempted He felt tho real
heat Of the fire. This transaction was
more than mere formalty. 1t Was the
greatest battle OF all time ana we
may be sure that Satan did his dead
level best. OF course, the supreme
test was in the secret soul That is
the place where the battle of life is
fought with all Of us. When we arc
alone we are tried as nowhere else.
Jesus was now alone with the devil.
and there are just two things about
thcir struggle ! stop to consider.
These we need TO study carefully.
j. Tho lirst thing is the tempter him
SER. lie is the great adversary, the
crcmy OF God and man. lie Is a real
devil possessed Of the attributes If
personality, wisdom, power, malignant
wickcdness. ] shall no; stop to discuss
th's thought. Suffice II to sry that the
man VINO disbelicvcs this has A far
greater difficulty than | have. There
are 800 references to his personality
IN the l!hlc. can say with the great
'eecher: Il don't need any bible to
prove the existence OF the devil" EX-
rerienc" has taught Us much. but the
great trouble with many is they will
not he taught Nov am not sure ho,y
The deNil appeared 10 Jesus, but ] am
certain lie did not appear as he e. so
often represented In these days, with
horns and n tail and wcbbcd feet ,,itI,
claws We are not told how hc an
peared, but We are told what he did
TIE NATURE AND
CHARACTER OF TEMPTATION
2 Now. for the second thing, the ma
ture and character of the tcmptation
satan shot three arrows at Christ. and
inc selfish use Of power was the
poisoned point Of each OF them.
CD The ilrSt arrow. IF thou art the |
son OF God. command that these stones !
become bread" The very tin of this |
temptation Is doubt. This was tbc fin !
OF the first arrow Satan shot into The |
world and. like that first temnto,inr