LIFE OF CHRIST: Session Seven

The Temptation of Christ -- Part 2 of 3 -- The Power of Temptation

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The Way of Life for Man Is to Be Taken Down by God through the Circumstances of Life to Experience the Resurrection of Christ Coming Forth in the Believer as He/She Successfully Navigates the "Temptation" of the Circumstances.

What Is the Temptation of the Circumstances that All Men Encounter?

The Way of Life for Man Is to Experience God in the Circumstances of Life--It Is How Man Encounters Death and Resurrection.

Before Man Can Ascend to Experience Newness of Life By Experiencing Christ in the Heavenly Realm, He Must Descend to Experience the Death of His Fleshly Desire in the Earthly Realm.

What Is the Fleshly Desire that Must Continually Die?

"Blessed is the man the endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him."  (James 1:12)

Jesus Was Tempted in Like Manner But He Did Not Resist the Father.

When Man Resist What God Is Doing in the Circumstances of Life, He Is Yielding to the Temptation to Control His Life--To Solve the Problems of Life Himself. 

Failing this Temptation, He Creates A Fantasy World in Which He Attempts to Create His Own Worldly Living. 

The Temptation of Adultery, Fornication, Uncleanness, Lasciviousness, etc, Only Occurs in the "ME" that Man Creates, After He Yields to the Temptation of Who Controls His Life.

Desiring to Live in One's Self-righteousness (Self-effort) Is the Temptation that Begins the "Me" (the fantasy world) that Man Creates.

The Power of Temptation

There is only one power source in and beyond the universe -- God.

Since the essence of God is Force, is Power, His essence cannot be given to anyone or to anything.

That which is God is God.  There can be no power outside of God.

Since James stated, "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man,"  the question needs to be raised: If there is no power outside of God and God tempts no one, how does temptation have any power?

James gave a powerful clue to temptation after stating that God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man" (James 1:14,15).  He stated, "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."

Notice: 1. Lust; 2. Enticed; 3. Sin; and 4. Death.

From the "crown of life" to death, there is no mentioning of an outside source of power.

The power of temptation comes from within. That which has no power becomes powerful because we give it the power to control us.

Remove light and darkness comes automatically.  No power in darkness!  It is the absence of light that gives darkness an illusionary power.

Paul explained the power of temptation (Romans 1:18-32): He said, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness." (1:18)

Notice: What he is about to say, Steps 1 - 4 of temptation (as given in the last lesson) is the wrath of God.

The temptation itself is the wrath of God being experienced by the person going down the wrong street, as illustrated also in the last lesson.

Step 1 of the wrath of God being revealed occurs when a person holds truth in unrighteousness.

Step 1 is "Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" (1:19,20).

Step 1 is "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful." (1:21)

Step 2 of the wrath of God being revealed occurs "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful but became vain in their imagination, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things" (1:22-23).

Step 2 is "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen" (1:24-25).

"Because their foolish heart was darkened, God gave them up to uncleanness through the lust of their own heart." 

Notice: By man’s free will to reject God in his mind, it begins a process (going down the wrong street, as illustrated in the last lesson) that can no longer be controlled by man. It is not that the temptation has any power within itself, but that once the mind is no longer controlled by the Spirit of God the mind itself gives to the temptation greater power to control the person.

Step 3 of the wrath of God being revealed occurs because they "changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator" (1:25).

Step 3 is "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet" (1:26,27).

"For this cause God gave them up:" When the creature is worshiped more than the Creator, there is nothing that can happen but the vile affections of homosexuality and lesbianism.

The "gay" lifestyle is not gay: It is the wrath of God being revealed upon a people who serve and worship the creature more than the Creator because when they knew God they did not worship him as God.

A nation will not be destroyed because homosexuality and lesbianism is becoming an accepted lifestyle; The fact that homosexuality and lesbianism is rampant in a nation is the wrath of God being experienced for the prior sin of trying to control life.

Step 4 of the wrath of God being revealed occurs because of their "uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator" (1:25).

Step 4 is "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them" (1:28-32).

"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind." With reprobate meaning, "unapproved, i.e. rejected; by implication, worthless," the mind of man, once the glory of man, becomes the shame of man (Phil. 3:19).

Created more cunning than the beast of the field, man now experiences life worse than any animal--his mind now can experience the hell of despair, depression, agony and misery.

By starting down the wrong street, man will always suffer the consequences at the end of the street.

By giving power to something that has no power within itself, the mind of man becomes controlled by its own fantasy world.

Moving from the vain imagination of the mind (Romans 1:21) they degenerate to an reprobate mind (Romans 1:28) because the wrath of God will be experienced by all who "hold the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1:18).

Power of Temptation Paradigm

(If you want to receive a certificate of completion for the Bible study, The Life of Christ, please complete the following ten questions of the Biblical exercise and e-mail your answers to james@wayofchrist.org.  You do not have to retype the questions.)

BIBLICAL EXERCISE 7
Tracing The Historical Events of the Life of Christ

(The answers for the following sentences can be found in Luke14;25-38; Matt. 10:1-16; 15:25-31)

1. Jesus said, "If any man come to me, and hate not . . . his own life . . . he cannot be my ___________.

2. Whosoever doth not bear his _______, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

3. Whosoever he be of you that ____________ not all he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

4. "And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the __________ . . . ."

5. Moved with compassion on the multitudes, Jesus said to his disciples, "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the _________ are few."

6. The first name in the list of the twelve disciples is __________.

7. Jesus sent the twelve disciples forth telling them that they were to preach, saying, "The _________ of ________ is at hand."

8. Jesus told the twelve disciples, "Behold, I send you forth as _______ in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as _________, and harmless as _______."

9. Great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he _______ them.

10. The multitude _________ when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they _________ the God of Israel.

(If interested, the complete Life of Christ course [Manuel - 174 Pages and 14 CD's can be requested from http://www.wayofchrist.org/life-of-christ.asp).