thy word i have hid in my heart, that I may not sin against You. |

January 8, 2010

thy word i have hid in my heart, that I may not sin against You.

Matthew 4:1–11

Mike Mahon

Central Truth

Jesus was tempted in every way you and I are tempted. His response? Scripture.

But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'" (Matthew 4:4)

The Temptation of Jesus

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written,

‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

‘He will command his angels concerning you,’

and

‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

As a man who spent a great deal of my life addicted to pornography, selfish desires, and materialism, temptation is a huge topic for me. As a kid, I was taught to believe that temptation was sin. Therefore, temptation served as an indictment that my walk with Jesus didn't quite measure up. Feeling defeated often, I would give in, resulting in destructive behavior, chaos, isolation, and pain.

Nowadays, temptation can be like a cool breeze, here one moment and gone the next. Other times, it is like a tornado out of nowhere that rips straight through my heart! Thankfully, I am becoming more faithful in my response to temptation as God conforms my heart and mind to the image of Christ.

One of the ways God is conforming my heart is by changing my view of temptation. In Hebrews 4:15 I see that Jesus was tempted in every way, just as I am, yet He was without sin. This reminds me that Jesus understands temptation completely and proves that temptation is not sin. In 1 Corinthians 10:13 I see that God allows me to be tempted. By allowing temptation, He is graciously providing opportunities for me to trust and obey Him and walk in His provision of peace, teaching my heart to trust Him more. John Piper calls this "future grace." When I trust here and now, I will enjoy the "future grace" of peace without shame or guilt. Brilliant . . . and helpful!

In light of these truths, it is clear that my response to temptation is what matters to God. I want desperately to be a man who relentlessly responds to temptation the way Jesus did in Matthew 4:1-11--by reciting Truth. Jesus didn't have a bag of tricks, He had the Word of God written on His heart. In recent years I have become more diligent to memorize Scripture that will help me respond faithfully. This doesn't mean that temptation has disappeared or that I stand in perfection (just ask those close to me!), but more often I am able to resist temptation and experience peace.

1. We all are tempted in one way or another. What is currently tempting you?

2. Have you shared these temptations with your community, accountability, or spouse?

3. What TRUTH are you memorizing that you can recite to yourself when being tempted with lies?

FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. In verse 2 what does it say Jesus was feeling?

2. What did Jesus use to answer Satan’s temptations? What happened when Jesus used Scripture (verse 11)?

3. Memorize some great verses (e.g., 1 Corinthians 10:13) that will help you answer temptations that would steer you away from what God says.