Words From The Word Of God
A topical, and expositional study from the Word of God, in order to Glorify and Exalt our Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; that we may reach the world with the Gospel, and grow in the Grace and knowledge of Him.. Grace and Peace to all, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.(Isaiah 52:7) "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!"(Isaiah 55 10-11) 10) "For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:"11) "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."(John 3:16)“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”(John 14:1-7) 1)"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me."2)"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."3)"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."4)And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know."5)"Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?"6)"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."7)"If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him."(Romans 10 :9-10;13) 9)"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."10)"For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."13)"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
All Done For The Glory Of God and To Exalt Jesus Christ The Lord!!!
Words From The Word Of God
The High Priest Who Understands: Christ's Victory in the Wilderness
The wilderness temptation of Jesus reveals more than just a historical encounter—it provides a divine blueprint for spiritual victory in our daily lives. While we often view this story as a demonstration of Christ's divinity, what makes it truly revolutionary is how Jesus overcame Satan through his humanity, relying on the same resources available to us: the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
Satan's approach to Jesus mirrors the exact tactics he's used since the Garden of Eden, falling into what the apostle John categorizes as the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life. This remarkable consistency reveals something profound—the enemy's playbook hasn't changed in thousands of years because he hasn't needed to develop new strategies. His most effective weapons remain unchanged, targeting our physical needs, material desires, and ego.
What sets Jesus apart isn't that he faced unique temptations but how he responded to the same temptations we face. Rather than engaging in debate or wielding his supernatural power, Jesus consistently deployed Scripture, specifically from Deuteronomy. This wasn't merely a defensive tactic but a demonstration that God's Word contains everything needed for spiritual victory when we not only know it but submit to it.
The wilderness experience qualified Jesus to become our compassionate high priest who "sympathizes with our weaknesses" (Hebrews 4:15). His victory wasn't self-serving but purposeful—creating a pathway for us to experience the same triumph. Through prayer, Spirit-led living, Scripture knowledge, and active resistance, we can walk in Christ's victory, confident that "greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world."
Come discover how Jesus' wilderness triumph transforms your daily battles with temptation. His arms remain open, ready to offer strength when you're weak, wisdom when you're confused, and restoration when you fall. Ready to experience the freedom of walking in Christ's victory?
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
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Hello and welcome to this another edition of Words from the Word of God. Thank you all so much for joining us again today as we continue and I'm so excited to be back with you as we continue to look into the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 4, verses 1 through 11. In the first segment of this message now I realize, as we began the last segment, I said there's going to be three segments and there's actually four segments, but we're going to combine segment two and three today as the Lord wills. He's taking us in that direction. But in the first segment, as we looked into these scriptures here Matthew, chapter 4, verse 1 through 11, we saw our enemy identified Satan, the devil, the deceiver, the accuser of the brethren, because it says there in Revelation that he accuses us before God, day and night, and he is our enemy. And though we did not cover every verse of Scripture through the Word of God that refers to Satan or where we hear him speaking, there in Genesis, chapter 3, job, chapter 1 and 2, and then here in Matthew, chapter 4, you know, I remember I said if we have a red letter Bible, the words of Christ are in red letters. So if they say it was brown letter for Satan, you would see him speaking three times revealed there throughout scripture. But anyway, to move forward, forward. We looked at our enemy. He's the devil. He tempted christ. So if he tempted the son of god, we know he will come to tempt us. He know he will. We know that he will come to us in our weakness. But we also uncovered through scripture, not what we're saying but what the word of God said, that his tactics. And we were able to show the you know the contrast between Eden and here in the wilderness that his tactics have not changed. They're unchanged from over 6,000 years of humanity, human history. His tactics have not changed.
Speaker 1:John, the apostle John reveals this in his first epistle, in chapter 2, verse 15 through 17. He says the world, what it, what it involves, is the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. Those are the three ways that he tempted Eve in the garden of Eden. Those are the three ways that he tempts Jesus here in the wilderness. And today, this very day, I assure you that most of us, we're honest with ourselves, we've been tempted with one of those three things sometime in our life today. So we know what it's like to be tempted, we know what it's like to struggle. But we must understand that his tactics have not changed, they're unchanging, they will not change. This is the best he's got to tempt the Son of God with. This shows that this is the best he has got and it's unchanged. But we must also understand that the power of Christ's victory has not changed.
Speaker 1:As we move forward, let's explore how our compassionate high priest not only triumphs here over our enemy and his tactics, but now walks with us, offering grace, strength, and he sets forth the path to victory in the temptation battle in our daily lives, right here in the scriptures. Life's battles I know they can be hard, they can be trying, especially when we deal with temptation. The apostle Paul would tell us of this struggle in Ephesians, chapter 6, verse 12. And we may come back to this after a while in the mesh, depending on how the Lord leads. But he says right here in chapter 6 of Ephesians this is his epistle to the believers. There in Ephesus he says for we in verse 12 for we wrestle, not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. There is a spiritual warfare being waged for the very souls of man has been since the garden of eden, all the way until now. There is a battle, a spiritual battle being waged. It's an unseen battle that we don't see, but we do feel that battle because we fight against these tactics of our enemy. We fight against his temptations every day and it can feel isolating, but we must understand that we are never alone in the fight. We are never alone in the fight, alone in the fight.
Speaker 1:The apostle John would say that greater is he that is within us than he that is in the world. And he that is in the world is the God of this world. His name is Satan, the devil, the deceiver, the accuser and the slanderer. And we see him in his different temptations and his different words throughout Scripture that he slanders God to man. He slanders man to God. And here he runs into the God-man, all God, all man, jesus Christ, and he has no answer for that and he loses greatly here. And Jesus teaches us that that we are never alone in the fight. While victory over temptation may sometimes feel out of reach, we must understand that Jesus has already shown us that victory is possible through the temptations that we face, through his triumph.
Speaker 1:Notice that his triumph in Matthew, chapter 4, and I want you to see something here he did not rely on his divine privilege as the eternal Son of God, god, the Son God in the flesh. You know, he could have snapped his fingers, no doubt in my mind. With his supernatural divine power he could have smoked Satan right here. He could have disintegrated him just breathing upon him or snapping his finger. But he came to do the Father's will. He came with a purpose and that was Calvary's cross and to be resurrected to overcome death, hell and the grave for us. So he did not do that. He did not disintegrate Satan here. Instead, he overcame him by being a spirit-filled man, relying fully on the Holy Spirit power that he was anointed with and with the power of his word, the word of God, as our compassionate high priest that we will see today. Jesus not only sympathizes with our struggles but also offers us a clear roadmap to victory. His triumph here is more than an example to follow. It is an invitation. It is an invitation to experience the fullness of his grace, the fullness of his understanding, the fullness of his power and praise God, the fullness of his divine guidance. Let's explore his compassionate priesthood here today, his empowering example and the significance of his role in our lives today, by the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us, as you will, if you will turn with me right now to the gospel of Matthew, chapter 4.
Speaker 1:We want to read the scripture again. I know we've read these verses 1 through 11, but I want to read them. Therefore, we have the authority upon which we speak, because the word of God is the final authority upon all things. If anybody tells you different, they are definitely leading you the wrong way. Everything must come from the word of God and be based upon the word of God, the foundation of Jesus Christ and his word.
Speaker 1:The Bible picks up here. It says in verse one then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil, and when he had fasted 40 days and 40 night, he was afterward and hungered. That word and that phrase there and hungered. In the original language of the Greek it expresses a great, gnawing hunger. It is more than what we know to be hungry. Can you imagine? We can't go for one to two hours without saying we're hungry. We can't go from breakfast to supper without saying, man, I'm starved. Can you imagine being in the desert place where there are wild animals, where there are scorpions, where there are snakes, and being there where it's deathly cold during the nighttime and then scorching heat during the day, and being without food for 40 days and 40 nights? So we can only imagine that he was greatly hungered at this point.
Speaker 1:And when the tempter verse 3, came to him, he said if thou be the son of God, in other words, since thou are the son of God, because he no doubt heard the words of the Lord when he came up out of the water of the Jordan, a voice from heaven saying this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. No doubt Satan heard that. So he comes to him here and he says if thou be the son of God, since you are the beloved son of God, I command that these stones be made bread. But Jesus answered. He answered and said it is written very significant. But Jesus answered. He answered and said Now I find it humorous here that Satan, the devil, the deceiver, the accuser, the one who has slandered God from the Garden of Eden and his word, the one who has brought doubt into the authority and the accuracy of God's word into men's heart all the way from the Garden of Eden until now, is now quoting scripture to the very living word of God.
Speaker 1:I don't know about you, but I find that very humorous and very interesting. He says for it is written, written he shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against the stone, jesus said unto him. It is written notice that again thou shalt not tempt the Lord, thy God. I think it's very interesting. Maybe something noteworthy here.
Speaker 1:Jesus, all three quotes comes from the book of Deuteronomy. The reason I find that interesting is the book of Deuteronomy is the re-giving of the law to the second generation of the Israelites that were getting ready to cross over into the promised land to take possession of it, as God was going before them and Joshua would lead them in. But Moses gave the law to them from Mount Sinai. Again there in the book of Deuteronomy. And Jesus, I find it very interesting you can do with it what you want that he is quoting from the book of Deuteronomy in all three of these quotations of his overcoming Satan and his temptation and his tactics. He said it is written again thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God, verse 8, again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them and saith unto him all these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me. How many times has he said that to us? Then saith Jesus unto him Get thee hence Satan. For it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God. I think that's interesting right there. The Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him and behold, angels came and ministered unto him. May the Lord bless the reading of his word to our hearts.
Speaker 1:Today we see our high priest in his humanity. Hebrews, chapter 4, verse 15, says For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted, like as we are, yet without sin. Jesus, in his ministry and his life on earth, experienced and we read that he experienced hunger, and here was a great hunger. He experienced exhaustion. Can you imagine how exhausted he must have been to be out in the, be exposed to the elements for 40 days and 40 nights without food. How exhausted he must have felt. But now we see him coming under what we come under, and that's the spiritual attacks, and not only that, the emotional trials. How it must have frustrated him at some points where the devil was saying well, since you're the son of God, do this or do that. But Christ made it evident that he would defeat him in his humanity.
Speaker 1:Here in Matthew 4, verses 1 through 11, jesus and his willingness to face temptation in his humanity Notice verse 4. He says but he answered and said it is written man notice that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. He faced him in his humanity so he could bridge the gap between a holy and righteous God, the Father, and all sinful humanity. And he shows us the way to be victorious over the temptations and tactics of our enemy. In this he understands in his humanity. By dealing with this in his humanity, he becomes our high priest that sympathizes with our struggles. He understands not just in theory but through true life experience, and we see that painted out on the pages of scripture today. By that he offers us profound comfort and hope when we go through the same temptations. Remember what it said he was tempted in all points, like as we are, yet without sin. He came to make a point.
Speaker 1:I believe God the Father. It's just my opinion. Everybody's got one. But I believe God the Father says Son, I've got a score to settle. He destroyed my perfect creation and he destroyed my image bearers in the Garden of Eden when he came and he lied to them and tempted them and called into question the authority and accuracy of my word. Son, I want you to have victory over him and to show all my other image bearers that they can have the same victory if they will just be obedient and submissive unto my word and the guidance of my spirit. I want them to see that. I cannot say that that is a fact of scripture because it's not in scripture, but I believe, as we study this and we pray that the Holy Spirit opens our heart to the truth of God's word, we can see that If we contrast and compare Genesis, sin, the fall of mankind, to this point right here in the wilderness and even today, I believe that could be the case.
Speaker 1:But what does it mean that Jesus is our high priest, I give you something to look at in your own time and it'll take a little while to do it because I'm going to tell you to read through the book of leviticus. Read all the way through it prayerfully, asking the holy spirit to open up the portions there that you would see christ throughout foreshadowed. And then, when you finish the book of leviticus, go over a stray over and start reading through the book of Hebrews. You will see all the foreshadowing of the sacrifices, the sin offering the priest duties, the high priest, you know, entering in that on Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement, to sprinkle the blood upon the mercy seat of the innocent sacrifice for his sins and the sins of the people.
Speaker 1:In the old testament, the high priest served as mediators. Who is our mediator between us and god? There is one mediator between god and man and that is this the man, jesus christ, the lord of our, our lives and the lord of our hearts. He was foreshadowed there in Leviticus and you go to Hebrews, you will see that he is the fulfillment of all that foreshadowing. It's just a challenge I offer to you and encouragement and, I believe it, a blessing to your heart.
Speaker 1:But the Old Testament high priest served as mediators, offering repeated that repeated very significant sacrifices for the sins of the people. But first he would have to offer a sacrifice, blood on the mercy seat for his sins. Before he could ever even offer the, the blood for the mercy seat for the sins of the people, he had to be, he had to be, uh, brought back to a right relationship himself with God by that sin offering. But Jesus, we must understand, is the ultimate high priest because he offered himself as the perfect, once for all, sacrifice for all of man. Hebrews, chapter 7, verse 22 through 27. Now I understand we're stepping away from Matthew, chapter 4, verse 1 through 11, but I want you to get this blessing it's him as our high priest. I want you to see that he fully sympathizes and he intercedes for us as our high priest and it's a blessing. Once you get a hold of this and the Lord brings this to your heart, listen to these verses Verse 22 of Hebrews, chapter 7,. But so much was. Jesus made a surety, a guarantee of a better testament, or covenant in the Greek, the original language, that's covenant. And they truly were.
Speaker 1:Many priests referring to the priests of the Old Testament, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death. Their bodies were frail, they were subject to death, just as we are, because they were no more than men anointed to do a purpose for God in the temple, in the tabernacle. But this man speaking of Christ, this man, because he continueth, how long Ever? He continueth forever, hath an unchangeable priesthood, wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God. By him seeing, he ever liveth to make intercession for them. What a blessing. But listen, verse 26,.
Speaker 1:For such a high priest became us. He became blood and bone, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens, who needeth, not daily as those high priests in the old testament, to offer up sacrifices, first for their own or his own sins and then for the people's. For this he did once, when he offered up himself. All those sacrifices that could not remove sin were repeated day after day, month after month and year after year on the Day of Atonement, year after year. They could never take away the sins of the people, but one sacrifice of one man, jesus christ, our high priest. One sacrifice once and for all, not for not just for all time, but for all sin, past, present and future and for all people. Whosoever will believe within him should not perish but have everlasting life and will have a eternal high priest to forever intercede for us before almighty god, the father. Holy and righteous god, his work is eternal and complete.
Speaker 1:Hebrews chapter, verses 12 through 17. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all, and every priest, talking about those standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. But this man, here we go again. After he had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God. Did you hear that this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God? And how dare we question the fact that we can lose our salvation, folks? We can't lose what we have not paid for or earned. It's been given to us and you're not going to lose a gift. A giver will never give it back. So that's what we're talking about our eternal Savior. That's who we're talking about.
Speaker 1:Verse 13 of Hebrews chapter 10 says from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool, for by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Whereof who testifies with the? Who's our witness. The holy ghost also is a witness to us. For after that he had said before this is the covenant that I will make with them. After those days, saith the lord, I will put my laws into their hearts and in their minds. Out will I write them and their sins. Listen you want a blessing, listen and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. All because of our high priest, all because of his blood sacrifice, all because of his once and for all sacrifice, for all time, for all sins, for all people. Whoever so ever will believe shall not perish but have everlasting life. Our high priest, we see not only his eternal priesthood, we see not only his eternal advocacy, but we see his intercession and advocacy as our high priest. As our high priest, jesus continually intercedes on our behalf at the right hand of God.
Speaker 1:Romans, chapter 8, verse 34. This ensures that we have ongoing access to God's mercy and grace through Jesus Christ, our Lord. The significance for us today, as Jesus' priestly role, means that we no longer need to approach God with fear or through human mediators. The veil that has been torn in the temple that day on calvary's cross when he cried out with a loud voice. Matthew 27, 51 records that the veil in the temple was rent from top to bottom, meaning the access to god, the father, was opened up. The new and living way was opened up by none other than Jesus Christ, granting us bold access and when I say bold I mean confident access to the very throne of grace.
Speaker 1:The word of God says therefore, come boldly before the throne of grace that you might obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. In every trial, every temptation, we can trust that he is advocating for us, walking alongside us and empowering us to overcome. You say how? Because we are spirit filled, we see the spirit filled life. Matthew, chapter four, verse one. What does it say Then? Was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil? Jesus begins his wilderness journey led by the Spirit. His victory demonstrates the essential role of the Holy Spirit of God in overcoming temptation. Similarly, victory in our lives begins with surrendering listen closely surrendering to the Holy Spirit's guidance. When we walk by the Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Speaker 1:Galatians, chapter 5, verse 16, says that Each time the devil tempts us, we see the power of God's word here. Each time the devil tempts Jesus, he responds with the word of God, quoting scripture. Remember what I said from Deuteronomy, the first quote was ituteronomy 6.16. Yet be hence Satan, for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord, thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Deuteronomy 6, 13.
Speaker 1:Jesus responded with the power of God's word. Like I said, he could have responded with his supernatural power. If we go through the gospel, we will see his supernatural power over nature, over demons, over the wind, over the sea, over all things. He healed many diseases. He cast out many demons and devils. He had the power and he demonstrated his divine power.
Speaker 1:But here he did not do that. Here he defeated Satan as a spirit-filled man, obedient. Obedient, not just knowing the word of God, but being obedient and submissive to it. Being obedient and submissive to it, put it this way. What if he just said well, it's written man shall not live by bread alone, but every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God? Now we know Jesus as the divine son of God. God in the flesh could have turned the whole wilderness into a bakery if he wanted to. What if he just said that, quoted that verse and went ahead and did it, he would have been out of the will of the father, he would have been greatly out of the will of the father. He knew that, but therefore he was submissive. He humbled himself to the father's will and he's teaching us to do the same thing.
Speaker 1:You know, jesus not only knew the scripture, he not only knew it. I mean, it's his word, by the way, he's the living word of God, he's the logos, he's the outward expression of God, god in the flesh. He knew the scripture, no doubt, but the important thing is he obeyed it perfectly, showing us that true victory comes through applying God's word to our life. He said shall not live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, but every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Let me read that again man shall not live by bread alone but every word that proceedeth, every rhema that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, the word of God that applies to a certain situation, temptation or tactic of the enemy to get us to fall. The word of God, the rhema that applies to that situation, that very situation Husbands are directed to wash their wives. In the rhema of the word we ought to have that belt of truth around our waist, not the belt that we hold up our pants, but the belt of the truth of God's word around our waist, our feet shod with the peace of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and we are to teach our families, our wives, and sometimes wives have to teach their husbands and admonish them with the rhema of the word, the word of God. That fits a particular situation in our lives, and here is the particular situation of the temptation of the enemy.
Speaker 1:James, chapter 1, verse 21 through 25, says Wherefore, lay apart all filthiness and superfluity and obnautious, and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your soul, but be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. The greatest form of deception is what? Self-deception? Deceiving your own selves. Because that's what happens when you read the word. You know the word, you know the rhema that applies to the circumstance you're in and you go ahead and do it anyway. You know the word, you've read the word, you know it applies to it, but you go beyond the word of God. You're not a doer of the word.
Speaker 1:For if any man be a hearer of the word and not a doer. He is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass, in a mirror, where he beholdeth himself and goeth his way and straightway, forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh, listen to this, whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continueth therein. Very important, he being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed, spiritually prosperous in his deed and everything that he does, and that's including resisting the temptation of the enemy. I pray that this is being a blessing to your heart today. I know I'm going a little long, but bear with me, I'm almost done. We see in Christ active resistance and assurance of victory.
Speaker 1:Jesus actively resisted each temptation, refusing to compromise or engage with the devil's schemes. Remember when Eve in the Garden of Eden, the first mistake she made was talking with the serpent, talking with the devil, engaging with him in conversation. When you are tempted, don't say devil, engaging with him in conversation. When you say when you are tempted, don't say devil, I know you're tempting me, you get away from me. No, you go to the Lord in prayer, you draw near to him, you draw near to God, and Satan will flee from you. You resist the devil and he has to flee. What did Jesus say in verse 10? Get thee, hence Satan. We don't have any power to say that, but when you put the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth behind it, that's all the power you need to say Lord, make Satan get hints, as you commanded him in the wilderness to leave. You make him leave me right now, and I pray this in your holy name, and I guarantee you Satan will have to flee, because he can't stay around. He can't. The greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world. Remember that Jesus actively resisted the temptation, refusing to compromise and engage with Satan. We see the results Then the devil leaveth him. This fulfills James chapter 4, verse 7. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Seven resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Speaker 1:Jesus' victory here assures us that temptation is not an unyielding force. It can be defeated through God's strength and the power of his word, through the power that we have of the Holy Spirit residing in us, the presence and power, the presence and person of Christ in our hearts, by the presence of power of the Holy Spirit. Active resistance, though, involves standing firm in our faith, leaning on God's power and his word and rejecting sin outright. Jesus' example here reminds us that the enemy does not have the final say. When we resist with faith and reliance on God's truth, victory is inevitable. Because Christ's triumph on our behalf. We can know this for a fact. Not only that, but we see his active help in temptation. The word of God tells us in Hebrews, chapter 2, verse 18, that provides us this assurance, for in that he, speaking of Christ himself, has suffered, being tempted. He is able to secure them that are tempted.
Speaker 1:Jesus' experience here in the wilderness equips him to come alongside us in our struggles. Remember, he's our high priest. He sympathizes, he advocates, he offers up and he intercedes for us. He comes alongside us. Remember what he said in John, chapter 14, chapter 15, and chapter 16 about the Holy Spirit what the Holy Spirit's work would be in our life, and reminding us, bringing to remembrance the things that we've been taught, bringing us into all truth, because he's the spirit of truth. He will not give of his own, but he'll give everything that I've given him to give you, that I got from the Father. It all comes through God, but it comes through the Son, it comes through the Holy Spirit, and we have all three. Jesus said if you're obedient unto my words, me and the Father will find our boat in your heart. That doesn't change. Those promises are sturdy and you can stand upon them. They don't change. We see that by this, he comes alongside in our struggles, offering not only understanding as our high priest, but also strength and wisdom and deliverance.
Speaker 1:Like a first responder, jesus enters our lives in moments of crisis, bringing both compassion and power to rescue us from sin and temptation. Not only that, but we see access to grace. The wilderness victory also reminds us of the open invitation to draw near to God. The word of God tells us again in Hebrews, chapter 4, verse 16,. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace. That word boldly in the original language means confidently. We can come with confidence to the throne of grace. That word boldly in the original language means confidently. We can come with confidence to the throne of grace that we might obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Speaker 1:Jesus' priesthood ensures that we are never alone. No matter how heavy the burden or fierce the battle, we are never alone. He will go before us and he will fight for us. And, as I said, and I'll repeat it again because it's worth repeating greater is he that is with us than he that has been the world. He's already been defeated. Picture Jesus like this, as a compassionate rescuer, a fireman or a policeman that rushes into disaster zones, or the military. They rush into disaster zones not because he caused the chaos, just like they don't cause the chaos, but because he loves those that are caught in the chaos.
Speaker 1:His wilderness temptation is not just a story for us to repeat and reiterate. It is not just a story of his strength, but a testimony, a testimony of his deep desire to help and save us in the darkest moments. So what can we do with all this? Well, how do we have victory? Number one, we turn to him in prayer. Speak to Jesus as your high priest and your closest friend. Say Lord, you understand my struggle, you understand my temptation. Strengthen me to follow your will. Submit daily to the Spirit, the Holy Spirit. Begin each morning with prayer, surrendering to the Spirit's guidance for that day. Trust him to lead you, as he led Jesus, into victory.
Speaker 1:Remember Jesus defeated Satan as a Spirit-filled man. He said man shall not live by bread alone, but every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. The number three thing we can do is equip ourselves with Scripture, follow Jesus' example by memorizing. Now, jesus, I'm sure, didn't have to memorize, but we do Memorize Scripture, understand it, know it and meditate upon Scripture and, more importantly, be obedient and submissive to the rhema. Remember that word of god that fits that circumstance, the rhema of the word actively resist temptation.
Speaker 1:We see. Stand firm in our faith, relying on god's strength to reject sin. Remember that the enemy must flee in the face of active resistance through Christ. Lastly, we see approach the throne of grace with confidence. Bring your fears, your temptations, your failures yes, your failures boldly, confidently, to Jesus. He says cast your cares upon me, all your cares upon me, for I care for you, trusting in his mercy and for help. We must trust in his grace and his mercy for help. We must trust in him. We can do nothing without him, as he tells us in John, chapter 15, when he talks about being the true vine and we are the branches that bring forth fruit, more fruit, much fruit for the kingdom of heaven. Not only that, but approaching the throne of grace means to know that he is interceding for us and that his arms are always open wide to receive us.
Speaker 1:In closing. Jesus knows what it means to be tempted. We have that painted out here before us in scripture. He knows what it means to be tempted and he knows what it means to overcome. He didn't just overcome for himself here, he overcame for us and, as our high priest, he is both our advocate and example, leading us into victory through what? His Spirit, his Word and His grace. If you feel burdened by sin or shame, his arms are open wide to receive you today. Come to Jesus. If you have never accepted Him as your Lord and Savior, confess your sins and let him take those sinful burdens away from you today. Become born again, born from above, born of the spirit, and enter into the kingdom of heaven by having Jesus as Lord of your heart and your life. He loves you, he understands you and he equips all of us with grace when we accept him. That never runs dry. Let him walk with you today if you've never accepted him as lord and savior. I promise you it is very simple to do, but it's the most important thing that you could ever do in your life. Let jesus walk with you today and lead you to triumph. Folks, as we end right here.
Speaker 1:We must follow the example of our high priest, knowing the word of God, being obedient and submissive to it. He set the example, just as he did through the gospels, for us to follow. He laid out the template for us to follow. But understand we're going to fall. We're going to fall, we're going to fail along the way, but understand that grace doesn't give us the license to go out and sin. No, no, no.
Speaker 1:Where sin abounds, grace does much more abound, but it doesn't give us a license to live like we want to live. We must live holy and blameless before him and the only way is through the cloak of righteousness of christ. And if we sin, yes, it will separate us from him, but don't be afraid to come back to him. He said come confidently to the throne of grace, the very throne of God, that we might obtain mercy. That means we do not receive what we deserve and find grace. Grace is that we receive what we don't deserve. I know that's confusing, but it's a wonderful thing to understand Grace and mercy, to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. He is our helper and he has given us a helper, the Holy Spirit, to come alongside one that carries us through. We're not holding on to him. He's holding on to us and he says he will never let go. And I just want to close with this scripture and then we'll close. We'll close, I promise.
Speaker 1:Turn with me to romans, chapter 8, and read the latter verses here. It says verse 28, and we know that all things work together for the good of them, that love God. To them who are called according to his purpose, for whom he did foreknow, he also predestinated, he did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called them he also justified. And whom he called them he also justified. And whom he justified them he also glorified.
Speaker 1:What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not, with him, also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the? No God justifies? Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again.
Speaker 1:Praise God, who is even at the right hand of God, god who also maketh intercession for us, who shall separate us from the love of christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or sword, as it is written for thy sake, we are killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, listen, and all things, nay, I, in all things. We are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Speaker 1:And then he goes on to say for I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels remember what we read there in ephesians, chapter 6. It's a spiritual battle. It's not against flesh and blood, he says. Nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in who, christ Jesus, our Lord. Thank you for joining me today for this next segment of this series, and I pray that you'll join us next time, where we will reflect on how to live daily in Christ's victory, helping others to find hope in him. Join me for the final message of this series in our next broadcast of Lord Willing. Thank you all for joining us today and I look forward to the next time we can share a word from the Word of God. God bless you all.
