Title: Victory achieved by refusal / Matthew 4:1~11
Victory gained by refusing content / Matthew 4:1~11
Key Verse: “Jesus answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (verse 4).
Word: When Jesus was tempted, he flatly rejected the devil's offer. He won the test because he had a clear attitude in life that he would not receive even a single thing, no matter how small, unless it was given by God. I hope that our family will imitate Jesus and overcome the trials we face in our own lives, so that we will have the grace to mature and grow.
First, by rejecting the bread and choosing the word of eternal life, we were victorious. When Jesus was baptized, he personally heard the voice of God. I was filled with the Holy Spirit while fasting and praying for 40 days. But the devil said, “What does that have to do with eating rice? Because God’s work also needs to eat, we must first make bread with stones and eat and work.” The devil was asking Jesus to live realistically, not to be too idealistic. But Jesus declared that the Word of God gave me life more than a meal.
Second, we have gained victory by believing the Word rather than seeing it. The devil asked Jesus to jump off the top of the temple and become a star. It was then that people would see and believe that he was the Son of God. But when Jesus was baptized, he believed that the words he had heard from heaven were enough, and he no longer wanted confirmation by seeing. Even though we cannot see or hear, I hope that we can be victorious like Jesus by believing the word of God that is given to us today through the Bible and sermons.
Third, we refused to gain anything by compromise and chose the path of service and won. It was an opportunity to gain all the power and glory of the world by bowing once. Only once. No one is watching. It's not very difficult either. By kneeling down and bowing down once, the world comes into my hands. However, Jesus said that he would serve God only, even if he gave up everything, rather than compromise with the devil and gain the world. How often do we compromise and compromise with the world for small gains? It requires an uncompromising will of faith.
When a saint is tempted, nothing great is the cause. We fall into temptation by saying, “Everyone does this, but only once.” James said that a person is tempted not because God tests him, but because he is drawn away and deceived by his own lust (James 1:13-14). That is why we pray, “Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil.” Jesus' victory was not achieved by obtaining realistic profits. This is because he had a clear standard of faith that he could give up on anything in the world if it was not given by God, loved the Word rather than bread even if it was unrealistic, and chose the path of service even when he was lonely and unpopular. Let's love God's word more and develop the strength to overcome temptation. Let's pray with Jesus, take up our cross, and walk after him.
Prayer: If it is not from God, give me the courage to firmly reject and give up no matter how great it is, and give me the faith to be grateful no matter how small if it is from God. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Lord's Prayer