Admonitions for Those Who Are and Would Be Rich

The Apostle Paul closed his first letter to Timothy with an admonition for those among us who we might categorize as wealthy. “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate [share]; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” (I Timothy 6:17-19). This brief warning is filled with its own “riches”, not only for the wealthy, but for those who would aspire to be so. Let’s unpack a few of Paul’s inspired insights.

At the outset, he warns those that are rich against two things, a high-minded attitude and a misplaced trust in uncertain riches. High-minded in this context means proud. Someone has well stated that wealth invites us to think that we ourselves are more because we have more! Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, it can be asserted with confidence that wealth does not make the man, but it does reveal what kind of man he is. Paul also reminds the wealthy that riches are fleeting and, consequently, not to be trusted. Anyone who tracks the stock market as a barometer of their wealth knows this. Further, the ebbs and flows of life give riches “wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven” (Proverbs 23:5). One day the bank account is full and the next day an unplanned car repair or an unexpected trip to the hospital empties it. Truly, riches are uncertain.

How much better to trust in the “living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy”! After all, the Scriptures teach that “every good gift cometh down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17). God has obligated himself to care for his child. He will not neglect us. He is too good to be unkind and too wise to make a mistake.

Paul lists some evidences or practices that would testify that one’s trust is in the living God. The first is that those who trust in God do good. Wealth is not a license for self-indulgence, but an opportunity to minister to others in their need. Here the emphasis is not on accumulating and consuming the uncertain riches of this life. Rather, the focus centers on being rich in good works, a new way to measure our wealth. The godly view to incorporate into our thinking is written by Paul in his letter to the Philippians. “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Philippians 2:4). Integral to this mindset, is the concept of generosity, being ready to distribute. What is meant by this phrase is not the amount, but the heart attitude behind the aid ministered. There is a spirit of charity that wants to help. The end result is that he is willing to communicate. He gives whether it be time, energy, wealth.

By following this pattern, the rich man lays up in store a good foundation against the time to come. Christ likewise exhorted his followers to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth not corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). Where are your riches?

The God of All Flesh…

In the latter days of Zedekiah, King of Judah, the armies of Babylon had besieged Jerusalem and were on the threshold of overtaking the city. Jeremiah, the prophet, had warned the inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders that God had delivered his people into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, because they broke his covenant and that they would soon be carried into captivity. For this message, Jeremiah had been “shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah’s house” (Jeremiah 32:2).

While he was in prison, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah saying, “Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee, saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anatoth: for the right of redemption is thine to buy it” (Jeremiah 32:6-7). It came about according to God’s word that Hanameel came to Jeremiah with the offer and Jeremiah “gave the evidence of the purchase to Baruch…in the sight of Hanameel…and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison” (Jeremiah 32:12). God then instructed Jeremiah to take the evidences of the purchase and “put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days. For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land” (Jeremiah 32:14-15).

What a scene that must have been and what a promise to lay hold on! The city and its inhabitants are facing imminent destruction from the armies of Nebuchadnezzar following a lengthy siege that left the city impoverished. God himself was the Author of this invasion even as Jeremiah proclaimed. And now, Jeremiah is in prison without the prospect of release. Yet God tells him to buy land from his relative as a testimony that the city will once again be restored and experience the normal course of business.

After purchasing the land as instructed, Jeremiah presents his quandary to the LORD. “The mounts…are come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence: and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold, thou seest it. And thou has said unto me…buy thee the field for money, and take witnesses; for the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans” (Jeremiah 32:24-25).

Jeremiah simply admits that he does not understand how the city shall once again prosper given its present circumstances. In light of Jeremiah’s question, God answers with a question of his own. “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27). He tells Jeremiah that the Chaldeans shall indeed fight against the city and burn it down because of the sins of his people and their idolatry. But he is faithful to his covenant promising “I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell in safety: and they shall by my people, and I will be their God” (Jeremiah 32:37-38).

Child of God, what circumstances are you facing now that seem unlikely to have a favorable outcome of any kind? Take God at his own challenge. “Is there anything too hard for me?” He testified to his people in captivity “I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it” (Ezekiel 36:36). Put your trust in him and let him see you through your challenges.

He Controls Human History

In 605 B.C. Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar became the dominant world empire. That is how the history books record it. God, however, pulls back the veil and tells the real story to the prophet, Jeremiah. “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel…I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him” (Jeremiah 27:4-7). 

The circumstance at the time of this message to Jeremiah involved the nation of Israel or, more precisely, the southern kingdom of Judah. (Israel had been divided into two nations, Israel and Judah, after Solomon’s demise. The northern kingdom, Israel, was overcome by Assyria and carried away captive in 722 B.C.) Judah had not lived up to the covenant made with God at Sinai under Moses. God through Jeremiah warned that if the people did not repent and obey his voice, he would send them into captivity. God would use this captivity to teach his people about their God. God chose to use Babylon to execute this captivity and this was accomplished in three deportations from 605 B.C. to 586 B.C.  

The Scriptures are clear that “the earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). Consequently, God accomplishes his purposes in human history for his own glory. Thus, he elevated Babylon and used Nebuchadnezzar, whom he called “my servant”, to accomplish his purpose in Israel. Daniel reminds us “he [God] removeth kings, and setteth up kings” (Daniel 2:21). Later, Daniel reminds this same Nebuchadnezzar “the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men” (Daniel 4:17). Think of our current slate of world leaders, Putin, Biden, Trudeau, etc. For example, in our country we would say the president was elected by the people and this is true. But God would have us understand that the president we currently have is in office by the appointment of God.

We see human history only from our limited viewpoint. We must understand that God is the author of every page in the history book. He is directing the events on this world’s stage to accomplish his purpose. We can be assured of that. He is never surprised or caught off guard by those things that occur. The Scriptures attest that he “worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Ephesians 1:11). “All things” means all things. Elections, uprisings, wars, climate change, life, death, and whatever else one might consider are woven together to bring about his great plan for the ages. Nothing will alter that.

The Psalmist found comfort in the nearness of this great God when troubled times came. He learned by experience that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble. Therefore, will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea” (Psalm 46:1-2). No matter how cataclysmic the matter at hand be, God is present and God is greater. Where do you find your help in troubled times?

Abandon Your Own Plans

The Northern Kingdom, Israel, was overcome by the Assyrians in 722 B.C. and many of its people were carried away captive at that time. (Israel was divided into two kingdoms, Israel and Judah, after the reign of Solomon over 200 years earlier.) Known for their fierceness, the Assyrian armies had defeated many nations and, had grown into the dominant world power of that time. Once they defeated Israel, the Assyrians pushed their way into Judah and were threatening to do to them as they had done to Israel.

Many of the Jews were now looking to Egypt for deliverance, either by fleeing there or by hiring the Egyptian army as protection. God sent his prophet, Isaiah, to warn the people not to follow that plan. “Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD…now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit” (Isaiah 31:1,3).

In spite of this warning, Judah continued to seek Egypt as its protector. God again warned his people through his prophet. “Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add to their sin: that walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt…for the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore, have I cried concerning this, their [Judah’s] strength is to sit still” (Isaiah 30:1-2, 7).

The fault of Judah was their failure to seek God’s wisdom and trust in his power. They devised their own scheme and relied on their own wisdom to provide deliverance from their overwhelming circumstances. We are guilty of the same fault when we behave very much the same way in the face of our difficulties. We do not look to God nor trust him to guide and provide. Solomon’s wisdom remains profitable to this day. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6; emphasis added).

We would rather trust our own faulty and unreliable judgement rather than rest in the unfailing wisdom of an all-knowing and all-powerful heavenly Father. How foolish! We would do well to heed Isaiah’s admonition to those in Judah. “For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; in returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15). God invited his children to return from their own schemes and rest in him for their deliverance. When we rest in God, we do not contemplate a “plan B”. Rather, there is a stillness to our disposition and a confidence in the course provided because it is a path provided by our God who is unfailingly good and sovereign in all his ways.

Dear believer, perhaps, you are in the midst of challenging circumstances today. Your heavenly Father knows and is “a very present help in time of trouble” (Psalm 46:1). In light of that truth, the Psalmist offers God’s invitation, “be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

I Will Have Mercy

When Levi (Matthew) began to follow Jesus, the Scriptures record that he “made him [Jesus] a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them. But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?” (Luke 5:29-30). Matthew, being a publican himself, had come to recently know the grace of God in Christ Jesus, and wanted his friends and fellow publicans to know that same grace likewise.

But the scribes and Pharisees were self-righteous and were loath to associate with such folk as those who attended the feast. Consequently, they found fault with our Lord and his disciples in such a social wrongdoing. In their minds, attending this gathering put our Savior in the same lowly standing at those wretched publicans.

The Lord backhandedly rebuked these high minded hypocrites by simply reminding them that “They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:31-32). Those who owned their sin and recognized their need, he would deliver. But he could do nothing for those who were righteous in their own eyes.

But the Lord gave them something else to bring focus to their condition that they might see their own need. Matthew (the same Matthew of this story) recorded this additional instruction from our Lord in his gospel account of this event. He referred them to the prophecy of Hosea and told them “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13). These religious leaders had missed God’s standard for righteousness just as those had in Hosea’s day.

Hosea confronted a people who were in part blinded to their sin by their practice of religious ceremony. They offered the required sacrifices, but there was no changed life to accompany their worship. Hosea confronted them for their sins, not their sacrifices. God surely deserves worship for he is a great King (Malachi 1:14). But worship that does not come from a life lived daily in the presence of God is rejected and despised in the Lord’s eyes.

The Pharisees in Christ’s day were the same. They took pride in their adherence to the minor elements of the law, yet completely ignored the more substantive matters. They were wrapped up in themselves and had no regard for the great needs of their Jewish brethren. As our Lord declared, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgement, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone” (Matthew 23:23).

Micah spoke to the same issue in his time. “Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old…He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God” (Micah 6:6,8). May we do just that!

Pushed Along by Our Feelings or Led by the Spirit

We have all been in that place where our reactions to our circumstances got the better of us and we said or did things that we regretted later. The Scriptures remind us “He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding; but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly” (Proverbs 14:29). To be hasty of spirit is to be driven along by our emotions, our feelings, much like the wind moves a sailboat. These feelings propel us quickly to an undesired port, one that we would not desire had we given any thought to our actions. The result is folly, which is behavior characteristic of a fool.  

On the other hand, one who is slow to wrath understands the dangers of premature (hasty) and misguided reactions. Controlling our spirit is greatly commended in the Bible. “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city” (Proverbs 16:32). This kind of self-control takes a strength that Scripture compares to armies in warfare. In essence, it is easier to overcome a host of external foes than the enemy that rules and reigns within.

In a practical sense, the imperative to not react hastily and unwisely requires that we somehow manage to stay calm and quiet. This requires not merely the training of our emotions, but also that we overcome them and subdue them. The benefits are clear. Solomon writes “The heart of the righteous studieth to answer, but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things” (Proverbs 15:28). The unguarded reactions of those governed and propelled by their emotions pour out of their mouths as unstoppable tidal waves of hurt. But the righteous are controlled and seek a response fitting to the occasion.

There is no power within ourselves naturally that is at our disposal to control our emotions and not yielding to a hasty spirit. James reminds us that “the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8). The problem lies with our wicked heart, the seat of our emotions. Christ taught “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things” (Matthew 12:34-35).

The good man is able to bring forth good fruit because he has been made new by the blood of Christ. He has been given a new heart through the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). A man cannot control his own heart until he gives it to Jesus Christ. Jesus taught “he that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). Instead of spewing forth the violent waves of anger and wrath, blessings of peace and gentleness shall flow out of our lives to those in our circles of activity. Who controls your heart?

The Custom of Jesus

Luke records that “when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him [Jesus] for a season. And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all” (Luke 4:13-15).

John’s gospel gives some indication as to how Jesus’ fame grew after returning from the wilderness temptation. During this time, he turned the water into wine at the marriage in Cana (John 2:1-12); he cleansed the temple of the money-changers at his first Passover celebration (John 2:13-25); he met with Nicodemus, a Pharisee, at night to challenge his thinking with the necessity of the new birth (John 3:1-21); he revealed himself as the Messiah to the woman at the well in Samaria (John 4:7-40); and, he healed a nobleman’s son who was at the point of death (John 4:46-54).

It is evident that the fame of Jesus grew as a result of his miracles and his teaching for “he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:29). After these things (and, no doubt, many others not recorded for us), “he came to Nazareth…and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah.” (Luke 4:16-17).

There are two simple yet very profound observations to be made from this text. First, it was our Savior’s custom to worship God in a regular and systematic fashion. One of the Ten Commandments was “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). This is the only commandment that is not repeated in the New Testament. However, the principle of regular worship was nonetheless clearly practiced by the early church’s gathering together on the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day. This was in honor of our Savior’s resurrection.

We are admonished to “hold fast the profession of our faith…not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:23-25). Doing so ought to be our custom, but for many believers this is not so. The idea of participating in weekly corporate worship with other believers is far from a practice that could be counted as regular for many. We need to follow the example of our Lord.

The second observation is that the word of God must be central and preeminent. Christ read from the prophet Isaiah and then expounded on the significance of the passage (Luke 4:18-21). He did not address community activities nor current national events but ministered from the Scriptures. The apostle Paul urged this same practice upon his young pastor, Timothy. “Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (I Timothy 4:13). This charge sets forth the reading of God’s word, teaching its precepts and principles, and the exhortation to obey it. In fact, Paul’s final charge to Timothy from prison was “preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2).

The pattern for the believer today is to gather faithfully and regularly with other believers for the preaching and teaching of God’s word. Is this your custom? Is it the practice of your church?

The Temptation of Jesus (Part 3)

Following his baptism, the Spirit of God led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil for forty days. There are three avenues where temptation finds access to human nature to provoke us to sin. John records these in his first epistle and all of our sins tend to find their expression through these portals. He writes “all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (I John 2:16). The devil thought it possible to lead Jesus to sin by tempting him in these three areas. The short answer is that he failed.

He first tempted Christ along the lust of the flesh by suggesting that our Lord turn the stones into bread to satisfy his hunger. Failing in his first attempt, Satan appealed to the lust of the eyes by showing Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. If Christ would only worship him, he could have them all. Again, the devil failed. In both instances our Lord relied on the Scriptures to overcome the temptation presented.

In his last attempt, the devil sought to stir the pride of life. “Then the devil taketh him [Jesus] up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, if thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is 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 a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (Matthew 4:5-7).

Satan’s thinking was along these lines. Surey, Christ could rely on his special and unique position as the only begotten Son of God for the Father’s protection. But our Lord relied again on the Scriptures which affirm that we must not put God to the test. It did not belong to Christ to make the Father responsive to him, but to submit himself to the Father’s will.

We struggle in these same three areas that are common to all mankind, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. We are no better than our progenitors. “And when the woman [Eve] saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the furth thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat” (Genesis 3:6).   

The Lord could not sin and proved himself sinless by overcoming all three of Satan’s invitations to act independent of the Father’s will. Consequently, Jesus knows how to deliver us from temptation. “Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted” (Hebrews 2:17-18; emphasis added).

Are you struggling with sin? Jesus knows how to deliver. He alone gives victory. As the old hymn says, “He breaks the power of cancelled sin and sets the prisoner free.”

The Temptation of Jesus (Part 2)

We noted previously that the Spirit of God led Jesus into the wilderness following his baptism to be tempted of the devil for forty days. The devil first tempted Christ to turn stone into bread to satisfy his hunger. This seemed a reasonable suggestion since Christ was the Son of God and had the power to do so. (Most temptations are “reasonable” suggestions!) Jesus denied himself that prerogative choosing to trust instead in his heavenly Father to meet that need.

The devil’s first temptation failed, so he moved on to a different approach. “And the devil, taking him [Jesus] up into a high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, all this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine” (Luke 4:5-7). He sought to entice Jesus to worship him (instead of God) by offering him the kingdoms of the world.

In the first place, the kingdoms of the world were not Satan’s to offer. He lied about this, but then the devil is the father of lies. Jesus knew this. He declared of Satan that “there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44). More importantly, the Scriptures remind us that it is God that “removeth kings, and setteth up kings” (Daniel 2:21) and that “the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will” (Daniel 4:17).

Satan knew that Jesus had been sent by the Father for the express purpose of settling the debt of our sin. On the cross of Calvary, he would suffer the wrath of God that belongs to us and through his shed blood pay the price of redemption that we could not pay. Christ, indeed, would rule the world according to God’s plan, but first he must endure the cross. Jesus, having become “obedient unto death, even the death of the cross…God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess the Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:8-11).

Satan wanted Jesus to depart from the Father’s plan and by-pass the cross. This Christ would not and could not do. Jesus again showed that the way to overcome temptation is through the word of God. He responded to Satan’s invitation by quoting from the Old Testament “it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Luke 4:8).

The temptation to sin though rooted in falsehood always seems reasonable. But sin always promises more than it gives, takes you farther than you want to go, keeps you longer than you want to stay, and costs you more than you are willing to pay. James warns us that “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” (James 1:14-15). God’s word delivers from sin. Trust it and walk in it.

The Temptation of Jesus (Part 1)

Immediately following his baptism “Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil” (Luke 4:1-2). This temptation of the devil occurred at the very beginning of Christ’s earthly public ministry. Note that the devil is a real person, not some evil force. Many, if not most, people in our society today do not believe in a real devil. Yet the Scriptures are plain in attesting to the devil’s personhood.

During this time in the wilderness, Christ was tempted of the devil in three specific matters. The first of these temptations sought to take advantage of the Lord’s hunger, a natural physical condition following his fasting for forty days. “And in those days, he [Jesus] did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, if thou be the Son of God, command that this stone be made bread” (Luke 4:2-3).

There is much to learn through Christ’s encounter with the devil in this first temptation. First, the devil knew that Jesus was the Son of God. The word “if” speaks to a condition that is true. We might use the word “since” to make the statement clearer. The devil was not tempting Jesus to prove he was the Son of God, but rather to cause him to act independent of God’s will for him. The Spirit of God led him into the wilderness, and it was the Spirit’s filling that enabled him to fast those forty days.

Second, note that it is possible to sin while satisfying natural desires. Hunger is a natural condition that we all experience frequently in our lives. Yet satisfying our hunger can easily get out of hand and lead to outright gluttony if we are not careful. Sexual desires are likewise natural. However, satisfying those urges outside the boundary of marriage is sinful and condemned in Scripture. “Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4).

The devil will have us believe “if it feels good to do then do it”. But nothing could be farther from the truth. Christ gave the right response. “And Jesus answered him [the devil], saying, it is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 4:4). Jesus quoted the Old Testament words of Moses to the children of Israel, Deuteronomy 8:3. The Israelites were soon to cross the river Jordan into the promised land and Moses reminded them how God fed them for forty years with manna in the wilderness.

Jesus’ example revealed that our choices are shaped by God’s word and are obeyed through the enabling of the Spirit of God in our lives. God created us with natural desires, but even these desires must be harnessed and exercised in accordance with God’s truth. Many lives and labors have been destroyed by failure to govern these natural desires rightly. The Apostle Paul acknowledged the necessity for such self-control when he likened his own preaching ministry to a race and himself a runner. He testified “I keep under my body and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached unto others, I myself should be a castaway” (I Corinthians 9:27). Our society is characterized as a people that have abandoned restraint. Such abandonment is at the root of many of society’s ills today.