Forgiveness In the Church

The Ministry of Forgiveness

 Book of 2 Corinthians Chapter 2

 

 Only God can forgive sin!

We are to forgive those who sin against us, but only God can forgive that sin against Him!

 Isa 43:25  I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

 Mat 9:6  But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins,

 God could not forgive sin without a proper payment for that sin.

 How do we explain God's forgiveness? Forgiveness is a legal act of God where He removes the charges against us because the atonement for those sins has been made.

 We each have a book of our life written in Heaven, and God will open that book in our name and blot out the sin in that book because the Lord Jesus Christ has made the atonement for the sin we committed against our Heavenly Father.

 The Lord Jesus paid our sin debt! Our debts were nailed to His cross!

 Col 2:13  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 

Col 2:14  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

 Forgiveness means we have been set free from the burdens of our sin because of the "Grace" of God the Father.

 Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 

Eph 1:8  Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 

Eph 1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 

 Forgiveness means we have a daily forgiveness of sin as we serve the Lord.

 1Jn 1:6  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 

1Jn 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 

1Jn 1:8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 

1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

1Jn 1:10  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 

The Book of John says: Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

Joh 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 

 We will never have fellowship with God until we deal with our sin debt! We can only deal with our sin debt through the Lord Jesus Christ, The Word.

 We should understand that God's forgiveness is linked to God's "Grace"; there is nothing we as humans can do; the Lord Jesus has done all that was needed for us to be forgiven.

 Our chains of bondage are broken.

Our debt is cancelled.

We have received a pardon.

Our punishment has been cancelled.

We will not see the wrath of God come upon us.

 Because of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father has canceled the debt of sin that we could have never paid except by dying and spending eternity in Hell!

Rom_3:25  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

 This is what forgiveness means to God!

 What does forgiveness mean to each believer?

 *****2Co 2:1  But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness. 

2Co 2:2  For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me? 

2Co 2:3  And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. 

 We should not doubt that the Apostle Paul loved the people in every church he had planted. Christianity brings Godly love!

 We all know the problems in the church at Corinth if we have read 1 Corinthians.

 Paul longed to go to minister again to this church but not with controversies and sin surrounding them.

 Paul had written to this church urging them to put the Lord Jesus Christ first and end their controversies.

 No church will stand very long that does not put the Lord Jesus Christ first; He is the foundation of the Church, of every true church.

In fact, no group that gathers can be a church unless they have accepted the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 No Pastor or Preacher can reach God's people if the message he preaches causes controversy in that church.

 That church would first have to recognize sin, address the problem of sinners, and return to the truth of God; then they would be ready to receive the meat of the Gospel and grow in Christ.

 1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 

1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

 A true Pastor will bring joy to his flock because the Gospel is a message of peace to the soul.

 Joh 16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

 *****2Co 2:4  For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. 

 The letter Paul wrote, which is called the Book of 1 Corinthians, was a painful letter for him to write.

 Paul did not write to them to cause pain; Paul wrote to them in love, his heart broken for the sin in that church.

 Every church needs to understand that God is full of "Grace," but God has rules that must be followed.

 Heb 12:11  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. 

Heb 12:12  Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 

Heb 12:13  And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. 

 1Pe 1:16  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 

 Tit 3:10  A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; 

Tit 3:11  Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself. 

When we reject the truth of the Gospel, we have condemned ourselves, and we can only blame ourselves.

 Then once the sin problem is solved, the next step is forgiveness and restoration of those who had committed such sin.

 Our forgiveness must be led by the example of forgiveness given to us by God Himself.

 We have not forgiven anyone unless that forgiveness comes from the heart!

 *****2Co 2:5  But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. 

 We have not forgiven unless that forgiveness comes from the heart!

 Certain offenders had caused grief for the whole church in Corinth.

 It could be that man who had taken his father’s wife, or it could be some Jewish ringleader who was trying to destroy the Church and destroy the Apostle Paul's ministry, or both of them.

 It could be this Jew because Paul does not mention immorality in these verses.

 Act_14:2  But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren.

 Act_17:5  But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

 There were some of these wicked men at Corinth who were attacking the Apostle Paul and stirring up controversy, causing disturbance, and hurting the whole church, and they needed to be run off.

 There are times when there must be church discipline.

 1Ti_3:15  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

 This church had done so to those who were full of immorality.

To run those wicked Jews off, they had to cling to the Word of God they had gotten from Paul, Timothy, and Apollos.

The Church must stand its ground against any and all those who reject the truth of the Scriptures.

 *****2Co 2:6  Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.

We do not know what punishment was given to this man, but we do know that Paul had said to excommunicate that man.

To hand that man over to Satan!

This was done, not to just keep this man out of the church, but to awaken him to repentance and to secure his salvation.

1Co 5:4  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

1Co 5:5  To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

All actions in the Church should be done with the desire to bring salvation to all!

We should note that those who voted to punish this man were only a majority and not unanimous because we see that word many and not the word all.

If I am not mistaken in my church, we require a vote of at least eighty percent before such action as this could be taken.

We never want to divide the church and make matters worse.

There will always be differences of opinion when it comes to church discipline, but there will be times when it must take place.

We see today that major denominations have split, and many of those decisions were made when the vote was a simple majority rather than a high percentage such as eighty percent or at least seventy percent. Fifty-one percent would mean the church is divided, and that church should just make sure to obey the Word of God. Those who reject the Word of God should not be counted.

Church discipline should come without destruction.

Our discipline should come with thought of forgiveness after repentance takes place because this is the way of God.

Any soul that has been disciplined should be welcomed back with open arms once the fruit of repentance is seen in them.

We must repent of our sin and turn toward the ways of God before He will forgive us!

This is the example we are to always follow!

Notice also that the name of this man is not mentioned by the Apostle Paul.

Discipline in the Church should remain in the Church.

We cannot allow the world to dictate the work of the Church.

*****2Co 2:7  So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. 

2Co 2:8  Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.

What appears here is that the "many" of this church in Corinth wanted discipline to a lesser degree than the rest of the church members.

Again, all things must be done in accordance with the Word of God!

Eph 4:32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. 

Col 3:12  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 

Col 3:13  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 

Col 3:14  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 

If at all possible, we are to use great effort not to make this person an enemy of the Church.

2Th 3:14  And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. 

2Th 3:15  Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. 

We should understand that if we do not follow the Word of God in Church discipline, Satan is waiting at the door to receive that person who needs Church discipline. 

This is the time to show great love to that person and try to lead them to repentance and show that person we are being obedient to the Word of God, the same Word of God that he should be obedient to.

1) The entire church must forgive this person.

Mar 11:25  And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 

Mar 11:26  But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. 

2) The entire church must be an encouragement to this person.

1Th 5:11  Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. 

1Th 5:12  And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; 

1Th 5:13  And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves. 

1Th 5:14  Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. 

3) This person must repent and turn back to the truth of God.

Rom 14:1  Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. 

4) There must be assurance demonstrated by the love of the church.

Eph 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 

Eph 4:31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 

Eph 4:32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

We must do everything that we can to keep the Holy Spirit working in our churches!

Dead churches are places of misery!

We must accept all the Word of God and not take away from it nor add to it!

*****2Co 2:9  For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. 

There is another purpose of Church discipline.

It shows the Lord that we are obedient to the mission of the Church.

As long as we allow the world to work inside the Church, then the Church cannot focus upon the mission that the Lord has given to us.

We cannot allow controversy and division to rule the Church as it is doing today in many denominations.

If we are to obey the Lord Jesus Christ, then there must be Church discipline!

If the Church is not concerned with obeying Jesus Christ, then it is not a Church to begin with.

Mat_18:20  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

A church is a place where people gather in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!

All other places are places of Devil worship!

We must prove to the Lord Jesus Christ that we are faithful to Him and faithful to the Holy Trinity.

Nothing in this world is more important than our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ!

We are to be just as forgiving as He is forgiving!

Php 1:27  Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; 

Php 1:28  And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. 

*****2Co 2:10  To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; 

2Co 2:11  Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. 

The Apostle Paul had given instructions on how to manage this incident that happened at the Church of Corinth, and we know there was more than one incident.

This church was tearing itself apart.

What Paul is saying is that he would stand by the discipline this church had come to because the majority of the church had chosen what they would do, even if they had not followed his exact words.

The important thing was this church had come together and acted in accordance with the Word of God.

By being united around the Word of God, Satan could not claim any victory at this church.

This man had repented and had been restored to the Church.

Satan will use any discord in the Church to get his foot in the door.

In fact, at least one of Satan's followers attends every church service just waiting for a chance to create havoc.

Satan uses many devices in his attempt to turn God's children and cause harm to the church.

Everything concerning the Church must be in accordance with the Word of God.

There is a spiritual battle going on around us at all times.

Eph 6:10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 

Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 

We must not give Satan easy access to cause chaos in the Church.

We must beware that He is already causing havoc in many places of worship today.

If we are not willing to forgive a repentant sinner, then what does that say about the Church that is full of repentant sinners that the Lord Jesus Christ has forgiven?

Mat 6:12  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 

 Mat 6:14  For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 

Mat 6:15  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 

Satan will do his very best to stop the work of the Church, and we do not need to provide him with opportunities to do so.

Satan hates the Gospel, and Satan hates the Lord Jesus Christ!

Only the Holy Ghost-filled Church can hinder the work of Satan, and we make it far too easy for him.

Only saved souls and changed lives show that Satan the Devil is a defeated foe.

The Lord Jesus Christ defeated Satan on the cross and we can't allow him to have the smallest victory.

The loving, forgiving Church that is obedient to the Word of God cannot be overcome by the devices of Satan!

Amen

Satan is Real

 Jesus Was Tested as a King

Book of Matthew Chapter 4 Verse 1 through 11

We should remember the numbering of the Chapters and verses in the modern Bible did not exist in the time of Jesus so if we back up to Chapter 3 in the Book of Matthew, we find these verses.

Mat 3:16  And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 

Mat 3:17  And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 

It is this time that the Lord Jesus Christ began His earthly ministry!

The next thing we see is the beginning of our lesson today.

We will find Jesus being tempted of the Devil.

What is temptation? We could say temptation is "enticement". Enticed to do things that go against the Word of God!

The source of all temptation is Satan and the works of Satan.

Satan can be effective in his works of temptation because we live in the flesh.

We know that God cannot be tempted and neither does He tempt any of His children nor is He the source of temptation to those who are lost.

Jas 1:13  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:

When we read that Jesus is tempted of Satan, we should understand that it is because Jesus was 100% man still being 100% God.

It was extremely important that Jesus, while in His flesh be sin free, impeccable. After salvation this should be our goal.

We will see that Jesus did not just wander into temptation but the Holy Spirit who drove Christ Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil.

There is no place we can go upon this earth that we will not be exposed to temptation!

The Holy Spirit drove Jesus Christ into the wilderness which may not be far from where Jesus was baptized of John the Baptist.

*****Mat 4:1  Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 

We must never understand that this was the only time that our Lord Jesus faced temptation because He was tempted throughout His ministry upon this earth, but He cannot be tempted now that He is back in Heaven as said in the Book of James but also in other places.

Heb 4:15  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. 

We should understand that if Christ Jesus was so tempted then, while in His flesh, then it could have been possible that He could have sinned if He so chose to.

To be a true man then Jesus was capable of sinning!

1Pe 2:21  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 

1Pe 2:22  Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 

1Pe 2:23  Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 

1Pe 2:24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

We should understand as a test of our own goodness, God will allow us to be tempted of Satan.

All human goodness needs the strain of temptation.

We will never have a testimony until we have been tested!

We do not know what form Satan took in his temptation of Christ Jesus, but we do know he took the form of a serpent when he went after Eve.

When we read and study this passage, we know this temptation was terrible enough but the worst of the times of the temptation of Christ came in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Luk 22:44  And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Heb 12:3  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. 

Heb 12:4  "Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin". 

Heb 12:5  And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 

Heb 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 

Before this temptation began our Lord Jesus first fasted.

*****Mat 4:2  And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 

Fasting has been in the Church from the beginning and again our example is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Fasting has a place in our relationship with the Lord.

Fasting is a means to teach us self-discipline.

Fasting is a means of preparation for beginning a ministry as it seems the Lord Jesus was doing here in this passage.

Fasting is not a means to obtain God's Grace! 

Grace comes by beginning a "sincere" relationship with the Lord by accepting the work He did for our salvation.

All fast are not acceptable to the Lord.

Isa 58:4  Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. 

Isa 58:5  Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? 

Isa 58:6  Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? 

Isa 58:7  Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? 

Isa 58:8  Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. 

Isa 58:9  Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; 

Isa 58:10  And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: 

Isa 58:11  And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. 

We are bought and paid for with the blood of Jesus, making Jesus our new owner. We should hate man-made slavery, but it is a privilege to be a slave to the Lord Jesus Christ!

Fasting is not a substitute for righteousness.

The ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ began with a fast for 40 days and forty nights and there can be little doubt that Jesus was very hungry.

We should understand that Satan (the Tempter) will usually show up when we are in a period of physical and mental weakness.

He will then try to confront us with his lies.

*****Mat 4:3  And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 

In this temptation of our Lord we must remember that Jesus was 100% man and 100% God. If Jesus in the flesh could not fulfill His ministry without being sustained by His Godly power, then no human would be able to do so.

Jesus had to refrain from using the power of God to sustain Himself. It will obvious He did use some portions of Godly power to help others as we study the Gospels but never for Himself!

These are called miracles which He still does today!

God will help us because we do not have the power within ourselves to do so!

In fact the greatest lesson we will learn in life is, that we cannot help ourselves to obtained salvation, we need the Lord Jesus Christ in a personal relationship to be saved.

The Lord Jesus Christ possesses the only means of salvation. Do not be fooled by naysayers!

By the end of those forty days, Jesus in His flesh had reached a point where it was critical that He get something to eat.

Satan knew this as he had been spying on Jesus all this time.

There is nothing outside God's creative power except the power to do wrong!

There is hardly anywhere you go in Israel where you will not see stones and many of those stones were round and to the hungry eye, they could appear to be small loaves of bread.

It would have been really easy for the Lord to do this.

In fact John the Baptist said God could just as easily raised up humans from those same stones.

Luk 3:8  Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 

Jesus later said if He needed to hear praise He could just as easily gotten praise from those same stones.

Luk 19:40  And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. 

Yes, He could have easily changed those stones into bread, but He did have a response to the tempter.

*****Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 

The message of Satan: Go ahead and trust yourself, you do not need God.

The message of Jesus to Satan: I choose to live by God's ways!

This must be our answer! We must choose to live according to the Word of God!

Jesus had all the power of God, but it is always best to live by the Word of God!

As humans we may be bound by our human necessities, but when we base our existence on our necessities, then these things will become our standard for living.

God lives upon a greater plain and He knows we have human needs, and it is He, that supplies those needs so, we need much more than life's necessities. 

We need God! We do not need some false god, we need Jehovah God, and we need the truth of life and the truth of Spiritual life!

We have in our possession a Book of Truth. The world can only provide lies with very little truth because higher powers have decided that the public is too ignorant to know the truth.

God on the other hand is not afraid to give us the truth!

Our physical life is but a short period of time, but our Spiritual life is forever!

Jesus quoted part of a passage from the Book of Deuteronomy.

Deu 8:3  And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; "that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live". 

Every human being has a spiritual hunger that must be satisfied yet, so many settle with falseness, and they are never really satisfied in this life.

Many reject the need for spiritual things, and this leads them to a miserable life.

Many choose some sort of substitute for the truth and they ruin their bodies and their minds. They are happy one day and miserable for many more days, and livein endless cycles of denial.

We can only be at peace when we have the satisfaction of the Lord Jesus Christ and depend upon the truth of the Scriptures for true life now, and endless life forever.

When we get to Heaven, we will be more alive than we can ever obtain here upon this earth.

The Devil did not like the response of the Lord, so he took the Lord to Jerusalem.

*****Mat 4:5  Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 

Mat 4:6  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. 

As there was not a designated pinnacle upon the roof of the Temple, the Greek word used here means the highest point of the roof of the Temple. The apex of the building.

The word pinnacle in architecture, is a term used for a wing-like projection and was most probably one of the Temple porches that overlooked the Kedron Valley that is between the Mount of Olives and Mount Moriah which adds to its height.

We should understand that the city of Jerusalem also sits upon a hill and at this time of Jesus, Jerusalem was probably the highest capitol city in the ancient world.

In the Gospels only Matthew describes Jerusalem as the Holy City.

Again the Devil quotes Scripture. We must understand that Satan has read every bit of Scripture and he can understand it as much as any lost person can, but without the Holy Spirit he cannot understand the truth of the message of God.

Here, the Devil quotes from the Book of Psalms.

Psa 91:11  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 

Psa 91:12  They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 

Of course God could get safely off the top of any high peak, but in the flesh the Lord would have perished.

The angels would have certainly rushed to His rescue.

We must remember that Satan was trying to get Jesus to use His godly powers to save Himself. 

He did not have to prove Himself to Satan. Satan knew exactly who the Lord Jesus was.

Jas 2:19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

If Jesus was a human Messiah, then certainly God the Father would have not allowed Him to be injured.

The Lord Jesus gives us a great understanding of the truth of God!

No matter our relationship with our Heavenly Father we must never tempt God.

God will do exactly what He says He will do and in most cases He will go far beyond what He says, but we must never test God just to see if He is telling the truth.

What our Heavenly Father says is the truth without question! God is not to be tested! God is to be trusted!

Faith is the greatest key to our relationship with our Heavenly Father!

Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 

The Lord Jesus replies sternly to Satan.

*****Mat 4:7  Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 

We must clearly understand, the only way we can obtain the glory of the Lord is by obedience!

God gave us His Word so we could know the truth and decide ourselves who to believe!

This is where Adam failed and this in the one thing we must overcome!

Again Jesus quotes from the Old Testament, the New Testament had not been written.

Deu 6:16  "Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God", as ye tempted him in Massah. 

At Massah, Moses and Aaron had displayed distrust in Jehovah when they tried to glorify themselves with a miracle of God.

Num 20:7  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 

Num 20:8  Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. 

Num 20:9  And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. 

Num 20:10  And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? 

Num 20:11  And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. 

Num 20:12  And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. 

We should understand this as the one thing that kept Moses from leading the children of Israel into the Promised Land.

We as the Church understand that it is by "obedience" to the Word of God that we enter into God's true Promised Land, the New Heaven.

We must never tempt our Heavenly Father!

We must always obey the written Word of God!

The Lord Jesus Christ in His flesh could never misuse the true power He had while He was upon this Earth!

Again, Satan was defeated but Satan will never stop until the Lord is through with him, but he can only tempt us, he cannot force us to sin if you are one of God's children by Jesus Christ.

We sin when we choose to go against the Word of God!

*****Mat 4:8  Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 

Mat 4:9  And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

What is the greatest sin we do as Christians today? We compromise our ministry and our mission in the work of Christ with this evil and wicked world!

We lose our testimony and are all but useless in the work the Lord has given us to do!

It is not important to know if there is such a mountain in this world.

It is important to know that as powerful as Satan maybe, he does not have absolute power on this earth and he never has had that power.

It would have only been important to Satan if he could convince the flesh side of the Messiah that he did have this power.

In these three temptations we have seen the truth of the temptations of the Devil.

1Jn 2:16  For 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. 

Our Lord Jesus was tempted in these three things.

Satan maybe the prince of this world but he will be judged and spend eternity in Hell just like every other non-believer!

Joh 12:31  Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

Joh 14:30  Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

Joh 16:11  Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

He is also called the prince of the power of the air:

Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

We should clearly understand that Satan only has limited power, and that limited power is under the control of Jehovah God!

Many a national leader has fallen under the trap of that same offer Satan made to the Lord Jesus Christ.

We see it every day in the USA, the craving for power.

Eventually the Antichrist will step upon the scene and he will crave for worldly power.

Luke wrote it like this:

Luk 4:6  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 I give it. 

Luk 4:7  If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 

Satan is indeed the ruler of darkness, but darkness is always overruled by Light.

Shine a light into a dark room and you will see darkness flee to its limited places to hide where darkness becomes shadows that move about as the light moves about always hiding from the light.

Jesus gives Satan His greatest rebuke.

*****Mat 4:10  Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 

We must understand that though Satan is powerful, he does not have the power of God.

God will never lead us into temptation, but this is Satan's favorite game!

We are to put on the armor of God and take our stand even if we are facing the Devil!

Jas 4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

We must know who has the greatest power!

1Jn 4:4  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Satan cannot overcome the child of God unless we allow it to happen.

We are to worship only the Lord our God and He only are we to serve! It is just that simple!

The Devil gave up for a moment, but he tempted Jesus all the days he was upon the Earth.

*****Mat 4:11  Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. 

The Lord Jesus Christ describes to us actual scenes. We do not know what form the Devil used and it is not important. 

These were not dreams that the Lord had but a reality, and it will be the same for each of us that love Him.

Satan just does not give up!

If Satan is bold enough to tempt the Lord, knowing who He was then, why should we think he will not come after us.

Now he may not come himself. Remember Satan can only be in one place at a time, but he will send one of his demons.

Satan will do his very best to ruin our Christian testimony, but without his temptations, we would not have a testimony to begin with.

We have the power within us to resist the Devil, the Tempter, Satan, the Deceiver, or whatever you want to call him!

It begins with Scripture.

Many Churches today listen to preachers who twist the truth because they have sold out to Satan.

They preach from perverted text with intent to deceive because they are already sold out to the Devil.

If you know the Scriptures then run them out of the pulpits of America, and you will witness the greatest change this nation has ever had!

The angels did come to minister to the Lord for no doubt he was weak, which is another lesson for us.

Even in His weakness, the Lord easily overcame the full power of Satan with His flesh side!

Jesus Christ is our example in everything we do for the Lord God!

Amen