Reject God to Receive Your Best Life
Many people believe that Christians, when they are made new and living holy lives, will no longer be tempted. And that's not true because Jesus was perfectly sinless, yet he was tempted. So don't be surprised when temptations come your way. In fact, prepare for them!
Today we'll look at the second temptation of Jesus in Luke 4. The devil leads Jesus to a high place and shows him all the kingdoms of the world in an instant and says to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, it has been given to me and I can give it to anyone I want. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”
Resisting Temptation: The Devil's Appeal to Desire and the Importance of Staying Faithful
And so he was appealing to desire here. It wasn't a physical desire like we spoke of yesterday, but it was saying, “Do you want power? Do you want authority? I can give it to you if you come after me.”
This is a subtle lie that he tells to many people today: “seek power, seek authority, turn away from God and seek these things” he whispers to Jesus. And Jesus says to him, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord Your God and serve Him only.’” So Jesus shows us that when we are tempted by pride and position, stature, and when we are tempted to turn from God and put other things first, we must hold strong in those times of temptation.
I think it is important for us to remember that the devil still tries to tempt us in this way. He appeals to our desires: “I can give you this. I can give you this. I can give you amazing things and amazing experiences. Just turn away from this God.” It's a real temptation in many people's lives. They believe that the pleasure they find in the world is worth abandoning God.
Choosing God's Joy and Purpose Over Worldly Temptations
But I believe and I found that the pleasure in sticking close to God outweighs what's out there in the world! I encourage you today: stick to God. Stick to God! Put Him first and let His glory and His splendour His worship be the primary focus in your life.
Don't listen to Satan's lies, when he tries to draw you away. You will only find your truest joy, your truest pleasure and your truest purpose in life when you hold tight to the Lord your God and serve Him only.
