(February 26, 2024) Robert McQuillan challenges…

Easter eggs have been around for several weeks now! Christians will soon be really thinking of Easter celebration weekend, especially rejoicing regarding Resurrection Sunday, not eggs!

While kids, even adults, will be ‘tempted’ to enjoy Easter eggs – and will, of course – the coming season reminds Christians not only of our risen Saviour but of the temptations Judas and Peter yielded to… and for that matter others who succumbed to deserting Jesus (Matthew 26:56).

Remorse and Regret
Regarding Judas and Peter’s yielding to temptations (Judas – Matthew 26:14-16,47-50; Peter – Matthew 26:35,69-74), let’s grasp that the title above… Temptations – They Happen!… applies to all of us in various ways!

From among His closest ranks, that elite twelve, it happened that these two were tempted to wrongdoing regarding their Lord, their friend, the one who came to earth to be their Saviour. Judas deliberately, Peter rather sheepishly, lacking confidence.

The result? A remorseful Judas hanged himself (Matthew 27:3-5), and a regretful Peter wept bitterly – wailed loudly – as he snucked away from where his friend was being mocked (Matthew 26:75).

But… let’s not outrightly judge them condemningly (or others who have fallen), without considering ourselves and our faults!

The warning that Jesus gave His disciples applies to us too!: ‘Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak’ (Matthew 26:41).

The Message is very strong here: ‘Stay alert; be in prayer so you don’t wander into temptation without even knowing you’re in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there’s another part that’s as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.’

Do remember that being tempted doesn’t make us bad and weak Christians – it just reminds us that we’re very human! It’s our reaction to temptations that counts! Diligence must be our priority, as is awareness of the devil’s deceptions!

Discomfort and Danger
The wise Matthew Henry had something very strong to say here: ‘Lord, do not let Satan loose on us; chain up that roaring lion, for he is subtle and spiteful; Lord, do not leave us to ourselves, for we are very weak; Lord, do not lay stumbling-blocks and snares before us, nor put us into circumstances that may be an occasion of falling.’ And added, ‘Temptations are to be prayed against, both because of the discomfort and trouble of them, and because of the danger we are in of being overcome by them, and the guilt and grief that then follow.’

Beyond the two mentioned above, scripture tells of many other temptations – failing tests of one’s integrity, or the challenge to one’s faith in God. Wandering into – falling into – temptation and giving into the flesh to do wrong goes back to Genesis 3, the Bible chapter usually titled The Fall.

1. Adam and Eve – desiring more than just fruit
Scripture’s first couple yielded to the devil’s deception over fruit eg ‘not dying’ and ‘being as wise as God’, resulting in sin entering the heart of humankind! Failing after failing would follow their descendants – or should we say falling after falling!

2. Cain – jealous of his brother
Here’s the next recorded falling: Their son Cain ‘lost his temper and went into a sulk’(Genesis 4:5Mge) resulting in the first murder (v8)!

3. Joseph – refusing Mrs Potiphar’s importunies
But here’s a winner! When this young man’s integrity was repeatedly challenged by Potiphar’s seductive wife, he strongly refused, knowing he would not only be betraying his master but sinning against his God (Genesis 39:7-9) .

4. David – desiring the married Bathsheba
How well we recall David’s falling into sexual temptation (2Samuel 11:2-4) and the terrible results! Realising his blunder when challenged by the prophet Nathan, and stricken by guilt he promptly confessed, ‘I have sinned against the Lord’ (2Samuel 12:13), and then spent a week fasting and sleeping in sackcloth, pleading with God.

5. Job – an opposing vindictive wife
Although this poor man was suffering terribly health-wise, his faith in God remained firm! Then his wife foolishly tempted him to forsake his God, even curse Him (Job 2:9-10)! But Job refused, telling that foolish woman that in accepting God, one must be willing to take on trouble too… yet remain faithful.

Check a Bible concordance and you’ll find many, many ‘fallings’… despite good people living aright and achieving much…

• Abraham, going with the temptation to lie about Sarah (Genesis 12:11-13).
• Sarah, tempting Abraham regarding her slave in order to have a child for herself (Genesis 16:2).
• Moses, yielding to anger temptation instead of trusting his God (Numbers 20:10-12).
• Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, tempted by greed (2Kings 5:20-24), Achon tempted to steal (Joshua 7:21), Solomon’s temptation to have many wives, breaking God’s command to not intermarry (1Kings 11:1-2), Jonah, tempted ‘to flee from the Lord’… and other Old Testament examples.
• Daniel, however, is a fine follower of God example who refused to be tempted to do wrong by comprising his faith, even though it meant death (Daniel 6:10). God guarded him!

David, who himself failed, called on God’s help and wrote in Psalm 19:13, ‘Keep your servant also from wilful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.’ 

Sneaky and Subtle
Recalling our title… Temptation – It Happens! Yes it does… to all of us! Christians are not ‘super saints’: we’re human! Redeemed humans yes, praise God… but we can easily fall into temptations (even ministers! Have myself in some things… as have other truthful ministers!). The result is ending up not only regretting them, but weeping bitterly at times. Praise God that we can ask forgiveness and turn to the Holy Spirit for comfort!

That satanic spirit of deception that was falling on churches and Christians some time ago is still around – be so cautious! Even arguments can erupt unexpectedly between loving couples, resulting in yielding to the temptation to sling off at each other and spoil relationships… and ministry if they’re serving God!

The New Testament has several incidents of temptation to do wrong; let me chose just these… 

1. Our Lord Himself – head-on with sneaky Satan
Despite being so hungry and weary from fasting 40-days in the lonely desert, He continually refused to yield to the devil’s subtle tempting!  What a victorious example of overcoming!

Luke 4:2-12 shares Jesus’ secret weapon – He kept  quoting the word of God! No wonder Satan gave up… although, do note, merely ‘temporarily, lying in wait for another opportunity’(v13Mge).  

Later Jesus told His disciples to pray for God’s assistance against temptation: ‘… lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one’ (Matthew 6:13). Message reads, ‘ Keep us safe from ourselves and the devil. You’re in charge.’

2. Wealthy Young Man – hindrance challenge
When a rich young man questioned Jesus about eternal life, he was disappointed by the Lord’s reply and, tempted by his wealth, sadly moved on.

Jesus had answered: ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me’(Matthew 19:21). Verse 22 tells that ‘When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.’

God is not against people having finance, even wealth. Many have blessed God’s kingdom with their giving (even that poor widow giving a couple of small coins that Jesus highlighted in Luke 21:2-4). What He was highlighting here is that material wealth can be a temptation that leads to missing out on spiritual blessings.

Pauls warning to young Timothy must be mentioned here: ‘Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs’(1Timothy 6:9-10).

This had happened to Ananias and Sapphira who yielded to financial temptation… and they were accused of lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-10)! What happened to them resulted in great fear falling on all who heard it, just not church members (v11)!

3. Careless disciples – unwilling to pray
Oh how the troubled Jesus wanted the companionship and combined prayer backup of Peter, James and John along with him in the Garden of Gethsemane before He would be taken away from them! But he was to find them sleeping, not praying.

‘Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?’ He asked Peter (Matthew 26:40), and then gave this warning: ‘Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak’(v41).

Even in His time of heavy sorrow, Jesus was still the great teacher, zeroing in on the priority of alertness, prayer and vigilance in overcoming physical temptation.

4. The ‘Big Three’
John calls these ‘the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life’ pointing out that they’re not from the Father but from the world (1John 2:16).

Lust isalazoneia – longing, desiring something, especially what is forbidden. Pride is akin here, alazoneia – boasting self-confidence. NLT reads ‘… craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions’ and Message ‘… wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important’ adding that such ‘just isolates you from Him.’

5. Others
I’ve only mentioned some temptations found in God’s word. Again, use a good concordance or Dr Google.

And no doubt you can think of temptations external to scripture, such as being tempted to overeat, conniving to outdo someone, lying about yourself or others, forging paperwork especially references to gain a better position, jealousy of others. The list goes on… as it does especially among Christian leaders who can be lured after popularity, influencing, controlling, domineering, bigger membership, bigger offerings…

Experience and Endurance
Unchecked, uncontrolled materialistic desires can dominate our life; temptations come in various ways, some merely small, seemingly innocent, insignificant. Others are not so small! Small or big, all are significant for they are moral and spiritual risks to our Christian character, witness for Christ, and can affect our relationship with the Godhead.

If you recognise that you too have fallen in this area, then I urge you to repent (if you haven’t done so already!). God instantly forgives our confessions – and, most encouraging to us who want to forge ahead in 2024, forgets our sins, our errors! He won’t bring them up, so we shouldn’t! We’re free to move on, Hallelujah.

I, for one, take 1Corinthians 10:13NLT on board: ‘The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.’ 

The Holy Spirit is my friend, my helper (John14:26NKJV), and I know that through Jesus I can trust Father God (Philippians 4:6–7) and His word, which Psalm 119:115 says is, ‘… a lamp to guide me and a light for my path.’ 

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Dr Robert and Pr Maureen McQuillan’s links: OnlinerConnect@gmail.com and Facebook _______________________________________________