Mat 4:1-11; Using the Sword (God’s Word) Precisely.

Class Outline:

Tuesday January 23, 2024

 

The power of the Son of God

Scripture - the word from the mouth of God.

 

This is very significant for the believers in this age who are also sons and daughters of God and who are also anointed with the Holy Spirit.

 

Our Lord shows us the way to overcome all temptation to sin. Knowing, putting our faith in and applying by faith the word of God.

 

MAT 4:1-11

Knowing and applying the word of God is the only way to successfully overcome the temptation to sin.

 

MAT 4:1-4

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." 4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"

 

The Exodus should have done what Jesus did - used God’s Word precisely and with faith.

1) Tested by hunger [God’s Word].

2) Promised a kingdom [God’s Word].  

3) Told to obey and wait [God’s Word].  

 

The Exodus should have done what Jesus did.

1) The Exodus was tested by hunger (DEU 8:3).

 

DEU 8:3

“He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.”

 

If you are following His calling, you are denying your flesh and your mind sinful things.

 

DEU 8:1-2

All the commandments that I am commanding you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to give to your forefathers. 2 "You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.

 

Did God not know what was in their hearts?

Our hunger is God’s way of showing us what is in our hearts.

 

JER 17:10

“I, the Lord, search the heart,

I test the mind,

Even to give to each man according to his ways,

According to the results of his deeds.”

 

The first question we should answer: Is this a trial in which the quality of my heart can be seen?

The answer is always yes.

 

Jesus would know that His heart is being tested in direct reference to His loving the Father with all His heart, soul, and strength.

 

The next question we should answer: Do I want to honestly and humbly see the condition of my heart?

This answer is yes or no.

 

PSA 26:2

Examine me, O Lord, and try me;

Test my mind and my heart.

 

Jesus was ready to see what His heart had become by this time.

 

Invariably you will see weakness. Do you want to perceive it (HEB 4:15-16)?

 

Question 3: What Scriptures exist that refer directly to my test?

You have to look!

 

Jesus had fully prepared Himself with the Scripture, already knowing and living in the truth that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

 

What was the means of overcoming the temptation?

Pertinent Word of God precisely known.

 

He did not use the whole Bible. He used a part of the Word that directly applied to the situation at hand.

 

Here's the exciting part - you and I can do the exact same thing.

 

You do not have to memorize word for word, but you do have to know it well enough to interpret the concept of its truth precisely.

 

An example: Let’s say that you are denying yourself of things because of your decision to live righteously unto your Lord. Let’s say that you gave up a significant portion of time you used to spend on your phone in social media, and are using that time for some way of improving your spiritual life (prayer, study, reading, meditation) or some area of ministry to God’s people in the church, neighbor, group organization, etc. The temptation will come that you are missing something on media. The temptation will be that you’re taking your Christianity too seriously and that you’re being weird. A temptation will be that what you do with your time doesn’t really matter in the long run. All who make changes in their free time for a spiritual good are going to hear these thoughts in their minds. When they do, the solution, if they are convinced their new course is righteous and want to stick to it, is to know some Scripture that overcomes those tempting thoughts. But you have to know them as precisely as possible. A summary or vague idea of a truth may work just fine, but a precisely known Scripture gives you the best chance by far.

 

“You are going to miss something!”

HEB 11:6

He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

 

Know these specifically - hence an attempt at memorization is really beneficial. The word “rewarder” and “seek” and “Him” are vital.

 

When the gravity of the temptation pulls harder:

PSA 51:10 [prayer]

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

 

“Create a clean heart” and the word “renew” indicating I have fallen but I can and will and must renew.

 

PRO 11:19

He who is steadfast in righteousness will attain to life,

And he who pursues evil will bring about his own death.

 

“steadfast in righteousness = life” in contrast to “pursues evil = death.” One is stationary and established, the other is moving.

 

Find your own, but know them well.

 

“You are taking your Christianity too seriously!”

 

DEU 10:12-13

“Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the Lord's commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?”

 

“What you do with your free time doesn’t really matter anyway!”

 

PSA 139:16

And in Your book were all written

The days that were ordained for me,

 

What situations or issues have you been trying to handle that have been challenging?

 

What sins have been befalling you lately?

 

What thoughts have been giving you anxiety and fear (past, present, future) lately?

 

The Word of God is a treasure for you to open and explore.

 

Your life will be one of strength and momentum unto greater strength of a magnitude that you could have never imagined. Your life will be one of wisdom of a magnitude that you could have never imagined. It will be like Christ. Guaranteed.  Christ showed us the way.