Lecture 1

Temptation


INTRO

The First Principle

Nature Of Temptation

Matt.   26

Genesis 39

Scheme of Temptation

Excuses for Sin

Strength of Temptation

Character of Potiphar's Wife

Review Directives



part 3
Matthew 26

Now notice very particularly the admonition of the Lord in Matthew 26:41 as our principle text.  Notice what the Lord saith by way of introduction.

"Enter not into temptation."

It would be, here, as if the Lord was saying, at each and every moment of your life, "Ye are on the threshold of temptation and sin.  Ye can do one of two things, ye can stand outside or ye can enter in.  Ye can do one of two things, ye can stand outside and resist, or ye can bow down in submission and enter in".

"Choose ye the right and Enter not in"

"Enter not INTO temptation".

Consider Eve.
If Eve would only have harkened unto that admonition and that warning.  But no.   She would be tempted unto the conception of entering in.  She would be enticed unto submission.  She would be enticed even by that forbidden tree, that fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.  If Eve would have only harkened to the principle admonition "Enter not into temptation" perhaps all would have been well.   But she was tempted successfully by her own lusts and entered into it wholly.

"When she 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 entered into temptation and took and did eat and gave also unto her husband with her and he did eat."

Bad enough she would take for herself being tempted, but she did worse.  She did eat and gave to Adam, causing the destruction of the entire race of mankind.  "Enter Not! " saith Christ .

Consider the progression.

First, Eve becomes the tempted one by the one who is the tempter, even the serpent.  We may even conclude as a practical warning from James 1.13-14, that the serpent may be a typification of her own lusts.  [cf. Gal 4.14]  
Then, after degrees of temptation, she enters in.
Finally, she becomes the tempter herself, giving to her husband.

 

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