Paragraph. CAREFUL ABOUT FAME AND MATERIALS
In the temptation to turn stones into bread, Jesus was tempted to meet His own personal material needs wrongly, note, the same principle could apply to other instances in our life.
The fact that Jesus did not use His divine power to overcome His human needs in the desert automatically meant that He must endure the temptation of Satan as true man. The question is, how do you react in time of need?
Jesus answered Satan with the words “Man does not live on bread alone”. The word “alone” is a very important one. It changes the whole meaning of what Jesus said.
NOTE « To live on bread » does not exclude God, but “To live on bread alone” does exclude God, therefore, to live on bread (your need) alone means to seek bread without God’s will.
To try to live one’s life without God’s will, is sin. Or to put God to the test for whatever is neither acting with God nor according to His will.
It is so easy to confuse advancement of one’s own interests with the growth of the kingdom of God. We can slip into the sin of pride almost unawares; of trying to impress people, of showing off, (have a look at many African so call prophet) cockiness and self-importance, of using our gifts to gain glory for ourselves, instead of serving God and bringing glory to Him.
As a Christian leader holds positions of increasing in the church, he or she becomes more and more open to attacks or temptations from the devil to become spiritually proud. This is what happened to the Bible days Pharisees. See Matthew 4: 3–7, The tempter came to Him and said, If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread. Jesus answered, it is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Then the devil took Him to the holy city and had Him stand on the highest point of the temple. If you are the Son of God, he said, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will command His angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. Jesus answered him, It is also written: Do not put the Lord your God to the test. See also Matthew 23 :5–7, Everything they do is done for men to see : They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long ; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues ; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’
Maybe we don’t behave like the Pharisees today, but there are plenty of other ways in which we can fall into the sin of spiritual pride.
In the temptation to turn stones into bread, Jesus was tempted to meet His own personal material needs wrongly, note, the same principle could apply to other instances in our life.
The fact that Jesus did not use His divine power to overcome His human needs in the desert automatically meant that He must endure the temptation of Satan as true man. The question is, how do you react in time of need?
Jesus answered Satan with the words “Man does not live on bread alone”. The word “alone” is a very important one. It changes the whole meaning of what Jesus said.
NOTE « To live on bread » does not exclude God, but “To live on bread alone” does exclude God, therefore, to live on bread (your need) alone means to seek bread without God’s will.
To try to live one’s life without God’s will, is sin. Or to put God to the test for whatever is neither acting with God nor according to His will.
It is so easy to confuse advancement of one’s own interests with the growth of the kingdom of God. We can slip into the sin of pride almost unawares; of trying to impress people, of showing off, (have a look at many African so call prophet) cockiness and self-importance, of using our gifts to gain glory for ourselves, instead of serving God and bringing glory to Him.
As a Christian leader holds positions of increasing in the church, he or she becomes more and more open to attacks or temptations from the devil to become spiritually proud. This is what happened to the Bible days Pharisees. See Matthew 4: 3–7, The tempter came to Him and said, If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread. Jesus answered, it is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Then the devil took Him to the holy city and had Him stand on the highest point of the temple. If you are the Son of God, he said, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will command His angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. Jesus answered him, It is also written: Do not put the Lord your God to the test. See also Matthew 23 :5–7, Everything they do is done for men to see : They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long ; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues ; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’
Maybe we don’t behave like the Pharisees today, but there are plenty of other ways in which we can fall into the sin of spiritual pride.
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