Jesus is Tested, Part 2: Temptation and Guilt (Lk. 4:1-13)
Do you feel guilty when you are tempted? Should you feel guilty when you are tempted? Some people do.
I have known from experience for a long time that some people feel guilty because of temptation. A sense of guilt because they have been tempted. As if it is a sin to be tempted.
Instead of thanking God that they did not give into a temptation, they confess their sin of being tempted in the first place. So one man thanks God for helping him overcome temptation, and the other man confesses to God that he has been tempted and asks for forgiveness.
Some don’t feel guilty even when they sin. But others—others—feel guilty only because they have been tempted. Is it a sin to be tempted?
I found this by Charles Stanley. It is from In Touch, p. 13. 1988.
I quote: “Temptation itself is a sin. We fall into temptation. God is disappointed and displeased when we are tempted. To be strongly tempted means we are as guilty as if we had actually committed the sin...When I am spiritually mature, I will not longer be harassed by temptation.” (Charles Stanley, In Touch, June 1988, p. 13)
Is that true? Is God displeased when I am tempted? Am I guilty when I am tempted? And if I were spiritually mature would I no longer be tempted? Is all of that true?
Jesus Tempted in Desert [2:56]
Ok, let’s get to Jesus in the desert. Matthew says that Jesus was led into the desert by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the Devil. (Matt. 4:1) After Jesus had fasted in the desert for forty days the Devil came and tempted him: If you are the Son of God, turn this stone to bread. (Lk. 4:3) But of course, Jesus refused. He would not prove that he was the son of God. He would not use his miraculous powers to end the fast early.
And then two more temptations. Bow down and worship me and I will give you all the kingdoms of the world. And throw yourself down from the pinnacle of the temple. The angels will save you. Everyone will see that you are the son of God.
What do we know about our salvation? What do we know about our redemption? Peter says we were redeemed by the blood of Jesus. Like a lamb without a blemish. Spotless. Peter is saying that in the same way Passover lambs did not have a single, physical spot or blemish, Jesus did not have a single sin. Unblemished. Spotless. Sinless. (1 Pet. 1:18,19)
Or, in the words of Hebrews: Holy, harmless, undefiled. (Heb. 7:26)
The apostle John: in Him there is no sin. (1 John 3:5)
And others. (1 Pet. 2:22; 2 Cor. 5:21)
Why is it so important that Jesus was sinless. He had to be sinless to die for the sins of others. The penalty for sin is death. If Jesus had a sin, even one, his death would have been punishment for his own sin. But because he was without sin, his life could be given in place of another.
Now, do we really want to say that temptation is sin? If it is a sin to be tempted, then Jesus was guilty of sin.
Of course, that was the Devil’s goal: to take away Jesus’ power to die for our sins. And the Devil knows that it only takes one sin! If he can get Jesus to sin just one time, no matter how big or small the sin, then the Devil has won! Jesus can still die on a cross in Jerusalem, but it will not bring salvation to others. Jesus will be paying the penalty for his own sin.
So, that is the Devil’s goal. One sin. And how many times did he tempt Jesus? If being tempted is a sin, then the Devil’s work was done after the first temptation. If being tempted to turn stones to bread is a sin, then there was no need for a second temptation. Or a third. The game is over. The Devil has won.
But we know the Devil did not win. We know that Jesus was without sin. Without sin in his youth. Without sin in the desert. Without sin on the cross. Without sin, ascended to heaven.
Strong Temptations [8:01]
Going back to our quote by Charles Stanley. I did notice that he says “To be strongly tempted means we are as guilty as if we had actually committed the sin.”
I am sure Jesus was strongly tempted. Some temptations in life are light. And some are very, very heavy.
Jesus hadn’t eaten in forty days. And the Devil himself is speaking to Jesus face-to-face. And Jesus has the power to turn stones to bread.
How long did this temptation take? An hour or two? We don’t know. Maybe the Devil was going on and on about how good the bread would taste. Ever how long it was, it was a heavy temptation. It was strong.
But even facing a strong temptation did not make Jesus guilty of sin. After Jesus repelled Satan’s attacks three times, through three temptations, did Jesus feel defeated because he had been tempted? Or victorious because he did not give in to temptation. There is no doubt about it—Jesus was the victorious conqueror.
The Deceiver [10:08]
The Hebrews called the Devil Ha Satan. Ha Satan is literally translated The Deceiver.
Many years ago—really I should say decades ago—I remember a statement my wife made in a Bible class at the Holmes Road church in Memphis. It has always stuck with me. She said, “The Devil is so good that he can make you feel like you are doing it wrong when really you are doing it right.”
I think that is what is going on when someone overcomes temptation and feels guilty that they were tempted. You’ve done it right, but the Deceiver makes you feel guilty. “Tempted? Really, you were tempted? If you were truly righteous you would not have been tempted!”
Jesus our Helper [11:28]
What do you do with something like that? What can help a person caught in that emotional trap? Well, do what Jesus did. Quote scripture. What scripture? Hebrews helps. Jesus, our high priest is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. He was tempted in every way that we have been tempted. But he is without sin. (Heb. 4:15)
And then there is this: Because Jesus was tempted, he is able to help us when we are tempted. (Heb. 2:18)
The Lord does not look down on us at the time of our temptation and judge us. He does not say that temptation is a sin. He is not looking for guilt. He is not waiting for repentance.
He looks down and he remembers. He remembers the desert. He remembers hunger. And he remembers the power of The Deceiver. He is sympathetic because he remembers what it is like to suffer and be tempted.
He can help because he has been there. He knows from experience.
Years ago one of the members of our congregation in Kyiv told me one day about a problem. I was in my mid-forties, something like that. And she told me that one of the older members was having a very difficult time.
“So, what is the problem, Marina?”
“Well, this brother is having a very hard time.”
“Why? What happened?”
“Well, he had a stroke a few weeks ago and he has been at home. He is having a very hard time dealing with it. He is depressed. He is despondent. And no one can help him. Oh, some of our members have gone and tried to cheer him up. But they don’t really know what to say. They just say, ‘Try to be happy. Cheer up. Everything will be alright.’ But it doesn’t help.”
“OK. Let me go. I’ll talk with him.” And so I did. And she went with me to interpret.
He was there. His wife was there. We were there. In his apartment.
No one had told me what he was going through, only that he had suffered a stroke. No one told me, but I knew. And so I began by saying, when I was thirty-three years old, I had a stroke. Not a mini-stroke. A full blown stroke. In an instant a blood clot completely blocked my right carotid artery. I am truly lucky to be alive.
And he sat there and listened.
I told him I cried a thousand tears on a thousand nights. Night and day, uncontrollable tears.
And he shook his head: Yes!
I told him that my emotions were completely scrambled.
And he said: Yes.
I told him that I blamed myself.
And he shook his head: Yes.
I told him about the deepest, unimaginable depression.
And he shook his head: Yes.
And finally I told him that walking outside is harsh. The city is harsh. The concrete buildings are harsh. The sounds are harsh. Cars and people. It is extremely stressful for you to go outside. The sights and sounds are hard.
And he shook his head: Yes.
And so I finished by telling him you’ve got to get out of the city. Or, if you can’t get out of the city, you need to go a park. A quiet park with a lot of greenery. Green plants. Green is a soothing color and it will help you. How did I know that? I knew it from experience.
Well, we said a prayer. We left.
I knew his story because I knew my story. I could sympathize in a way no one else could. Why?
Experience. Do you know what a person goes through when they have a stroke? Perhaps you do because you have read about it. But I know because of experience.
About a month later Marina told me that his wife had called. And my talk with him had done more to help him than anything else. Good.
Hebrews says that Jesus can sympathize with our weaknesses. Why? Because he was tempted in all things like us, but he is without sin. (Heb. 4:15)
My temptations are real. Your temptations are real. Jesus can sympathize with our temptations because he was tempted. The Lord does not judge you because you are tempted. So don’t judge yourself.
It is not a sin to be tempted.
Rick Walker
Vinogradar church of Christ
Vinekeeper Congregation
Kyiv, Ukraine
