“Again it is written …”
When Jesus was being tempted in the wilderness he gave us this phrase, which might be the most important phrase in the Bible. (Matthew 4:7) When responding to a question about the Scriptures, we should be using the Scriptures!
Temptation of Christ – 16th Century – Simon Bening (circa 1483/1484–1561)
The account of the temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11) is a short one, but it holds some very heavy lessons. What jumps out at me is how powerful Satan really is. When Satan was tempting Jesus, he gave us an example of how well he can misuse the Scriptures.
It still happens all the time – Satan helps God’s enemies misuse the Scriptures. Those who wish to defend God often cannot, because their knowledge is not strong enough to stand against the attack on their beliefs. We’ve all heard the common ones:
- Judge not lest ye be judged
- Take a little wine for your stomach’s sake
- Eat, drink, and be merry!
- Be not overly righteous
The pro-gay community is getting really good at deflecting the Bible’s prohibition against homosexuality.
It is important that a Christian is able to respond to such temptations (or tests of our knowledge) with “It is written … ”
He must also be able to do so in context, and in the spirit the text was written.
If you are a Christian and desire to respond the same way Jesus showed us when he was tempted, there are some easy steps you can take:
- Begin a daily devotional reading program.
- Take extra time to study on a regular basis
- Attend Bible classes at every opportunity
- Set a goal to become a Bible teacher
Doing these things over the years will make you good at using the Bible the way God intended for it to be used.
January 3, 2014
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