Defeating Temptation

Today were going to examine one of the accounts of the temptation of Jesus Christ. The event that is quite well known to most Christians is one of the significant events in the life of our Lord, recorded in all three of the Synoptics Matthew chapter 4 Mark chapter 1 Luke chapter 4 the mark only gives to verse summary rather than the details we find in Matthew and Luke, we come to realize that this temptation was part of Christ's necessary preparation for his ministry and mission upon the earth. There are significant lessons here for us as well and I trust that we shall learn them before the morning is over. We are where I think the Christ answered each temptation was Scripture which is highly significant in all three of the answers he gave came from the book of Deuteronomy, all of them are Old Testament Scriptures because of course at that time. No New Testament Scriptures were written, but it assures us that the Old Testament is just as much the word of the living God is a New Testament Christ employed the book of Deuteronomy to defeat Satan. In these temptation which is highly significant when you realize that as God God and man 100% God and 100% man was he in this God everything he spoke was God's word yet as a man and his temptation came to him as a man, the incarnate son of God, but the man and as a man. He lived according to the written word of God. If he did so must we.

My heart is leaning on the word.

The written word of God and that should be our song day by day examining Luke's account of this temptation. We shall see. Number one the time number two.

The tests number three. The trial first of all, the time of the time when this took place is significant of that is given to us in verses one and two. Then Jesus thing filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Being tempted for 40 days by the devil.

And in those days. He ate nothing and afterwords when they had ended.

He was hungry. When is the time of this temptation in the overall life of Jesus during his 33 years upon the earth all the time as number one. Following his baptism and his number two, following his de-privatization of the does number three.

Following his physical weakness following his baptism, we are told when he returned from the Jordan. That's a reference to his baptism by John in the Jordan River and his baptism was his public identification first with sinners and second with God, but was a very important identification of himself with sinners, for he was to become a sinners substitute was to take the sinners place.

Therefore, as a man, he must be identified with sinners and so we read in Luke 33 and he went into all the region around George and Jordan, preaching a baptism this is John.

Of course, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sin, but why would the sinless one be identified with sinners in their's repentance and in their sinfulness, but it is necessary for him to become the vicarious substitute for sinners.

Thus we read in verse 21 of chapter 3. When all the people were baptized. It came to pass that Jesus also was baptized when all the people were baptized as sinners. All the people and that doesn't mean, of course, every individual without exception. The great multitudes of people. Another use of the word. All that is helpful to our understanding of how the word all is used in Scripture so that we are not misled, but what multitudes of people came and were baptized by John. They came confessing their sin and then being baptized in fact, when the Pharisees came, they wanted to be baptized, but they didn't think they had the sense to confess.

John said, who told you to come generation of vipers, you can't be baptized unless you're willing to acknowledge your sentence of all the people were baptized came confessing their sins. Sin being baptized in water and then Jesus came he had no sins to confess, except ours would be laid upon him later but he too was baptized to identify himself with sinners, but also it was to identify himself with God because in verse 21 he goes on to say, and while he prayed Jesus in the water while he prayed the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said you are my beloved son in you I am well pleased. And here they come together. Don't think Christ identification with man Christ identification with God.

Christ having come as a man, he became a man. He was identified with man even identified with man in their sales. Though he had no slim but at the very same time, clearly identified as a member of the triune Godhead. The father in heaven above the sun and the water below the Holy Spirit descending upon him in the form of a dove. God authenticating him. This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. So, he was publicly identified with sinners and he was publicly identified with God as God. But if this baptism was his public identification. It was also his official authorization as God's approved agent with you. I am well pleased that he was well pleased that he was well pleased to send him forth to carry out the mission for which she had come from heaven to earth and he was authorized as God's anointed messenger for the Holy Spirit descended upon him, and from that time forth he went he went into his mission filled with the Holy Spirit. We read in the opening verse of of Luke chapter 4 that he full of the spirit was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. How could around the one who is God, be filled with the Holy Spirit will that's his human side and that's the mystery as God, God the father, God the Holy Spirit, God the son are three separate persons, but all one God, and you can't really separate them completely.

How could it the sun be filled with the Holy Spirit. He was always filled with the Holy Spirit. And yet, as the man, the man Christ Jesus. This was a special anointing of the Holy Spirit upon him, but all of this was for his necessary qualification for public ministry is baptism was the next-to-last qualification and the temptation by the devil was his last qualification and when that was over, he officially began his public ministry, his baptism to publicly declare who he was to identify himself with sinners and with God's temptation to demonstrate that he was qualified to do everything the God sent him to do it in his temptation. We see a record of perfect obedience and a record of victorious overcoming when we consider men for ministry. Today we consider the qualification none is as qualified as Jesus, and none is as sinless as Jesus and none is as obedient as Jesus. But we look for these two qualifications. We look for a record of faithfulness to the word of God. A record of obedience, not perfect, but a record of obedience over time to the word of God and a record of victorious overcoming of temptation. We look for someone who has not been regularly and and often stumbling and falling into sin how grateful we are that sinners can be forgiven. They can be cleansed, they can be restored to God and to the fellowship of the saints. But what were looking for spiritual leaders and ministers of the word of God were looking for those who have demonstrated a spiritually given power to overcome temptation not to continually and regularly fall into it. Christ shows us that with his temptation. So the time was following his baptism, the time was following his deprived vision. He was led.

We are told in verse one into the wilderness full of the Holy Spirit led by the spirit of God.

We can't miss the import of this. How was Jesus in the wilderness being tempted by Satan. Was this some kind of a mixup with this some kind of a of a unplanned moment was this something that the devil snuck up on him and did, when neither he nor the father intended for this to happen, no, no, no, no, he was led into the wilderness by the spirit in order to be tempted by the devil. God put them there friend.

It's very important that you remember that your temptations also have been appointed to you by God.

Remember that look to him for help and strength during those time he was led into the wilderness he was tempted by Satan the devil Diablo loss, the slander of the accuser being tempted.

We are told a present participle, which seems to indicate that he was being tempted in some fashion during that entire 40 days. We don't know what those temptations work because the ones that are recorded came at the end but he was being tempted. Throughout this time, being tempted for 40 days by the devil. During this time he had nothing to eat. He was deprived of food he endured a long long fast 40 days longer than most of us could even imagine enduring but we know of others in the Bible who also endured a 40 day fast, such as Moses and Elijah. It is not beyond the realm of possibility. Jesus was fasting for 40 days. Presumably he had drink but no food. During this time, but the interesting thing is that he didn't seem to become aware of his hunger until the end of the 40 days notice that being tempted for 40 days by the devil.

And in those days.

He ate nothing and afterword when they had ended.

He was hungry.

Why wasn't he hungry for 40 day weather several possibilities he could have been so sustained by God that his hunger did not appear did not feel his hunger, but I think it's far more likely that he was so focused upon the temptations of the devil so engaged in spiritual warfare that he could couldn't even be aware of his hunger.

He was too occupied with what was going on in this battle of battles in this crucible of temptation, but at the end of 40 days he was aware of his hunger and following his physical weakness, which of course came because of these 40 days of fasting. He was hungry and he was exhausted and then the devil jumped upon him with the three largest temptations, the ones that are recorded for us in Matthew and Luke and we need to recognize the generally are times of weakness agreed to be the times of our greatest temptation. Satan looks for opportunities to exploit our weaknesses and so when we are ill, we are likely to be more greatly tempted, when we are exhausted because of overworked.

We are likely to be more greatly tempted, when we are discouraged because of difficulties in our lives, we are likely to be more greatly tempted, when we are weak and vulnerable. Satan will make us the special object.

The special target of his temptation that he will tempt us to do what you will tempt us to take shortcuts. He will tempt us to compromise the word of God, he will tempt us to become active in known sin.

He will tempt us to doubt God to doubt his goodness to doubt his faithfulness to doubt his word, which is just as much sin as is committing adultery and he will tempt us to do all of these things in the times of our weakness the devil whispered our year and will find ourselves saying things like, if I belong to Christ. Why is this happening to me. If I really am God's child, how come he's letting this happen. If I'm a Christian, then why am I struggling with this.

Just remember the temptation of Christ twice in the three temptations Satan said to him, if you are the son of God almost echoes the words that we ourselves have spoken at time if I am a child of God. If I am a Christian see how Satan insinuates doubts and weakens us in this way, but we move from the time of Christ temptation into the tests. The three tests that he faced during this culmination of his trial of temptation. Three tests recorded for us in verses three through 12.

There is first of all, a temptation of physical desire. Secondly they temptation of personal glory and third, they temptation of religious presumption temptation of physical desire and the devil said to him, if you are the son of God command this stone to become bread.

But Jesus answered him, saying it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. He starts with this insinuation. If you are the son of God, that it should probably be understood by the word since. Since you are the son of God, but that really doesn't lessen the? After the insinuation that comes after it. Since you are or since you claim to be the son of God says just a few days ago in the Jordan River. You are a voice from seven happen say this is my beloved son, well, since you are the son of God, use your divine powers to satisfy your hunger. You are hungry, command this stone to be made bread. He certainly could.

He had the power he could do it, why not. It is a legitimate need. He is hungry. Surely God doesn't want you to be hungry. Surely God doesn't want you to start if you are the son of God, and you have this power then use it satisfy your hunger, but this is a testing and by the way word temptation is synonymous with the word testing you can interchange either one. The Greek word means one is much as the other. This is a test to entice Jesus to satisfy a legitimate desire in a sinful manner.

Now what would be sinful about turning a stone into bread. Jesus did many similar things multiplied the loaves and the fishes made them bread for the multitudes. Why would it be a sin for Jesus to turn the stone into bread. Well, it is because it would be saying, in effect, that God doesn't care for me. God is not concerned about my need. God is not supplying what I need.

I'm going to have to take matters into my own hand forgetting who it was that led Jesus into the wilderness. It was God's heavenly father by the spirit of God who determined to deprive Jesus of food for 40 days and 40 nights.

It was God's heavenly father, who now sees every need God's heavenly father does who is committed to supply his needs. God's heavenly father is and so if God led him into the wilderness to this time of testing that at the proper time. God is going to supply the food that he need God who letting this far is not going to drop him at this point. Therefore, to take matters into his own hands and to supply what would seem to be a very legitimate need would actually be to send by supplying that need in an illegitimate way, in a faithless way in adopting way in a way that indicates that he doesn't fully trust God to take care of him and thus he says to the devil. It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God, which is to say yes food is a legitimate need, but it is not man's greatest need. Of course we need food, but Jesus himself said in the sermon on the Mount talking about food and raiment in the necessities as we call them of life. What did he say your heavenly father. No's. He knows that you have need of these things. He knows that he will supply all the worry about it.anxious about it. Don't take thought about these things.

Your father knows you have need of these things and he will faithfully supply that's what Jesus taught the multitudes right at the beginning of his ministry before he was launched in the public ministry is being tested to see if he believes that himself. Eddie does doubt all is rented, it is written, you shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. Food is a legitimate need, but it's not man's greatest need.

What's man's greatest need to know to believe, to obey the word of God always and ever.

That's the greatest need and if you are following that the greatest need, you can be certain you can be sure you can be absolutely assured that all of your other needs are going to be supplied at the right time in the right place by the heavenly father whose word you are trusting who is will you are obeying whose honor you are glorifying the temptation of physical desire. Number two. The temptation of personal glory. Verse five then the devil taking him on a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. This would have to undoubtedly be some kind of a vision that passed before his eyes and showed him all the kingdoms of the world just in a quick panorama and the devil said to him, all this authority that is rulership over all these kingdom. All of this authority. I will give you and their glory. The great honor that comes with this for this has been delivered to me and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if you will worship before me all will be yours. The appeal what is it well it is in essence for Christ to secure the glory of his kingdom by not going to the cross, bypassing the cross, bypassing all of the difficulties that lead up to the cross, bypassing all of the disappointments in the trials and the ignominy of the shame and the pain of the cross which is God's way of giving him the kingdoms of this world, which shall all be his as God has promised them to him but to get all that which God has promised to him in a quicker or easier way without all the pain of the question is that Satan really have the power to give him all these kingdom, the answer is no.

Yes I know the Bible says he is the God of this world. Yes, I know the Bible says that he is the power of the air, and other verses that talk about the great measure of authority that God has placed in Satan's power at this time but he doesn't have all the power and the Bible is clear your one text out of many that I could cite Romans 13 one. Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from the devil and the authorities that exist are appointed by the devils that would says you know better. You know better. There is no authority except from God. The authorities that exist is talking about rulers and governors and governments in the world at this time in the authorities that exist are appointed by who are appointed by God. The devil didn't have the power that he claimed the devil couldn't deliver on the promise that he made. He was lying. I was surprised that his specialty he was lying he was offering something that he couldn't offer which, by the way does what he does regularly in enticing people in the sin, he entices us to think that if you will do this it will make you happy if you do this you will be fulfilled. If you acquire this that everything's going to be good and he's a lion between his teeth. That's not what's going to happen. It's going to take you down down down down down he is a liar and the father of it, but I find it interesting that Jesus known, knowing that he was lying, knowing that he didn't have this power, knowing that he could give him all these things done calling a lawyer doesn't rail against him. It it it's kind of fun isn't it to start shaking your fist and kick in the devil and talking in the talking in the disrespectful language about him that you notice Jesus doesn't do that.

Other Bible godly people don't do that, even with the devil in the Bible you'll find that there is always a measure of respect and dignity were not being godly when we rail at the devil.

It's a lot of fun but seeing a lot of preachers do it protect the do it myself sometimes take that like anymore like I did when I was young, but I don't even like the children saw this as if I would see them bump bump bump bump bump bump.

I can't think of if I I'd I'd I locked the devil in the box I throw away the key. I'd and so forth, but it's even that is is treating the devil as if he's some kind of mischievous inputs not really treating him with dignity and Jesus in the godly people in the Bible treated the devil that way than how honoring is it for us to rail and to treat with with the undignified language people we don't like in the political realm because they're on the wrong side of issue Christians need to root that out there activity and vocabulary. We can stand for truth and oppose error without calling people names without bullying them without belittling them. We have a godly way to fight against their we don't wrestle with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers of the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. We are battling against the devil we are battling against his demons and we battle with truth, and we don't do it in the same way the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, they are not carnal we don't win by giving it back to them as good as it is, we get the win by calmly, assuredly standing our ground and speaking truth which is exactly what Jesus did and so the devil said if you worship me. I'll give you all of the kingdoms of the world attempting him to compromise in order to achieve the goal of what would be his. Anyway just to get there a little quicker than he would have otherwise. In his response is once again it is written, I can't do this.

I won't do this, why because the written word of God tells me otherwise get behind me Satan. Who else did Jesus say that to Peter, one of the apostles who what he was talking the way he was was demonstrated.

The influence of Satan in his life. Satan can take even Christians and use them for his purpose. Skipping behind me Satan. Jesus says that here get the behind me Satan, for it is written, and here's what's written in Deuteronomy 613, the first quotation with Deuteronomy 83.

This is Deuteronomy 613 you shall worship the Lord your God and him only you shall serve in a course other scriptures could've been cited could've cited Exodus chapter 20 verse three that there is only one God and we worship him and him alone. You shall have no other gods besides me one God.

It is wrong to bow down to anyone or anything, except the Lord God Almighty. And so Jesus that I can't bow down to you, Satan, even if it would be unattractive in an easier way to achieve the goal of becoming the ruler of the kingdoms. It is written, it is written, you shall not worship you shall worship rather the Lord your God and him only you shall serve. The third temptation was a temptation of religious presumption and this may be the most dangerous of all verse nine.

Then he brought him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, if you are the son of God, there it is again. If you are the son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written now say is going to get pious sayings going to quote Scripture. That's what Christ has been doing to him. Jesus said it is Satan. Satan. Satan says it is written, any quotes from Psalm 91 verses 11 and 12 for he shall give his angels charge over you to keep you and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. The location of this temptation were told was in Jerusalem and and on what is called the pinnacle of the temple. We don't know exactly what that pinnacle is with most commentators believe that it was the southeast corner of the Royal porch of the Royal portico which was in the wall that surrounded the whole temple area and that particular corner was right on a cliff, and below it was the Kedron Valley and depending on which of the ancient you read and of course we can't go there now. The conditions of change. So there's was no way of knowing exactly what it looked like at that time, but depending on who you read from the top of the wall. At that point to the floor. The Kedron Valley was anywhere from 300 to 450 feet, throw yourself down because if you are the son of God, God will surely save you. If you are the son of God, you can prove your claim by throwing yourself often, and God will have to save you.

He's promised to prove God's promises, and Satan uses Scripture quoting from Psalm 9111 12 now if you read Psalm 91. It's wonderful is one of your favorites. If you don't recognize the number right off evangel.

You'll recognize it immediately. If I start reading some of it wonderful so he who dwells in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord is my refuge and my fortress, my God in him I will trust.

Surely he shall deliver you from the snare of the Fowler and from the perilous pestilence that's a good one in the days of covert. He shall cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you shall take refuge, and so forth. And what is promising is for those who are walking with the Lord God is going to protect you from all of the dangers and and challenges, difficulties of dangerous difficulties of life that come your way. But it's not promising that if you manufacture a crisis that God didn't send your way. The gods going to protect you from that.

In fact it's far more likely if you do something stupid like that God will say pull it. We don't presume on God.

In this way we don't we don't put God to the test to see if you really mean this guy.

He proves his promises over and over and over again in the daily affairs of life. The trials that he brings into our lives. He will bring us safely through until that last one that's the one that he sends to call his home and when that one comes hallelujah I'm going along goodbye planet Earth trials and sorrows and pain all of those things I'm going to the place where that is all over, but until that time comes, God is going to protect us from every trial he's going to supply every need. Anything that God brings into our lives. God has already designed the answer to the the supply for the protection needed. It's all been arranged and that's what Psalm 91 tells us that he tells us that if in the course of life we we stumble and – our foot against a stone. God will if necessary even send his angel to embarrass up to keep us safe in that situation.

How many of you have experience things were. You're almost sure that God must've put an angel there.

I've I've had things like that. I didn't see them. Of course I will when I was in college I was in an automobile accident that should've taken my life, if you saw the car you would wonder how did he get a life that's with the patrolman's and how to get out of that life and I was out I had some minor injuries but I was brought to life. I can't prove it but I would be surprised if God did send an angel protect me and do that, but I'm sure not going to run my car in front of an 18 wheeler to say no God you promise to protect me.

Let's see you fulfill your promise.

The day I do that.

The day you will read my well the day or two later. Three. My obituary in the Times news.

So Satan quoted Scripture, which reminds us that not everybody who quote Scripture is telling the truth. Not everyone you hear on radio quoting scriptures, quoting it correctly is interpreting it correctly is telling you the true meaning of it. Not all telling you the truth that everyone you hear on television quoting scriptures telling you the truth just because somebody quote Scripture does not mean that they are communicating truth. They may be lying through their teeth just like the devil and deliberately doing so, and deliberately twisting and misusing Scripture to try to deceive gullible Christians who wouldn't fall for another temptation. But if your quote Scripture if you'll make it religious.

Some Christians will just stumble right into the trap because they don't know Scripture very well.

The devil knows it better than you do is been studying it for thousands of years knows how to misuse.

So what Jesus do to counteract the misuse of Scripture by the devil.

He quoted Scripture and quoted the correctly and quoted a Scripture which corrects the misuse of Satan's illegitimate use of Scripture and interesting. Here the language is slightly different. Instead of saying it is written, he says it has been said, which means the same thing, but it probably indicates that he picked up on Satan's little device.

Jesus had said to him, it is written is written sentences back to him. It is written Jesus as it has been said. Still, the word of God and he quote Scripture. It has been said, you shall not tempt or test the Lord your God, it's sinful to do what you just suggested that I do throw myself deliberately off of the temple and demand that God sent angels to protect me. This tells us, Christ quoting Scripture to correct Scripture would go to do that regularly or we will be misled by misuse of Scripture by others. We need to know Scripture well enough we know the Scripture, that will correct the misuse that others make of Scripture. But this tells us the Scripture does not contradict itself. If Deuteronomy 616 says don't test the Lord your God. You can be sure Psalm 9111 and 12 doesn't mean if you throw yourself off the cliff. God's obligated to protect you. Scripture doesn't contradict itself. Therefore, if it seems to a lot of people struggle with what they think are contradictions in the Bible.

If you think you have some contradiction that you're struggling with just chalk it up.

It's not the Scripture. It's faulty. It's your understanding. It's faulty is not the Scripture that needs to be corrected by some wise man who is wiser than God knows what the Scripture should've said it's your misunderstanding that needs to be corrected.

You need to humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, you need to put yourself under the authority of Scripture.

You need to ask God to help you understand what Scripture means so that you can understand Scripture to correct the misuse of Scripture that many in our days will employ while the triumph in verses 13 through 15 is very very wonderful. We find that Jesus exhausted Satan's devices and that amazing now verse 13 when the devil had Had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time when the devil had ended every temptation all the temptations of the 40 days plus the three final ones at the end have exhausted Satan's arsenal. For now, he's he has no weapon left at the moment Jesus exhausted everyone. I'll never do that, you'll never do that but he did.

He left the devil with no weapon left that is clever and fired everyone unsuccessfully until they were all gone.

Jesus exhausted Satan's devices, Jesus defeated Satan's assault and Satan departed from him until a more opportune time until he had a chance to lick his wounds. Think about his weapons come back another time and try again. Which he did. Later on, Satan was defeated for now though, he returned in the future. He was defeated for now and how was he defeated by the written word of God. My heart is leaning on the word. The written word of God salvation through my Savior's name salvation in his blood. That's the way that you defeat Satan, now Jesus begins his assigned mission preaching in his home region begins by what teaching in the synagogues just preaching Sabbath day by Sabbath day of the very synagogues the different towns around the galley. That's all he begins his public ministry, preaching in the synagogues on the Sabbath day received a favorable response. Initially and went into this ministry fully prepared by the godly home where he was reared by his personal study of Scripture which we find reference to by the maturing process that took place. Now he's 30 years of age, and he's fully mature by his baptism, which was a necessary obedience in public identification and by his amazing victory over temptation is fully prepared to carry out his mission now to significant lessons. In conclusion number one what is the significance of Jesus victory over temptation. First of all, he now at the end of the temptation remains the sinless one. He was sinless going into the temptation. The sinless coming out is still the sinless one is critical think I told you that a recent poll showed that, I think 47% think that was a number of people who identify themselves as evangelical Christians think the Jesus maybe send what are you thinking what's your understanding of the gospel. How can there be any vicarious atonement for sin. Jesus had sent a result, people who call themselves Christian. Don't even know the gospel, the simple gospel. He remained the sinless one. He demonstrated that is superior to Satan. That's why we don't have to fear were not superior to Satan but the one that we are joined to yes and the one who indwells his children. Yes, the one who was given us the written word of God is, and he's given us everything we need. Therefore Jesus is qualified to teach us.

He's qualified to represent us as our high priest, and as our sacrifice on the cross season. He's qualified to die for us.

He is fully qualified in his victory over temptation. Secondly, there significance here for our own temptations and we need to learn from this.

Even though there is some difference for Christ temptations were unique.

They're not exactly like ours because he had no sin nature.

No inward said there was nothing in his temptations that could appeal to some sinful impulse inside of him that responded to the temptation like we have every one of us in his case it was all external enticement, so it was unique but there are similarities and the similarity of appeal cannot be overlooked. He was tempted in regard to physical desire personal glory, religious presumption, and so will we be in all of those areas. Physical desires to have them all kinds me take one so big in our day sex God created us the sexual beings he created me with a and here we go a knee for sex so he must must be okay for me to satisfy it. Whatever way I can or, in this day of LB GT. The homosexual God made me this way. Did he really will save that for another time. God made me this way. Therefore he can't be displeased. If I satisfy my need. In this way. I know it's it's it's supposed to what the Bible says, but God made me this way.

God gave me this neat is legitimate for me to satisfy this need for even something as simple as an unhappy marriage. God would want me to be unhappy so he he's not going to mind if I ditch my husband or wife and get somebody else to make me happy. God wants me to be happy to see how easy it is to justify and rationalize our sin. What did Jesus say to the devil when he appealed to him to satisfy his physical desires. Man shall not live by bread alone, food is a legitimate need, but it's not the most important most important need is obeying the word of God. Sex is not the most important need the most important need is obeying the word of God.

Marital happiness is wonderful as it is not the most important need the most important need is obeying the word of God.

The only way you can honor God is to obey his word. Any time you step outside his word, with whatever justification and we can fill our minds with justifications that sound very reasonable to us. They can even sound very godly and religious and they are about as godly and religious as the devil. We must keep going back to the same defense. The word of God. We need to know what we need to know how to use it.

We need to submit to it are logic our emotions or desires never ever ever ever trump God's work nail that down if you'll never let that go along to the Lord with your life.

Let's pray father, help us to be people of your word. Help us to be determined to obey your word, O Lord God help us. We are weak we need the power of your spirit fasten our hearts to your word and don't let us go, we pray. Amen