"For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous."
Romans 5:19 (NIV)
In the beginning, Adam was created by God; Adam had no human father. In the dawn of the new creation, Jesus of Nazareth was formed in Mary's womb by the power of the Holy Spirit; Jesus had no human father. As soon as Satan heard God declare that Jesus of Nazareth was His Son whom He loved, Satan came down to see if he could lead Jesus in disobedience just like he led Adam into disobedience and destroy God's creation.
The account of Satan's deception of Eve, which led to Adam's disobedience and the account of Satan's temptation of Jesus have striking similarities:
Aimed at the appetite
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food.
He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
Aimed at personal advancement
Pleasing to the eye and also desirable for gaining wisdom.
"I will give you all their authority and splendor."
Shortcut to glory
"And you will be like God, knowing good and evil. "
"If you worship me, it will all be yours."
Misuse of the Word of God
"Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden?'"
"Throw yourself down from here. For it is written:"
Oh friend, Satan has a limited playbook; he uses the same plows over and over again. He uses our appetites against us. He uses our desire for our own advancement (pride). He offers us "shortcuts" to glory and He twists God's Words.
What will we do today? Will we read God's Word for ourselves and take the time required to consider the meaning and application of the Word into our lives? Will we recognize the desire for personal advancement as the sin of pride and seek to attain to John the Baptist's attitude of "He must become greater; I must become less" (Jn 3:30). Will we seek to discipline our appetites to recognize them as potential allies of Satan? Will we refuse the shortcut to glory, no matter how tempting it may look? Will we WAIT on our Lord to save us in His time and in His way? Will we live our lives in these bodies through faith in the Son of God, who loves us and gave Himself up for us? Jesus, the friend of sinners. Jesus, the Son who obeyed.
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