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Chapter 4
19
man must experience when striving against sin. He realized how
bad a man may become by yielding to sin. He realized the terrible
consequences of the transgression of God’s law; for the iniquity of
the whole world was upon Him (
The Youth’s Instructor, July 20,
1899
).
Christ a Free Moral Agent
—The temptations to which Christ
was subjected were a terrible reality. As a free agent, He was placed
on probation, with liberty to yield to Satan’s temptations and work
at cross-purposes with God. If this were not so, if it had not been
possible for Him to fall, He could not have been tempted in all points
as the human family is tempted (
The Youth’s Instructor, October 26,
1899
).
Christ on Probation
—For a period of time Christ was on pro-
bation. He took humanity on Himself, to stand the test and trial
[1083]
which the first Adam failed to endure. Had He failed in His test and
trial, He would have been disobedient to the voice of God, and the
world would have been lost (
The Signs of the Times, May 10, 1899
).
3, 4. An Argument With Satan
—Bear in mind that it is none
but God that can hold an argument with Satan (
Letter 206, 1906
).
4 (see
EGW comment on Genesis 3:24
). Deviation More
Grievous Than Death
—[
Matthew 4:4
quoted.] He told Satan that
in order to prolong life, obedience to God’s requirements was more
essential than temporal food. To pursue a course of deviation from
the purposes of God, in the smallest degree, would be more grievous
than hunger or death (
Redemption: or The First Advent of Christ,
page 48
).
5, 6. Who Can Stand a Dare?
—Jesus would not place Himself
in peril to please the devil. But how many today can stand a dare
(
Manuscript 17, 1893
)?
8-10 (
Luke 4:5-8
). A View of Real Conditions
—He [Satan]
asked the Saviour to bow to his authority, promising that if He
would do so, the kingdoms of the world would be His. He pointed
Christ to his success in the world, enumerating the principalities and
powers that were subject to him. He declared that what the law of
Jehovah could not do, he had done.
But Jesus said, “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou
shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” This
was to Christ just what the Bible declares it to be—a temptation.