Jesus on Probation

I know what you are thinking, "Jesus on probation, come on man. He never committed a crime, so why is He on probation?" Well, to be honest, it fits. You see probation is a moral trial or a period of testing. Just as courts decide when an inmate is ready for life in society by a period of probation, so Jesus was on a "probation" - so to speak - by the Father.

In the temptation or testing of Jesus we see satan continually asking him, "if you are the Son of God..." then do this or do that. Jesus, in each case lives in His identity as the Son of God by not doing the very thing satan asks of Him. In fact, He responds by saying, "it is written..." and then goes on to rebuff temptation with the use of Scripture. What's amazing is not that He could quote the Bible, rather the life He found in those words He quoted is what I cling to.

You see, the issue in passing through temptation successfully lies not in how much Scripture I can quote. The real issue is whether I find my life in the words of the Father. When Jesus was baptized God did the all-confirming identity work that was so crucial for Jesus' success in life and ministry - He loved Jesus before He did anything.

So, resting in the finished work of Jesus Christ, God's demonstration of love for us, is the precursor to any tools or practical blocks to temptation. It is with that in mind that I post these few simple ideas and resources to help you in your battle against temptation:

1. Fasting (Matt. 4:2-4) - a great tool for spiritual growth, but oft misunderstood. The book "Celebration of Discipline" by Richard Foster is an excellent resource (there is one chapter devoted to fasting).
2. Accountability (Matt4:11) seek out ways that you can share your temptations with others in an effort to minimize their hold on you (James 1:12) www.x3watch.com is FREE internet accountability software that logs questionable sites and emails them to addresses of your choosing - great tool.
3. Run: in each of the three temptations of Jesus He responds by saying "it is written..." Jesus did not have a conversation with satan in regards to the temptation. In the same way Joseph in Genesis did not discuss with Potifer's wife any possible options - he ran. Often we should follow this example.

Finally, I invite you to click the "comment" link and begin a discussion about this post or other ideas you have for practical ways to deal with temptation.
Oh, one more thing, recently I preached on this very issue. You can download it by clicking HERE