If Thou Be the Son of God

GOSPEL MESSENGER--August 1893

DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS: We are commanded to “con­sider the Apostle of our profession,” Jesus Christ. I have meditated a great deal about his temptation in the wilderness, and why had he need to be tempted, and I conclude that in order to become the author of eternal salvation to man, he must be made very man and be touched with a feeling of all his infirmi­ties in his own personal flesh, and become obedient by the things which he suffered as our Exampler, and to be able to teach with the authority that personal experience gives.

It is written he was tempted like as we are, and we are tempted by suggestions to our mind. Then Jesus was tempted, not by an audible, visible devil, but by suggestions of Satan as an evil spirit. See Him, immediately after the righteous work of baptism, and the opening heavens, and the Father’s loving voice of approval, and the Holy Spirit in bodily shape abiding on him, driven of the spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil, and we would naturally suppose this would follow disobedience and doubt. Hence, let his disciples stand in the presence of the Father with reverential fear and trembling; nor yet conclude they are forsaken when driven hence to be tempted; for when driven of the spirit, it is to perfect your faith. So Jesus was driven of the spirit into the wilderness of wild beasts of prey, to be tempted of Satan, and he was there forty days and nights, and that without food; and no wonder he was afterwards hungry.

The first and grand aim of Satan in tempting any child of God is to cause him to doubt his divine sonship, and in order to do this, he always assaults a weak point, or takes advantage of any urgent distress or pressing necessity; as in this case, the ex­treme hunger of Jesus. He knew that Jesus was the Son of God, yet hear how he dare approach Him, “If thou be the Son of God, command these stones that they be made bread.”

How surely has Satan assaulted the faith of every child of God with this same “if?” only varying his demand according to the besetting weakness or pressing necessity of the subject, as thus: “If I were a child of God, would I not delight in his law day and night, and live in the light of his countenance? If I were born of God, would He permit such poverty, and hardships, and calamities to attend me? If a child of God, would I live in so much darkness and doubt, and be so vile and sinful? In short, if I am a Christian, would I do and be so and so? If a Christian, could I be and do so and so?” While to others— more in accordance with the above—under extreme pressure, is suggested that, if a child of God, who has all power and the right to draw from his own store without leave or loss to man, then why not cause the laws of nature to deviate and yield to his necessity and relief? As a stone turned to bread, is God using his own power and prerogative and means for his own child?

I know some brethren who seem to think the laws of nature in general are very favorable to them; indeed, that God shows special partiality to them in all natural things, and thus forestalls and prevents all calamities—all hard places in nature to them. True, God does favor his chosen even above nature in the things of nature; but not by changing the laws, but their operative effect, either as yielding more abundant good of the usual kind or as empowered by his unseen hand with special power and potency beyond. For instance: to the obedient, liberal giver of their worldly goods as commanded, is the promise that their seed sown shall yield a more abundant increase—1 Cor. ix. 10. And the ravens that carried food to Elijah were not changed, nor their habits; it was their nature to seek and store food, but the nature and special deposit of that food was of God, to feed Elijah. Man would call this accident or chance; we know it God’s special providence.

But mind you, these special favors and blessings are for the obedient and faithful, and not such as tempt God, or would live by these manifestations, or the doctrine of “election and predes­tination” alone, to the neglect of an every day godly walk and conversation, which has more weight than any mere belief; no, not to these, nor such as feel worthy and merit and look for them. Another great advantage the Christian has—while God does not remove nor lessen the obstacle or temptation, He does give grace sufficient to surmount, to overcome. So, in the example before us, God did not remove or lessen the hunger, but gave grace, to overcome the temptation to make bread of stones. Jesus would not do anything for himself that you cannot do for yourself, though he could have made bread as easily as increase the loaves and fishes. And there is nothing more urgent or distressing than hunger. Thus, Jesus withstood not only as our great Exampler, but also as a Teacher and Preacher, whose mission is now before him, and who must not only live by every word, or obey every law of God, but also must teach the same with that authority that personal experience alone gives; and hence replied, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”

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