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Re: Understanding Temptation
#48125
03/10/06 11:21 AM
03/10/06 11:21 AM
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quote:
Can anyone bring up the EGW reference which says that Satan works to deceive believers so as to minimize his punishment?
Well Tom, I have been looking, but can’t find one that says that in so many words. But, it seems to me that the Sanctuary teaches it, doesn’t it?
Satan is the Scape Goat, right? And it is the “repentant soul’s” sins that are laid on him. Those who are unrepentant, well, they carry their own sins. So, the more people who carry their own sins, the less that Satan carries….the lesser his punishment will be.
quote:
When the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord, then the sins of the repentant soul who has received the grace of Christ and has overcome through the blood of the Lamb, will be removed from the records of heaven, and will be placed upon Satan, the scapegoat, the originator of sin, and be remembered no more against him forever. . . . Signs of the Times, May 16, 1895.
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Re: Understanding Temptation
#48126
03/10/06 11:49 AM
03/10/06 11:49 AM
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quote:
The Lord never says that the temptations will be stronger, but that the deception will be greater. In other words; darkness will increase, and people will think that their darkness is light.
Hi John, I think the following quotes do say that the temptations are greater (stronger) now than before, but it is also true that the deception is greater.
quote:
The power of Satan now to tempt and deceive is ten-fold greater than it was in the days of the apostles. His power has increased, and it will increase, until it is taken away. His wrath and hate grow stronger as his time to work draws near its close. {2SG 277.1}
The temptations of Satan are greater now than ever before, for he knows that his time is short, and that very soon every case will be decided, either for life or for death. {CET 103.1}
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Re: Understanding Temptation
#48127
03/10/06 11:53 AM
03/10/06 11:53 AM
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quote:
What is spiritual darkness?
What is spiritual light?
Isn't this spiritual darkness:
quote:
“What greater deception can come upon human minds than a confidence that they are right when they are all wrong! The message of the True Witness finds the people of God in a sad deception, yet honest in that deception. They know not that their condition is deplorable in the sight of God. While those addressed are flattering themselves that they are in an exalted spiritual condition, the message of the True Witness breaks their security by the startling denunciation of their true condition of spiritual blindness, poverty, and wretchedness. The testimony, so cutting and severe, cannot be a mistake, for it is the True Witness who speaks, and His testimony must be correct. {3T 252.4}
and it seems as "spiritual light" would be the exact opposite of that..
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Re: Understanding Temptation
#48128
03/10/06 01:28 PM
03/10/06 01:28 PM
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Active Member 2012
14500+ Member
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 14,795
Lawrence, Kansas
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Tammy, the first post you responded to was MM, not me. My first post you didn't respond to.
Regarding Adam's sinning, I found that an odd answer to my question. My question to you was how Christ could have sinned had He not had any desire to do the thing He was tempted to do. Your answer was not an answer to my question, but another question. So I must figure out how the answer to your question answers mine, which involves some assumptions.
Adam chose to sin because he wanted to join Eve in her decision. So Adam it was not a desire to eat the forbidden fruit which lead Adam to sin, but a desire to be with Eve.
I'm guessing your thinking is:
a)Adam had no desire to eat of the forbidden fruit, yet he sinned.
b)This shows it is possible to fall to temptation, even though one has not desire to do the thing one is being tempted to do.
c)Therefore Christ could be temped, even though He had not desire to do the thing He was tempted to do.
Did I reason out your position correctly? If this is correct, I fail to see how this is temptation at all, let alone "fierce." Was Christ's "temptation" any different than that of an angel?
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Re: Understanding Temptation
#48129
03/10/06 01:30 PM
03/10/06 01:30 PM
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Active Member 2012
14500+ Member
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 14,795
Lawrence, Kansas
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My short answer to the light/darkness question is that light is truth and darkness is the reverse.
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Re: Understanding Temptation
#48130
03/10/06 02:09 PM
03/10/06 02:09 PM
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Dedicated Member
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,196
Ontario
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The biggest temptation then is to view God and his righteousness as the source of condemnation and death. From this all the other temptations gain their power.
The greatest victory over temptation is to receive the eye salve and see through this deception to the true nature of God’s character. From this all power of heaven is availed to us.
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
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Re: Understanding Temptation
#48131
03/10/06 02:41 PM
03/10/06 02:41 PM
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Active Member 2012
14500+ Member
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 14,795
Lawrence, Kansas
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I agree John. You wrote: quote:
The biggest temptation then is to view God and his righteousness as the source of condemnation and death. From this all the other temptations gain their power.
I've thought of this in terms of perceiving God as arbitrary. That is, all error can be traced to this one principle of perceiving God to be arbitrary in some way.
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Re: Understanding Temptation
#48132
03/11/06 03:41 AM
03/11/06 03:41 AM
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5500+ Member
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,154
Brazil
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quote:
Can anyone bring up the EGW reference which says that Satan works to deceive believers so as to minimize his punishment?
And now by the death of Christ he knew that he himself must finally die, and his kingdom be given to Jesus. He held a council with his angels. He had prevailed nothing against the Son of God, and now they must increase their efforts and with their power and cunning turn to His followers. They must prevent all whom they could from receiving the salvation purchased for them by Jesus. By so doing Satan could still work against the government of God. Also it would be for his own interest to keep from Jesus as many as possible. For the sins of those who are redeemed by the blood of Christ will at last be rolled back upon the originator of sin, and he must bear their punishment, while those who do not accept salvation through Jesus will suffer the penalty of their own sins. {EW 178.1}
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Re: Understanding Temptation
#48133
03/10/06 06:07 PM
03/10/06 06:07 PM
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Active Member 2012
14500+ Member
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 14,795
Lawrence, Kansas
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Re: Understanding Temptation
#48134
03/10/06 06:14 PM
03/10/06 06:14 PM
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Active Member 2012
14500+ Member
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 14,795
Lawrence, Kansas
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Is that the only one like this? Or are there others? It seems to me I read something like this in the 1888 materials.
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