How often have you spoken about the temptations you experience? Even to your nearest and dearest? Not often, I suppose, because we know that too often we’ve given in to them! But Jesus must have told his disciples how he was tempted – because they could learn so much from it.

Paul too,was willing to share his personal history on a number of occasions – and does so in his letter to the Philippians – because he wanted so much that they should share his attitude to what some might call “being religious”. Yes, he wanted their love to abound more and more...(1:9) And he sought their progress and joy in the faith. (1:25) God wants that for us, too – so let’s look at these passages together, starting with Paul’s letter.

The antidote to human self-confidence:

Brothers and sisters, he says – for it’s clear he’s always speaking to both! (4:1+2) – rejoice in the Lord! Realise how much he’s done for you, is doing now, and has promised to do hereafter – keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and his love – and you won’t be led astray. And that’s not something I’m tired of telling you!

Paul goes on to warn them – in very insulting language – about other Jewish Christians who, if they came to Philippi, would try to get them to become more Jewish – by undergoing circumcision, and therefore observing the Jewish Sabbath, and following the Jewish dietary laws. They would call it, “truly being part of the people of God”. But, to Paul, this was anathema, because you can’t rely on Jesus – and something else as well! God’s free grace – his undeserved favour – plus a human extra, ceases to be grace at all! Grace is cancelled out, if we trust in ourselves!

So Paul launches into a description of his own experience. If anyone could put their confidence in past religious status or experience – he could – but, instead of his record being one of gain – he now regarded it as one of loss! Why was this? How would Paul answer us? He would say, Because of Christ – because of all that Christ now means to me.

Christ loved me and gave himself for me (Gal 2:20), even to death on a cross (2:8). Christ chose and called me to be his witness (Acts 9:15, 22:15), he’s given me new life (Eph 2:5), and an assurance of being in Christ’s presence forever. Nothing in my previous life could compare with that! What is more, says Paul, I count all things, as loss, because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus – my Lord!

Clearly, Paul, this is no head-knowledge about Christ – but an intimate, personal, day-to-day experience of Christ’s faithful help – a present reality in your life! It’s like the Lord’s word to Jeremiah, Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, or the strong man boast of his strength, or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he.. knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises faithful love, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight. (Jer 9:23,24)

Yes, says Paul – to me, to live is Christ! (1:21) Because of Christ I have lost all things – and count them as filthy rubbish – in order that I might gain Christ and be found in him. All things, Paul? Yes, all things – the things I was so proud about, the religious attainments I’ve just been talking about, my pride of race and country, my learning, the things I relied upon to give me meaning and security – in the light of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord – they are nothing, just tinsel, or worse. I cannot rely on them and, at the same time, trust in Christ!

You know how it is with children – give them a bicycle to ride, and their toys are forgotten! My daughter, when she’d learnt to paraglide, said, Why climb, when you can fly?! Why then, do we boast about things that cannot compare with knowing Jesus? We take pride in our countries, don’t we? An honoured place for our country’s flag in our churches. Names of wealthy benefactors are inscribed on walls, and our degrees and honours are written after our names. Away with such boasting!

For what can compare to the honour of being called sons and daughters of the Living God (Hos 1:10; Isa 43:6; Rom 8:14-17, 9:26), with access into his presence through his Son, Jesus Christ? (Rom 5:1; Heb 4:16) Has being a Christian become a formality to you, so that you just give Jesus lip-service? Or are you as much in love with him now, as you were the day you gave your heart and your life to him?

When I first became a Christian, we used to sing simple choruses. One I’ve never forgotten, went like this:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.

You see, says Paul, I don’t have a righteousness – a right relationship with God – which is based on religious observance, but in Christ I have a right relationship with God founded on a trust in Christ – a righteousness that God himself has provided.

So there’s no place for self-confidence or boasting! No place for trusting in our christening, our knowledge of the Bible, our charitable giving, our reputation for upright living or any other thing we may have done. They’re just foul-smelling garbage! Jesus alone puts us right with God, when we trust entirely in him, and put no confidence in ourselves.

Knowing Christ – the prize for which God has called us:

That’s what I’ve done, says Paul, so that I might know him. What do you mean, Paul, by knowing Christ? It means that I know the power of his resurrection in my life. For each day I experience suffering for his sake – I share in the same scorn and rejection that was his – beatings and imprisonments, too – and I can cope with that, even rejoice in it, because of his presence with me, his sharing with me his victory (John 16:33). That is what I mean when I speak of the power of his resurrection, and knowing Christ. Therefore pray for your brothers and sisters who are undergoing the same persecution right now, that they too may know Christ’s presence with them! (Heb 13:3)

Paul would continue, Jesus told me I must suffer for his sake (Acts 9:16) – and we must all go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22) It was not otherwise for Christ himself, who became obedient to death, before God exalted him (2:8,9). We too must take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23) – our lives must be cross-shaped – so that others may be attracted to Christ.

Do you remember how Silas and I sang God’s praises in that stinking prison cell, our backs raw from the lictor’s rods, our feet in the stocks? We were overcoming through the power of the resurrection and the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, and through it all, after God had shaken the place, the jailer came to put his trust in Christ!

When I live in this way, says Paul, my goal is the resurrection from the dead, when I shall know Christ fully, face to face, even as I am fully known to him. (1 Cor 13:12) But I don’t yet fully know him, I haven’t reached that goal, but I press on, to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me – long ago, in that never to be forgotten encounter on the road to Damascus!

Let’s pause for a moment and ask ourselves – what is our goal in life? Do we long to meet our Saviour? Does the thought of our death – or of his return – inform all we do? Some may belong to a country that always looks to the future – but without Christ there is no future to look forward to! The tragedy of the Western world is, that having lost our Christian hope, we do our best to deny death, and try to make our present eternal. Why else spend millions on cosmetic surgery, and cosmetics to hold back aging?

Paul goes on, This one thing I do, I’m disregarding all that lies behind me – I’m not going to be distracted by looking back – I’m straining forward to what lies ahead. Like a runner coming into the home-stretch, all I’m thinking about is the finishing line, and the prize that awaits me. That prize is Jesus himself, and all that that involves, for that is the destiny to which God has called me – and everyone who longs for Christ’s appearing! (2 Tim 4:8) May God give us all a like passion! Let us, too, rejoice in the Lord!

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews uses the same picture of the race we’re all running: Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb 12:2). It’s time therefore to turn to Matthew’s Gospel, and learn from Jesus, how he chose to run his race!

How Jesus was tested – and we are, too:

He’d just been baptised, endowed with the Spirit of God, and confirmed as God’s Son, whom the Father loved. Now the Spirit led Jesus into the desert, where he fasted and prayed for 40 days, in preparation for the role God had called him for. Now, in his weakened state, the tempter came to him and tested Jesus’ resolve.

The three temptations amount to doing God’s work according to human wisdom and preference, and not according to God’s will, that would take Jesus to the cross. To each temptation, Jesus gives an unequivocal rejection. He’d determined always to do his Father’s will. (John 4:34, 5:30, 6:38, 8:29) As Paul was to say, As recognizably a human being, Jesus humbled himself, and became obedient to death.. (Phil 2:8) Where Adam failed and brought death into this world, the last Adam fought and won eternal life for us. (Rom 5:12-21)

The first suggestion of the devil was that Jesus might legitimately use his God-given authority to answer his pressing need for bodily food. Jesus replied, It is written, ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’ (Deut 8:3) That’s a statement very much addressed to our generation, so attracted to worldly and bodily satisfaction of all kinds – whether food, sex, well-being and beauty of body, comfort and pride of home and possessions, and so forth. Behind Jesus’ statement lie the questions, What are we made for? What alone can give us real life, real hope, real purpose?

Many of the things I have mentioned, that the world craves, are not evil in themselves – to the contrary, they are generous gifts of God. But, when they are not recognised as such, and are sought independently of God’s will, then we are living for our own pleasure, and not for God’s. What is our personal priority? To live for our pleasure is actually to impoverish our lives – because we are made to know and have fellowship with God, in Christ.

The opposite of living to satisfy our desires – is not to deprive ourselves of every desire, as if God’s gifts were evil. No, the opposite lies in Jesus’ words, Seek first your Father’s kingdom, and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matt 6:33). Only as we trust God’s word to us, realising that there is no life or future except in him, will we put him first and really obey him!

The second temptation calls in question God’s willingness to be there for us, when we face difficulties or trials. At the time when God’s rescued people were travelling to the Promised Land through the desert – they camped at a place where there was no water. The people said to Moses, Give us water to drink! Is God going to help us or not?! God was gracious to them, and gave them water from the rock Moses was told to strike. (Exod 17:1-7) But God made it clear that they were sinfully putting him to the test, by not trusting him to supply their needs. Jesus recalled that incident when he quoted, You shall not put the LORD your God to the test (Deut 6:16).

When we devise our own way of doing things – including making plans which we then ask God to endorse and bless – we’re doing just that. We’re presumptuously putting God to the test. We’re saying, I’ll do it my way!, rather than doing as Jesus did, when he prayed, Not as I will, but as you will! (Matt 26:39) So often we fail when we’re challenged to go the extra mile, or suffer for Christ’s sake. We look for a way out that will not be costly. Or one that will not harm our reputation with our worldly friends. They do not care themselves to stand up for what is good and upright. Nor do they understand our love for Jesus, that calls us to follow him. It’s a temptation to be popular rather than faithful.

The third assault on Jesus’ integrity was directed at a legitimate outcome of his being the Messiah, the true Son of God. As such he would become the king of kings and only ruler of all the princes of this world. The suggestion was to take a short-cut that would by-pass the cross. The appeal was nakedly worded, All this I will give you – if you will bow down and worship me! No wonder Jesus replied, Away from me, Satan! For it is written, ‘Worship the LORD your God, and serve him only’ (Deut 6:13)

Sometimes we’re offered – or we seek – a short-cut to some post or opportunity that might legitimately be ours – if it were not offered with conditions that make it clear this is not God’s way for us at this time. The temptation is to gain a power that is not rightfully ours, like that offered to Eve, You will be like God, knowing good and evil! (Gen 3:5)

For us, it might be a position for which another is more entitled, or one involving some moral compromise; a partnership perhaps with someone who is not a Christian (2 Cor 6:14-18). Whatever it is, let’s fix our eyes on Jesus only, and run the race by his rules, so that we may win the prize for which Christ took hold of us, and called us heavenwards. (1 Cor 9:24-27)

That prize is to know Jesus intimately – much more than we can ever do here! To experience his transformation of our bodies, so they will become like his glorious body (Phil 3:21). To be part of the renewed world he will create, free from sin and sorrow, in the company of all his redeemed people (Rev 21:1-5; Isa 65:17-25). That is the prize! In the light of it – all this passing world has to offer, its pleasure, popularity and power, is but dusty illusion – rubbish indeed!

Therefore, know that the joy of the Lord is our strength (Neh 8:10) – and rejoice in Christ Jesus our Lord – for he loved us and gave himself for us – so that we might be with him forever!

                                                                                   Amen.