Would you turn back to Hebrews
2 while you're turning there? Kay Sly died at 1130 this afternoon. And thinking about the Sly's,
I was telling the men back in the study, Jim and Kay were about
my age when they started attending Grace Chapel on North Limestone
Street. And that just amazes me because
I wouldn't have listened to a guy like me. And 22 years old and
the Lord enabled them to be able to hear
me, and they were such a blessing to this assembly. The visitation
is going to be at the Clark Legacy Funeral Home in Brandon Crossing
from 4 to 8, and the funeral will be here Wednesday morning
at 10 or 11. They haven't let me know when,
but it'll be sometime around there. I've entitled this message, Help
for the Tempted. Help for the Tempted. There is a special group of people
that Christ is said to be able to suffer, able to help and give
aid to, them that are tempted. Now, the word tempt or temptation
has two different meanings in the scripture. First, a temptation
is a trial. Scripture says in Genesis 22,
1, God did tempt Abraham and what a trial it was. He said
to Abraham, you take now your son, your only son, whom you
love. And offering up there is a burnt
offering to me. It's a test. You and I will be
tested over and over and over again. The trials and tests of
life. Sickness, health problems, bereavement,
difficult relationships, Troubles with your children. Loneliness. The issues and personal weaknesses
that we have in our character. All of us have issues of one
sort or another. Abusive relationships. Abandonment. A past that you just can't get
past. Tribulation for believing the
gospel. financial difficulties, misunderstandings
between friends that cause friction and problems, emotional turmoil, depression. Job said, man that is born of
woman is born to trouble. As the sparks fly upward, trials
and troubles will be coming our way. It's not if, it's when. But the other meaning of the
word is tempted to sin. Satan is called twice the tempter. And this world is a continual
siren song of temptation. John spoke of all that's of the
world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and
the pride of life, the desires, the cravings of a fallen, sinful
nature, the lust of the eyes, being more concerned about what
men think than what God thinks, living to impress and please
men, the pride of life, self-righteousness. The biggest problem we have in
this thing is ourself. You can talk about the devil,
that's a problem. You talk about the world, that's
a problem, no doubt. But the biggest problem is what
lies within his heart. Turn to James chapter 1, verse 12. Blessed is the man that endureth
temptation, for when he has tried, he shall receive the crown of
life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. He gets
through the trial. Now, he uses the word differently
in verse 13. He says, Let no man say when
he's tempted, I'm tempted of God. Now, the scripture also
says Abraham, God did tempt Abraham, but that was worth a trial. But
he wasn't tempting him, trying to bait him to get him to sin.
God doesn't do that. Let no man say when he's tempted,
I'm tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil. Neither
tempted he any man, but every man is tempted when he's drawn
away of his own lust. and enticed. Then, when lust
hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished,
bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren."
You see, there is pleasure in sin. Scripture tells us that. If there weren't pleasure in
sin, no one would be interested in sinning. There is pleasure
in sin, so there is a continual temptation Now, there's the temptation
to go back to the world, to give up. I think of Peter when he
said, I'm going back to fishing, I'm going to fishing. He was
saying, I'm done with this business. I'm going back to what I did
before. I mean, obviously things aren't working out the way I
want it. And that's what he did. There's the temptation to go
along with the crowd. to take the path of least resistance,
the temptation to compromise. And you know, we have examples
where apostles did that. Paul, in Acts chapter 21, he
was so tired of whatever was going on between him and James
that he decided to go ahead and offer up the vow of a Nazarite. He was getting ready to offer
up a blood sacrifice. Now, that was wrong. There wasn't
anything right about that. And aren't you thankful for the
preventing grace of God? God had him arrested before he
could do it. I think of Peter in Galatians chapter 2. He compromised
the gospel. Paul said he compromised the
gospel. He said, here he was eating with the Gentiles, having
a good time. And all of a sudden the Jews came and he felt pressure.
He thought, well, I need to be more like them. So he just got
up and moved tables. And Paul rebuked him publicly
for it. I mean, there is a continual
temptation like that. I remember one man said the particular
temptations of the ministry. Is the temptation to whine, the
temptation to shine, and the temptation to recline. I thought
that's a pretty accurate assessment. Whine, shine, or recline. The temptation that makes us
want to do our works to be seen of men. There's the temptation
to not believe you're a son of God because of the way you're
dealing with the temptation. How many times have you thought,
how could I be a child of God when I give in to temptation
so easily? How could I be a child of God when I think the things
that I think, when I say the things that I say, when I desire
the things that I desire, when I do the things that I do? How
could I call myself a child of God? I'm a hypocrite. Nothing
more. There's nothing real to me. I'm a hypocrite. To call
myself a child of God when I'm like that, I'm a contradictory
hypocrite. You ever thought that way? Sure
you have. Sure you have. Now, let me ask
you a question. When you were thinking that way, if you wouldn't
have been that way, that would have made you a good Christian? You see, all that is, when I
think that way, like, oh, well, if I wouldn't have done that,
I would have been fine. We're going back to work right
off the bat. That's very unwise. Now, temptation can drive you
to distraction and desperation. Turn with me to a passage of
Scripture in 1 Peter chapter 1. Temptation to sin. It's there
before us non-stop. Continually. Temptation to sin. Look in verse 5 of 1 Peter chapter
1. We're kept by the power of God
through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last
time wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need
be, if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold temptations. They're coming down on you like
rain at the trial of your faith. God allows this to take place
for the trial of our faith. That's not to give him information,
he already knows. It's to give us some information
about ourself. That's his reason for doing this.
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than
the gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might
be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of
Jesus Christ. Now, who are these people that
he helps? It says in verse 17 of our text in Hebrews chapter
2. Look in verse 17. Wherefore,
in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren. He calls his people his brethren,
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people, for
in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to
succor them that are tempted. Now let's go back up to verse
11 and look at this idea of these people being called brethren.
For both he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified,
are all of one, for the which cause he is not ashamed to call
them brethren." Now, this is one of my favorite verses in
Scripture. He that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified.
They're all one. They're not two. They're not
close. They're one. He that sanctifieth. If you would pick out a word
that most clearly describes God's salvation, it would be the word
sanctification. It means to take something common
and ordinary and set it apart for holy purposes. Now we see
the sanctifying work of all three persons of the blessed Trinity
in salvation. First, in divine election, when
God chose who would be saved before time began. Ephesians
1, 4 says, according as he has chosen us in him. before the
foundation of the world that we should be holy, that we should
be sanctified. The vessels in the temple had
been carried off into Nebuchadnezzar. They had been sanctified for
holy purposes. Belshazzar is having a drunken
feast. You can read about it in Daniel
5 or Daniel 6. They're having a good time. The
Lord leaves them alone. All of a sudden, he has a bright
idea. Let's get the vessels of the Lord and bring them into
the temple and drink them, drink our wine and have our party with
the vessels of the Lord. Those vessels that were set apart
for holy purposes. What happens? All of a sudden,
the handwriting is on the wall and he sees that writing. Thou
art weighed in the balances and found wanting. And he was murdered
that very night. Now, these vessels, ordinary
vessels, no better than anything else, but when God set them apart,
they were special. They were holy to the Lord. And
when God set somebody apart in eternal election, he did so that
they should be holy. Christ Jesus, the Lord on Calvary's
tree, made us holy. In this sense, by the witch will,
we are sanctified, we're declared by God to be holy by the offering
of the body of Jesus Christ. You see, when Christ said it
is finished, my sins were gone. And God said concerning everybody
who believes, they're holy. They're sanctified. They're without
sin. Sanctification comes through
the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And then we read of the sanctification
of the Spirit in 2 Thessalonians 2.13. That's what happens in
regeneration when God gives us a new life. We're made holy.
We're given a holy nature. Sanctification by the Father,
sanctification by the Son, and sanctification by the Spirit
of God. Now notice what it says. Both
he that sanctifyeth, that's the Lord, and they who are sanctified
are all of one. For the which cause he's not
ashamed to call them brethren. Now what a glorious statement. Both he that sanctifyeth and
they who are sanctified are all of one. I'm one. I'm united to the Lord Jesus
Christ. I'm one. with him. Look at Ephesians
chapter five. Ephesians chapter five. Now,
what I'm talking about right now is so mysterious, I believe
it. I don't understand it. It's impossible to understand
this, but I believe it. I am one with Christ. I'm eternally
one with Christ. There's never been a time when
I was not one with Christ. Well, weren't you born in 1959?
Yeah, but the Lord knew me before then. And he doesn't know a non-existent
person. Every believer has always been
eternally united to the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 31 of Ephesians
chapter 5, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother
and shall be joined unto his wife, and they too shall be one
flesh. Now, this is a great mystery,
but I'm not talking about marriage. I'm talking about Christ and
the church. being one, the mysterious eternal
union between Christ and His elect. How long have they been
one? Eternally. Now, this is the best illustration. I've used this before. It helps
me to at least grasp this. Think of a mighty flowing river,
one river. Air goes, and all of a sudden,
there's an island in the middle of the river. And for a time,
it appears to be two rivers, doesn't it? As far as what you
can see. There's one here and one there. The island has separated
them for a time. But when the island is over,
one again. It's always only been one. For
a time, it appeared to be two. And during this time on this
planet right now, it appears to be two, doesn't it? You don't
see your oneness with Christ or your union with Christ, as
far as our experience goes. You don't feel it, but it's always
been. And when that island is over,
it's back to being one, united with the Lord Jesus Christ. Our
time on earth is the island, and there appears to be two strings,
him and us, but it's going back to what it always was. And this
is a great mystery. I think that what we're going
to do tonight in baptism, Chong and Amber are going to confess
Christ in believer's baptism. And baptism tells of union with
the Lord Jesus Christ. Here's what I do when I'm baptized.
When I'm baptized, I go under the water, I come back up. That's it. I go under the water
and I come back up. I confess at that time. Here's
what I confess to all the world. I confess that I am so sinful
that I cannot possibly be saved by my works. But here's what
I'm saved by. I'm saved because when Christ
lived, I was in Him. When He kept the law, I did because
I was in Him. When He died, I died. I was in Him. When he was raised
from the dead, I was raised from the dead. All my sins were blotted
out because what he did, he did for me, united to me, one with
me. That's what we confess in baptism.
All we confess when we're baptized is we confess that our whole
salvation is that when he lived, he lived for me. When he died,
he put away my sins. When he was raised from the dead,
I was raised with him. This is all my salvation. That's what I confess in Believer's
Baptism. Now, can we intellectually grasp
all the mysteries of union with the Lord Jesus Christ? No, I
can't possibly. As a matter of fact, every time
I talk about it, I get very frustrated because I always know that I
haven't presented it as well as I thought. It's impossible.
So I'm not going to worry about it. It's true. Just believe it.
Union, both he that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are
all of one, for the which cause he's not ashamed to call them
brethren. He's not ashamed to call me.
That's my brother. That's my brother. I'm proud
of him. He's without sin. He's without
fault. 1 John 4, 17 says, for as he
is, So are we in this world. And the Lord looks at me. I'm
ashamed of myself, but he doesn't seem to be ashamed of because
I'm united to him. Whatever he did, I did. That's
what we confess in baptism. Isn't that a wonderful verse
for both he that sanctify and they who are sanctified are all
of one for the which cause he's not ashamed to call them brethren,
saying verse 12, I will declare thy name unto my brethren. And in the midst of the church
will I sing praise unto thee. Now, what the Lord Jesus Christ
does is he tells us who his father is. You know, the cross, what
he did, tells me who God is. His name is not just what his
name is, audibly, the way we would speak it. It's his attributes,
what he's really like. He says, I declare thy name unto
my brethren. And in the midst of the church
will I sing praise unto thee. Verse 13, then again. I will
put my trust in Him. And again, behold, I and the
children which God hath given me." See, the ones He's united
to are the elect, the ones the Father gave Him before time began.
And God said, I'll put my trust in Him. We say we put our trust
in Him. You know, we trust the same thing
God trusts. I want you to think about that.
God trusts His Son with our salvation. He gave us to His Son, and He
entrusted us to His Son. We trust this son too, don't
we? We trust him as our all in salvation. Verse 14, for as much
then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself
likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy
him that had power of the death, that is, the devil. Now, the
children were flesh and blood. So he had to be flesh and blood
too, because he's united to me. Everything I am, he had to become. This, once again, is the mystery
of union with the Lord Jesus Christ. Because I'm flesh, if
he's one with me, because I'm flesh, he had to become what
I am. He had to be made flesh the same way. For as much then
as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also likewise
took part of the same, that through death, His death in the flesh,
he might destroy him that had the power of death. That is the
devil. I love to think of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ
in this sense. Satan thought, I've defeated him. I've defeated
him. Can you imagine how happy he
was when he saw Christ nailed to a cross? And when he saw him
die, he thought, I've won. But he was defeated at that time.
He was crushed at that time. The ancient prophecy You'll bruise
his heel, but he'll crush your head. It was fulfilled at that
time. And he destroyed him that had power over death through
his death. Oh, I love the life of Christ.
We couldn't be saved without the life of Christ. But oh, how
I love his death. His death is the putting away
of sin. It's the crushing of Satan. It's
the fulfillment of the divine purpose, the lamb slain from
the foundation of the world. Verse 15. And he delivered them
who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to
bondage. Two things describe these people,
fear of death and subject to bondage. And by his death, he
took the reason for fear away. And the only thing that would
cause you to fear death is sin. If you have no sin, you're not
afraid of death, are you? If you have no sin, he took the
reason away because he took the sin away by his death. And he
set us free. I was free. When he said it is
finished, I was set free. Verse 16, For verily, he took
not on him the nature of angels. You know, there's a bunch of
angels who fell. Millions, I suppose. The demons
of hell. He didn't take their nature on.
And he was no savior to them. Now, he took upon him the seed
of Abraham. He saved men, but he didn't save angels. And you
know one thing that I think is very interesting, I've yet to
come across somebody who said, that's not fair. Not a human
being. I mean, I've never heard of that.
That's not fair. Why didn't he save angels? Well, I don't know.
I know the ones who didn't fall only didn't fall because they
were elect angels and he preserved them from falling. But the scripture
points out there was no savior for angels. He did not die for
these fallen angels. For verily, he took not on him
the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore, in all things," now
listen to this, in all things, it behooved him, it was necessary
for him to be made like unto his brethren. Now, in all things,
he's made like his brethren. This is why he's a merciful and
faithful high priest. This is why he's such a glorious
Savior. In all things, he's made like his brethren. First of all,
he's made flesh. Or is brethren flesh? Am I flesh and blood?
Well, he's got to be flesh and blood, too. And here's the most
mysterious thing. Am I a sinner? He was made sin. Now, he never sinned. Understand,
this has to be brought out. He never sinned in his person
when he was on the cross being made sin. He never sinned. He
was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners in
that sense. But he was made sin. Really? Not just pretend, not
just count it as if he were sin, he was made sin to where he felt
everything that is involved in sin, although he never committed
sin, he felt all the shame, he felt all the humiliation, he
felt all the degradation, he felt all the abandonment, he
felt all the horrible stuff that's concerned with sin. And he felt
it a whole lot more acutely than you and I do. Have you ever felt
Oh, you're just so ashamed of yourself you can't even hold
your head up. He's felt that infinitely more
acutely than you have. You see, you and I, we're used
to sin. It doesn't bother us that much.
I wish it bothered us more, but it doesn't bother us that much.
Not if we're honest. You and I are used to sin. But
his holy soul was made to feel the guilt and the degradation
of sin. You see, in all things he had
to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and
faithful high priest in things pertaining to God. And here's
what he did. He made reconciliation for the
sins of the people. Reconciliation has been made.
Turn to Hebrews four. Verse 14. Seeing that we have a great high
priest. That's passed into heaven, the
heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched, moved
to sympathy with the feeling of our infirmities. That verse
used to always mystify me, because I think, well, if he'd never
sinned, how can he be touched by the feelings of my infirmities?
Well, because he was made sin. No, he never sinned, but he experienced
everything about it. And because of that, when he
sees me groaning, Under the burden of my sin He's touched He's moved
to the deepest sympathy because he is a Merciful and faithful
high priest. He's the only ones like this
If you knew What was in my heart? You wouldn't have anything to
do with me ever again. I know you I You wouldn't. If I knew
what was in your heart, I would be so appalled that I'd say,
I'm staying away from that person. That shows how stupid and self-righteous
we are is what it all says. That's what that demonstrates.
But the Lord Jesus Christ knows exactly what is in your heart. And the scripture says he's moved
to sympathy. Isn't that amazing? Oh, the excellency
of our great high priest. Verse 15, for we have not an
high priest that cannot be touched, moved to sympathy with the feeling
of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we
are yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly
under the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find
grace to help in time of need. Now go back to our text. Wherefore, verse 17, in all things
it behooved him, it was necessary for him to be made like unto
his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high
priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation. And that word is actually propitiation,
to make propitiation for the sins of the people. Now, that's
a big word, propitiation. What in the world does it mean?
It means he appeased God. He took God's reason for anger
away. He took it away. On Calvary 3,
He made reconciliation. He made propitiation for the
sins of all God's people. He put them all away so that
every one of God's people stand without sin. Beloved, I want
you to think about that. Right now, with regard to every believer,
God sees you without sin. And if he sees you without sin,
there's only one reason he sees you that way. You're without
sin. That's what the Lord accomplished
on the cross. That's what he meant when he
said it is finished. He made reconciliation for the
sins of the people. Verse 18, for in that he himself
has suffered being tempted. Oh, he experienced all the suffering
of temptation. He is able to succor, to help
them that are tempted. Now how does he help? How does
he help? I want to look at a couple of
scriptures. Turn to Matthew chapter 15. Verse 21, Then Jesus went, thence, and
departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman
of Canaan came out of the same coast and cried unto him, saying,
Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David! My daughter is
grievously vexed with a devil. Now, she came knowing who he
was, the son of David. She came with a great need. Her
daughter was demon possessed. And she came asking for the right
thing, for mercy. And this woman's got an impressive
resume, doesn't she? She came the right way. But look what
the scripture says. But he answered her. Not a word. He ignored her. He didn't respond
to her cry for help. And his disciples came and besought
him, saying, Send her away, for she crieth after us. But he answered
and said, Now you think of this poor, pathetic woman, crying,
Have mercy on me, thou son of David. And he answered and said,
I am not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Now, he says in no uncertain terms, I didn't come to save
everybody. I've only come to save the lost
sheep of the house of Israel. Verse 25, Then came she, and
worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me, give me aid, succor
me. If you don't help me, I won't
be helped. If you don't help me, I'm going
straight to hell. If you don't help me, I can't
be helped. Lord, help me." But he answered and said, verse
26, it's not meat to take the children's bread and to cast
it to dogs. And she said, that's the truth. That's the truth. If I ever heard
the truth, that's it. I'm a dog and I don't deserve,
I can't merit your mercy or your help in any way. That's the truth,
Lord. But I'll take my place as a dog.
Yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's
table. I'm not asking for a place sitting with the children, but
I'd be so very grateful for any crumbs of mercy that come my
way. Then Jesus answered and said
unto her, O woman, great is thy faith. Now you want to know what
great faith is? That's what the Lord calls great
faith. O woman, great is thy faith,
be it unto thee even as thou wilt. Now, how did He help her? When she cried out, help, that
was Him helping her. When you cry to the Lord for
help, He's helped you. He's helped you. Turn to Psalm
38. This is one of the most poignant
psalms of repentance. Oh, how He's tried and tempted.
He says in verse 1, this is David, the man after God's own heart.
Psalm 38, verse 1. I want to read this whole psalm. Oh, Lord, rebuke me not in thy
wrath, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. For thine
arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presses me sore. There is no soundness in my flesh
because of thine anger, neither is there any rest in my bones
because of my sin. For mine iniquities are gone
over mine head as a heavy burden. They are too heavy for me. My
wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. I'm
troubled. I'm bowed down greatly. I go
mourning all the day long, for my loins are filled with a loathsome
disease, and there's no soundness in my flesh. I'm feeble and sore-broken. I have roared by reason of the
disquietness of my heart. Lord, all my desires before Thee,
and my groaning is not hid from Thee. My heart pants, my strength
fails me. As for the light of my eyes,
it's gone from me. My lovers and my friends stand
aloof from my sorrow. I'm so isolated. My kinsmen stand
afar off. They also that seek after my
life lay snares for me, and they that seek my hurts speak mischievous
things and imagine deceits all the day long. But I, as a deaf
man, heard not. I was as a dumb man that opened
not his mouth. What could I say? Thus I was as a man that heareth
not, and whose mouths are no reproof, for in thee, O Lord,
do I hope. Thou would hear, O Lord my God,
for I say to hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me.
When my foot slips, they magnify themselves against me, for I
am ready to halt. I am ready to fall away, and
my sorrow is continually before me, for I declare mine iniquity. I'll be sorry for my sin, but
my enemies are lively. They're alive and they're strong.
He might have been talking about people. He's also talking about
his sins. And they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied. They also that render evil for
good are my adversaries, because I follow the thing that good
is. Forsake me not, O Lord. O God, be not far from me. Make
haste to help me. There it is. There's the Lord's
haste. There's the Lord's help. Make
haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation. Now, he is able to
help, give aid, succor those that are tempted. And if you
cry for help, you've got help. May God give everybody in this
room the grace to cry for help. Just like that Syro-Phoenician
woman did. Lord, help me. And let me say this regarding
others who are tempted. In Galatians chapter 6, verse
1, Paul said, If a man be overtaken in a fault, can you see that would happen
to you? If a man be overtaken in a fault, you, which are spiritual,
restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself
Lest thou also be tempted, believing that if you're tempted the same
way that brother was, you'll fall the same way he will. Bear ye one another's burdens,
and so fulfill the law of Christ. Regarding temptation, Either the trials that come our
way and the troubles that come our way and the temptation to
sin. I want you to think about this. In heaven, there will be no temptation. It'll all be over. It'll all
be gone. And I'll be perfectly conformed
to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. But in the meantime,
He is able. to succor, to help, to give aid
to them that are tempted. Let's pray together.