If Christ was Divine, How Could He Have Been Tempted?

by leavingwt 141 Replies latest jw friends

  • PSacramento
    PSacramento

    I had some time to contemplate this question and did some research.

    I think I was incorrect in what I said and how I said it.

    Jesus was indeed tempted, though not tempted like we are obviosuly.

    His divine nature is what allowed him to resist temptation but I think that I made it seem like the temptation was "no big deal" and was a walk in the park. I was wrong to give that impression.

    Jesus was fully human in body ( if not in spirit) and as such, he went through ALL we go through when tempted, all the self-doubts and pain that we face, true his divine nature gave him a spiritual edge, but he HAD to go through this, just as WE GO through it, to UNDERSTAND what we go through.

    I sometimes think that all knowing doesn't equal all understanding, God knows what we go through, but did God ever truly understand it untill Jesus went through it? Maybe, but even if he did, I think Jesus's perspective was unique, even to God.

    God was never fully Human with all the pain, suffering and conflict that we go through, he KNOWS that we go through it, and now, with what Jesus went through WE KNOW the God understands it.

    It was truly a case of God becoming Man so that Man could become "god", as was said earlier by DD I think or was it BTS?

  • tec
    tec

    I think Jesus came here with all the same weaknesses that we have - except without the sin of Adam. He is what we could have been - and He is who we can follow and strive to be like now. He came here for us; to show us how to be... I don't think God needed to become a human to know what humans suffer... or to know what makes us cause others to suffer. Christ also came here because of the adversary, and defeated him by not betraying His Father when he was tempted.

    Tammy

  • PSacramento
    PSacramento

    Yeah, I don't think it was so much about God as about Us, and I know it's not right to put our human limitations on God.

    Sure we can KNOW what it means to suffer, but unless we suffer can we truly undersstand it?

    Again, that is just me putting our human limitations on God, which I know I shouldn't.

    Jesus's nature has been and probably will be deabted for a very long time, untill the ressurection of course and then all will be made clear.

  • AGuest
    AGuest
    AGuest, bravo, spoken like a true believer.

    A "true believer" in what, dear Moshe (peace to you!)? I mean, while many may call/consider themselves "believers" and "Defenders of the Faith," that phrase has differing meanings among such ones. Some believe in and defend... the Bible. Or their faith in the Bible. Some believe in and defend... the scriptures. Or their faith in the scriptures. Some believe in and defend Moses... Paul... or Luke... or Peter... or James... or their faith IN Paul, Luke, Peter, James, et al.

    None of these are the case with me, though, dear one. My belief, faith, or defense is in none of these. Not the Bible... or what's in the Bible... or the Bible writers. In my cause I believe in... and defend my faith in... in Christ... and through Christ... in the Most Holy One of Israel, JAH of Armies. Which sometimes calls for me to defend them, yes, as I would anyone that I loved if they're being spoken of unkindly and untruthfully. As anyone with an ounce of loyalty would do. But Christ is the ONLY "truth" that I believe in... though every man... or every Bible... word, page, book, or version... be found a liar. And so, when I share something from the Bible... or anywhere else... as "truth"... it is only because I have heard FROM the Truth... that it is indeed so.

    Jesus was indeed tempted, though not tempted like we are obviosuly.

    Not quite, dear PSacto (the greatest of love and peace to you, dear one!):

    "For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin."

    I think Jesus came here with all the same weaknesses that we have - except without the sin of Adam.

    That would seem the case, dear tec (and, of course, the greatest of love and peace to you, dear one) but it's not quite accurate. The ONLY way he could have come without the sin of Adam would been to have NOT come through a woman, but rather, have been made just as Adam was - taken directly from the earth. Mary, however, had Adam's sin in HER, which sin she PASSED on to our Lord... through the vessel of flesh that HE resided in. That is WHY he had to come through a woman... so that he would have OUR flesh... which Adam did not start OUT with:

    "Then God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them."

    "But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman , born under the law..."

    "How then can man be righteous before God? How can he who is born of woman be clean?"

    Our Lord was sent in the manner of sinFUL flesh... not sinLESS flesh (as Adam was BEFORE he sinned). ALL that came through Adam AFTER he sinned came into existence WITH his sin. And our Lord came through Mary. Which is why he referred to himself as "the Son of MAN." He HAD to in ORDER to be tested like us "in all respects."

    Finally, I would like to share the following, particularly with those who put their faith in the Bible, in an effort to try and help those who are still wishing, who are still thirsting, who are still asking, who are still SEEKING... to "see" the truth in this matter:

    Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and [[Jesus]] was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade. The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ,tell us plainly."

    [Jesus] answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one." Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but [[Jesus]] said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?"

    "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."

    [Jesus]] answered them, "Is it not written in yourLaw, 'I have said you are gods'? If he called them 'gods,' to whom the Word of God came-and the Scripture cannot be broken- what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'? Do not believe meunless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."

    And...

    After [Jesus] said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and [Jesus] Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify mein your presencewith the glory I hadwithyou before the world began.

    "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty thatI came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, andI am comingtoyou. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name-the name you gave me-so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

    "I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the Truth; your Word is Truth. As you sent meinto the world, I have sent theminto the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

    "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,that all of them may be one, Father,just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in usso that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. "Righteous Father, though the world does not know you,I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for memay be in them andthat I myself may be in them."

    The primary job of the first man, Adam, was not to name the animals or cultivate the ground. It was to protect the seed. That was the purpose of the "Garden"... it was to be a place to "sow" such seed. Rather than protect it, he sold it out... for the deal of "knowing good AND bad." And he was duped.

    Christ... the second man... stood in Adam's place and did in fact protect that seed while he was here, and then asked our heavenly Father to protect it... by the power of His name. That name... is JAH... of Armies. It is the Name that the Holy One of Israel and Holy Spirit "came in"... JAH eShua. And it is upon THAT name that ALL who call... which be saved.

    May those with ears to hear hear... so as to get the sense of these truths. And, of course, may you all... have peace.

    YOUR servant, as I am servant to ALL those of the Household of God, Israel, and those who go with... and a slave of Christ,

    SA

  • JamesThomas
    JamesThomas

    Beloved Shelby,

    Do you type all that? Or do you have Dragon?

  • AGuest
    AGuest

    I type it all, dear James - . The greatest of love and peace to you and GOOD to "see" you back on the board!

    Your servant and a slave of Christ,

    SA

  • notverylikely
    notverylikely

    May you all have peace! Golly, so much here! If only we'd stop looking to the Law, the Bible, what man thinks/teaches... and look to Christ himself.

    We, too, those of us who belong to God by means of Christ, can also have "divine" nature within us because our flesh is merely a vessel... one which houses our OWN spirit... but may also house God's. (John 14:23; Acts 2:4; Romans 8:9, 10).

    Tsk tsk, Shelby. You can't seem to keep to your word. As you are aware and claim, Acts and Romans are NOT inspired scripture. Please do not push that incorrect devil writing on us.

  • AGuest
    AGuest
    Acts and Romans are NOT inspired scripture.

    This is true, dear NVL (peace to you!), but what has that to do with the price of tea in China?

    Please do not push that incorrect devil writing on us.

    That something is not inspired does not mean it's "devil writing," dear one. It just means it isn't "scripture." Doesn't mean it isn't wise or accurate... or that it is. And scripture is not the only accurate or wise writing out there. What YOU write YOU believe is wise... and accurate. And perhaps it is. Yet... it isn't scripture.

    Paul is the one who is attributed with writing that "all scriptures is..." all the things [he] said it was. Christ, however, said almost the opposite: come to him rather than search the scriptures. And so I do. There are still those, however, who still "search the scriptures," as well as those think the entire Bible is scripture... as well as those who believe it is all God's word and intact and infallible. Are they to be completely disregarded? Or should we do the ONE thing the WTBTS may indisputably have right and that is, to the extent one can, show them with their own road map where they may be wrong?

    You obviously have your issues with me dear, NVL, versus what I share. I dunno... maybe you're holding onto "stuff." It happens. But I will tell you as I have told others: I am no threat to you and so you do not need to fear me... or what I share. The only thing you have to fear... is your own fear. But I can't convert you, dear one... or anyone. I'm just a servant... your's and Christ's. And a peaceful one, at that.

    So, please, allow yourself to calm down and relax. 'Cause I don't think you even need to worry about becoming a christian anytime soon (which seems to be the source of your fear). And, yet, there was Saul of Tarsus - ... so I could very well be wrong. May it be JAH's will that I am!

    Again, peace to you!

    YOUR servant and a slave of Christ,

    SA

  • notverylikely
    notverylikely

    This is true, dear NVL (peace to you!), but what has that to do with the price of tea in China?

    Nothing, since I was't talking about tea. I was specifically referring to you saying you wish people would stop looking to the bible and then used it to support your point. Tsk tsk, seems like you can't take your own advice.

    Doesn't mean it isn't wise or accurate... or that it is.

    Right on. Since it's wisdom is dubious, like advocating slaughter, rape, slavery and making food out of human dung, we should avoid it just like you said.

    So, please, allow yourself to calm down and relax. 'Cause I don't think you even need to worry about becoming a christian anytime soon (which seems to be the source of your fear).

    I am calm and relax. I surely hope that your lord didn't tell you I wasn't or that I was afraid or worried about becoming a christian. If he had, it would just be another swing and a miss in the string of misses of things you said he told you about me.

  • AGuest
    AGuest
    I am calm and relax.

    Well, then, nothing more to be said. Enjoy... and peace to you!

    A slave of Christ,

    SA

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