LORD’S DAY EVENING, JANUARY 21
Luke 4:5-8
Matthew 6:16-24

“For where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also.”

THE LUST OF THE EYES

The next temptation posed to Jesus was the lust of the eyes. The devil showed Him the kingdoms of the world which he falsely claimed as his own. He did not have any influence whatsoever over these kingdoms without God’s approval. The devil’s lie is to promise things which he hath no power to fulfil.

The riches, honours, pleasures, entertainment, grandeur and luxuries of this world were offered to Jesus. But it is written, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:15-17).

The devil sought the Son of God’s adoration. There is nothing more horrendous and abominable in the eyes of our Creator God than the worship of the devil. He is in total opposition to God and wants to dethrone God. He is deluded to hope that he will be like the Most High. He is the Prince of the powers of this world for he is ruling over those who are outside of Christ. A person may be very religious, but if he has no genuine faith in Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour, he is still part of the kingdom of the devil. A professor of Christ but not a possessor of Him is still worshipping the god of this world. It is not possible to worship both God and the devil. Loving this world means worshipping the devil (Matt 6:24).

Instead of worshipping the devil, man must turn to the Lord and worship Him. Man, being separated from the love of God and unable to worship God in spirit and in truth needs a Mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Tim 2:5). Only through Him can we escape the lure of the lust of the eyes and the worship of Satan.

THOUGHT: Do I love this present evil world?
PRAYER: Father, may I not be entangled with worldly things.