“The work of redemption could be carried out only by the Redeemer taking the place of fallen Adam. With the sins of the world laid upon him, he would go over the ground where Adam stumbled.”
“Christ was tempted in all points like as we are. As man's representative, he stood the closest test and proving of God. He met the strongest force of Satan.”
“If the power of appetite is so strong upon the human family, and its indulgence so fearful, that the Son of God subjected himself to such a test, how important that we feel the necessity of having appetite under the control of reason.”
“Although Christ gained a priceless victory in behalf of man in overcoming the temptations of Satan in the wilderness, this victory will not benefit him unless he also gains the victory on his own account.”
“Every self-denial and sacrifice made for Christ enriches the giver, and every suffering and reproach endured for his dear name increases the final joy and immortal reward in the kingdom of glory.”
This profound work examines Christ's temptation in the wilderness as the pivotal test that secured humanity's redemption. Published in 1874, Ellen G. White traces the narrative from Adam's fall in Eden through Christ's victorious confrontation with Satan in the wilderness. The book emphasizes that where Adam failed on the point of appetite, Christ succeeded—standing in as humanity's representative to overcome every temptation that Satan could devise.
White presents Christ's forty-day fast and threefold temptation (appetite, presumption, and worldly glory) as infinitely more severe than Adam's test in Eden. She explains that Christ took upon Himself human nature at its weakest point—after four thousand years of sin's deteriorating effects—yet remained perfectly sinless. The magnitude of Christ's suffering is portrayed as proportionate to 'his divine excellence and purity, as well as to the magnitude of the offense,' making His victory an 'infinite victory' gained on behalf of all humanity.
The latter portion applies these truths to Christian living, warning against self-indulgence in appetite and passion. White denounces church festivals and social gatherings focused on feasting, contrasting them sharply with Christ's self-denial in the wilderness. The book concludes with warnings against spiritualism and false teachings that deny Christ as the Son of God, urging believers to follow Christ's example of complete obedience and self-denial.
This book is essential for Christians seeking to understand the cosmic significance of Christ's temptation and its practical implications for daily victory over appetite and temptation. It speaks powerfully to those struggling with self-indulgence, offering Christ's example as both rebuke and encouragement. Theologians will appreciate White's treatment of the plan of redemption, while practical Christians will benefit from her direct application to health reform and spiritual discipline.
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