Our Pattern and Our Sufficiency

Notes

1. "With Christ, as with the holy pair in Eden, appetite was the ground of the first great temptation. Just where the ruin began, the work of redemption must begin. As by the indulgence of appetite Adam fell, so by the denial of appetite Christ must overcome."—Desire of Ages, page 117.

2. "When Christ bore the test of temptation upon the point of appetite, He did not stand in beautiful Eden, as did Adam, with the light and love of God seen in everything his eye rested upon; but He was in a barren, desolate wilderness, surrounded by wild beasts. Everything around Him was repulsive. With these surroundings, He fasted forty days and nights, 'and in those days He did eat nothing.' He was emaciated through long fasting, and felt the keenest sense of hunger. His visage was indeed marred more than the sons of men."—Redemption, by Mrs. E. G. White, page ⟦S5?⟧.

3. "The Redeemer, in whom both the human and divine were united, stood in Adam's place, and endured a terrible fast for nearly six weeks. The length of this fast is the strongest evidence of the great sinfulness of debased appetite, and the power it has upon the human family."—Id., p. ⟦16?⟧.

4. "The demands of appetite were not to supersede strict faith in and obedience to God's Word. His Word brought the manna from heaven, and the water from the smitten rock. It was a perverted appetite which could not be satisfied by faith in God's promise 'bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.'"

5. "Of all the lessons to be learned from our Lord's first great temptation, none is more important than that bearing upon the control of the appetites and passions."—Desire of Ages, page 122.

6. Read "Desire of Ages," page 122 (next to last paragraph).

"Christ was our example in all things. As we see His humiliation in the long trial and fast to overcome the temptation of appetite in our behalf, we are to learn how to overcome when we are tempted. 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. Our Saviour fasted nearly six weeks that He might gain for man the victory upon the point of appetite."—Redemption, pages 50, 51.

7. "And here in the wilderness Christ achieved a victory in behalf of the race upon the point of appetite, making it possible for man, in all future time, in His name to overcome the strength of appetite on his own behalf."—Redemption, page 46. Also, read "Desire of Ages," pages 123 (second paragraph.)