Foundations: What Every Christian Ought To Know

How to Handle Temptation 

Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. – 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 (ESV)

A number of years ago, the Douglas Aircraft Company was competing with Boeing to sell Eastern Airlines its first big jets. War hero Eddie Rickenbacker, the head of Eastern Airlines, reportedly told Donald Douglas that the specifications and claims made by Douglas’s company for the DC-8 were close to Boeing’s on everything except noise suppression. Rickenbacker then gave Douglas one last chance to out-promise Boeing on this feature. After consulting with his engineers, Douglas reported that he didn’t feel he could make that promise. Rickenbacker replied, “I know you can’t, I just wanted to see if you were still honest.” (Today in the Word)

The question is not will we be tempted to sin?  The question is what will we do with the temptation when it comes?  The Corinthian saints had just been clearly warned about the sins of the nation of Israel and Paul wants his readers to not just hear the warnings, but take serious note of the warnings. I Corinthians 10:12 begins with “therefore” because if giving in to temptation could happen to the nation of Israel it could happen to them.

Reflection

Pastor Jim shared about his mower slipping into the pond as an illustration of getting into situations we never planned on being in when it comes to temptation. When is a time when you slipped into a tempting situation?

Praise/Prayer

Praise God for loving you enough to warn you about the danger of temptations. Ask God to help you recognize any areas where you may be slipping into a tempting situation.

A Warning: Self-Confidence Will Make You Stumble

Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. – 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 (ESV)

A woman woke up one morning, turned to her husband, and said, “Honey, I just had a dream that you bought me a new gold necklace. What do you think it means?” He answered, “I don’t know, but Valentine’s Day is coming soon. Then you’ll know.” A few nights later, she again woke up after having a dream. She said, “This time, I dreamed you gave me a pearl necklace. What do you think it means?” “You’ll know on Valentine’s Day,” he replied. The morning of Valentine’s Day, she again woke up telling him about her dream: “This time I dreamed that you brought me a diamond necklace. What do you think it means?” “Honey, be patient,” he said. “You’ll know tonight.” That evening, the husband came home with a package and gave it to his wife. Delighted, she opened it and found a book titled The Meaning of Dreams.

This husband was confident his wife would appreciate the book. He was greatly mistaken. Many of the Corinthian Christians were confident in their own spiritual standing or strength, and they became careless about participating in activities where false gods were worshiped. They thought they could associate with such pagan activities without being spiritually harmed, but they were in grave danger of slipping into sin. The Apostle Paul reminded them that spiritual pride would make them more likely to stumble into sin.

Reflection

John Quincy Adams wrote, “Every temptation is an opportunity of our getting nearer to God.” Pastor Jim said, “Christians who become self-confident become less dependent on God’s Word and God’s Spirit and become careless in their living.” How would you rate your current self-dependence based on your prayer life and time in God’s Word?

Praise/Prayer

Praise God for His power to defeat sin in your life. Ask God to show you areas where pride and self-reliance may be more present in your life than you realized.

Some Wisdom: Know the Truth about Temptation

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. – 1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV

Sam was chatting with his friend Ted. He asked Ted whether he had bought his wife anything for Valentine’s Day. “Yes,” Ted rapidly replied, “I bought her a belt and a bag.” “That sounds good,” Sam responded. “I hope she will like them.” Ted grinned, “Me too. I am hoping now that the vacuum cleaner will work better.”

Sam wasn’t ready for the truth about his Valentine’s gift. The Corinthians needed to know the truth about temptation. Temptation is the first word in Greek in verse 13 for emphasis. It refers not only to temptation but to trials and tests. The truths found in this verse are that any temptation that can overtake you could also overtake others. You are not alone and there are no superhuman temptations.

Reflection

Pastor Jim shared that because temptations are common to us all we are able to “confess [our] sins to one another” (James 5:16) and to “bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2). We are all in the same boat. Who do you have in your life that you can share about temptations when they come?

Praise/Prayer

Praise God for the people in your life who you are able, to be honest with about your spiritual struggles. If you don’t have anyone you can be honest with, ask God to bring people into your life who can bear your burdens with you.

Some Wisdom: Know the Truth about Temptation pt. 2

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. –  1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)

Thomas Obediah Chisholm was born in a log cabin in Franklin, Kentucky in 1866. He received his education in a little country schoolhouse, and at age 16 began teaching there. He was saved at age 27, and with no college or seminary training was ordained to the Methodist ministry at age 36. He served as a Methodist minister for a year, but ill health made it impossible for him to continue.

Always interested in poetry, Chisholm wrote hundreds of poems during his lifetime. Lamentations 3:22-23 inspired him to write the text for “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” Those verses read, “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Chisholm experienced that faithfulness. He suffered ill health most of his adult life, and never made much money, but he said, “God has given me many wonderful displays of His providing care which have filled me with astonishing gratefulness.”

The Apostle Paul applied the faithfulness of God to the Christian’s struggle with temptation. He reminded them of the truth that God will never allow them to be tempted beyond their ability to stand strong. Timothy Edwards notes that “God’s faithfulness is shown in not permitting temptation to be too intense in degree or too long in duration.”

Reflection

Hebrews 4:15 reminds us, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One Who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.” When should you draw near to the throne of grace? How should you draw near? Why should you draw near?

Praise/Prayer

Praise God for His faithfulness to you in the face of temptation. Confidently ask God for mercy and help with any temptations you are wrestling with.

The Way: Endure Until You Can Escape

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.  – 1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)

Little Jeff was trying his best to save money to buy his mother a present. It was a terrible struggle because he gave in so easily to the temptation to buy goodies from the ice cream man whenever the brightly colored van came through the neighborhood. One night after his mother had tucked him in bed, she overheard him pray, “Please, God, help me run away when the ice cream man comes tomorrow.” Even at his young age, he had learned that one of the best ways to overcome temptation is to avoid what appeals to our weaknesses.

Playwright Oscar Wilde once jokingly remarked, “I can resist everything except temptation.” God promises that victory over temptation is always an option. God always provides a “way of escape.” God promises the power to endure when He says “you may be able.” The idea is of an army apparently surrounded and then suddenly seeing an escape route to safety.

Reflection

Alan Carr writes there are three words to remember when facing temptation: Flight, Faith, and Fight

1. To Overcome The Flesh We Need Flight – (1Co 6:18 – “flee fornication”; 1Co 10:14 – “flee idolatry”; 2Ti 2:22 – “flee youthful lusts”)
2. To Overcome The World We Need Faith – Faith that Jesus will take care of us when we willingly give up the attachment to worldly things.
3. To Overcome The Devil We Must Fight – If we stand up to him and fight, he will flee -Jas 4:7.

Praise/Prayer

Thank God for always providing an escape route for you when it comes to temptation. Ask God to help you know when you should flee, have faith, or fight.