"Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry." 1 Corinthians 10:12-14
Last week we looked at how being made in God's image impacts how we live and take care of our bodies. We are not to be mastered by false idols, like food, comfort and an easy life. It's easy to say this, but how do we do this practically? And how do we change?
Let's stay in the same book as last week, 1 Corinthians. In between chapter 6 last week and chapter 10 this week, Paul has talked about glorifying God with our bodies, marriage, and living in the freedom Christ provides (not a freedom to do whatever we want, but a freedom from being a slave to or mastered by sin). Paul appeals to his own life for an example of how to live and then jumps into looking at Israel as how NOT to live. That's why he warns the church in Corinth.
"Let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall." Israel had been God's chosen people, and so they tested God and thought they could really get away with anything; God wouldn't destroy His chosen people. But what happened? We know that God allowed other countries and rulers to capture them, ship them off to far away lands and destroy their homes. God takes ALL sin seriously! Yes, we are forgiven if we have trusted in Christ, but that doesn't mean there will be no consequence for the sin we continue in. And this first portion of the verse points to pride - a very quiet sin that masks itself in many ways but ultimately is the exact opposite of glorifying God; it glorifies self.
"No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man". Verse 13 gives us hope! No temptation that you or I face is uncommon - others in your church community do or have struggled with the same temptation. Seek them out! Encourage and support one another. Call each other out when you see that sin surface and confess that sin regularly to one another.
But don't stop there. God is faithful! He says He "WILL NOT allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." Can I get an AMEN?! What a promise! When you face temptation, you have an amazing opportunity to not be mastered by sin and to trust that this temptation is not too strong for you: you will find a way to escape and endure it. This process is a complete retooling of your mind. However old you are, if you haven't started the process of changing how you think and renewing your mind with Christ's word and power, that is how long you have been trained to instead be mastered by sin. Don't get discouraged! Remember James 1:2-4 tells us to persevere during these difficult trials and that endurance will result in your being made perfect and complete, like Christ. Be patient with yourself and enlist a Christian friend to help you work on how you face and respond to temptation.
"Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry." Finally, Paul gives the ultimate solution to temptation: flee. This is both incredibly easy and the most difficult thing to do, because it means saying no to what you want and yes to what God wants. The Holy Spirit will give you the strength to flee, but your sinful nature will fight. Be ready, stand firm and fight your natural impulses; that fight will be worth it and will hopefully get easier each time.
Jesus, Thank You for Your great promises, that I can trust You to give me strength to say no to temptation. Thank You for my church family and the believers around me who also face temptation every day. Help me be an encouragement to them in their hard times and also help me be honest with them and confess my sin to them. In Your strong name I pray, Amen.
Last week we looked at how being made in God's image impacts how we live and take care of our bodies. We are not to be mastered by false idols, like food, comfort and an easy life. It's easy to say this, but how do we do this practically? And how do we change?
Let's stay in the same book as last week, 1 Corinthians. In between chapter 6 last week and chapter 10 this week, Paul has talked about glorifying God with our bodies, marriage, and living in the freedom Christ provides (not a freedom to do whatever we want, but a freedom from being a slave to or mastered by sin). Paul appeals to his own life for an example of how to live and then jumps into looking at Israel as how NOT to live. That's why he warns the church in Corinth.
"Let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall." Israel had been God's chosen people, and so they tested God and thought they could really get away with anything; God wouldn't destroy His chosen people. But what happened? We know that God allowed other countries and rulers to capture them, ship them off to far away lands and destroy their homes. God takes ALL sin seriously! Yes, we are forgiven if we have trusted in Christ, but that doesn't mean there will be no consequence for the sin we continue in. And this first portion of the verse points to pride - a very quiet sin that masks itself in many ways but ultimately is the exact opposite of glorifying God; it glorifies self.
"No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man". Verse 13 gives us hope! No temptation that you or I face is uncommon - others in your church community do or have struggled with the same temptation. Seek them out! Encourage and support one another. Call each other out when you see that sin surface and confess that sin regularly to one another.
But don't stop there. God is faithful! He says He "WILL NOT allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." Can I get an AMEN?! What a promise! When you face temptation, you have an amazing opportunity to not be mastered by sin and to trust that this temptation is not too strong for you: you will find a way to escape and endure it. This process is a complete retooling of your mind. However old you are, if you haven't started the process of changing how you think and renewing your mind with Christ's word and power, that is how long you have been trained to instead be mastered by sin. Don't get discouraged! Remember James 1:2-4 tells us to persevere during these difficult trials and that endurance will result in your being made perfect and complete, like Christ. Be patient with yourself and enlist a Christian friend to help you work on how you face and respond to temptation.
"Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry." Finally, Paul gives the ultimate solution to temptation: flee. This is both incredibly easy and the most difficult thing to do, because it means saying no to what you want and yes to what God wants. The Holy Spirit will give you the strength to flee, but your sinful nature will fight. Be ready, stand firm and fight your natural impulses; that fight will be worth it and will hopefully get easier each time.
Jesus, Thank You for Your great promises, that I can trust You to give me strength to say no to temptation. Thank You for my church family and the believers around me who also face temptation every day. Help me be an encouragement to them in their hard times and also help me be honest with them and confess my sin to them. In Your strong name I pray, Amen.
RSS Feed