The Way of Escape

Video Talk

Summary 1 Corinthians 10:1-11

The children of Israel were delivered from slavery in Egypt via the Lord’s servant Moses, but then they ended up wandering in the wilderness for forty years. During that time the majority of them rebelled against the Lord, and against Moses, the Lord’s servant. For they were idolaters, and they were those who indulged in sexual immorality, and those who grumbled against the Lord and who put Christ to the test, and who were revelers and disobedient to the Lord. And so they died in the wilderness, and they did not enter into God’s eternal rest.

Then this tells us that all these things happened, and that they were written down for us for our instruction, as examples to us so that we might not desire evil as they did, and so that we would not rebel against the Lord as they did and end up dying in our sins and therefore not able to enter into God’s eternal rest because of disobedience, i.e. because of unbelief (see also Hebrews 3:1-19 and Hebrews 4:1-16). And then we read these words:

1 Corinthians 10:12-13 ESV

“Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 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.”

Now we must be very careful that we don’t get this mistaken idea either that we are incapable of sinning against the Lord and/or that our sins no longer matter to God, and therefore that we can continue in deliberate and habitual sin and that sin will not be counted against us. Either way of thinking is not accurate nor biblical. For the moment we think that we are standing righteous before God and therefore we cannot sin or that our sins will no longer count against us, no matter what, then we better watch out!

Now I am definitely not saying here that every time we sin, that we are back at square one, i.e. that it is as if we were never saved to begin with. I know there are people who believe that, but the Scriptures do not teach that (see 1 John 2:1-2). What I am saying is what the Scriptures teach, and that is that if sin is our practice, our habit, and if obedience to our Lord and walks of holiness and righteousness are not our practice, that we do not know God, we are not saved from our sins, and we will not inherit eternal life with God.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10; 2 Co 5:10; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Pet 1:17-21; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

So, take heed if you think you are standing righteous before God and therefore your sins will not be counted against you, or if you think you are incapable of sin or that you are so victorious over sin that sin can no longer touch you. But walk in humility and in the fear of the Lord and in obedience to his commands (New Covenant). And let him empower you to say “No!” to sin and “Yes!” to God and to living godly and holy lives.

For if we are truly in Christ Jesus, by genuine faith in him, he has already made that way of escape for us so that we no longer yield to sin’s control, but now to God. For in his death on that cross he put our sin to death with him so that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, in his power and strength, and not in our own flesh. We just have to yield to him and cooperate with him and with his work of grace in our lives, and not choose to resist him and to go our own way, instead.

But then, if we are serious about walking in holiness and in righteousness and no longer in sin, our Lord will navigate us in the ways that we can resist the devil and flee temptation moment by moment and situation by situation. But we have to take the way of escape he provides for us. For far too many people are “testing fate,” and they are playing with sin and with temptation to sin, and then they are blaming God or other people or their situations for why they failed instead of blaming themselves and their own rebellion and disobedience against the Lord.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2l3WkQBigcQ

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Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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