“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.” 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 ESV
The context here is that of the Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years and how so many of them disobeyed the Lord and rebelled against him and sinned against him in multiple ways, and how the Lord killed many of them off, and they did not get to enter into the Promised Land nor into God’s eternal rest (his salvation and eternal life for those who believe in him). For with all of God’s promises come conditions. And they were supposed to keep (obey) the covenant commands that God gave them to obey.
And then it says that these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. So we are not to be idolaters, and revelers, and drunkards, and sexually immoral, and adulterers, and those who rebel against the Lord and who put him to the test and who grumble to him that he is not doing for us what we think he ought. For if sin is what we practice, and not obedience to our Lord in holy living, we will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what our lips profess.
So, when this says, “let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall,” that is in this context of those who were convinced that because they were Israelites that the Promised Land and life eternal with God was guaranteed them, it appears. And so they believed that they could sin against God as much as they wanted and still get to go to the Promised Land. They thought that because they were Israelites, God’s chosen people of old, that they were invincible. They didn’t really believe God would cut them off.
And this is the way many who profess faith in Jesus Christ today are operating. They think because they made a profession of faith in Christ that they are now “good to go.” They believe that all their sins are forgiven (past, present, and future) and that they are on their way to heaven, guaranteed, and that nothing can take that away from them, but regardless of how they live. But the Bible does not teach that. The Bible teaches we must die to sin and live to righteousness and walk in obedience to our Lord to be saved.
And then there is this reminder here that no temptation has overtaken any of us that is not common to man. So, for those of you who continue to make excuses for why you are still walking in sin and not in obedience to the Lord, your excuses do not wash. You are not the exception to the rule! The same rules that apply to all the rest of us apply to you. The same rules that God gives to women he also gives to men. So, if you are doing so, please stop pulling the “man card,” that men are different from women, and thus they are more prone to particular sins because they are wired differently.
And I am not just picking on men here, but that is one of the excuses I hear frequently as to why men can’t obey the Lord and live holy and morally pure lives. Or I hear, “It takes time.” Yes, as Christians we are all in the process of sanctification, if we are of genuine God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ. We are clay in the Potter’s hand being molded to his likeness. And this is a process, I agree. But to claim that deliberate and habitual sin is part of that process and it takes time before someone can stop sinning is just not right.
For the Scriptures teach us that if sin is what we obey, in practice, and not righteousness and obedience to our Lord, that we don’t know God, we are not born of God, we are not in fellowship with Christ, and we do not have salvation from sin and eternal life with God nor the hope of spending eternity with God/Christ in heaven. And so we are not to be deceived by those who are telling us that we can be assured of heaven as our eternal destiny but while we continue in deliberate and habitual sin against God.
And this teaches us that God is faithful to those who are his to not let us be tempted beyond our ability (in the power and strength of the Lord) to resist the devil, and to flee temptation to sin. And he will provide a way of escape, which he already provided via Jesus’ death and resurrection. For Jesus died, and was resurrected from the dead, to deliver us out of our slavery (addiction) to sin, and to empower us to live godly and holy lives. But we have to cooperate with his work of grace in our lives. We have to obey him.
But so many people just want God to do it all for them, and when temptation comes and they give in to the temptation, they will blame God that he didn’t do his part. He always does his part. Or they will make up all kinds of excuses like they just got side-swiped, like they didn’t know from experience if they go through those doors that this would be the end result? But we are without excuse if we choose to sin against the Lord and against other humans deliberately and habitually and premeditatedly.
[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 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-24; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
Broken Cord
An Original Work / August 29, 2018
Your bond is broken with your Lord and Savior
And your testimony is separate from Him.
Your words not matching your actions today.
Repent of your sin and bow down and pray.
Live what you testify in truth always.
Purity’s lacking in your life and witness,
For you profess one thing, but other you do.
Not moral, spiritual. Still of the flesh.
Not living in truth to what you confess.
Lying about it puts you in a mess.
Living a lie is your practice, ‘tis true of you.
Masquerade righteousness – none of it true.
Your heart is not given to your Lord God.
Because of how you live, you are a fraud.
Turn from your sin and give your life to God.
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