God Is Faithful

1 Corinthians 10:11-13

God is Faithful

May 5, 2024

Chapter 10 begins with the note, “Brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples…” The price of education is climbing . . . but I submit that though the price of education is high, the price of ignorance is far more expensive. What you don’t know will cost you! How many of us have taken our cars in for repair or had a service technician out to our home only to find out that the needed repair is something we could of done on our own. Simply put, “What you don’t know can cost you.” It is our own ignorance that hurts us in the end. Webster defines IGNORANCE as “lacking knowledge, education, training, or being uninformed in a certain area.” I submit that the Price of Education is not to be compared with the Price of Ignorance! In verse 1 Paul teaches that Jesus has always been in our lives… always been in our history… Do you not know that the same Jesus that you call on and believe in today is the same Jesus that led our fathers, the children of Israel out of Egypt? This same Jesus that baptizes you with the Holy Ghost today is the same Jesus that baptized our fathers in Africa’s Rea Sea. This same Jesus that is the Rock of your Salvation today is the same Jesus was the Rock of their Provision in the wilderness. He says, “I want you to know that the Rock that followed our fathers is Christ!” The plan for salvation did not start 2000 years ago! The plan for salvation began before the foundations were laid Ephesians 1:4 he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. When Paul says “ALL!” - ALL were under- - -ALL passed through- - -ALL were baptized- - -ALL did eat- - - ALL did drink BUT MOST did NOT please God! “But with MOST of them God was not well pleased” (V.5) and were overthrown in the wilderness. WHY DID GOD ALLOW THIS TO BE RECORDED IN HISTORY? Because He is Faithful, He loved us so much that He allowed His chosen to be our example!

The Chosen

God used real people, His chosen people… for us, no fairy tales, no bedtime stories! Paul says, “These Things” became our example so that we would not do as they did! Verse 11 says, Now these things happened for our example and were written for our admonition, (that means our warning!) upon whom the ends of the ages have come. There is no time to waste, we must heed this warning today. We are living in the last days. Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly; He died that our sins would be forgiven and cast into a sea of forgetfulness; He rose that we would be set free from sting of death and victory the grave and He is coming back for the church as that we may be with Him where He is. Why are These Things recorded in history? – Because God chose you! It was written for You! But know this - Salvation is not a barrier to Temptation! On the contrary, verse 12 teaches that Satan is more likely to attack the Christian that the unbeliever. After all, he already has the lost person! He loves nothing better than causing one of God’s children to fall into sin. However, temptation, while it cannot be avoided, can be overcome! How? Because God is Faithful! While it is hard to endure temptation can be used to help us grow in Jesus. I believe every believer needs and wants to know how to turn temptation into triumph. All people are subject to temptation. Even Jesus, was tempted in the wilderness. We are daily assaulted with a wide range of temptations. We all have one area where we are particularly susceptible. It is not a sin to be tempted. Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Sin enters the picture when temptation is surrendered to. Our greatest danger is to think we have arrived at a place where we are above sinning, verse 12 says, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. When our pride tells us that us that we cannot fall, then we are headed for a huge one! Why doesn’t God just kill the devil and remove the attraction for sin? Without opposition, there is no victory! God has not called us to a life of ease, but to one of victory. A victory that we cannot enjoy until we have faced evil and overcome it.