"God Will Make A Way"

“GOD WILL MAKE A WAY”

1 Cor 10:13

INTRODUCTION

Having Christ in your heart does not mean that you will no longer have problems. The Lord said it very plainly in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble.” Christians and non-Christians will both encounter problems in this life.

This morning I want us to consider one verse in particular, namely: 1 Cor. 10:13. It says, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (NIV).

I have yet to hear somebody say, “I have a big TEMPTATION in my life.” We always say, “I have a big PROBLEM in my life.” Your problem could be about your finances (you are in the verge of foreclosing your house), your job (you just got a job termination notice), your family (your son is taking drugs or your daughter is going out with a married man or your spouse is threatening to divorce you), or about other areas of life. You may choose to call it stress, frustrations, mental anguish, crisis, or any other name. The fact is, your problem is potentially a temptation to act against God’s moral standards. It could be that you are tempted to cheat, to life, to be mean, to hurt someone, and a variety of other unchristian reactions.

Today, I want us to see 7 principles about TEMPTATION.

1. TEMPTATION IS “COMMON TO MAN”

You say, “You don’t understand. Nobody has it as bad as me.” You’re wrong. Everybody experiences some kind of temptation. Even the Lord Jesus Himself was tempted in all points (Heb. 4:15). The Lord was not exempted.

I want to make it clear that God does not tempt anyone in the sense of enticing to sin (James 1:13). However, he allows “trials” and “testing” in our life in order to strengthen our faith and to confirm our allegiance to Him.

2. TEMPTATION IS UNIQUE TO “YOU”

You say, “You don’t know my boss” or “You don’t know my kids” or “You’re not married to my wife.” You’re right about that. She is your wife, not mine. In a sense, it is unique to you. You yourself got into this problem. It’s yours, not mine. But don’t forget something. I have my own unique problem. What we share is the fact that we both have problems. We are in the same boat, so to speak. You have your mess and I have mine. What is common to us is the fact that we are both a mess.

The point is, we have different weaknesses and different degrees of weakness and God is dealing with us individually, according to our need. I may be weak in money matters so God is testing me in this area with the view of strengthening me in this area. Your weakness may be in sexual matters and so God is testing you in that area with the end in mind of making you stronger in resisting sexual temptations.

3. TEMPTATION PROVES THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD

“God is faithful” to Himself. He cannot deny Himself. In fact, “if we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself” (2 Tim. 2:15). It is “godlike” (natural for God) for Him to act in love. He cannot but love just as light cannot keep itself from throwing light in a dark room. Paul says that the grace of God increases proportionate to the degree of sin (Romans 5:20). What he means is that the greater the sin the more grace is required. It is no excuse to sin as Paul is very careful to point out (Romans 6:1). It is simply the fact as, in the case of water, “water rises on its own level,” as the old saying goes.

“God is faithful” also to His Word. This is an encouragement for us to know His Word because “there hath not failed one word of all his good promise” (1 Kings 8:56). Claim His promises. Trust His Word. Apply it on your circumstance. Eph. 6:17 says that the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit by which you can overcome and be victorious.

4. GOD WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO BE TEMPTED “BEYOND WHAT YOU CAN BEAR”

God knows your strength. He knows what you can bear. If you are a “babe in Christ,” like a Grade I teacher, He will only give you a Grade I test. Will you give your 7-year old boy a 50-pound bag of rice to carry? Of course not. So where in the world did you get the idea that God will allow a problem that is beyond your ability to carry? Are you a better in fathering that God? Cease the thought.