Temptation Study
I Corinthians 10:13
“Unger’s Bible Dictionary”
This is generally understood as the enticement of a person to commit sin by some seeming advantage. The sources of temptation are satan, the world, and the flesh. We are exposed to them in every state, in every place, and all the time.
The best definition of this process in the Bible is given by James in chapter 1:14-15
Temptation proper in the case of a fallen creature is, strictly speaking within. It graves the gratification that is offered from without.
A. You can win with Solid Decisions
B. You can win with Solid Devotions
1 Corinthians 10:13 says… There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will, with the temptation, also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
1. James says …the prayers of the righteous prevail. Ask God to help you to overcome
temptations, and believe that He is doing it!
C. You can win with Solid Discipline
1. Sinful pleasures, pursuits, and practices must be avoided. Stay away from satan’s
territory.
James 1:12 says…Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him.
2. Set rules and limits for yourself. Practice self control and restraint. With discipline you
can win over temptation.
1 Thessalonians 5:22 says….Abstain from all appearance of evil.
< Satan is the chief agent in temptation.
From the book of Genesis 3:1 all the way through to II Peter 2:17-19
< Sadly in Genesis 3 we see that people voluntarily into temptation.
How? by the allurements of sin.
< We need to come along side those that struggle with temptation and be a voice of
encouragement to them in their time of need.
< Encouraging them to know that there is power for those that are being tempted
1. Luke 17-19 power to tread over evil forces
2. Luke 22:31-32 safety during temptations
3. James 4:17 & I John 4:7 victory over whatever temptation they may have.
< Satan presents the TEST…read 1 Cor. 10:13a
1. every Christian is subject to temptation, it isn’t sinfull to be tempted, it is common to
man.
2. Satan tempts through the mind, he tempts through the desires for temporal
possessions, for power, and for self gratification. Temptation does not become sin
unless we yield our members to it.
Romans 6:12-13 says…. Let not sin reign in your mortal body, that ye should
obey it in its lusts. Neither yield your members as instruments of
unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are
alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness
unto God.
< You perform the BEST read 1 Corinthians. 10:13b
1. In our quest for victory we must constantly do our very best to overcome the attacks of
satan.
James 4:7 says …. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
< God provides the REST….read 1Cor 10:13c
1. Satan presents temptations, testing, trials, and trouble, but Christians must keep on working, praying, trusting, and believing in God’s wonderful Word. We can only conquer through the work of the Lord.
II Corinthians 3: 4-5 says….And such trust we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything of our selves, but our sufficiency is of God.
< In the Greek temptation is …peirasmso from peira
where we get our word “experience”
< The VERB is peiro…..meaning to pierce through…..meaning to “pass through”
< As a VERB peiro does not appear in the N.T.
but the VERB peirazo does, meaning to tempt.
With those definitions given the Bible says… “there is a way of escape”
This literally means to you and I that we are just passing through these temptations
< Satan is called the tempter in Matthew 4:3 and in 1 Thessalonians 3:5
His job is to prove that someone has been tempted and it has resulted in evil/sin.
< He tries to entangle us in sin, and thereby proof us to be sinful. His temptations, if not
resisted causes us to do the which we know is contrary to God’s will.
< Satan’s temptations are always for the purpose of causing us to fail. He wants to cause
us to become confused and stumble along the way
< Why did the Lord teach us to pray that God would not lead us into temptation?
A. The word “lead” is Greek; meaning “bringing us into”. In other words we should
pray, “do not lead us into the path which will allow me to be tempted”
< God does not tempt (test) us to give us an opportunity to sin, but to give us an
opportunity to show ourselves approved. (Like Job Standing Firm Through It All)
< Such temptation pertaining to our humanity is never beyond our strength to overcome.
God, will not allow us to be tempted beyond our strength.
Conclusion
~ God promises “a way of escape” Amen?
~ The Greek word is ekbasis appears in 1 Corinthians 10:13 and Hebrews 13:7.
~ It is from the preposition ek “out of” and “to go, proceed”.
~ It refers to what is to come out of a situation.
~ It actually does not mean a way of escape, if that by that we are to understand it as
getting out of the situation, but rather that something is going to come out of the
situation.
Bro. Stepp
5/24/94
