Alba 8-3-2025
CAN YOU HANDLE IT?
I Corinthians 10:12-13
There was a U.S. ship captain who had a regular route from California to Columbia. He had delivered his shipment to Columbia and was about to embark for the U.S. when he was approached by the drug cartel. They wanted him to carry a small shipment of drugs to the United States, where their people would secretly unload them.
They offered him $500,000 to do it. He said, “No.” On his next three trips to Columbia the cartel again approached him, offering him more and more money. $1 million, $1.5 million, and then $2 million. At being offered $2 million, he told them “Maybe.”
He called the DEA in the U.S. and a sting operation was set up. The drug dealers were arrested. And One of the DEA agents asked the captain, “Why did you wait until the offers got to $2 million before you called us? The captain replied, “Because they were getting close to my price!”
When temptation comes your way, are you strong? Or are you weak? Can you handle it? Sadly, most of us find that we are not as strong as we thought or would like to be. In fact that is the reason that Romans 3:23 says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That includes each and every one of us. No one is excluded.
Yet I Corinthians 10:13 says that God, “will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.” So, what's up with that? If we are able, why do we sin? Well here's the answer. Without relying on God, we won't be able. We will sin. We need His help. When Jesus was tempted, He relied on what scripture said. In each of the times that the devil thought he could trap Jesus with some sin, Jesus said, “It is written.” And then He quoted from scripture a truth that destroyed the devil's attempt to catch Him doing something that was wrong.
But what about this verse thirteen? It is often quoted, and misquoted to mean something different than it says. How many times have you heard someone say to a person who is struggling with a major problem, “God won't give you any more than you can handle.” You may have said it yourself. But do you know what? That is not true!
The truth is, there may be many things that come into your life that are overwhelming and difficult to handle. Just last Sunday, we heard of problems and tragedies that have caused people despair, and even made them question God. Their thinking is that if God is in control, we shouldn't have any problems. Now I have to tell you, God has never promised that. Never. You know what Jesus said to those closest to Him, “In the world you will have tribulation.” But then He did add, “But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” That last part gives us hope. But it does not change the first part. We will have trouble in this world. Sometimes, overwhelming trouble.
Even the apostle Paul expressed trouble that was beyond his personal ability to handle. In II Corinthians 1:8-9 he says, “For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble (the footnote calls it “tribulation”) which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.” Have you felt that way sometimes? But he continues, “Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.” His trouble was above his strength and he could not trust in himself to get through it. He had to trust God.
Actually, II Timothy 3:12 says, “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” And the apostle Paul is example number one of that truth. Just before that verse, Paul told Timothy, “But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me.”
What he is talking about is the time people threw stones at him so hard they thought they had killed him. He also had been beaten severely and thrown into prison for nothing more than preaching about Jesus. Notice that Paul did not say, “The Lord delivered me from them all.” No. He said, “out of them all the Lord delivered me.” In other words, Paul did experience a lot of trouble. Yet he is able to say, as he continued to trust God, there was a time of deliverance.
He came out with scars. But he saw the hand of God at work, even when he experienced trouble. In a post called, “God Will Give You More Than You Can Handle,” Mitch Chase writes: “Christians can make the strangest claims when comforting those who are suffering. What do you say to someone whose life is falling apart? If you have but a few precious minutes with a person who’s lost a job, home, spouse, child, or all sense of purpose, what comfort do you give? We might turn to conventional wisdom instead of Scripture and end up saying something like, ‘Don’t worry, this wouldn’t happen in your life if God didn’t think you could bear it.’ The sufferer may object, head shaking and hands up. But you insist, ‘Look, seriously, the Bible promises God won’t ever give you more than you can handle.’ There it is—conventional wisdom masquerading as biblical truth. You’ve promised what the Bible never does.”
How comforting is it to tell someone whose loved one has died and they are overwhelmed with grief, “God won't give you any more than you can handle.” But some will say, isn't that what scripture says? And they turn to I Corinthians 10:13 to prove their point.
Well, lets turn to that verse and look closely at what it says. “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
Now it is true that the original Greek word “temptation” in this verse can also be translated as “trial”. But context is always key in understanding scripture and the meaning of words. The context here is the example in verses six through ten of the Israelites continually, and sinfully, disobeying God with wrong desires, wrong worship, immoral conduct, lack of trust and constant complaining. Then comes this promise that while temptation to sin is common to all, giving in to the temptation can be avoided if we seek God's way of escape.
There actually will be many things that come into your life that are more than you can handle. But God will never give you more than He can handle. Let me repeat that. God will never give you more than He can handle. If you try to do it on your own, you will fail. God's promise is that He will provide a way out when we’re tempted, but He never says that He’ll shield us from struggles, even with sin.
Many new Christians think that coming to Jesus, getting saved, will make all lust for sin to go away. Actually, some new Christians will suffer more severe temptation than ever. There is a reason for that. The devil doesn't like to loose someone who used to be on his side. On the other hand, there are those who trust God to provide a way of escape. And when they take it, they are free from the desire for sin. Because of true repentance God frees them from alcoholism, addiction to smoking or cursing, at the moment of salvation and they don't face it again. Still the devil will make sure that we continue to face temptation to sins of some kind. That is why we need always to be looking for God's way of escape.
Every Christian no matter how spiritual or how carnal: no matter how long or how short a time they’ve been a Christian, will be tempted. Verse 13 says, temptation is common to all. And verse 12 reminds us that we should not think that we have a lot of strength to resist temptation on our own. Sadly, we tend to get ourselves into a lot of the trouble we experience. And the devil makes use of any weakness we have. So how do we handle that.
When Jesus was tempted He always quoted the Scriptures. You can read about the temptations that our Lord faced in Matthew chapter four. If we use the scriptures in the same way that Jesus did, the way of escape will be in plain view. But of course, the scriptures do us no good if they remain in a Bible that is tucked away on a shelf. Psalm 119:11 tells us what is needed. It says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.” The way that can happen for you is to take time with the Bible.
Some say, they read the Bible but it can be difficult to grasp the meaning. If that is the case, my recommendation would be to get a newer translation of the Bible, one that is easier to read. It could make a real difference in your understanding. I prefer a good translation over a paraphrase, but the purpose is to find something that puts God's Word into your heart.
Ephesians 6:7 says that, “the sword of the Spirit... is the word of God.” If you are going to battle the devil and win, you need your weapon. And it can be ready at all times when it is hidden in your heart.
Some Christians get into sin, simply because they are tempted. We don't have to do that. We don't give in to every salesman that asks us to buy his product. We don't give in to every commercial on television simply because it is aired. Neither should we give in to every sin simply because it comes across our path. Through the Bible, God will talk to us, giving us information that will disarm the devil's attempt to cause us to sin.
And another way of escape that the Lord provides is if, when tempted, we talk to Him. Jesus instructed us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation” (Luke 11:4a). Sometimes we do not have deliverance from temptation because we do not ask for victory. James 4:2 says, “You do not have because you do not ask.” Again, Jesus is our example. When He was facing the cross, knowing the pain it would bring, He prayed. Sweat drops of blood came from his forehead as He prayed. It was decision time. And in this time of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane He found strength to entrust Himself to the Heavenly Father and pray, “not my will but thine be done.”
Today we sang the hymn that proclaims, “Would you be free from the burden of sin? There is power in the blood.” When you are tempted, ask God to cleanse your mind by the blood of Jesus Christ so you won’t think on sin. When temptation comes, remember God has not forsaken you. He is ready to provide a way of escape. Sin may dog your heels, but you don't have to walk in its path. Read your Bible and pray. It may sound too simple, but Jesus proves that it works.
If all else fails, and if you still find temptation too strong to resist, a final remedy is; RUN. After talking about various temptations, Paul says to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:11. “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.”
Yes, you might just need to run.
And even better, is to put the devil on the run. James 4:7 says, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
CLOSE:
Have you heard of the Flowtron 40 Watt Outdoor Bug Zapper? Here's what they say about it. “A 40 watt ultraviolet light excites insects and lures them into the electric grid, where they are electrocuted and fall harmlessly to the ground.” You see, bugs look at the light and they think, “Wow, that really is a cool looking light, it’s awesome. I think I’ll just cruise on over for a closer look… then zap.
You would think that after awhile, these bugs would wise up. I mean, you’d think that they would notice that lying in the tray underneath the light, are the bodies of hundreds of their little friends. Those other impulsive bugs who have gone before them.
Of course, on the bottom of a bug zapper is not where they intended to end up. No bug ever says to itself, “I know what I’m doing. I’m strong enough. I’m smarter than the other guys lying in the bottom of the tray. I’m much too clever. I can handle this attraction without getting zapped. Even if everyone else gets zapped I never will.
And we know what happens, don’t we. We know the rest of the story. They, like their friends, end up at the bottom of the tray, dead, crispy, fried... electrocuted by attraction to a 40 watt ultraviolet light bulb. There are ways that seem right to a bug, but they only end in death. But only a bug would be that stupid, right? Only a bug would go flying mindlessly into the same trap that countless other bugs have died in, right?
Oh... “let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” Every one of us needs Jesus. And He calls us to come, just as we are, so that He can save us from destruction.
