Standing in the Faithfulness of God

This happens more and more…People taking pictures fell Falling to their death. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/07/01/german-tourist-falls-to-his-death-while-trying-to-take-photo-atop-machu-picchu/

In first Corinthians… Paul was issuing that kind of warning. Some were taking so much pride in their maturity, or so much carelessness about their sin that they did not realize how close to the edge they were. They may have thought their leadership ensured them of solid footing, like the Israelites in the the old testament accounts, they had Moses to lead them. That was no guarantee… Corinthians had Paul and Apollos, and Peter… Solid teaching… But this is no guarantee...

Are you Standing in the Faithfulness of God?…the danger v. 12 is falling. This is contrasting the word he uses at the end of 13. ENDURE - Standing…The goal that you will bear the load of it and stand.

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. (ὑποφέρω)

In our lit. as fig. ext. of ‘bear or carry by being under - to bear up under trouble or difficulty, submit to, endure someth. in imagery of one who is under a burden (as e.g. an armor-bearer who is under the arms that he carries) … the blood of Christ made the bounty of repentance available to all the world

Standing under: Temptation (3986) (peirasmos from peirazo = to make trial of, try, tempt, prove in either a good or bad sense) describes first the idea of putting to the test and then refers to the tests or pressures that come in order to discover a person’s nature or the quality of some thing. So it is Trials, and Temptations, and Testing.

But some of them may be overwhelmed in their temptation, and are defeated, and overwhelmed..and hopeless… endless… And they may be wondering, how are we ever going to dig out of this? Can the church recover? We are so unfaithful...

But what Paul is saying…People fail, life is unfair, but arent you glad God is faithful?!

If you are going to stand against the dangers of temptation and trials and testing … you are going to have learn to stand in the faithfulness of God. You can see that in the dangers he presents....

The danger is that you assume TTT leaves you powerless...

v 13 he said none has “overtaken you”. (its actually where we get our word for pirate.

Pirate: from classical Latin, from Greek peiratēs"brigand, pirate," literally "one who attacks" (ships), from peiran "to attack, make a hostile attempt on, try," from peira "trial, an attempt, attack" (from PIE *per-ya-, suffixed form of root *per- (3) "to try, risk").Someone that seeks to seize control.)

J.C. Ryle wrote in his classic book Holiness, “True Christianity is a struggle, a fight, and a warfare. . . . Where there is grace there will be conflict. The believer is a soldier. There is no holiness without a warfare. Saved souls will always be found to have fought a fight” (53–54).

Awakening comes when you remind yourself that He is infinitely powerful…

The danger is that you assume TTT is uncommon....

“v13 that is not common to man” Everyday, ordinary....

John Owen: “The choicest believers, who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin, ought yet to make it their business all their days to mortify the indwelling power of sin....The mortification of indwelling sin remaining in our mortal bodies, that it may not have life and power to bring forth the works or deeds of the flesh is the constant duty of believers...Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you.”

You know Peter taught them this:

1 Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

1 pet 4:12-13 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”

Awakening comes to you...when you realize the power of the Holy Spirit is available to you through Christ Jesus for every trial… which is common...

The danger is that you will assume that TTT is limitless.

v 13. “he will not allow you...” v13 he said “beyond what you are able”

Meaning: ① to allow someone to do someth., let, permit ② to refrain from let go, leave alone ③ nautical t.t. ἐᾶν τὰς ἀγκύρας εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν leave the anchors in the sea Ac 27:40. The boat is anchored, and now has limitations on where it can go.

TTT limited in duration.

TTT limited in its severity.

TTT limited in effect.

Christ my anchor…

Christ the Sure and Steady Anchor by Sovereign Grace Music Christ, the sure and steady anchor In the fury of the storm When the winds of doubt blow through me And my sails have all been torn. In the suff’ring, in the sorrow, When my sinking hopes are few, I will hold fast to the anchor; It shall never be removed. VERSE 3 Christ, the sure and steady anchor Through the floods of unbelief; Hopeless somehow, O my soul, Now lift your eyes to Calvary. This, my ballast of assurance; See His love forever proved; I will hold fast to the anchor; It shall never be removed. VERSE 4 Christ, the sure and steady anchor As we face the wave of death, When these trials give way to glory, As we draw our final breath; We will cross that great horizon, Clouds behind and life secure, And the calm will be the better For the storms that we endure. He not only hold me… but his work is the restraining work of the enemy.

2 Corinthians 9:8 he says, “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”

Awakening comes because the infinite, all powerful God of the universe is more faithful that anything you can comprehend.

Thats why Paul said “ “ No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Cor 2:9.

The danger is that you assume that TTT is hopeless -

“THE way of escape”. Embedded in the test itself… is the end of it, or the way out of it.

Escape: end point of a duration, end; way out of some difficulty, a way out, end. Here it is used with the definite article: “THE way out..

Note it is not "a" way but "the way." The Greek conjunction for with is  sun/syn which speaks of an intimate association. You say so what? The point is that "with" (sun/syn) the temptation "intimately" comes "the way of escape!" It is like a "horse and buggy" arrangement so to speak. God does not allow us to be tested without also "hooking" up the way of escape. The way of escape (ekbasis) describes a going out, as an exit from a house. You dont build a house without a door.

C H Spurgeon reminds us that…

“Live for Gods glory, if you do that, no testing can ever shake you! If it glorifies God for me to loose my property, I am no loser. I gave to God my goods years ago! If I am put in prison & have lost my liberty, I am no loser. I gave up my liberty years ago! If you are told you are going to die, you are no loser. For you gave Him your life years ago! “We must be tried or we cannot magnify the faithful God, who [who said he] will not leave His people.”

Reading in Joshua: Joshua…Just as I was.... So i will be...

Some trials you will have to face it because its common. James 4:7. Ill. You cannot run away from him, but you can drive him away from you. You must face him in the power of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. He doesn’t fear you, but he trembles before the blood of the Lamb! Fight Satan and he will flee! (Ill. Eph. 4:27; 1 Pet. 5:8)Like a lion that prowls…resist him...

Some trials you will have to flee because its overpowering. : (Ill. 1 Cor. 6:18 - “flee fornication”; 1 Cor. 10:14 - “flee idolatry”; 2 Tim. 2:22 - “flee youthful lusts”) (Ill. You cannot expose yourself to f temptation and expect to walk away untouched - Pro. 6:27 - Ill. Situations to avoid!) (Ill. Joseph and Potiphar’s wife - Gen. 39:12) because its overpowering.

Some trials you will have to have faith because you wont know what to do. If you really want victory over the world, then love Jesus more than you love it - Heb. 12:2.

People may fail, life may not always be fair, but God is always faithful.

Notice that Christ is fittingly designated FAITHFUL in every way…

And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war (See note Revelation 19:1) Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (He 2:17-note) Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; 2 He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. (He 3:1-See notes He 3:1; 2) Jesus Christ, the faithful WITNESS, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood (Re 1:5-notes) The Amen, the faithful & true WITNESS, the Beginning of the creation of God (Re 3:14-note)

THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD - "Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds." Psalm 36:5

Conclusion:

The Father’s Faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23) - Hudson Taylor, the humble servant of God to China, demonstrated extraordinary trust in God’s faithfulness. In his journal he wrote:

“Our heavenly Father is a very experienced One. He knows very well that His children wake up with a good appetite every morning… He sustained 3 million Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years. We do not expect He will send 3 million missionaries to China; but if He did, He would have ample means to sustain them all… Depend on it, God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.”

We may be faint and weary, but our heavenly Father is all-powerful. Our feelings may fluctuate, but He is unchangeable. Even creation itself is a record of His steadfastness. That’s why we can sing these words from a hymn by Thomas Chisholm: “Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, sun, moon, and stars in their courses above join with all nature in manifold witness to Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.” What an encouragement to live for Him! Our strength for the present and hope for the future are not based on the stability of our own perseverance but on the fidelity of God-perfectly seen in Christ the son.

Taylor said: “He who abandons himself to God will never be abandoned by God.”