God's Practical Instruction Concerning Temptation
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Introduction
Introduction
If you have followed the messages from 1 Corinthians 10, you know that the Holy Spirit is utilizing Israel as an example for us. Israel failed in two basic ways. They did not truly listen and heed God’s commands. By not doing so, they easily gave in to the temptations of this world. Their failure is now our example. The Holy Spirit is clearly telling us that we should be careful of falling into the same trap. His warning is straightforward and explicit. The world has not change. We, as believers, are still prone to the temptations of our sinful desires. Yes, we are saved and sealed by the Holy Spirit himself, yet, we still struggle with our flesh and the desires of the flesh.
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
It is concerning this battle that the Holy Spirit issues His warning here in 1 Corinthians 10. Each of us, individually, must fully realize this intense struggle. As we do, we must humbly submit to God’s Spirit allowing Him to help us overcome the temptations we face. That is the object of this entire chapter. In and of ourselves, we cannot overcome the flesh and its desires. However, if we obey God and let Him take over, He can.
Up to this point, God warned us about several temptations to sin.
LUST - 1 Corinthians 10:6 “6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.”
IDOLATRY - 1 Corinthians 10:7 “7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”
FORNICATION - 1 Corinthians 10:8 “8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.”
TEMPTING CHRIST - 1 Corinthians 10:9 “9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.”
INGRATITUDE - 1 Corinthians 10:10 “10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.”
Now comes verse 11 which says.
11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
All that Israel did and all that the Holy Spirit has just give us is for one thing only. It was all given so for “our admonition.” It is His warning to us.
We MUST HEED God’s Warning for Two Reasons.
The End of the World is Inevitable!
The End of the World is Inevitable!
11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
The reality of today’s world is simply this. We are living in the last days. Scripture is quite clear about God’s timetable. The event on God’s timetable is the Rapture followed by 7 years of Tribulation upon the earth. There are several passages that tell us what it will be like leading up to this next great world event.
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Christ described the latter days before His return saying:
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
As I read these passages, I believe with all my heart that we are indeed living the last days before Christ’s return. I cannot tell you when He will return or how much longer He will tarry. However, I can tell you that all the signs we see in today’s world scream of His imminent return. All of which means we are just that much closer to being in His presence.
For the unbeliever, it is a warning. Time is short. Scripture states that once the Rapture occurs God’s Spirit will be "taken out of the way” according to 2 Thessalonians 2:7.
2 Thessalonians 2:7–8 (KJV 1900)
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [to restrain or hold down] will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Currently, it is the Holy Spirit who restrains or holds back men from fully giving into their sinful and wicked ways. However, when the trumpet sounds and all believers are raptured out, the Holy Spirit will be no longer hold back. Sin will be rampant. God’s judgement will fall with incredible fury upon all who remain behind. If you are here this morning having never recieved the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you will be one of those left behind. And, trust me, it will literally be hell on earth in the seven years that follow.
There is only way to escape the inevitable end times of God’s judgment.
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
You must:
Acknowledge that you are a sinner and repent.
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Accept all that Christ did for you on the cross and through His resurrection by full believing in your heart.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Call upon Him for salvation.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
If you will do so, you will BE SAVED from the impending judgment that is to come.
For us as believers, it is also a warning. We only have a short amount of time left to effectively witness for Him. All around us are loved ones, friends, and co-workers who need Christ. They too are doomed unless we share the glorious gospel with them. Thus, we must heed the warning given here. God gave us Israel as an example. We are not to give into the temptations of the flesh and this world. Instead, we must abstain from fleshly lusts, idolatry, sexual sins, trying Christ, and sinful ingratitude. Too much is at stake for us to live selfishly. No, we must understand and realize that we are commanded by Christ to be His witnesses. In a sense, you are living, walking testament of the gospel. As people see your life are they seeing a true follower of Christ dedicated to living for Him? Or, are they seeing someone who live as they do with no concern other than themselves?
This thought leads us to our next verse.
We Often Become Too Comfortable!
We Often Become Too Comfortable!
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
We, as believers, have a tendency to become comfortable living in this world. In fact, we often become comfortable and complacent in our walk with the Lord. It seems that we reach certain points where we think we are okay. We fell safe and secure. That is exactly what this verse is talking about. Look again it and note the following phrase.
1 Corinthians 10:12 (KJV 1900)
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
This particular phrase literally means to have the opinion that you are able to hold or maintain a position - to stand. Unfortunately, there are many believers who have the opinion that they are quite capable maintaining their own daily spiritual walk. They feel secure and safe. In their minds, they can handle anything life throws at them. There is even a mindset within them that say, “Bring it on, I can handle it.” It is a very dangerous thought! This verse is the essence of such mindset. There is no one that knows us better than God.
For us, life is good when we are on the mountain. We settle in and enjoy living there. Eventually, we become so comfortable with blessings of God that we forget God. Slowly, God no longer becomes first place that is until the we find ourselves in the middle of the valley. I cannot tell you how many times throughout my service to the Lord I have seen believers forsake God when things are going well. Usually it begins with them missing church services. Everything is going well. There is money in the bank. Physically, they are healthy. There are no huge issues with family or their children. Suddenly, God is placed on the shelf. He is no longer needed. And, then, without warning (though it is never truly without warning) things change. It is then that the temptation to sin heightens.
GIVE ILLUSTRATION OF KING DAVID - He was not where he was supposed to be. Instead, he laid back and relaxed. As he did, he spotted Bathsheba on the roof across the way bathing. In an instant, the temptation to sin (adultery) overcame him.
Why? What happened? He became complacent. He failed to take heed when he was standing and fell.
26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: But whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
It is the wise believer who learns to listen to the wisdom of God’s Word and walks accordingly. That is the point the Holy Spirit is driving home in this chapter. He is emphatically warning us to be careful. Don’t give into the temptations of this world. Abstain from them. Be careful about complacency.
The Holy Spirit follows this up by giving us one of many great verses of hope found in His Word.
Yes, temptations are real. However, here are three things every believer needs to know about temptations.
Temptations are Unavoidable, but Know This!
Temptations are Unavoidable, but Know This!
13 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.
Everyone is tempted!
Everyone is tempted!
1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV 1900)
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man...
A couple of quick thoughts here.
First, temptations come from men and not from God. Note that it is “common to man.” The Holy Spirit confirms this in the book of James.
James 1:13–15 (KJV 1900)
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
This is an important point for this reason. Too often we see temptations as being difficult to overcome. In fact, we often attribute certain superhuman abilities or qualities to the word “temptation.” However, the reality is that temptations are not superhuman. Consequently, there is NO TEMPTATION that is so powerful it cannot be overcome. Additionally, NO TEMPTATION is unique. Since they are born out of man’s own lust, it makes them of no special value or no unique quality. They are simply temptations to sin. Continuing with this thought, we must also understand that NO TEMPTATION is beyond our capacity to handle especially knowing that we have the Holy Spirit within us. Ultimately, the Holy Spirit is saying to us that “temptations” should not terrify us in any sense of the word. Yes, we must understand how we are drawn to them. However, the point is simply this. They can be overcome.
Second, note that they are “common” to man. In other words, every single person faces the same temptations. In fact, the Holy Spirit just warned us about a number of temptations “common to man” - lust, idolatry, fornication, tempting Christ, and complaining. Each of these are temptations that we all face. All are temptations that men faced since Adam fell in the Garden of Eden. The Bible is filled with examples of men who faced these temptations. Some of those men and women overcame them. Some, however, did not and fell by caving into the temptations. Therefore, any temptation that you faced this week or may be facing this morning is no different than the temptations that we all have faced, are facing, and will mostly likely face again soon.
Now comes our HOPE!
Look again at 1 Corinthians 10:13.
God is always faithful!
God is always faithful!
1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV 1900)
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful...
The essence of the word “faithful” is to be reliable. In other words, you can rely upon God. Why? He is steadfast in His promises.
2 Peter 3:9 (KJV 1900)
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2 Peter 1:3–4 (KJV 1900)
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2 Corinthians 7:1 (KJV 1900)
1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
You can rely upon the promises of God. He, through His divine power, has given us everything we need pertaining unto life and godliness. In other words, as a believer, God has given you everything you need to overcome fleshly lusts living a godly and productive life for Him. He has given us “exceeding great and precious promises” so we may escape “the corruption that is in the world through lust.” Our duty is to submit to Him allowing Him to “cleanse” us from “all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” He is faithful. We are to rely upon Him. God does not allow any temptation to come in our lives that too enticing, too forceful, too pleasing, too ego-boosting, too appealing, too satisfying, too self-exalting, too stimulating, too fulfilling, too promising, or even too arousing to overcome. How do I know this? Look again at verse 13.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV 1900)
13 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.
God knows exactly what we can bear and to what extent we can bear it. That is the essence of “above that you are able.” Yes, the temptations come from within from our lusts. However, God through His Spirit is quite capable of overcoming any temptation that arises. We must simply rely upon Him knowing that He is faithful, steadfast in all His promises to us.
Here is the last thought and we are done.
Whatever temptation you are dealing with, -
God will get you through it!
God will get you through it!
Look again at verse 13.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV 1900)
13 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.
There is always a way of escape with God.
The best illustration of this is Israel once again. Remember how the Holy Spirit started this chapter giving them as our example. The entire congregation of Israel left Egypt rejoicing at God’s deliverance. They were on a huge spiritual and emotional high. Everything was great and God was good. However, it wasn’t long before their journey took them deep into the valley of temptation. With the Egyptian army bearing down and the Red See in front, the temptation to complain and blame God was immediately felt. God intervened because God is faithful. He promised to deliver them and to bring them to a land flowing with milk and honey. God opened the Red Sea miraculously saving them. He then provided Himself as a Guide across the wilderness. He also ensured they did not starve and thirst to death. Time and time again, Israel was confronted with temptation. And, each time, God was faithful. As we know, 600,000 men started the journey and only two finished. All that perished in the wilderness did not perish because they found God unreliable. It was quite the opposite. God proved Himself repeatedly. They perished because they did not heed the promises of God. Instead, they gave into their own sinful lusts. They experienced the reality of James 1:15
James 1:15 (KJV 1900)
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Yet, there were two men who experienced all the same temptations as they made the same journey. They finished well. Joshua and Caleb entered the land of milk and honey with their families and experienced the wonderful blessings of God. What made the difference? They learned...
13 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.
There is a little chorus that has been forgotten in a lot of churches today. As I was preparing this message, I was reminded of the lyrics which go like this:
My Lord knows the way through the wilderness,
All I have to do is follow.
My Lord knows the way through the wilderness,
All I have to do is follow.
Strength for today is mine all the way,
And all that I need for tomorrow.
My Lord knows the way through the wilderness,
All I have to do is follow.
And there is the answer. It is the Lord Who knows the way through the wilderness of this life. We need to rest on the fact that He is faithful. All we must do is FOLLOW. As we do, He will give us strength all the way as we journey each and every day.
Conclusion
Conclusion