Jump Start # 3296

1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able; but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.”

Temptation—the apostle mentions it three times in this one sentence. Temptation is not sin. Jesus was tempted, but Jesus never sinned. Temptation is the devil knocking on the door of our hearts. When we get up and open that door and invite the devil in, that’s when trouble begins. Temptation comes in many forms. And, temptation changes as a person changes. There are youthful lusts. But there are also temptations that older folks battle. There are temptations of the mind and there are temptations of the flesh. Some of our struggles against temptation may be obvious and visible to others. But many times, no one knows what we are going through and what we face.

Three things are said about temptation in this verse. First, what we face is what others have faced. It is common to man. No one faces something totally unique to mankind. It might be new to you, but it is not to the world. Second, God puts limits on the temptation. Satan is not more powerful than God. There are restrictions to Satan and God will not break your back with these temptations that you face. Third, with the temptation, comes a way out. It is a door of escape that is provided by God. The Lord doesn’t leave us on our own. He doesn’t cross His fingers and just hope we’ll make it through safely. Not at all. God is providing escape hatches for us. There are other options. There are other choices. We don’t have to open the door to temptation.

Some thoughts for us as we think about “the way of escape”:

First, the way of escape may not be easy. It may be hard because everyone around us are encouraging us to do wrong. It may be hard because it requires us saying, “No,” and some just can’t seem to say that. It may be hard because it means being different and even going a different direction than others are traveling. There is a way of escape, it just may not be easy.

Second, the way of escape may not be what we are wanting. This is why temptation is called ‘temptation.’ It looks good. It sounds good. Others tell us it is good. And, we really want it. Satan pulls on the strings of our hearts. We stop thinking and we start feeling and it may just be hard to find that way of escape because it’s not what we are wanting. It’s a conflict between the soul and the flesh, the mind and the heart, the inside and the outside of us.

Third, the way of escape is always the right way to go because it is provided by God. This is the direction that the Lord wants you to go. Satan and his ugly sisters are always cheering us on to do wrong. We must always go the direction of God. Where is the Lord standing? That’s where we need to be.

Once a person has gone through that door of escape and has a moment to look back, he will understand what a right choice that was. At the moment, his eyes were spinning and he was mixed up about what he wanted to do, but once he finds that path out of there, there is such a great confident feeling. Satan lost that battle. God helped you. God got you through that. It may have been close. Satan may have been right at your heels, but you saw the way out and you took it.

Finally, God will not take us by the hand and force us out. We must look for that escape route. We must find where God is. The other day I ran across some old escape routes someone made for our  church building in case of a fire or disaster. You see similar things on the back of hotel doors and in schools. In a moment of leaving rapidly, one needs to know which direction to go. The same is true for us spiritually.

Now, there is a great lesson for us here. One can’t wait until a hallway is filled with smoke to try to find the best way out. It might be too late. Even before movies begin at the theatre, there is an announcement about locating the nearest exit. They tell you similar things on airplanes. Knowing how to get out is essential to our safety.

There are times our lack of sense can invite temptation. A married man should not be alone with a woman he is not married to unless it’s his mother or sister. The innocent chit-chatting over lunch or after work between a man and a woman can be the first step that leads to infidelity.

Having just one person count the money collected at church on Sunday can be a real temptation. No one else sees the numbers. How easy it is to embezzle. Have a pair or more of men involved and some real accountability in place. This just keeps Satan from knocking on the doors of our heart.

Ways of escape…do you know your plan spiritually?

Roger

Jump Start # 3014

1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you but such is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.”

When I was growing up, there was a cartoon called “Snagglepuss.” He was a colorful lion that got himself into all kinds of trouble. He had a common expression, “Exit Stage Right” and off he’d go. I thought about ole’ Snagglepuss when I read this verse the other day.

Layered within this verse are many lessons that help us when we get ourselves into trouble. There is nothing unique that you go through. It may be the first for you, but not in the history of mankind. Temptation is common. And, what temptation is, is Satan knocking on the door of our hearts. He doesn’t bust in. He doesn’t knock the door down. He knocks. He tempts. He distorts. He lies. He blinds us to consequences. Jesus was tempted, yet Jesus never sinned. You can’t keep Satan off your front porch. He’ll knock. He’ll knock and knock. He hopes that you’re get so tired of him knocking that you’ll open the door. And, when the door is opened and when Satan comes in, that’s when sin takes place. That’s when we disobey God. That’s when we turn our backs on the Lord. That’s when we become more interested in what Satan offers than what God says.

But even in the temptation, God is there. God will provide a way of escape. You don’t have to answer the door and invite Satan in. There are better ways. There are God’s ways. “Exit Stage Right,” is what we need to see.

Now, some thoughts:

First, the way of escape is not always easy. The easy way is to just open the door and let Satan in. That’s easy. Resisting can be hard. Saying “no,” can be hard. For Joseph, it was running away from Potifar’s wife. For David, it would have been listening to his commander when he questioned him about numbering all the people. A door was there, David didn’t take it. Young Timothy was told to “fight the good fight of faith.” Fights are dangerous. They are hard. Whether you are fighting error, resisting temptation, or standing up for what is right, battles are tough.

Second, the way of escape is not always what we want. Too many times, we want what Satan is selling. That’s why it is a temptation. He knows us. He pulls on our heart strings. Doing right isn’t based upon nor determined by what we want. We want things that are easy. We want things that makes us happy. What we want can often be dangerous, unhealthy and even wrong. God provides a way of escape. But some don’t want to escape. They want to stay right where they are. They like Satan knocking on the door of their heart. They want to see what the temptation is like. It takes some “get-up-and-go” to use God’s way of escape. Effort is involved.

Third, we must keep our eyes opened for the way of escape. Whenever you fly, before the plane takes off into the sky, you are given a series of instructions. The doors of escape, or, exit, are pointed out to you. In public buildings, including our church buildings, doors of exit are easily seen by lighted signs. The temptations that we face are not like an iron prison in which no one can escape. God is providing. It’s not us, but the Lord who gives us these doors of escape. But to escape successfully, we must be looking for those doors. The doors of escape are the direction that the Lord wants us to follow.

So all of this tells us that when a person says, “I couldn’t help it,” that’s not really true. He could. There was a  way to escape, he just didn’t look for it. No one has to sin. No one is forced to sin. No one can say that there was no other option. Simply not true.

Finally, once the temptation passes, and they always do, you’ll be left standing with either the door of your heart wide open and Satan having gone through your heart and made a mess, or, you’ll be standing with the Lord having gone through a door of escape. Trashed or safe? Guilty or righteous? Weak or strong? Choices. Choices we all make and choices we all face when temptation comes knocking.

Exit, stage right! Good advice from an old cartoon. Better wisdom, from the Lord.

Roger