A Way of Escape

A Way of Escape

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.

I Corinthians 10:13

As we have considered this verse for the past two days, we have come to some conclusions regarding temptation and God’s faithfulness. We face common temptations. Christ has faced the same temptations. Christ is faithful. The portion of the text we will consider today takes us a step farther, ‘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.’ There are several points here that are worthy of our consideration. The first is that God does not allow us to be tempted beyond our ability. Christ is in absolute control of the length and strength of our temptations. Moreover, He goes beyond to provide for us, ‘a way of escape.’ Could He remove the temptation? Yes…yes, He could; and sometimes He does. If He does not, however, He provides this ‘way of escape’ to the purpose that, ‘ we may be able to bear it.’ The way of escape is rarely the easy way out of the situation. It was not easy for the four Hebrew children to refuse the king’s defiling meat. It was not easy for the three of them to refuse to bow to the golden idol. It was not easy for Daniel to continue to pray often, for the king had forbidden it. In each case, however, the escape from the temptation was there; it just was not the easy way out. In each case, God did miraculous things to rectify their situation. Is their Christ, our Christ? Yes…yes, He is. Will He be as faithful to us as He was to them? Yes, He will. Can I see the end from the beginning? No, I cannot. I can only take the Word of God by faith, and look forward, when I am tempted, to see how He will show Himself faithful.

Our Gracious, Delivering God,
We praise Your Holy Name, and thank You continually,
that You provide for us the ways of escape,
and enable us to bear our many temptations.

Where the Bush is Burning
Tomm Tice