Introduction

Paul uses the examples of the people of God in the Old Testament, who were trusting in their pedigree for their standing before God, to confront the Corinthians with their sins. Remember, the Corinthians thought they were above it all, that they had arrived, and that this life of holiness thing was for the weak Christian. Paul tells them that idolatry, sexual immorality, testing Christ, and complaining are serious sins that will lead to destruction. He concludes with the solemn warning: Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. We can imagine the silence that overtook the Corinthian church when these words were read to them. "We are guilty of all these things! We are doomed! How are we going to persevere to the end?", they say.

Paul then pens what is one of the best-known verses in 1 Corinthians and a favorite one that gives hope to Christians struggling with sin, v. 13. Do you notice what is odd about this verse? It doesn't seem to fit. A verse of comfort is stuck in the middle of a passage about warning. If anything, the passage would have flowed more smoothly if verse 13 did not exist. Read verses 12 and 14 together: Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. Yet, we praise the Lord that verse 13 exists. And it is so typical of the grace of God in the struggles of life. We cannot, on our own, overcome sin. But Christ can and he freely offers us his grace to the point that Paul can say in Philippians, "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

Paul may also be anticipating an argument as well. The Corinthians might respond, "Paul, you don't know how tough it is to live a Christian life in Corinth. We live in a city in which the temptations are so great. The sexual temptations are in our faces. As far as idolatry, the very way of life and the economy are inseparable with the Greek/Roman religious practices. What do you expect of us?" The answer is: be completely and thoroughly bathed in the grace of God in Jesus Christ, that's where holiness of life dwells.

I. A Brief Word about Temptation

A. Temptation itself is not sinful.

B. Different people struggle with different things, but everybody is tempted.

C. We are in constant war against the world, the flesh, and the Devil and we must never forget that.

II. God Tempting Man? God…with the temptation will also make the way of escape."

A. Although different scholars have tried to explain this statement in ways that would exonerate God from tempting anyone, the grammatical construction of this sentence requires that we understand it otherwise.

B. So, the meaning is that God tempts or tries his people, but with that trial/temptation he also provides the grace not to fall into sin.

C. The Scriptures are full of examples of God trying/tempting his people.

D. Now the problem is that James says something that seems to be opposed to this.

E. This tension between what Paul says and what James says has led the Christian community to use language of permission.

F. Others have tried to relieve God from any association with sin and evil by saying that God does not know what man will do.

G. Others deal with this tension by ignoring it.

H. The best way to look at this tension is by believing that both Paul and James are right.

I. So, as a sovereign God, he has ordained and decreed all the temptations we will face, yet we are responsible for the sins we commit.

J. There is great comfort in knowing that God is ultimately behind our trials and temptations.

III. What Is Common to Man

A. Let's go back to the beginning of the verse.

B. As you remember, Paul's intent is to encourage the Corinthians after showing them that God's wrath is poured upon the disobedient.

C. The first thing Paul wants the Corinthians to know is that no one is tempted more severely than the person next to him or her.

IV. God Is Faithful

A. As he continues to encourage the Corinthians, Paul reminds them that God is faithful.

B. God will not abandon those that are his.

C. The ultimate proof of God's faithfulness to us is the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

V. It Is Always Bearable

A. Because he is faithful, he will not allow us to be tempted or tried beyond what we can stand.

B. All trials are bearable

C. This is not to say that all trials are easy to go through, but they are all go-through-able.

D. Now why does God try us? Why not just leave us alone?

VI. The Way out Is Always There

A. Because our God is faithful he will also give us the grace to resist the temptation and not to fall into sin.

B. It is important for us to notice that Paul says that God makes THE way of escape, not A way of escape.

C. Notice that the way of escape may be the grace to bear under the struggle, not the removal of the struggle.

VII. Practical Considerations

A. Based on this understanding of this verse, let's consider a few practical applications.

B. The first one is that a Christian cannot say that he or she is not able to resist temptation because of the uniqueness of his or her problem.

C. Secondly, a Christian cannot say that he or she is not able to resist temptation or deal with any given sin because of the weight of the temptation or the seriousness of the sin.

D. Thirdly, a Christian cannot say that he or she is not able to resist temptation or deal with any given sin because there is no hope.

E. The bottom line is that a Christian cannot say I can't.

F. A Christian just cannot say I can't because God is faithful to him/her.

Conclusion

The grace of God is present in the struggles of life. We get in trouble when we think these struggles are only ours and we have to deal with them on our own strength. God is faithful and he has proven that by sending his Son. Life may present you with all kinds of struggles and temptations, but the grace of God in Jesus Christ is sufficient to handle any and all struggles and temptations.

http://olympiabp.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-grace-of-god-in-struggles-of-life-1.html


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