Escape from Temptation

¹² Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. ¹³ No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 

1 Corinthians 10:12–13

As I was reading in 1 Corinthians this morning, I came across this verse that we often think about when we encounter temptation. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. And in reading the rest of chapter 10, Paul actually reminds us of Israel in the wilderness and that they are an example to us. The wording is so specific throughout the first half of chapter 10. He repeats over and over again how Israel was an example (in their failures) so that we wouldn’t be like them. That’s harsh. But it’s true that Israel’s failure shows us that there is a way of escape from our temptations. And that is because many Israelites did escape temptation. There had always been a remnant who had fled from evil and sin. So even though Paul highlights those who fell, they are contrasted with the faithful through the generations who have fled from idolatry. 

And to be very clear about it, in verse 5, we hear that Christ was with them. In other words, it isn’t like the Israelites were without spiritual help. We might have thought that, ‘Oh the church has the Spirit of God, we’ve got help they didn’t have.’ Well maybe, but they had the rock following them through the wilderness, and that rock was Christ. They drank from the Spiritual rock, they ate that spiritual food that confirmed and nourished. That was a sign and a seal. It fed not just the body but the soul. Like our communion meal that builds us up (and more spiritually than physically I might say, I’m usually still hungry after that cracker and juice), they were built up. 

Yet, they had even in the desert without distraction temptation to sin. They in verse 6 became desire-ers of evil. No matter where we are and whether we’re in the desert or in a land flowing with milk and honey, we always will have temptation to sin. And so we must flee that temptation. This is because so much of our problem with sin is actually in our selves. We might blame others, and sure you might learn a few bad habits from others, but that sin is built inside yourselves. So you’ve got to fight it. But you can fight it because Christ is with us to the end of the age, and we have the help of his Spirit. So we fight and when we partake of that food and drink, remember that we are still engaging in this battle. And we do this in hope that one day we will finally and fully live in the city of God that is is built on the rock of Christ and will not be shaken by evil ever again. And by God’s grace we have already come to this city.