YOU CAN BECAUSE HE WILL
SCRIPTURE: KJV I Corinthians 10:13 “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.”
Amplified Bible: I Corinthians 10:13 “For no temptation--no trial regarded as enticing to sin [no matter how it comes or where it leads]--has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man--that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out--the means of escape to a landing place--that you may be capable and strong and powerful patiently to bear up under it.”
INTRODUCTION: The Corinthians are exhorted to look at the example of the Israelites and take heed.
Perhaps the Corinthians were saying, “But Paul, you don’t understand how it is.”
I. TEMPTATION
A. Temptation Defined
3986 peirasmos {pi-ras-mos'} from 3982; TDNT - 6:23,822; n m AV- temptation 19, temptations 1, try 1; 21
1) an experiment, attempt, trial, proving
1a) trial, proving: the trial made of you by my bodily condition, since condition served as to test the love of the Galatians toward Paul (Gal. 4:14)
1b) the trial of man's fidelity, integrity, virtue, constancy
1b1) an enticement to sin, temptation, whether arising from the desires or from the outward circumstances
1b2) an internal temptation to sin
1b2a) of the temptation by which the devil sought to divert Jesus the Messiah from his divine errand
1b3) of the condition of things, or a mental state, by which we are enticed to sin, or to a lapse from the faith and holiness
1b4) adversity, affliction, trouble: sent by God and serving to test or prove one's character, faith, holiness
1c) temptation (i.e. trial) of God by men
1c1) rebellion against God, by which his power and justice are, as it were, put to the proof and challenged to show themselves
B. Temptation In Itself Is Not Sin
1. Jesus was tempted of the Devil
Matthew 4:1 “Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.”
2. Jesus was without sin.
Hebrews 4:15 “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the
feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
C. Temptation Can Lead To Sin
1. James 1:14 “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust,
and enticed. 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
2. Romans 6:12 “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey
it in the lusts thereof.”
D. Temptation Grips A Man “Breaking The Powerful Pull Of Temptation” by Gerry Pratt
1. Taken you
The definition means something in the Greek that is lost in the translation. ** lambanw - To take by the hand, to lay hold of, to trap or take by craft, to capture.
2. A temptation grabs, grips, captures, arrests.... a person. It is a
VERY POWERFUL feeling.
3. Only when a person remains strong in the Lord, and allows God to work in and through this person......can this person hope to resist this terribly strong pull.
a. The natural man will give in to temptation.....every time.
b. This is because the natural man lives for self and self-gratification.
4. The power to overcome temptation is there for the one who draws near to God (Christ).....on a daily basis. James 4:8 “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh”
E. Temptation Is Common To Man “But such is common to man.”
1. Man Defined
442 anthropinos {anth-ro'-pee-nos} from 444; TDNT - 1:366,59; adj AV- man's 3, after the manner of man 1, of man 1, common to man 1, mankind + 5449 1; 7
1) human
1a) applied to things belonging to men
2. When people think that they are the only one experiencing a particular temptation, a. they will be reluctant to seek help from other believers. As we know, God’s design for the church is to be a body of believers helping one another.
Stephan Brown “Overcoming Temptation” @ sermoncentral
b. they will say that no one understands or no one has ever suffered such a thing.
F. Temptation Excites Imagination
1. Anything that tempts us will raise our imagination. If it didn’t, it really wasn’t a temptation to begin with.
2. It isn’t that we cannot handle these temptations........it is more, the fact, that
we MAY NOT WANT TO RESIST! Gerry Pratt
3. It begins with the mind.
II Corinthians 10:5 “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”
4. Fix your thoughts.
Colossians 3:2 “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”
G. Temptation Comes When We Least Expect It
We are much more likely to be tempted when things are going well for us.
Ray Pritchard “Faithful To Be Tempted” @ sermoncentral
1. First, because if we are never tested when things are going well, we tend to get arrogant and big-headed.
2. Second, Satan tempts us during our good times in order to destroy our testimony. 3. Third, temptation often blindsides us in the moment of our greatest success because that is when we least expect it.
4. Fourth, temptation successfully resisted prepares us to do greater things for God.
When everything is going your way … when you’ve got the world by the tail on a downhill slide … when you just got a promotion … when your popularity has never been higher … when your dreams start to come true … Watch out! Be careful! Take nothing for granted! Keep your eyes open! Just because things are going well doesn’t mean you’re home free. Today’s victories often lead on to tomorrow’s trials. Ray Pritchard “Faithful To Be Tempted” @ sermoncentral
H. Temptation Involves
1. Satan
2. You
3. God
II. GOD
A. God Is Faithful
4103 pistos {pis-tos'} from 3982; TDNT - 6:174,849; adj AV- faithful 53, believe 6, believing 2, true 2, faithfully 1, believer 1, sure 1; not tr 1; 67
1) trusty, faithful
1a) of persons who show themselves faithful in the transaction of business, the execution of commands, or the discharge of official duties
1b) one who kept his plighted faith, worthy of trust
1c) that can be relied on
2) easily persuaded
2a) believing, confiding, trusting
2b) in the NT one who trusts in God's promises
2b1) one who is convinced that Jesus has been raised from the dead
2b2) one who has become convinced that Jesus is the Messiah and author of salvation
B. God
1. Does not tempt you to sin.
James 1:13 “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:”
2. Allows you to be tempted by Satan.
a. In the form of temptation to sin. b. In the form of trial.
3. Because God supervises our temptation, we never have to sin; it is always a choice, made either deliberately or by default. David Guzik
C. God Will Not Allow “will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able”
Above Defined
5228 huper {hoop-er'} a primary preposition;TDNT - 8:507,1228; prep
AV - for 104, of 12, above 12, for (one's) sake 8, on (one's) behalf 3, more than 3, in (one's) stead 2, than 2, very chiefest + 3029 2, beyond 1, to 1, over 1, more 1, exceedingly abundantly + 1537 + 4053 1, exceedingly + 1537 + 4053 1, very highly + 1537 + 4053 1, misc 5; 160
1) in behalf of, for the sake of
2) over, beyond, more than
3) more, beyond, over
D. God Will
1. Make
4160 poieo {poy-eh'-o} apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary;
AV - 6:458,895; v AV - do 357, make 113, bring forth 14, commit 9, cause 9, work 8, show 5, bear 4, keep 4, fulfil 3, deal 2, perform 2, not tr 3, misc 43, vr do 3; 579
1) to make
1a) with the names of things made, to produce, construct, form, fashion, etc.
1b) to be the authors of, the cause
1c) to make ready, to prepare
1d) to produce, bear, shoot forth
1e) to acquire, to provide a thing for one's self
1f) to make a thing out of something
1g) to (make i.e.) render one anything
1g1) to (make i.e.) constitute or appoint one anything, to appoint or ordain one that
1g2) to (make i.e.) declare one anything
1h) to put one forth, to lead him out
1i) to make one do something
1i1) cause one to
1j) to be the authors of a thing (to cause, bring about)
2) to do
2a) to act rightly, do well
2a1) to carry out, to execute
2b) to do a thing unto one
2b1) to do to one
2c) with designation of time: to pass, spend
2d) to celebrate, keep
2d1) to make ready, and so at the same time to institute, the celebration of the passover
2e) to perform: to a promise For Synonyms see entry 5871
2. God Will Make A Way Of Escape
1545 ekbasis {ek'-bas-is} from a compound of 1537 and the base of 939 (meaning to go out);; n f AV - way of escape 1, end 1; 2
1) an egress, way out, exit
1a) applied figuratively to the way of escape from temptation
2) the issue referring to the end of one's life
2a) Heb 13:7 refers not only to end of physical life, but the manner in which they closed a well spent life as exhibited by their spirit in dying
We need to remove ourselves from the source of the temptation (if at all possible). Gerry Pratt
3. God Will Make You Able To Bear It
a. Able
1410 dunamai {doo'-nam-ahee} of uncertain affinity;TDNT - 2:284,186; v
AV - can (could) 100, cannot + 3756 45, be able 37, may (might) 18, able 3, misc 7; 210
1) to be able, have power whether by virtue of one's own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favourable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom
2) to be able to do something
3) to be capable, strong and powerful
b. He will not try us beyond our strength; either he will make the yoke lighter, or our faith stronger. Thomas Watson “The Lord’s Prayer”
c. Able to bear it
5297 hupophero {hoop-of-er'-o} from 5259 and 5342;; v AV - endure 2, bear 1; 3
1) to bear by being under, bear up (a thing placed on one's shoulders)
2) to bear patiently, to endure
CONCLUSION:
Let us then receive every trial with calm resignation, and with humble confidence that He who hath all power, all wisdom, all mercy, and all faithfulness, will first support us in every temptation, and then deliver us out of all: So that in the end all things shall work together for good, and we shall happily experience, that all these things were for our profit, that we "might be partakers of his holiness."
John Wesley
