God Will Provide a Way Out - 1 Corinthians 10:13

1 Corinthians 10:13 - The Way of Escape
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Temptation is something we all face as Christians, no matter how long we have been following Christ. But with every temptation, God will provide a way out.

Key Bible Verse: 1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (NIV)

God Is Faithful

As the verse reminds us, God is faithful. He will always give us a way of escape. He won't allow us to be tested and tempted beyond our ability to resist.

God loves his children. He's not a distant spectator merely watching us fumble along through life. He cares about our affairs, and he doesn't want us to be overcome by sin. God wants us to win our battles against sin because he's interested in our well being:

God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful. (1 Thessalonians 5:24, NLT)

Rest assured, God is not tempting you. He himself tempts no one:

When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone." (James 1:13, NIV)

The problem is, when we are faced with temptation, we aren't looking for the escape route. Maybe we enjoy our secret sin too much, and we don't truly want God's help. Or, we fall prey to sin simply because we don't remember to search for the way out that God has promised to provide.

Common to Man

The passage explains that all temptations a Christian might experience are common to man. That means everyone faces the same temptations. There are no unique or extreme temptations that are impossible to overcome. If other people have managed to resist the temptation you are facing, then you can as well.

Remember, there's strength in numbers. Find another brother or sister in Christ who has traveled down a similar road and succeeded in overcoming the temptations you face. Ask him or her to pray for you. Other believers can identify with our struggles and give us support and encouragement in times of crisis or temptation. Your way of escape could be just a phone call away.

Are You Looking for God's Help?

Caught eating cookies, a toddler explained to his mother, "I just climbed up to smell them, and my tooth got stuck." The little child hadn't yet learned to look for the way of escape. But if we truly want to stop sinning, we will learn how to look for God's help.

When tempted, learn the lesson of the dog. Anyone who has trained a dog to obey knows this scene. A bit of meat or bread is placed on the floor near the dog, and the master says, “No!” which the dog knows means that he must not touch it. The dog will usually take his eyes off the food, because the temptation to disobey would be too great, and instead will fix his eyes on the master’s face. That is the lesson of the dog. Always look to the Master’s face.

One way to view temptation is to consider it a test. If we keep our eyes trained on Jesus Christ, our Master, we will have no trouble passing the test and avoiding the tendency to sin.

The way out may not always be to escape the trial or temptation but to stand up under it. Instead, God may be looking to strengthen and mature your faith:

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. (James 1:2–4, NLT)

When you come face to face with temptation, instead of giving in, stop and look for God's way out. You can count on him to help you.

Sources

  • 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (p. 372).
  • Opening Up 1 Corinthians (p. 90).
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Fairchild, Mary. "God Will Provide a Way Out - 1 Corinthians 10:13." Learn Religions, Aug. 25, 2020, learnreligions.com/way-of-escape-verse-day-49-701891. Fairchild, Mary. (2020, August 25). God Will Provide a Way Out - 1 Corinthians 10:13. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/way-of-escape-verse-day-49-701891 Fairchild, Mary. "God Will Provide a Way Out - 1 Corinthians 10:13." Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/way-of-escape-verse-day-49-701891 (accessed March 29, 2024).