THE WAY OF ESCAPE – 1 Corinthians 10:13

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on March 31, 2019 under 2019 |

Bethany Bible Church Sunday Message; March 31, 2019 from 1 Corinthians 10:13

Theme: There are five crucial principles of ‘escape’ to remember in times of temptation.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

This morning, we’ll look mainly at just one verse of the Bible. And I’m very excited to do so, because it happens to be a verse that has come to mean a great deal to me. It was the very first verse I ever memorized as a brand new believer in Christ—and one that proved to be a great help to me in my walk with the Lord Jesus.

You see; I did not grow up in with a strong background in the Christian faith. When I came to faith in Jesus in 1973, it was all really quite new to me. I was thrilled to discover that God the Father loved me, and that the Lord Jesus died for my sins, and that I was made righteous in God’s sight by faith. After years of believing that I was destined for hell, I was overwhelmingly happy that I was now saved and was going to go to heaven.

But there were still a great many things in my life that needed to be cleaned up. At first, I thought that all of my temptations to sin would suddenly disappear because I trusted Jesus. But instead, I often found myself still struggling with the temptation to fall back into old sinful patterns and habits. I sometimes wondered if, among all the people in our church and among my new circle of Christian friends, I was the only one that struggled with temptation in the way I did. And in my struggles with the old sins of the past, there were many times when my struggles ended in failures.

But it was very early in my new Christian life—and in the midst of my new struggles—that I was introduced to the verse I would like to share from this morning. It’s 1 Corinthians 10:13; and when I share it with you, you’ll understand why it became so dear to me—and why I committed it to memory early on. It says;

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 (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Embracing this verse—and thinking carefully through what it said—and even quoting it directly to myself—changed my view of the struggles I had with temptation. And I can’t tell you enough how much of a blessing that verse has been to me in my Christian walk over the years.

I very much look forward to unpacking it with you, and sharing with you some of the blessings I have gained from it.

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Now; this verse is part of our ongoing study through the New Testament book of 1 Corinthians. And it would be very important for us to set it in its context.

Paul, as you may remember, had been dealing with several problems that were going on in the church in Corinth. One of those problems had been the way that some of the Christians were enjoying and using their ‘freedoms’ and ‘liberties’ in Christ to the harm of other fellow Christians. They were partaking of things and participating in practices that—while perhaps not wrong in and of themselves—were harming the tender consciences of other brothers and sisters within the church family. One of those practices was that of eating meat that had been served to an idol in a pagan temple. The meat itself was fine; since it really hadn’t been offered to anything at all. But eating it carelessly and thoughtlessly was not only hurting the consciences of other brothers and sisters; but it was also even leading some of the ‘eaters’ dangerously close to the edge of sin themselves.

This verse falls in the middle of that discussion. And I believe it helps to see it in the context of what came before it and what comes after it. Before it, in verses 1-12, Paul had warned his brothers and sisters of the danger of using their liberties in Christ in such a way as to dabble too close to the edges of sin. He told them about how the ancient people of Israel had great spiritual advantages; but they, nevertheless, fell into sin and suffered great loss. In verse 12, Paul summed it up by saying, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” And we, dear brothers and sisters, need very much to take that warning to heart; don’t we?

And after this verse, in verses 14 and onward, it seems to me that Paul went on to take a very direct approach. He urged these ‘eaters’ to run away from a particularly dangerous sin that—one toward which they were drawing dangerously close. Because they were entering into the pagan temples and eating the sacrificial meat in the temple courts and at its dining tables, they were actually beginning to participate in the temple structure and pagan worship of false gods. And so, Paul told them, “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” There are certain sins that demand a very drastic action from us; and this is one of them. We’re not to try to ‘resist’ idolatry, or try to ‘negotiate terms of peace with it’. We must run from it. “Flee!”

And our verse this morning stands in the middle of these two other sections—one that warns us that we who think we are strong in the faith must take heed, lest we fall; and the other that urges us to ‘flee’ decisively from idolatry. Verse 13, then, gives us important information that we need to have in order to do as Paul tells us in the larger context of this chapter.

And dear brothers and sisters; I would say that this verse is not meant to be a harsh rebuke to us. Rather, it is meant to be a comfort and a consolation to us. It is meant to be an encouragement to us in those times when we struggle and wrestle with temptations to sin. No matter what the temptation may be that comes in our lives, there are certain principles that are always true. And knowing these principles will help us to overcome that temptation with victory in Jesus. Let me quote the verse to you again—just as I have often quoted it to myself …

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 (1 Corinthians 10:13).

What a comfort those words are! What an encouragement they give us! I even hope that you’ll do as I did and commit it to memory; so that you can call what it says to mind every time you feel overwhelmed by a particular temptation to sin or a test to your faith in Jesus.

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Now; this verse affirms to us that whenever temptation comes, there is a way of escape. And before we go any further, it’s important that we understand the nature of that escape.

When I say ‘way of escape’, I suspect that, for many people, many different things come to mind. Some people might confuse the sort of ‘escape’ that Paul talks about with a kind of ‘escapist’ behavior. Those who engage in this kind of escapism try to deal with their trials by anesthetizing themselves to it in some way—through dulling themselves with chemicals, or alcohol, or perhaps through distracting themselves with ‘entertainment’, or even through some habit or practice. For many, sadly, the particular ‘escapist’ behavior turns into a harmful addiction. But simply dull ourselves to a trial or temptation, or remove it from our conscious awareness, doesn’t really deal with it at all. When the ‘escapist’ practice wears off, the trial is still there—and is often made even worse.

Other people may confuse the ‘escape’ mentioned in this verse, with a ‘figurative’ kind of escape—like simply taking a ‘vacation’ from our troubles. Travel companies talk that way often, don’t they? They call a ‘vacation’ package an ‘escape’ or a ‘get-away’. That becomes a matter of simply removing one’s self from the trying situation, or of going away from the place where the trials are. But you still end up having to come back to the trial when the vacation is over. There’s no real help in that. That’s not the kind of escape Paul is talking about.

No; the kind of escape that Paul is talking about is one that, rather than dulling ourselves to our trials or temptations, or removing ourselves from them, results instead in being able to ‘bear-up’ or ‘endure’ in them. Look at what Paul says at the end of verse 13; that it’s a “way of escape” that God Himself makes for us “that you may be able to bear it”—or more literally, “that you may bear up under”.

I believe that we can only rightly understand this ‘escape’ that God provides for us—this kind of ‘exit’ from our trial or trouble or test—if we see it not so much as an escape ‘from’ something as an escape ‘to’ Someone. God’s way of ‘escape’ is always an escape to the Person of Jesus Himself—that is, to cast ourselves upon Him for His help in strength in every trial and temptation; and all so that we may bear up under it and endure it faithfully through Him. Any ‘escape’ that is not an escape to Jesus Christ is not a true escape at all.

Now; we can know for certain that this is absolutely true, because Jesus Himself said so. In John 15:1-4, He said,

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me” (John 15:1-4).

We can do nothing apart from Him—no more so than a branch can do anything apart from the vine. He even gave us this wonderful invitation:

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

So; let’s remember—’the way of escape’ that Paul is talking about means nothing less than running to Jesus Himself and seeking our help in Him in a time of testing and trial. When that happens, our trials or temptations have done us a truly great service!

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So then; let’s look together at this verse. In it, I see five important principles of ‘escape’ that we need to keep in mind whenever we face times of temptation to sin.

The first thing to remember is …

1. YOUR TEMPTATION IS NOT UNUSUAL.

Paul writes, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man …” The word that Paul uses here for ‘temptation’ is one that has wide meaning. It can speak of a ‘temptation’ to sin; but it can also mean a ‘trial’ or a ‘test’ or a ‘putting of something to the proof’. In God’s providential care for us, that’s what every temptation ultimately is—nothing more than a matter of putting us to the test to see if we will trust in Jesus as we should, and of training us to trust Him more. And in the original language, when Paul says this, he puts it in what’s called the ‘perfect tense’ of the verb; and this is meant to indicate to us that there has never been any temptation that has ever overtaken us or seized hold of us that was ultimately unusual, or extraordinary, or exceptional. The temptations we experience are ones that are ‘common to man.’

Sometimes, when we’re going through a particular trial or temptation, we might be inclined to think that we’re the only one who has ever experienced such a thing—just as I used to think. We might even feel a bit ashamed because of our temptation or trial—as if experiencing it shows that there is something uniquely wrong with us. But that’s not the case at all. You and I will never experience a temptation that does not have a long history—going back from Adam all the way on up to us. Others had experienced it long before us. Others are experiencing it right now. Some have fallen; but others have been given victory. There is no temptation that has seized us or taken hold of us but what is common to fallen humanity. I believe Paul means for that to be a comfort to us.

But more than that; we can also be sure that if that temptation of ours is common to all of humanity, then Jesus—our Savior—has also experienced it. As it tells us in Hebrews 4:14-15;

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16).

It may not be that He was tempted in exactly the same way and in exactly the same kind of circumstances as us. But our Lord Jesus, as He walked on this earth, felt every kind of temptation that we could ever feel—and yet never sinned. He remains our holy High Priest, and yet is compassionate toward us in our struggles.

When we take ‘the way of escape’ to Him, we’re going to the One who understands us best.

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Second, we need to remember that—in the midst of that trial or temptation …

2. GOD REMAINS FAITHFUL IN IT.

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man;” Paul says, “but God is faithful …”

What does this mean that God is faithful? I believe it means—above all else—that our God remains faithful and true to who He Himself is. He never changes. He never variates from His absolute purity and holiness of character, and never violates any of His holy standards. As Pastor James tells us, He is “the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17).

This is something that I believe it is very important to remember in a time of trial or temptation. In such times, we are being tempted to ‘change’ or violate God’s standards in some way. We are fallible and prone to wander. But our heavenly Father never changes. If we keep our eyes on ourselves or on our circumstances—or even on other people—we may find ourselves wandering from the path. But if we keep our eyes on Him, we are keeping our focus on the One who never changes and never fails. He never wanders away from His pure character and from His holy standards. What an encouragement it is to keep our focus on Him!

But I believe there’s something more for us in this. To say that “God is faithful” would also mean that He is faithful to us! He not only never changes from His own holy standards, but neither does He ever change from His sovereign purpose or calling for us. He has set us aside for Himself forever in Christ; and all that He has destined us for in Christ will absolutely come to fulfillment.

In 1 Peter 1:3-5, the apostle Peter writes;

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time …” (1 Peter 1:3-5).

Think of it, dear brothers and sisters! God has a rich inheritance for us in Christ. And He is not only keeping it in reserve for us in heaven; but He is also exercising His great power to keep us on reserve for it! I think here of another very beloved verse in Philippians 1:6; where Paul wrote to the Philippian believers and told them;

… being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).

So; let’s remember, in every trial or temptation, that our God is faithful—both to who He is, and to what He has purposed for us in Christ!

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Now; a third thing to remember when we experience a test or a temptation is that …

3. GOD PUTS LIMITATIONS ON ITS POWER.

Here’s a really remarkable thing! Our trials or temptations are never outside of our sovereign God’s control. The Bible teaches us that He Himself never tempts anyone to sin. But He nevertheless exercises sovereign control over those temptations; so that Paul could say, “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 …”

Now; we need to understand this carefully. Paul does not mean for us to understand—as people sometimes say—that God will never give you anything greater than you can handle. After all, if you could handle it, then you’d never need to turn to Jesus. Paul himself experienced trials that were beyond his ability to handle. In the very next letter—in 2 Corinthians 1:8—Paul wrote;

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life (2 Corinthians 1:8).

Imagine that! The great apostle Paul! Even he experienced times of testing that were so great that he wanted to die! Clearly God allowed him to experience far more than he could handle. But he went on to say;

Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us … (vv. 9-10).

So then; how do we understand Paul’s promise that God ‘will not allow you and I to be tempted beyond what we are able’? We need to understand it to mean that God will never give us more than we can handle with absolute trust in Him.

Dear brothers and sisters; let’s always remember that our Father loves us infinitely in Christ. We are the dearest thing in the universe to Him. He gave His own Son to save us. He will never allow anything to come into our lives that would destroy us; but only what will drive us to Him—so that we learn to trust Him, and depend upon Him, and discover how sufficient our Lord Jesus Christ is for us. You might say that every trial that comes to us must first pass His loving inspection—and then, can only come upon us after He approves it as that which will lead us to a deeper dependency upon Jesus.

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And when God approves that temptation or trial and allows it to come into our lives, a fourth principle this verse teaches us about it is that …

4. WITH IT, GOD ALWAYS PROVIDES THE WAY OF ESCAPE.

Paul says, “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 …”

Now; we have no promise in this verse that—so long as we walk upon this earth—we will ever be able to escape from times of testing or temptation. We have no such promise anywhere in the Bible. But in this verse, we are given an amazing word of revelation from God concerning those trials and temptations that do come our way. Do you notice that word “with”? God lets us know that—when it comes to any trial or temptation that He allows to come to us—along with it, God makes ‘the way of escape’. Each trial comes with the tailor-made way of escape; so that in it, we are able to run to Jesus for our refuge.

Now; I believe that in each trial, we need to pay careful attention to what God’s word tells us to do about it—and then, do that thing faithfully. For example, when it came to the temptation to idolatry that the Corinthians were suffering under, God’s instruction was, “Flee idolatry!” Run from it. It may be that different types of trials and different circumstances of temptation involve different instructions from God’s word. But in each case, we need to carefully do what God’s word tells us to do about it. As it says in Psalm 119:11,

Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You (Psalm 119:11).

But we can take it with absolute confidence and trust in God’s promise, dear brothers and sisters; that with every temptation or testing comes—by God’s own hand—the provision of a way of escape. In times of trial, we will hear the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit telling us what that escape is in accordance with His word; and when He does, we must take it—and run right to Jesus Christ.

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And notice one final promise that this verse gives us about those times of testing and temptation; and that is that …

5. TRUSTING IN CHRIST, YOU CAN ENDURE.

Paul says, “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.”

Temptations will come; and there will be times when we fail. And praise God—the promise of His word is that “if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). But the special promise to us from this wonderful verse is that we don’t ever have to sin. We can gain victory over temptation and times of testing. If we take that way of escape, and run to Jesus as our refuge, we will be helped by Him and will be made able to bear up under it.

I would suggest that we commit this verse to memory, dear brothers and sisters. Let’s hide it in our hearts. Let’s call upon it in every temptation and let it minister these great truths to us. When temptation comes, let’s remember that we’re not experiencing anything unusual. Our Lord experienced it too. Let’s remember that our God remains faithful—both to who He is, and to what He has purposed to make us in Christ. Let’s trust that He has sovereignly placed limitations on that temptation—so that He will never allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to endure with complete trust in Him. Let’s remember that with each temptation, our sovereign God has made a way of escape—so that we can run right to Jesus. And let’s run to Jesus faithfully; knowing that, with Him and by His gracious help, we can bear up under it and live to His glory.

Remember it, dear brothers and sisters; and affirm it to yourself in times of trial:

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.

EA