What You May Not Know About Temptation

1 Cor 10:13 - Part 2

Last week we looked at 1 Corinthians 10:13 and read that the temptations we face are common, and it's the common temptations that get us so easily. I hope you decided to Be Uncommon and to take the Escape Route when encountering temptation. 

Speaking of the word temptation, pull up a seat, my sister, let's chat about that word for just a bit.  Let's look at what you may not know about it.  It was eye opening for me, and I think what we will learn today will take some weight off your shoulders the next time you encounter temptation.

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1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has overtaken you.

We've heard all of our lives that God won't put more on us than we can bear.  Sisters that is wrong.  Can I just be honest with you? 

He will.

And He does.

You're probably thinking - Amy, you said what I would read today would give me relief, this doesn't sound very promising to me.  I know, but hang with me for a minute, I think you'll like this.

I looked up the original meaning of the word temptation as it is used here and was surprised. 

Here's what I found:

A state of trial in which God brings His people through adversity and affliction in order to encourage and prove their faith and confidence in Him.

Do you see what I saw?  Yes, He brings me through temptations in order to encourage and prove my faith and confidence in Him.  Not to prove who I am.

I have always thought that temptation was God's way of "seeing what I'm made of", to see how strong I am in my Christian maturity, but that is incorrect thinking!  

He doesn't need me to go through temptation to see what I'm made of, He already knows. 

The catch here is, I don't know what I'm made of, I forget who lives in me.  I forget that it's not up to me.  I forget that I am dead, and it is He who lives in me. He allows temptation to give me opportunities to see what He is capable of.  It's a chance not to prove what I'm made of, but to prove what He's made of.  A chance to prove to me that He is faithful. 

...and God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able

What are you made of?  If all scripture is true and believable, then you can know what you are made of...

 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. - Ephesians 1:19-20

If He can raise Jesus from the dead, he can certainly handle what is common to man.  If I have accepted Jesus as my Savior, He now lives in me and I have put my confidence in Him. Temptation gives me real life situations to test my faith. To test what I say I believe. To test Him.

And He is faithful.

He will not fail me.

Yes, He will put more on me than I can handle so that He can show me who He is.

If I allow Him to be Lord in my life, the pressure is off of me and is on Him.  All I have to do is call upon Him when the temptation presents itself, and let Him prove to me that what I believe about Him is true.

It's rubber meets the road, and girls, your Jesus likes to peel out!

Let Him show you what the One who lives inside you is made of.  You have the power within you.

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