Week 49 - December 5th, 2021

1 Corinthians 10:13

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.

Context: In 1 Corinthians 10 Paul warns the Corinthian church against the dangers of idolatry and sexual immorality. He links these two sins through the story of the golden calf from Exodus 32, arguing that just as destruction came to those who participated in false worship then, so too will destruction come to all those who engage in sexual immorality.

Meaning: While this is a weighty passage, Paul offers a comforting balm: While temptation is ever-present, so too is God’s power to resist temptation. Every time temptation rears its head, the Lord will faithfully offer a means of escape or endurance. This is worth noting—not every temptation will be escaped, some must be endured. And yet the strength for endurance will be found not in human willpower but in divine assistance.

Life Application: The best point of application is found in the following verse: “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry!” When we encounter temptation to sexual sin we should run as fast and far as we can in the other direction. It is never worth testing our resolve or attempting to strengthen our willpower. While we can trust God’s strength to resist temptation, we should not expect that strength to simply override our sinful desires. Rather, we ought to use God’s power as starting fluid to jumpstart our flight from sin.

For Further Study: One of Paul’s core arguments in this passage is that sexual sin is really idolatry in disguise. In Romans 1 he develops this idea further, arguing that all sin really results from misplaced love. When we love God’s gifts over and above God Himself, the results are always disastrous. Read Romans 1:26–32. Compare its logic with that of our passage here. How do these passages reinforce one another?