Few remarks of the apostle Paul are harsher than these warnings to the Christians in Corinth, concluded with this urgency, “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).
As an expert in Old Testament history, Paul knew why hundreds of thousands of Israelite corpses littered the desert, and it scared him.
As an expert in Corinthian culture, Paul knew why hundreds of New Testament Christians might soon suffer the same fate: arrogant self-assurance. They needed to recall what happened to the Israelites who committed the same sins with the same arrogant self assurance. God’s fist of judgment crashed down with diseases, earthquakes, and snakes to put an end to those fools dragging his name through the dirt.
The same could happen in Corinth if they ignored the pattern of past human failures. In the words of Jesus, who loves us, “Unless you repent, you too will perish” (Luke 13:5).
I do not want to know what it’s like to be swallowed by the earth, sucked under by the sea, stricken with a disease or stung with the deadly venom of a snake because God is so angry with me he wants me dead.
Repent with me, and refocus on those lines and patterns of past human failures. Let’s learn from them and then navigate them. Past human failures can teach us about dangerous tendencies for sinning.
Look at the patterns, for example, in your family history. Blind responses to life forces such as family are as dangerous as a skier plummeting down the hill at 80 miles per hour blindfolded. Investigate the patterns that have shaped you, become more aware of your tendencies, and understand that sin is real. But also avoidable.
“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” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Understand from this that temptations are certain for the Christian. “When you are tempted.” Not, “if you are tempted. But even more certain is God’s present faithfulness. Temptation is not avoidable, but sin is, because God limits temptation to your personal threshold of “what you can bear.”
It is always within your ability to resist any temptation in your life.
God knows what you can resist and what you cannot, and prevents you from experiencing temptation you cannot resist so that “you can endure it.” Hint: that may mean that the temptation remains, as in a lifelong weakness and unholy tendency, but rather than taking the temptation away, God fortifies your faith.
I found it interesting that when the apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians and Colossians he addressed those Christians, “to the faithful … in Christ” (Ephesians 1:1; Colossians 1:2). But he didn’t say that to the arrogant, self-assured Corinthians. They weren’t being faithful.
So Paul pointed them to their only true assurance for faithfulness: “Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:7-9).
PRAYER: God, your faithfulness is always stronger and more consistent than my faith. And my temptations. Strengthen my faith to fight temptation more consistently, and say no to sin. Starting today. Amen.
DIG DEEPER: Read 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 for the whole story.