“There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.” (vs13-14)
No man serves two masters. You cannot serve Christ and pleasure; you can’t live for yourself and God.
Idolatry is worshipping a false Christ; it is living for pleasure; it is worshipping God how you see fit, and thus worshipping Satan, “as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play” (I Cor 10:7). Yet, this is repented of in believers. Moses found Aaron idolatrously worshipping the golden calf – “Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord’s side? Let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him (Ex 32:26).”
We see the word of God, hear the reproof, and end up on the Lord’s side. Paul is TEACHING the Corinthians what worship is, and the SAVED will hear it, “and if in any thing you be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you” (Phil 3:15). Some believe, and some believe not, but the gospel proclaims both ability to serve Christ from God and ALLEGIANCE to Him. I can do all things through Christ, even enduring temptation unto the end.
You are not a slave of sin, so WORSHIP Him who liberates you.
First, Starting out “saved” doesn’t mean that we end up saved – “But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness” (I Cor 10:1-5). Like Herod, we can hear John the Baptist “gladly” and do many things, and yet NOT know God – “I will therefore put you in remembrance, though you once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not” (Jude 1:5).
We confess that we know Him, but in works, if we do not, then we do not. It DOESN’T matter what you and I have seen or experienced; it only matters that we believe God. We don’t have to impress people, but we MUST have the gospel that’s unto godliness.
We are SAINTS of God by the grace that He shed, and He SAVES us from all that would destroy us, all that we REPENT from.
Don’t think you’re above falling or that you don’t have to OBEY and honor God in your life – “ Wherefore let him that thinks he stands, take heed, lest he fall” (I Cor 10:6-12). He is saying, “These others did horrible things, and God PUNISHED them with death. Don’t CLAIM to believe God, live in sin, and then be damned. Flee from every false god and every false way. Follow the Lamb, be saved by grace, and GET the salvation that’s unto holiness. Be sure you have it”.
God’s grace is man’s hope, “There has not temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it” (vs13-14). We are TEMPTED to evil, tempted to sin, tempted to be vain and unbelieving, and yet God won’t allow His people… and this evidences who we are… to be tempted above we are able. We have FAILURES galore and REPEATED falls, but we HAVE the way of salvation, which is Christ CRUCIFIED for sins, the grace and power of God.
Our ability to HOLINESS is independent of our own ability and strength. We are SAVED by God who has power over sin and Satan: He empowers us.
Don’t believe you can’t serve God, and don’t believe that you don’t have too. These are TEMPTATIONS of Satan to lead you astray.
God saved you, God REWARDS you, and God GIVES you peace. Worship Him.
