The Faithfulness of God

A month or so ago pastor preached a sermon about the faithfulness of God. It was so encouraging to me, so I wanted to post my notes here.

1 Corinthians 10:13

There hath 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 ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Our faith is rooted in a faithful God. He always keeps his word.

"I can resist anything but temptation." -- Oscar Wilde

Temptation pays a visit to us every day and there is always that struggle to resist it.

"No man knows how bad he really is until he tries to be good." -- C.S Lewis

In and of ourselves we cannot resist temptation, so we learn how bad we are . . . and we see how greatly we are in need of God's grace. Temptation always makes a promise to give something that will never really ever be fulfilled satisfactorily. Satan tempts us the same way he tempted Jesus -- the record is in Matthew 4. While Jesus was in the wilderness he was tempted of the devil. From the beginning it seems there has been a battle raging for the souls of men. And if your soul belongs to Jesus then you will face temptation.

It is not a sin to be tempted. Some people feel guilt often because they are tempted all the time. In Hebrews 2:18 we are told that Jesus was tempted like as we are, yet without sin. His temptation was just as real as what we face daily. No temptation hath taken you but such as is common to man -- you are not alone. Whatever temptations we face men have faced before us. Even though some of the people we face walk in with a smile and are happy they are often facing the same things too. But Jesus gives joy, and he gives victory. We are not to be characterized by our defeats, we are to be characterized by Jesus' victories -- we are to be characterized by what he is in our lives. Temptation is a common experience in every Christians life . . . you will never stop being tempted no matter how "mature" you are as a Christian.

God will never put you in a situation where you have to sin. He knows how much we can handle and will not tempt us above what we are able to withstand. Sometimes we feel that the only way out is to sin, but that is not the case. The pressure may be enormous but God always provides a way to escape. Some people slide slowly into something and they feel so stuck in it that they think there is no way out. God's way out may not necessarily remove you from the temptation permanently, but he will put you in a position to endure it with grace. Sometimes we will be tempted over and over again, and each time God promises to give us what we need to resist successfully.

As we walk with the Lord we will discover that there is someone who absolutely desires to ruin our walk, ruin our testimony -- ruin our lives. We will find ourselves sorely pressed by the devil, but God is faithful. There is always a way out. Temptation properly resisted prepares us to do greater things for God. Temptation often comes when we least expect it to. Trust the Lord . . . He is faithful.