1 Corinthians 10:13 – It Counts – Bible study

1Corinthains 10:13 It Counts The topic in this verse is temptation and Gods protection from it. I. What is temptation? A. Temptation is any invitation to sin. 1. It can be any kind of invitation. a. The invitation can by trick. (1) Eves sin, the first sin, was a trick temptation. (2) Even more, it was a deliberate, lying temptation. Genesis 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (3) But notice, God neither gave mercy nor offered an exemption due to it being tricked and lied to. (4) It was a tricked temptation but it counted as a full-fledged sin. b. The invitation can be offered and accepted in ignorance. (1) That is, you might not know the sin you are being invited to participate in is a sin. (2) It doesnt matter. It still counts. (3) God created an offering in the Old Testament to be offered for ignorant temptation sins. Numbers 15:27 And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering. c. The invitation can be accepted due to personal weakness, desire, or lust. (1) In fact, James tells us that most of our sins are because of these. James 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (2) No matter how the invitation comes, if it is a invitation to commit sin, it is a temptation and it counts. 2. The source of the temptation is irrelevant. The invitation can come from anyone. a. In Eves case, the tempter was a superior foe, Satan. (1) The devil was superior in all aspects. (a) He was spiritual. She was fleshly. (b) He was malicious. She was trusting. (c) He came to kill. She was innocent and ignorant. (2) Still, the temptation and Eves sin counted. b. In Adams case, the tempter was Eve. (1) This was family, his only family. (2) I dont think she had any evil intent toward Adam, but she had become the tempter. (3) It still counted. c. In the man of Gods case, it was an older prophet. (1) \#1Kings 13:1\ The man of God is never named, just assigned a task from God and given some commands. (2) After completing his task, an older man of God came and invited the man of God to sin while pretending to have a message from God. (3) God had to judge the man of God for disobeying Him. (4) God held the man of God accountable because even though someone he should have been able to trust lied to him, it still counted. d. As James pointed out, our most constant tempter is ourselves. (1) And that is bad because we are with us everywhere we go. (2) Yet, there is no exemption for what we do to ourselves. (3) It still counts. B. So any invitation to sin is temptation and, if accepted, they all count against us with God. 1. It is important we understand this because we are a good excuse-making people. 2. I am and you probably are as well. I guess it is in our genes for the first words out of Adams mouth was, "The woman that thou gavest me gave to me and I did eat." 3. In that sentence, Adam blamed both Eve and God for his sin. 4. Yet, God did not accept his excuses. 5. So we need to learn some truths about God and how to avoid temptation. 6. That is what this verse is about. II. Two Comforts A. Temptations come to all. 1. This truth is only to help us deal with what we are going through. a. It is to help us realize that we are not in this alone. b. That fact offers no cleansing. It is strictly for our mental and spiritual help. c. It is Gods ways of telling us that we are not extra dumb or more spiritually bankrupt than everyone else. d. All humans are just alike and all humans face the same temptations. 2. It is also our challenge. a. If everyone else is facing the same temptations I am facing but not going through the same failings that I am going through, then I must be missing something. b. If every person is tempted to drink, smoke, cuss, be lazy, blaspheme, quit on God, be angry, be grumpy, but they are not then what I have missed. c. There may not be a cure for temptation, but if others are doing better than I am, there must be something that will help me. I need to find it. d. That cure is Jesus Christ and surrendering to Him. B. But God is faithful 1. It is a statement that first assumes that God is on your side. If you are a believer, God is on your side. 2. It is a statement that then assumes God can do something to help you. If you are believer, God can do something to help you. 3. Then it is a statement that says God will do something to help you. This where faith comes in. III. Three Promises – What will God to help you? A. God will put a limit on temptation. 1. This is for a knowledge and to exercise our faith. 2. This is mostly Gods work, but there are somethings we can to help this process along. a. Believe b. Be clean c. Be prayerful B. God will make a way out of temptation. 1. Every temptation either has or will have a door of escape. a. Every one. b. How do I know, God said so. 2. This promise is for our admonition. a. What do I need to do? b. I need to look for the door. 3. How? a. By prayer b. By the Word of God c. By counsel of the godly d. By obeying everything I know to do C. God will make a way to bear temptation. 1. Until God provides the door, God will give you the ability to withstand the temptation. 2. This is for our patience. It is Gods way of saying, "Hang in there until it is over." 3. God has given some helps for this. a. Word of God b. Prayer c. The Holy Ghost – Draw close to Him. Rely on Him. d. Hang with the believers. e. Be busy in the work.