SERMON: “Enduring Temptation” (1 Cor. 10:11–13)
“Enduring Temptation” (1 Cor. 10:11–13)
Series: “1 Cor: Holiness from Messes” #35 Text: 1
Corinthians 10:11–13
By: Shaun Marksbury Date: Sept. 6, 2026
Venue: Living Water Baptist Church Occasion: AM Service
Introduction
One of the famous recent anthems of the sexual revolution
came out in 2011 called “Born this Way.”
It was a song about self-liberation, stating, “There’s nothing wrong
with loving who you are” and that “God makes no mistakes.” Of course, this got applied to “No matter
gay, straight, or bi’, lesbian, transgender life.” This song became a unifier for those looking
to find peace with themselves.
Obviously, we can look at the glaring theological issue with
the song, that it has no category for sin or what God has revealed. We are born in sin and do love ourselves too
much. God may have crafted us, but sin
corrupts everything.
Now, you might think this is a sermon against a certain
category of sin, but I want you to think broader than that. Like it or not, there are people who might
use the “born this way” argument to justify other sin in their lives. While it’s easy to throw stones at some
people, perhaps it’s worth taking a moment to examine ourselves to see if we’re
guilty of the same bad thinking.
This thinking comes from a number of sources. Maybe we think that we have something that
biologically determines us to a kind of sin, like anger or addiction, and
there’s nothing we can do about it.
Maybe we think we have to await some second spiritual experience, like a
baptism of the Holy Spirit, before we can live differently. Whatever the case, we think we are bound to
sin, even as Christians.
This passage provides a corrective for that thinking. It — and especially v. 13 — is among the
biblical counseling favorites. Those who
have had counseling here have heard it many times. And there is good reason: it gives us hope
that we can change.
God provides an escape from the bondage of temptation, and
we see three instructions in this text. First,
we can endure temptation by considering biblical instruction (v. 11). Second, we can endure temptation by
considering self-evaluation (v. 12). Third,
we can endure temptation by considering God’s faithfulness (v. 13). Let’s see what Scripture has to say about our
ability in Christ to overcome and endure temptation.
First, We Can Endure Temptation by Considering Biblical Instruction (v. 11)
Now these things
happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon
whom the ends of the ages have arrived.
We’re seeing this statement for the second time. In v. 6, we read, “Now these things happened
as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved.” As we read about how people in the Old
Testament chose to obey or to disobey God’s commands, we read of examples.
I don’t want you to be confused by what the text means by
“example” here, as if we are supposed to just follow everything we see. For instance, there is a segment of people
online who think it’s okay to engage in bigamy and polygamy because we see that
with some biblical figures. However,
follow the example from the command of God to the outcome — did it go well for
them and their families? When we see
what God clearly said (like the fact that marriage is between a man and a woman
for life), and we see the consequences of not following that instruction, then
we see the full example that Scripture has for us.
There’s another word Paul uses to parallel that though, and
it’s the term “instruction.” It’s the
same word used in Ephesians 6:4 to speak of child-rearing — “Fathers, do not
provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and
instruction of the Lord.” Here, we see
that the Scripture is essential for our spiritual development.
This is a truth God reminds us of elsewhere. For instance, in Romans 4:23–24, we read, “Now
not for his sake only was it written that it was counted to him, but for our
sake also, to whom it will be counted, as those who believe upon Him who raised
Jesus our Lord from the dead.” Scripture
serves as an instruction manual for our lives, full of illustrations or
examples that help us to see the right and the wrong.
We’re starting to see why this passage is so useful for
counseling. Often times, we experience
issues in our lives that arise from wrong thinking and wrong behavior according
to God’s reckoning. We sin and pick up
bad habits as a result, and it affects the way we think and respond to the
issues of life. You might say there’s
more to it than that, but it’s not much more.
There are people who idolize the modern field of psychology,
but we need to recognize that it’s built on a foundation of sand. There can be some helpful observations, and
there are some medications that may assist for a little while (and some of
these pharmaceuticals are only supposed to be used for short-term relief). However, if Christians refuse to come to
Scripture and find instruction there, believing it to only be a text that tells
us about salvation and nothing more, then they will find that they have no
ultimate hope for deliverance from the problems of the soul. The sad reality is that some people just want
a psychological label that can excuse their bad behavior and lack of faith, and
if it becomes unmanageable, then they will take a drug for it.
The saints of Scripture experienced all the problems we have
today, and they were able to endure temptation without pharmaceuticals and
endless therapy. They were able to do
this because they have the Word of God and the instruction it provides. They were able to use it to attack the issues
they faced, including fluctuations in thought and feeling that people
erroneously call chemical imbalances today.
It’s not that they lived care-free lives, but they were able to endure
in ways we can’t imagine without the pills and other readily available
substitutes stand in the place of the Word.
As we consider the New Testament in particular, saints were
able to do this by also understanding that we are in the last great age, what
Scripture calls the “last days” (Heb. 1:2).
We all live in this period between the first and second coming of Jesus
Christ. The more we live as individuals,
we can also say with Paul that our ultimate salvation is nearer to us than when
we first believed (Rom. 13:11). We will
one day be set free from the troubles of this life, but until then, let us
strive to live this life to the glory of God!
We should do this because of what comes next.
Second, We Can Endure Temptation by Considering Self-Evaluation (v. 12)
Therefore let him
who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.
It’s been said repeatedly that, when we get to a “therefore”
in the text, we should ask what it’s there for!
This wraps up the teaching of the chapter and puts a bow on it with a
command. We have the teaching of
Scripture — therefore, live it out in this way, by taking heed.
This is where the self-examination comes into the picture,
because a lot of Christians think they stand fine. Many never evaluate their lives before the
Lord to see if they are doing what God wants.
And that is precisely where many of the Corinthians were.
For instance, Paul has already given many examples of
idolatry, immorality, testing of the Lord, and even complaining.[1] These were all issues that he has dealt with
and will continue to address in this book.
Specifically, as one commentary notes, “Some Corinthian believers did not consider themselves in danger while
participating in idol feasts.”[2] And it’s that kind of apathy that Paul wants
them to check.
They
were overconfident in themselves,[3] and Paul warns that those who don’t take
heed may fall. As another commentator
notes, “God has not promised to keep us from falling, if we do not look
to ourselves: his protection supposes our own care and caution.”[4] As such, we must all guard against such
overconfidence, lest we fall, too.
Does the Lord really do that today? Last time, we saw that God does even judge
today. Now, that can happen in stunning
ways. There are people who lose their
lives suddenly and unexpectedly to them, at least. In the warning in the next chapter to those
who disrespect the Lord’s Supper, Paul says, “For this reason many among you
are weak and sick, and a number sleep.”
We must remember that things happen for reason that may be unknown to
us, but it may be related to judgment.
God’s judgment comes in different forms. In Romans 1:18–32, we read three times that “God
gave them over.” Most often, the Lord
sovereignly removes His protection from people who are dedicated to sin and
allow them to experience the natural consequences of their sin. A gambler may experience impoverishment, and
a drug addict an overdose. Sometimes,
when our consequences don’t lead to death, by God’s grace, they may lead to
repentance.
Of course, I’m not saying that every bad thing is the result
of God’s judgment. As we are considering
in the Book of Job, sometimes things happen to us outside of our sin. Remember that Jesus was asked about who
sinned so that a man would be born blind, and Jesus replied, “Neither this man
nor his parents sinned, but this was
so that the works of God might be manifested in him” (John 9:3). As such, we do not assume that those
experiencing hardship has God’s disciplining hand upon them. Yet, to likewise assume God has no reason is
also in error, and He may be chastening someone.
You might say, “Well, how do I guard against this?” I’m glad you asked that, because it’s not
through simple moralistic effort. We
can’t just will ourselves to be better.
Just as we need God’s Word as a corrective, we need to seek God’s
faithful grace active in our lives.
Those who realize they need help can find it in Him, as we see next.
Third, We Can Endure Temptation by Considering God’s Faithfulness (v. 13)
No temptation has
overtaken you but such as is common to man, but God is faithful, who will not
allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will
provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
There is hope for change in Christ, but only Christ. As one commentary notes, “After kicking out the props of false
security, Paul pointed toward the One on whom the Corinthians could rely.”[5] There
is encouragement here, but only for those who realize the problem is their
giving into temptations, and that they need Someone to help.
Of course, some
might see God as the one who allows temptations in the first place. James deals with this in James 1:13–15
—
Let no one say when he is tempted,
“I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself
does not tempt anyone. But each one is
tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth
to sin, and when sin is fully matured, it brings forth death.
God doesn’t tempt us to fail. Still, this term could refer both to a
temptation and a trial that might test our character. That’s something else entirely.
We cannot see the problems we face as God’s failing; that’s
backwards. The fault is in our nature,[6]
the fact that we get enticed and give into sin.
And this verse right here corrects that kind of thinking.
Note that the temptations we face are “common to man.” They are very human temptations, in other
words.[7] What the Corinthians faced was an
“unexceptional” temptation.[8] Similarly, what we face today are human attractions,
like others throughout history have faced.
Christians have trouble when they begin to believe the lie
that what they are going through is unique to them; God’s Word responds, “No
temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man.” We tend to think that we can’t help it, that
we are born a certain way and cannot change.
This applies to so many issues. I once was talking to someone who was having
trouble with everyone around her, but when I touched on her anxiety (in just a
passing comment), she responded that I can’t change someone. Of course, that’s true — only God can change
a person! But, when someone already
knows what the issue is and decides it’s an inalterable disorder, there really
is no hope for true change. Ironically,
this was someone who would reject the “born this way” argument when applied to
other sins, but she accepted it for her own sin.
This is a huge problem in the modern church. It’s not just the people who fool themselves
into thinking they’re healthy who don’t come to the Great Physician. There are some who also won’t come if they
decide to live with their problem, or that they can deal with it through means
other than what God says.
What does the Lord say?
Just as Paul noted at the beginning of this letter (1 Cor. 1:9), “God is
faithful.” The secret to enduring
temptation isn’t a certain method or a ten-step program. What we need is the faithful God who created
us and gives us new life.
This is such an important theme in the New Testament. As one theology explains,
On several different occasions in
these letters Paul affirmed God’s faithfulness. He assured the Thessalonians that God would
complete the work of salvation begun in them: ‘The one who calls you is
faithful and he will do it’ (1 Thess. 5:24). Similarly, he wrote the Corinthians that ‘God,
who called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful’
(1 Cor. 1:9). This is a reminder that
confidence about salvation is grounded in God alone. Because temptation is part of human
experience, self-confidence and presumption invite disaster, as Paul
illustrated in the history of Israel (1 Cor. 10:1–12).[9]
We need the faithful Lord because we are so often
unfaithful. In His grace, He provides
strength and power to the tempted. He
does so even when we don’t deserve it.
Note how His faithfulness is described here. First, we read that he “will not allow you to
be tempted beyond what you are able.”
Now, it’s important that we understand; the context here isn’t implying
that He is only giving us what we can bear by ourselves (without Him) in our
own power. We may very well be tempted
in that way beyond what we are able. But
that’s so we will lean on Him, and with Him, He ensures that we can handle
whatever the load is.
That’s the meaning of the second part here — “with the
temptation will provide the way of escape also.” Note that the way of escape is from
temptation. Some poor souls might read
this as saying that, when life gets too difficult, God provides a way of escape
through suicide or other sinful means, but that is also a temptation. God doesn’t call us to yield to
temptation! Yet, God has designed a way
for us to escape temptation so we will be able to endure it.
How might that be?
First, He helps us escape the bondage of sin. In the gospel, we are crucified with Christ “so
that we would no longer be slaves to sin” (Rom. 6:6). After that, Paul says, “Therefore do not let
sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts” (v. 12). We can escape temptation because, in Christ,
we’re no longer in bondage to it. Any
other message is a lie from the enemy to get us to continue in sin.
This is about changing our thinking about sin and
temptation. That’s why God gives us
examples and instruction. As Paul says in
Romans 12:1–2,
Therefore I exhort you, brothers,
by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice — living, holy, and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of
worship. And do not be conformed to this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve
what the will of God is, that which is good and pleasing and perfect.
He calls us to be transformed by the renewing of our
minds. We can put off old behavior, have
our minds renewed by the Word, and then put on the new man in Christ (cf. Eph.
4:22–24). The Lord has set us free,
shows us the truth, and gives us a new spirit in Christ.
And, if you ever doubt His willingness to empower you,
remember that He is faithful.
Conclusion
We tend to want the promises of Scripture without the
instructions that go with them. Israel
had protection, food, water, and the presence of God — and still fell in the
wilderness. The Corinthians had baptism,
the Table, and gospel knowledge — and still flirted with idolatry. We have the finished work of Christ and the
completed canon of Scripture, and we are just as capable of presuming we stand.
Let us take the examples of Scripture seriously! Let the instruction of Scripture search you
before the fall does. Do not baptize
your favorite sin with a label that excuses it.
Do not tell yourself that your case is unique, that you are just born
this way and can’t change. No — your
temptation is common to man, and we should see that many endured.
God will help us to endure temptation if we will let
Him. First, call out to Him for
salvation from sin if you have not already done so. Then, take Him at His word, trusting and
applying what He has said. He is
faithful, and He promises that those who have believed Christ have found a gospel
that broke sin’s mastery over them.
You’re not a slave to your cravings and lusts. Present your body to Him as a living
sacrifice, renewing your mind. Take the
way of escape He provides, and endure.
[1] Andrew David Naselli, Romans–Galatians, 2020, X, 304.
[2] John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael
S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R.
Grigoni, and David Bomar, Faithlife Study
Bible, (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), 1 Co 10:12.
[3] John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The MacArthur Study
Bible, electronic ed., (Nashville, TN: Word Pub., 1997), 1743.
[4] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s
Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume,
(Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 2262.
[5] David K. Lowery, The
Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, 1985, 2, 527.
[6] Roy B. Zuck, A Biblical Theology
of the New Testament, electronic ed., (Chicago: Moody Press,
1994), 419.
[7] MacArthur.
[8] Barry, et. al., 1 Co 10:13.
[9] Zuck, 245–246.