Sample Exposition

This is my second exposition for Expository Preaching 110 here at Christ Seminary, Polokwane South Africa. It's just to give you a taste of what I've been up to of late. (NOTE: T/A means: Talking about, U/Q means: Unasked Question)

1 Corinthians 10:13 Exposition                                                              David Harris February 17, 2011

How to deal with Temptation

A.    Dominant Part: Temptation

    T/A? Enduring Temptation.

    U/Q? How to avoid falling into temptation.

B.     Developing Part

How does the text answer the unasked question?

1.      Prepare for the temptation by knowing that it is to be expected.

2.      Look for the way of escape that God provides.

Proposition Statement: Three ways to Endure Temptation

Body:

  Introduction

       Oscar Wilde once said: “The easiest way to deal with temptation is to give into it”. This is quite a contrast from what we find in 1 Corinthians 10:13; “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”  Still yet, yielding to temptation is so often one of the most defining issue in the lives of Christians. It is obvious from this passage that God does not want us to yield into temptation (which would be sin), but wants us to instead to place our faith in Him to see us through the temptation. So what ways does God prescribe for us so that we may escape temptation?

      Preparing for Temptation   

    The first antidote given in this passage to keep the Christian from yielding to temptation is to expect it. “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.” This is an all encompassing statement. It leaves nothing out to its readers. The intent is to communicate that all temptations have been experienced by man, so like the preacher in Ecclesiastes says, “There is nothing new under the sun”. While second naturedly analyzing this statement, it may not occur as something all that monumental, but once in the throes of temptation it may be hard to believe that there is no area of temptation that hasn’t been previously experienced, overcome, or given into. It is important to remember that the same God who “does not cause anyone to be tempted” is also the God spoken about here who “provides the way of escape” (which we’ll look at later).

       To know that temptation is to be expected is important to the Christian in the same way it is important for a general controlling an army to know and expect the enemy army to attack him and his army. The threat is the impending doom that a victory by the enemy army will bring imprisonment, tyranny, and death. In the same way, we see in James 1 this displayed in a parallel way: “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it is conceived gives birth to sin, and when it is fully grown gives birth to death.”  Temptation is the first in a chain reaction that leads to sin, and then eventually leads to death- just as the victory by the enemy army eventually results in death. We see thus that it is extremely critical in dealing with temptation to know that it is to be expected and we can prepare to face it when it comes.

       Motivation to Resist 

     Thinking about Oscar Wilde’s statement, we see the perspective of one who is not in Christ. Without Christ, any motivations to resist yielding into temptation eventually all prove futile. The next sentence in verse 13 gives the motivation for the Christian to resist temptation. “God is faithful”; this motivation comes back to Christ’s sacrifice for us on the cross, and His will for us to be sanctified (1 Peter 1:2). Within His faithfulness we find that He “will not allow you (us) to be tempted above your ability”. Knowing that God, in His faithfulness, will never allow any temptation to befall us that we cannot handle, we can also be more aptly prepared to deal with temptation on its arrival.

     The Way of Escape

      While the mid-section of this verse gives us our proper motivation for fighting off temptation, the final section gives us our other antidote to use when we encounter temptation. Just as the first section gave us“foreknowledge” to expect temptation, and therefore be ready for when it comes, the final section of the verse instructs us on what action we are to take once the temptation has come.

      Throughout history, people in other in pagan worldviews have arrived at countless ways to combat temptation to sin (or what their worldview deems as sin). Some even have gone to constructing towers where they would reside “away” from earthly desires, and thus become more holy. However, the Christian worldview acknowledges that man in and of himself cannot achieve anything close to the holiness of God (“All our righteous deeds are as filthy rags before Him”, Jeremiah 64:4), and even if one only errs at one point of the law, he is still guilty of breaking the whole of the law (James 2:10). Also, we know from 1 John 1:8 that if “We say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us”. Thus we see that a Christian will never totally be rid of sin in his earthy life. With this in mind, we do not need to sink into the “slough of despond” when we sin, but confess our sins because “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Since we are to live in expectation of temptation, and also that we will stumble, then we need a surefire plan of action once we are “looking in the eye” of temptation. We find the plan of action presented in 1 Corinthians 10:13 to be one of profound simplicity. “But with the temptation, He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” So far we see that according to His faithfulness, God will not allow any temptation to befall us that we cannot handle. Here we see that God also provides a way out of every temptation that comes upon us. So often Christians think of themselves as “super Christians” that can handle any temptation that comes and still not fall. However, here we see that it is God’s will that we not remain “in the same zip code” as the temptation, but escape it altogether. We see this principle in action in 1 Timothy 6:11: “But as for you man of God, flee these things (false doctrines, the love of money, etc.)” and 2 Timothy 2:22: “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” The only battle plan presented here is a retreat, because the man of God knows where he is most likely to be tempted, and most likely to fall. God wills not that we attempt to “tough out” temptation, but we escape the temptation without once looking back (as the wife of Lot did in Genesis 19).: Proverbs 1:10-17 is a father giving wisdom to his son concerning the temptation to sin with others: “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit we shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.”(KJV) Notice there is no confrontation between the tempters and the tempted; instead the tempted is advised to simply “refrain thy foot from their path”. Consider Eve in the Garden of Eden who fell to the tempting of the Serpent. Instead of simply fleeing, she conversed with the Serpent until he convinced her that God had withheld some good from her husband and herself. She gave in, and then Adam, following in her footsteps, also gave into the temptation and neglected to flee. We now live with the consequences of the first human temptation to be given into. We should think of temptation as a deadly and terribly contagious disease that will bring almost instantaneous death if contracted.

    Conclusion

       Since we have so clear a battle plan for fighting temptation laid out for us in 1 Corinthians 10, we ought to use it! By utilizing the foreknowledge shown to us that temptation will come, and thus prepare for it, and by looking for the way of escape once the temptation is present. Whatever the temptation to sin may be, it is included in these verses- lust for money, sexual desire, temptation to steal, covet, murder, lie, or even bow down to false gods. To the tempted, it may be hard to believe that their temptation can even be overcome, but we see clearly in this text that God is faithful to those who trust in Him. I therefore challenge you to trust in your Savior and Redeemer by utilizing the tools he lays out for you in 1 Corinthians 10:13 by preparing for temptation, and fleeing away toward the way of escape as if your life depended on it, because it does.