The Danger of Overconfidence, Part 3 B

So one of the flesh. As James says is activated or whether Satan is Jesus emphasizes here is activated.

The temptation is not the work of God and his evil sense. He allows the text to strengthen temptation is when the test gets twisted in an internal solicitation treated by Satan, marked by the nonbelieving world. Every trial you face is an opportunity to honor God. But those trials can also lead to temptation.

You might waiver in your faith or lie to keep your job, or hide your Christian beliefs. So how do you keep your trials from leading to sin. John MacArthur shows you that today as he continues his study titled pitfalls of Christian liberty.

If you have a Bible turn to the book of first Corinthians. And here's John first Corinthians chapter 10 were looking at verses 1 to 13 and considering what is a very important passage in her so much.

Here I kind of feel like I just don't how to dive in because there's so much and I want to tied in with the other parts of first Corinthians is particularly this context. And yet there's so much in itself that I don't want to belabor that point basically were going to center on verse 13. The key word in verse 13 is the word temptation. Now, I mentioned the word temptation. It doesn't leave a lot of mystery in anybody's mind that is a very familiar word to the Christian and it's even a more familiar experience.

We all understand the term temptation whenever the word is you you understand a certain thing and we all experience temptation. There's no question about that, but the Greek word for you Greek students per Roz Maas, the Greek word has no moral connotation at all. The Greek word isn't necessarily bad or good. It's strictly a neutral word and it means simply to test the Holy Spirit will bring into our lives. Tests to bring us to righteousness.

Now watch but Satan will want to turn those into temptations to solicit evil and that's basically what we must understand about this word. For example, take the case of Job, God did not want Satan to make Job sin.

God wanted Satan to test Job to prove Job's righteousness right so sometimes the test will even involve Satan. Sometimes God will even allow Satan to move in and to do things in our lives. But God's design is always that we would come out righteous. Not that we would be seduced into evil eye to begin within whenever you see the word temptation in the Bible. Realize this is a neutral word.

It could be translated. Try test prove assay or attempt it gets its its qualitative meaning.

That is its moral value from the context from who is doing the testing and what the purpose of it is a temptation is and since sin is sin right temptation is in but you can't go from a trial to assume without going through a lot temptation first so if you hang in there on the try to be a lot better off.

So that'll bring a test got liberated temptation got bring a test in your life and external circumstance brings a pressure on you to stretch your spiritual muscle. And God wants you to grow by it. But if you internalize that thing and let it become a solicitation to do evil. You know what's done that not God. James 114 a man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own. What lusts and enticed.

You've internalized God's test for your growth and turned it into solicitation for evil now is still time to grab it and stop it and let it be a process of growth that the six this is that the Lord teaching his disciples how to pray.

This is real practical stuff but I will just look at verse 1300 and I I used to wonder about this is, and lead us not into temptation when I was younger I used to think I that is a strange prayer because it assumes something. If I have to ask God not to lead me into temptation. What is it assuming that God is going to lead me in the temptation. If I don't ask not to all. He will lead me to Tempe. Ice is a will is what why when I asked him to do that. James 113 God tempts no man right.

He's not gonna lead me into something evil. All I know it must mean testing here right, it must must not mean in evil but God do not lead me into testing to make me strong as a make it either. There's a strange problem with this verse can mean either one. She was a mean just what it means.

Listen the prayer is this Lord stop me at the point where my trial is still a trial and don't ever let it become a temptation.

I can handle get that stop me at the point where my trial is still a test and doesn't turn into a temptation that will lead me in the same that's the idea, and that's proven by the next statement which is it an equal statement a parallel statement Blatt deliver us from to plan a route the evil one right that if it doesn't say that deliver us from the evil one Satan Laura don't let my test become an opportunity for Satan to wipe me out. That's the idea. Pray that God intervenes your prayer Lord I'm in a test all God, I'm leaning on you. I'm defenseless and I want you to make sure this thing doesn't become a temptation. I can handle, so one of the flesh. As James says is activated or whether Satan is Jesus emphasizes here is activated. The temptation is not the work of God in its evil sense.

He allows the text to strengthen us temptation is when the test gets twisted into an internal solicitation to evil by Satan or our own flesh nor the idea in the Christian life is keep your tests. Tests right and that's a simple way to say that in the Christian's life, you're a lot better off if you let your test be tested.

Alternative temptations presented gets tough.

Then the war is now. That's what he saying there are going to be tests first Corinthians chapter 10 verse 13 there going to be tests we we might get ready for that and the idea is not to let those test become temptation there now what he says there is no testing or temptation that takes you but such as is common to man you ever heard the word anthropology, the study of man, the Greek word arthropods.

This is not repent us human. Listen to this. There is no temptation taken you but such as is human. The Corinthians, may have been saying all you know our temptations are supernatural pulses baloney you know you never had anything but human temptation. You can't say Lord I'm trying but I had these superhuman temptation know your people visit while I would've done it myself, but the demons did it to me as if they were totally helpless and they were oppressed by superhuman being. Listen, you will never have any temptation or testing in your life that is anything other than human.

So nothing superhuman and you will some you not have anything different than I go through and I like to go through the given the new book were all in the same thing only human, and the man characteristic of humankind one or something, startling.

Did you know that even the temptations of Jesus were never anything more than human soul. Hebrews 218 and 415 says, in a sense, he was in all points tempted like what we are.

He never had temptation about the human realm.

You know why you can't tempt God. He could only be tempted in his units. In James 113 it says God cannot be tempted with evil.

So Jesus didn't have superhuman temptation. He had the very same one you and I have and that's why he's a faithful high priest able and willing to succor those attempt, the same ground utilizes in James 516. Confess your sins one another because were all the same boat and it's helpful to know that we have the same problems according to question six to we can bear one another's burdens right people say all I do. I want to confess what I've done. It might shock you. I hope you sent to me. I love nursing other than my Chucky shock was a shock. You know you've done something no one else is evident. You got a new one that is different temptation. I've been there. Join the human race. There is no temptation that is it just plain common, even Jesus went to them there all Samos the fleshless, the eyes, pride of life and we all have the same one, and that's what the life of the believers within the body means we share with one another. We pour out our hearts to one another.

We barely another's burdens, we confess our sins one another so that we can hold each other up, as were all the same thing. So he says to the Corinthians number one you never faced anything superhuman so don't say, well, I couldn't help but I got into a deal. It was sort of superhuman and it was beyond me to handle. No known there never will be a temptation that it isn't just a human thing and listen to people if it's a human temptation and you have a divine resource you can always handle it right because greater is he that is what you knew then he that is in the world. So you never have to feel well. I couldn't help but I got a noticing it all overwhelmed. No salt human just you.

And there's another thought there and that is you can't blame God.

Temptation is inevitable and with our humanness. It's going to come but it's something that we can handle. We can't blame him for letting us get tempted beyond the human capacity right now seems of things. No temptation takes us, but what is just human.

Now here comes the great transition in the great Peter though verse but God is faithful, all super thought. What that means God keeps his promise right, God keeps his promise.

Deuteronomy read it chapter 7 verses nine and 10. All it says it, the faithful God. He is called, who keeps his promise and his mercy. Lamentations 323.

Great is thy faithfulness Psalm 89 your faithfulness reaches the heavens.

Psalm 36 your faithfulness reaches the clouds at the bottom of this goes on and on about God's faith is one of the great themes of the New Testament. First Corinthians talks about for Sprint's 19 God is faithful. First Thessalonians 524 again.

God is faithful. So many place.

Job says in chapter 5, verse 19 he shall deliver the other six troubles J out of seven, and that's the idea of completion. He reminds go take care of everything's faith is a will do the first.

Now watch, he is faithful look at the verse verse 13. Who will not permit you to be tempted above that you are what able you know why I'm glad God's faithful you know what that means he keeps his word. God said I love you. The minute we keep it. Yet God says I've saved you to prepare a place for you to an immediate yes will keep us from yes, God says, you'll never be given a temptation you can handle that immediate yes will give us from yes or that's exciting. Think about one or some first Corinthian's 1013 is the answer to the prayer in Matthew 630 lead us not into temptation. Don't ever let us have trials that could turn to the temptations we couldn't handle and here Paul says you never will.

He never will, and what it says that he will never let you get into a trial that could turn into a temptation that would bring you into sin because you couldn't handle it, then that's exactly what when that's exciting is never let me get in a situation that I don't have the resources to him sooner. What happens when we sin, a lot is because we don't take advantage of those resources right now. Notice go back to first Corinthians were in a hurry obit you finish, but will with the temptation also make notice the way to escape now underlined the way. It's a definite article in the Greek the way to escape. You know what my Bible when I was a kid. Said all way of escape and ice as a boy. I wonder what the way out of this one is in every different temptation must have a different way, we will assume there is the way did you know and this might be a little revolutionary, so stay with me. Do you know that the way out is the same with every temptation or yeah it doesn't matter what it is every single trial that has turned into a temptation has the same way out listening every single trial itself as the same way out.

If I'm in a test.

There's only one way out. If I'm in a temptation. There's only one way out. It's the same for every test and every temptation, whether it's a solicitation on God's part to good weather to solicitation on the part of the flesh, and Satan, we would always have the same well this is definite article, there's always the same way in order for your know this is only one the way out is through. Get yes Tim, you see, testing is a tunnel.

The only way out is through. You know how you do it you endure right that's all that he just illustrated how we pray with all Lord, my dear friends going through trial, Lord, teach you what you want to know law are taken through until he learns what he needs to know Rima wants us to say Lord get me out of this thing now, so it's a whole new ballgame, but there isn't any, getting out of it now to trials are totals and the only way out is through. That's all. Notice that's what it said he will with the temptation made the way to escape, that you may be able to want endure it.

That's the way to escape during your how Jesus escaped when the devil came to him and really put the test on what to do. He took the full force of it right out to the right is a father I'm leaving and start flying flight another hill, no. He stayed there, and Satan unloaded all three of those things with the total force of all there was.

The only way to escape is to go through us to endure. So when you go to trial folks just realize at the beginning when this is a test from God and the only way like a test have its perfect work is to go through the thing look at the word there that says bear has it has a preposition connected with the verb part means to carry and the hoop preposition means under, you are under and you have to go the long way. It's like the word endurance hoopla molding to remain under the only way you can go through is to remain under the thing and let it have its work and let strengthen the way out is through. Say hi John, I understand that God's can bring testing Satan can try to tournament a temptation solicitation to evil. My flesh will do that.

And God will be faithful and he will never let me get into one that I can handle but I have to realize that the only way I want to be able to handle this thing is to realize I gotta go through it and I got it would do for now. How do I endure I get down to the nitty-gritty, how you endure three keys number one. Pray watch and pray, Mark 1438 says, lest you enter into what temptation you get your test can turn into a temptation. If you don't pray what I tell you the first thing that happens in trial what is what you do. The first thing you do when you get a test or trial. Pray bottom defenses. Lord lead us not into temptation.

Don't get me into a situation I can handle father deliver me from the evil one part I lean on you.

I must have your strength, watch and pray, lest you enter into this rice, but you trial be a trial and let it continue to be a trial don't turn into a temptation or solicitation to sin and to do that you got pray to give to God.

Number two. If trust yes to trust you say will have to trust you have to trust the gotta send you the trial for a great purpose right to strengthen like Peter says after you have suffered a while first Peter 510 got you to make you perfect, and he says in verse nine.

There resist the devil, steadfast in faith, faith, and what that God has a purpose boy here comes the trial here comes the trouble here come Satan and all of this thing and I believe in God and his purpose.

If you just let that stay external say God is a purpose in this old God.

I give you that trial. I ask you to take care of me and it and I trust your purpose and I'm going through. That's the way out and you get done you look back you say will feel strong a new lesson strengthen a perfect work is done. If you collapse in the middle you blown it.

The third point, pray, trust, and focus on Christ you know who is the greatest of ever lived in during temptation and during trials who Christ the greatest he could take these tasks and endure them right to the limit.

He was tested by Satan, tested and tested and tested and tested and tested, and you know I voice I boy said that he had the worst test because he never felt any points. We ran them all out to the end and Hebrews 12, three and four, it says hey when you get weary and tired. Remember Christ we are you haven't yet, resistance driving on the blood you're not dead yet you think you've got a rough remember him what he endured. To sum it up, beloved is simple but have tests to come in your life.

Just keep them test what you don't to become temptation and to do that you have to endure and you endure your praying to trust God's purposes, and you lean on Jesus Christ and focus on what he went through to give illustration to show how this works. I like Pilgrim's progress and this is a great illustration of a Christian hope for on their merry way to the celestial city down the Kings Highway and they get diverted and their lantern in a field sleeping only problem is the field is private ground belongs to the giant of despair is called giant despair and he lives in doubting Castle in this great doubting Castle and giant despair giant despair comes out of his castle and finds Christian and hopeful sleep grab some throws in the dungeon for Christian hopeful are the slimy, smelly dungeon lock behind all series of bars a whole series of and the giant comes down and the Giants wife. So I told him what to do with giant comes down and beats them up and beats them up doesn't kill them, but beats them up so much they want to kill themselves as a great definition of despair and so they stay, languish. This is a trial and therein despair. Dow and Christian finally says what a fool I am to lying in the stinking dungeon system hopeful.

What I may as well walk at liberty. I have a key in my bosom that will open any lock in doubting Castle when he reaches and he pulls out the skin is cut promise written and he takes the key promise and he unlocks the bars and he goes to the next unlocked next on all the way till he unlocks the final gate and walked down the Giants running down the left was John Bunyan saying John Bunyan sings us you have trials in life and if you let those trials turn the temptation even went up in the doubting Castle under the key under the lack of giant despair.

But you don't want to get you out of that the knowledge of God's what promises the knowledge of God's presence to know that God has a purpose, but God is faithful but got you to bring you through God's into a perfect work. The gotta never leave you alone that there's no temptation taken you but will have a way out and that way is through what those promises do is unlock doubt and despair.

So when we abuse our liberty and our trials turn to temptations. None of them is ever more than we can. What prompts but if we fall nobody to blame but ourselves. Let that be a comfort letter be a warning father, thank you for our look at your word and we really just introduced thought very provocative area. Help us to realize that we can't always tell why things happen the way they do help us to realize father you're bringing things to pass in our life, not to draw sin to see what to do the very opposite and when we are drawn into sin with perverted that thing which you brought in our lives to perfect us.

Thank you for the lessons learned in teachers father furthers we study and think on these Jesus, that's John MacArthur, Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary continuing his series called pitfalls of Christian liberty here on Grace to you John, today you gave three keys for enduring a spiritual test, you said we need to pray trust in the purposes of God and focus on Christ but what about when someone else is going through a time of testing a trial. Certainly we don't want to make matters worse for a loved one by saying or doing the wrong thing so what's the best way to give practical help to someone else who is being tested. I think there's a pattern in the Bible that is laid out in the book of Job where Job had massive massive problems in the care and accumulation of problems beyond what what anybody would ever experience, and he went to his friends and his friends rather than listening to him just started telling him what they thought was wrong and they were wrong about the diagnosis of everything and the other speeches go on for chapter after chapter in the book of Job and Joe just keep saying that that's not me that's not me that you're not talking about me. That's not true. So finally you come to the point where you realize that the beginning of the book of Job's friends said nothing and that was the greatest comfort they gave to Job. They were silent and all wisdom left when they started talking.

So I think the tendency in helping people is to hurry to diagnosis and hurry to conclusion in the case of the friends of Job. They had no idea what was going on because it was between God and Satan in heaven as the first two chapters indicate saw it. It's hard for young people particularly are people who know the word of God to back off and just listen and pray with someone. Sometimes just getting on your knees with someone I found through the years and praying for the Lord to show them the path and show them the way and reveal his providence and his care is the greatest gift you can give them. Don't be in a hurry to give cut and dried answers be a listener and pray with people and let the Lord lead tell people I think it you have to tell people there's a process and coming through this thing and the short answer is not likely to be the one that God chooses to deliver you from this. He's probably teaching you something through it and there is a process that he wants to accomplish, except that pray for wisdom and understanding as you go through right thank you, John, and friend.

If you're going through a difficult trial right now. Let me recommend John's book the power of suffering explains the gracious, good and loving purposes God has for the pain and hardships in your life. It also looks at the way Jesus handled suffering and how you can follow his example to order the power of suffering. Contact us today. The power of suffering costs $10.50 shipping is free to pick up your copy when you call us at 855 Grace. You can also go to our website Jide TY.org. This book will show you how to respond to suffering both during trials and afterward again to order the power of suffering, call 855 Grace or go to Jide TY.friend.

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Thanks for tuning in today and be here tomorrow as John MacArthur looks at the rights God has given you as a Christian and what you should never give them up.

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