On the Edge
October 12, 2011 • By Ed Wrather
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except 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 also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. – 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 NKJV.
Nearly all of us saw the video, captured of a cliff in north Cornwall, England, that crashed into the ocean. Thousands of tons of rock unexpectedly split away and tumbled down into the water. A geologist estimated that 100,000 tons of rock fell down. (Orange News 10.10.11) I know that I had never even thought about the possibility of such a thing. Of course, we know about landslides, rock falls, and avalanches; but 100,000 tons of a cliff? Can you imagine being on a cliff like that, and hearing the rock suddenly beginning to fall away? That would be scary!
If you knew of the likely possibility of a cliff falling into an ocean, would you make it a practice to go, and stand on the edge of that cliff every day? Of course not! However, we know many who call themselves Christians who do engage in that kind of risky behavior. How do they do that? They do this by drinking alcohol, even though they know that some who drink become alcoholics, some damage their health, some become involved in violent behavior, and some who drink are arrested for drinking and driving. Others are out there standing on cliffs because of their abuse of legal drugs or use of illegal drugs. Some are on that unstable cliff because of flirting or worse with the opposite s_x. I probably left something out, but I think you understand how dangerous these things can be.
Yes, “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” However, we are told in Deuteronomy 6:16, “You shall not tempt the LORD your God....” Jesus said exactly this when He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness (Matthew 4:7). Now consider this: If you know that it is risky to do something, but you continue to do it again and again, are you not tempting God?
Yes, we are all sometimes tempted, but there is a way of escape, because God says there is one. You can refuse to walk out to the edge of that cliff. You can refuse to have another drink. You can refuse to do another drug or pop another pill. You can turn away from those who would lure you into inappropriate behavior. Will this be easy? No! But “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
Make no mistake, when you are tempted, there is a way out. Ask God to reveal that way out to you. Ask Him for the strength you need to take the way out that leads off of that cliff you are standing on before you fall. As we are told in 1 Corinthians 10, “...let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”
Get away from the edge of that cliff!!
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