THE WAY OF ESCAPE (I Choose Grace!)…

I CORINTHIANS 10:12-13: “Therefore let the one who thinks he stands watch out that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and God is faithful, so He 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.” NASB

OBSERVATION: Have you ever been stuck on the freeway in a massive traffic jam? The first thought that enters your mind is – “I wonder what happened? It must be a huge accident to cause this kind of backup!” Then, when you finally get to the source of the slowdown you see it is just someone who had a tire blowout and everyone is slowing down to look at this poor person’s plight!

There is something within our human nature that can’t resist looking at someone who is having trouble in life. We do this out of curiosity and also as a way of elevating our self-worth. We can become like the Pharisee who stood with his hands upraised to God and prayed – “Lord, I thank you that I am not like other men.”

Yet, the reality is – WE ARE!

Paul reminded the Corinthians that the accounts of the Israelites in the Old Testament were written for our warning and exhortation. They were recorded as examples so that we would not make the same mistakes. Then Paul pauses and proclaims one of the most profound and humbling statements in the Bible.

• “Therefore let the one who thinks he stands watch out that he does not fall.

What is Paul saying? If you have read Romans 7 you will understand. Paul is very aware of his own humanity. We are all in the same human condition. We are sinners in need of grace. We are broken people in need of a savior. The difference between a Christian and an unbeliever is not a difference in their human natures. It is a difference of grace.

One has appropriated grace and the other has not.

It is by grace through faith that we stand. It is by grace through faith that we are saved. It is by grace through faith that we persevere. Each step is determined by grace. As has been so aptly said – “There but for the grace of God, go I.” The minute we begin to believe that we are intrinsically better, stronger, or wiser than anyone else we are setting ourselves up for a fall.

• “Therefore let the one who thinks he stands watch out that he does not fall.”

So how do we live life confidently and without fear that our lives will not be one continual blowout after another? Paul adds the assurance of grace to his observation. It is by grace that we stand and this grace will always lead us to the WAY OF ESCAPE!

• “No temptation has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and God is faithful, so He 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.”

First, Paul reassures us that everyone is going through the same struggles in life. Our situation is the human situation. It is the struggle against temptation and our old sinful nature. By grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, we have been given the power through the Holy Spirit to escape the pitfalls and temptations of life. This does not mean that we will not struggle or that we will never fail. What it does mean is that in every situation, by God’s grace –

WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE!

This choice is the expression of God’s faithfulness. He will not allow us to be tempted above what we are able to endure – by grace through faith. And, with every temptation, God’s grace will give us a way to escape and be victorious! These are not idle words. These are a declaration of the power of the blood of Jesus Christ breaking the power of sin and death – daily in our lives.

Yet, this victory, this way of escape is not automatic. IT IS A CHOICE!

If I am brutally honest with myself, whenever I have been faced with a temptation in my life as a believer, I have also been presented with a choice. Sin no longer is my master since Christ has set me free. Yet, at every juncture of life, I still have to make a choice. Will I fully lean on God’s grace or will I lean on my own strength and understanding? One leads to a way of escape, the other to a repeat of my failure.

This morning, as I read these verses once again, I am aware of my own humanity and my need for God’s grace. I find myself needing to repent for at times acting more like the Pharisee than the Tax Collector. It is easier to look at the problems and failings of others than it is to recognize that – “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” This is both humbling and reassuring at the same time. For, in all of this, the overarching truth and promise of God’s faithfulness are found in this statement.

• “…My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness…”

So, with Paul, I will fall wholly and completely on God’s grace and proclaim,

• “Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

The way of forgiveness, the way of cleansing, the way of escape, the way of victory is always before me. It is the all-sufficient grace of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. By the power of this grace, and through the faith given to me in the Son of God,

I CHOOSE GRACE!

In Jesus’ Name!