We Fail to Exercise Self Control When we Fail to Trust God...

This week, we have been looking at an absence of a characteristic that results in Christians acting unchristian. This characteristic that marks the evidence of the Holy Spirit’s activity in our lives is self control. And the timeless truth that is that Christians act unchristian when we fail to exercise self control. We have seen three failures that the members of the church at Corinth made, and that we can make as well, that result in a failure to exercise self control. First, we fail to exercise self control when we fail to train the right way. Second we fail to exercise self control when we fail to learn from history.

Paul then provides a third failure that the members of the church at Corinth made, which is that we fail to exercise self control when we fail to trust God. We see this in 1 Corinthians 10:12-13:

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and 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.

Paul concludes this section of this letter by commanding the members of the church at Corinth, and us today, to let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. Paul here is calling followers of Jesus throughout history to beware or to watch out for the tendency to become overconfident and spiritually proud in their standing as Christians. Paul’s point here is that when we become spiritually proud and overconfident, we place ourselves in danger of falling into selfish and sinful behavior due to a lack of self control that results in falling from the spiritual growth and maturity that should mark their lives.

Paul then reinforces his command by explaining to the church that no temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man. In other words, every temptation that exists is a temptation for everyone. Paul then explains that not only are we susceptible to common temptations, we also have a faithful God who provides us a way to overcome temptation and exercise the self control that marks a growing and maturing relationship with Christ. When Paul states that God is faithful, he is revealing the reality that God is the one person who we can place our full confidence and trust in.

Paul then unpacks the evidence of God’s faithfulness by stating that God 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. Did you know that God is fully aware of the temptations that you are experiencing? Not only is God aware of our temptations, Paul reveals for us that God allows us to be tempted and then uses that temptation to test the depth of our faith and trust in Him.

And to do that, Paul explains that God provides a way that we can escape the difficulty that temptation presents which results in us leaning into a deeper trust in God. And as a result of leaning into a deeper trust in God, we are able to bear up under times of trouble and difficulty that reveals a growing and maturing relationship with Him.

So what temptation are you facing? With every temptation, we face a choice. We can choose to lean into and trust God and exercise self control. Or we can choose to give into that temptation in a way that reveals a lack of self control. And our choices reveal where we are at in terms of our relationship with Christ.

So how are you doing when it comes to exercising self control? If we could observe your life what evidence would there be when it comes to self control? Would we see the evidence of self control? Or would we see the evidence of things that control you?