10th April 2025

The letter of 1 Corinthians was written by the apostle Paul, directed to the church in Corinth but recorded in scripture for our own exhortation. In chapter 10, verses 1-13 we are reminded that the people of Israel, having been released from the chains of Egyptian bondage, to be symbolically immersed into Moses in the yielding waters of the cloud-covered sea (v.2), failed to enter the promised land due to their lack of faith and incessant infidelity. Despite being divinely chosen and rescued from slavery, to taste, however imperceptively, of the sweetness of the Lord Jesus Christ (v.4), though shadowed in law [Colossians 2:17]; they persisted in acts of sexual immorality, in open idolatry, constantly testing God, and grumbling in clear distrust and unbelief (1 Corinthians 10:7-10).

Could we, whose experience of Christ is superior to theirs, fall prey to such deception as did they?  ‘Take heed’, warns the apostle Paul, these things happened as examples for us (v.11), because it is precisely when we believe we are standing firm, that we are in the most danger of falling (v.12). One thing we can be absolutely certain of in the Christian life, is that temptations will come, and they will come often and at times we least expect them. The billowing clouds and fiery storms of temptation are real enough in the moment and hard to bear, but for all their pernicious intent, they can do us no lasting harm if, through the Spirit, we resist.

When we withstand temptation, in the Spirit’s power, we confirm to whom it is that we belong. We witness the power of God in our lives, and the new creatures that we are in Christ is re-revealed to us. But, should we fall, there is an abundance of grace to aid us at the point of crisis, and beyond (Hebrews 4:16), for God is always faithful, even when we stumble as our own faith and confidence fails.

Such temptations are not unique to us, and neither are they signs of personal inner weakness, but are, in fact, common to everyone (1 Corinthians 10:13). Though temptations may fan the flames of sin that remain smouldering in the depths of our carnal nature, such shaming tongues of fire are readily quenched, since, by the faithfulness of God, we are never tempted beyond what we can bear (v.13). From temptation’s trap, God will always provide a way of escape (v.13).

We should take the apostle’s warning to heart and be on our guard at all times, but the positive message from the apostle is equally clear and reassuring: there is always a boundary and a limit to the tempter’s power, and there will always be an exit point from which to escape the temptations’ snare (v.13).  

And, even should all else fail, we can rely on the abiding love, compassion and mercy of God (Ephesians 2:4), who, in Christ, has already fully shared in our fallenness (Philippians 2:5-8), though not in our sinfulness (Hebrews 4:15), and is well acquainted with the tempter’s wiles and snares (Matthew 4:1-11).

Local congregation:
Grace Communion Peterborough
Farcet Village Hall                                                    
Main Street
Farcet
Peterborough
PE7 3AN

Meeting time:
Sunday 11.00 am

Local congregational contact:
Richard Dempsey
Email:  richard.dempsey@btinternet.com
Local church website: GRACE COMMUNION CHURCH PETERBOROUGH – Landing Page

Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church