A Way Out

"But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it." I Corinthians 10:13

For a person with claustrophobia, I've spent way too much time crawling around in caves. Each time I've done it, I've come face to face with pure panic. One of the worst experiences was when we were lost for over an hour, hitting dead end after dead end. There are no words to describe my emotions when we finally saw the white "O" (for out) with an arrow painted on the cave ceiling.   

A way out has been a big deal for a long time as Paul's words indicate here. The context is a cave of sorts - sin is its name. Dark? Very. Dangerous? Extremely. He was explaining to his readers that Jesus is ever present to illuminate an escape route from sin for those who choose to trust him. No allurement to head into the darkness is invincible. We can, with God's help, simply walk away.  


It's so important for us to know that victory over sin isn't just a nice idea, it can be our daily reality. The idea that I have to sin as a Jesus follower is a lie. The rationalization that the temptation was just too strong no longer carries weight in the light of what Paul says here. The question is not the magnitude of the temptation, the question is our attentiveness to our Savior. 

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