Claiming The Victory

Hope for Today (English)
Hope for Today (English)
Claiming The Victory
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1 Corinthians 10:1-15

Life is a struggle to survive. I am talking your language, I know. We all know life is an uphill struggle. We are always rowing against the current, as it were. We cannot relax. If we relax, we go down. So life is a continual struggle.

We have our physical problems. We are plagued by all kinds of ailments, migraine headaches, lower back pain, cancer, and the like. We have our financial problems. Some lose their jobs. Some lose their security. Our finances run out before the end of the month. Do you know what I am talking about? We have our social problems and problems with the neighbors. They do not cooperate. We have psychological problems. We are told we need to be in therapy. How do you cope with your problems? Oh yes, life is a struggle to survive.

Some of the radio talk shows claim to have the answer to every question or problem. If they can offer nothing else, they say, “Well, it appears that you probably should have some professional help.”

I am going to be talking to you about CLAIMING THE VICTORY. I do not want to make any undue claims, but I believe my message from God’s Word will help you in the solution of whatever problem you may have. Let’s look at what God has to say about living in victory in I Corinthians 10:1-13:

1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Paul has three definite LESSONS to show us how to have victory in the Christian life.

The first instruction the apostle Paul gives is:

THE LESSON OF ASSESSMENT

1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

The apostle Paul reviews a crisis in Israel’s history. He speaks about the Red Sea. That was the experience of the Israelites when they left Egypt. You may remember they came to the Red Sea. Pharaoh was behind them with his army, and the waters of the Red Sea were in front of them. They could not go back. And it looked as though they could not go forward. It was a struggle to survive. But God led them through the Red Sea by the hand of Moses. God’s protection of the cloud guided them through the sea on dry land, the Scripture tells us. God’s deliverance was by parting the waters. There was a wall of water on the right and one on the left. The Israelites passed through the Red Sea. The whole experience was a miracle. God miraculously intervened on behalf of His people.

So I ask you, What makes up your background? Can you remember any great event with God? Evaluate your background. Think about your history.

Then Paul goes on to speak about the preservation of the people of Israel as they traveled through the Sinai Peninsula. No water, no food! God provided food for them by giving the manna every morning, enough for the day. On the sixth day, they found enough for two days. He provided for them. When they had no water, Moses was instructed to strike the rock, and a great stream of water gushed from the rock. Water from the rock! And the Scripture tells us that the Rock that followed them was Christ. Yet God was displeased with them because they would not mix their action with faith. They were overthrown in the wilderness.

So, my friend, I am asking you to take the time to assess what you have. Think of where you have come from. It may not all be glorious. It was not all glorious for those Jews. And yet an assessment is very important if you are going to claim the victory. Here is a poem that tells it well:

On us, great God, on us are come

The ends of rolling time;

We would begin each opening day

With gratitude sublime.

Men after men have come and gone,

Myriads have passed away;

But Thou hast lived unchanged, O God

And brought us to this day.

The past, an ocean under thee,

Bore onward thy great plan,

And every billow, as it broke,

Was fraught with good to man.

The dispensations under which

Our fathers lived and died

Were only, as compared with ours,

Dim daybreak to noontide.

“A goodly heritage” have we,

Ages of choicest lore;

What “kings and prophets longed” to see

Are ours forevermore.

The great men of the past are ours,

To help us on life’s way;

The Sun of Righteousness we have,

To flood our hearts with day.

All that past times have given us

May we employ aright,

And live a grand and godly life,

Full worthy of our light.

We follow in the awful march

Of all the mighty dead.

Eternal Father, succor us

When all your years have fled!

I think of my father. He died young as we think of it now. He died at 61 when I was thirteen years of age. But my father left a heritage with me that I have always appreciated. He was a God-fearing man. As I assess my situation, I find it heavy on the GOOD SIDE. And I praise God.

I hope that is what you find as you make an assessment of where you have come from.

The second instruction the apostle has for us is:

THE LESSON OF ASSOCIATION

6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil thing as they also lusted.

7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

Here are five specific areas of association. They are not luxurious. They are not attractive. They are serious misdemeanors. (1) Lust, do not lust after evil things like they did. Oh, but I must tell you, we are born with it. From the day that Eve and Adam sinned in the garden, we are born with a lust for evil. It must be curtailed. It must be controlled. (2) And he said, “Do not become idolaters.” Don’t worship false gods, or set up your own god, whatever it might be. I believe in our society false gods are money, fashion, social standing, and self-esteem. Do not be an idolater. Do not associate with idolaters. (3) And do not commit fornication. The reference is made to that terrible situation that happened when the Israelites were coming from Egypt to Canaan and became involved in the interaction with the pagan Moabites. God told His people not to mingle with them. They did exactly what the Scripture intimates; they committed fornication.

(4) Do not put Christ to the test. It seems that some people take a certain delight and say, “Well, if God is God, let Him do so, so, so.” Don’t do that. (5) Do not complain. The Israelites complained. “Here we are. We would have been better off if we would have stayed in Egypt. We are not being treated fairly.” Oh, do not do that. Learn the lesson that good association calls for disassociation from evil.

Reject these five areas of association. This reminds me of the proverbial statement about the one rotten apple in the barrel of apples. The good apples do not make the rotten apple good. The rotten apple makes the good apples bad. In I Corinthians 15:33, Paul says, “Evil companions corrupt good morals.” Make sure you understand that and avoid the associations that drag you down.

The third instruction of the apostle is:

THE LESSON OF ASSURANCE

11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Take to heart what you know, my friend. History, particularly the history of God’s people, has been written for our learning. Acquaint yourself with it. Read it carefully. Reflect upon it. I refer to the Old Testament. It is often said that what you do not know won’t hurt you. But my friend, what you don’t know does hurt you. You should become acquainted and understand what the past can tell you. The Jews have a very good motto, When you forget your past, you cannot plan your future. So what you don’t know will hurt you.

Keep your self-esteem in check. The Scripture says here, “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” Fall by overconfidence. I know what the self-esteem people tell us: say to yourself, “I am number one.” I want to tell you, don’t do that. Say to yourself, “He is number one.” Thinking of Jesus, “He is number one.” Take heed because you can fall! You can trip over your own ideas. Many a person has fallen by overconfidence. You can’t stand constantly in the presence of evil without it getting next to you.

And remember, God has the way. Oh, look carefully at I Corinthians 10:13:

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

My friend, there are not many options. In fact, there are only two. It is either your way or His way. And He has made a way. He has promised to make a way. Have total and absolute assurance that He will make the way. And notice those two words in the first line: “no temptation.”

No temptation has taken you but such as is human. The temptations that come to us are human temptations. We do not have angelic temptations if indeed, they have temptations. Never say, “No one understands me.” The temptation you have is a human temptation. Truly, failure is not God’s fault. Be assured God knows. It matters not how severe the pressure comes, God understands. He knows. Amen!

Let me summarize this with a quotation from Barnes’s commentary.

God knows what his people are able to endure, and as he has entire control of all that can affect them, he will adapt all trials to their strength and will enable them to bear all that is appointed to them. This is a general promise and is as applicable to other Christians as it was to the Corinthians. It was to them a positive promise, and to all, in the same circumstances, it may be regarded as such now. It may be used, therefore, (1) As a ground of encouragement to those who are in temptation and trial. God knows what they are able to endure, and he will sustain them in their temptations. It matters not how severe the trial; or how long it may be continued; or how much they may feel their own feebleness, yet He who has appointed the trial is abundantly able to uphold them. They may, therefore, repose their all upon him, and trust to his sustaining grace.

Therefore, in Claiming the Victory, let us learn

THE LESSON OF ASSESSMENT

What good things we have in our past.

Let us learn

THE LESSON OF ASSOCIATION

Choose carefully the good.

And finally let us learn

THE LESSON OF ASSURANCE

God’s way of escape is the right way.

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