1 Corinthians 10:5 But with most of them (Israelites in the Wilderness) God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust (greed) after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor murmur, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

In today's lesson, I want to finish what we started in the last lesson, and introduce what we will be doing in lessons to come. It will only be an introduction, because next week is "Parent and Children Dedication". Then the next Sunday is Palm Sunday and as a normal rule Easter Sunday follows Palm Sunday. So, we will be away from our series for a few weeks.

Thank you for your kind remarks concerning last weeks lesson. Since you were either here last week, or had the opportunity to read the lesson sent by Email, or both, I will not be doing any extensive review.

There is a great deal of ground to cover in this lesson, so let's wade right in. The subject of this lesson is somewhat sandwiched by the account of the "bad stuff" that Israel did while in the wilderness ( 1 Corinthians 10:5-11), and the great promise of God concerning the testing and trials that come our way ( 1 Corinthians 10:13)

Our subject for today is…

"Therefore let him who

 thinks 

he stands take heed lest he fall."

In preparation for a series of lessons given at the Tue Nite Bible class some time ago, I read some accounts of the Reformation. I had read most of those stories before, but as I refreshed them in my mind, I was amazed, once again, at how many of the greatest and mightiest saints of the past have, at times, succumbed to temptations through the wiles of the devil.

There was Calvin. He had a sharp theological mind and developed a pattern for systematic Bible study that has been used for years. Yet, you would not have wanted Calvin as your pastor, because he was extremely stern in disposition, cold in his relationships, cruel in his dealings, and legalistic in his practices.

There was also, Martin Luther with his robust faith and courage beyond measure. Luther could stand before emperors and kings to defend his faith without faltering. However, he could also be vulgar, angry, and totally human in his rage against his enemies, and even fellow Believers in Christ.

I stand in awe of these and many like them who have preserved the very existence of Christianity, as we know it today. Yet, they were human, just as we are. God used these and many like them in spite of their humanity.

So, the question of the day is "How is your Christian stability? Do not think that you have it made, with little possibility of falling Spiritually?"

In our Christian walk, we are up against tough ruthless enemies, the world, Satan and not the least, our own nature. Any one of these enemies can trip us, and trap us. The greatest enemy we have, as far as temptation and failure is concerned, is our own NATURE.

James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

James 5:17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. 19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

Most temptations come from within, from our human nature as we see in James 1:13-15. There are other sources of temptations as we see from other Scriptures. However, whatever the origin of the temptation, its effect on our Spiritual development can and will only be what we allow. Simply having a human nature is not an excuse for defeat Spiritually, as we see in James 5:27 concerning Elijah. This whole realm is a subject for upcoming lessons.

1 Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man;

Let him who

 thinks

 he stands take heed lest he fall.

This type of Spiritual presumption is a real "bummer" to real Christian living. Over and over again, we are warned in Scripture not to place confidence in the flesh or fleshly things.

There are many causes of this false presumption of a personal ability to stand in the face of testing. Some of these causes are from without the person and some are within. Please allow me to suggest some of those causes.

(1) A low opinion (whether expressed or internalized) of the value of Spiritual living. Our convictions are too shallow.

No matter how high our opinion of the Christlike Life may be, that high opinion falls short of it REAL value. Our personal value system is demonstrated by our enthusiasm and consistency in living for those values and defending them. Allow me to illustrate:

Do we really and truly believed that unless a person accepts Christ as their Savior, they will die and go to a Christless eternity in the Lake of Fire? Do we really and truly believed that, for the Believer, death is absence from the body and presence with the Lord?

Were the

answers

to those two questions a resounding

"Yes!!  YES!!!"??

If so,

allow me to give a

hypothetical illustration

and ask you to

respond

within you own heart to its question.

If it were true, BUT it is not, however, for the sake of illustration, if it were true that if a person was burned at the stake or hung on a cross for their faith in Christ, and through that martyrdom, one terrorist would be won to Christ and saved from the fires of hell FOR each drop of blood shed and each ounce of flesh burned…

Would
YOU
be willing
to give 

YOUR 

life to such martyrdom?

We often say that we wish we could be like the Apostle Paul. Well, if you have such a desire, then be it known that the Apostle Paul was willing to do just as our illustration presented, and more.

Romans 9:3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh,

Our faith in Christ does not require that we be burned at the stake or hung from a cross ---- YET! God does not ask such from many of his followers.

However, Christ does desire, with great passion, something from EACH one who has put their faith and trust in Him as Savior. This request of Christ's is FAR more difficult to grant than if He has ask us to enter into martyrdom.

This request is so difficult that very few in this audience will be willing to give their whole heart to the task of fulfilling it. As a matter of fact, some not only will not try to fulfill Christ request, they will do all they can to make sure that Christ's request is NOT fulfilled.

John 17:20 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 "And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 "I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

No, at least not yet, we are not ask to give our lifeblood so the world will KNOW about God's love demonstrated in sending His Son as Savior of the world. Some of us would far rather give our bodies to be burned, than to give up our self-pride, to establish unity. As a matter of fact, some, even this past week, were doing things and saying things that discouraged unity and promoted disunity in the local body and therefore in the universal Body of Christ.

Proverbs 6:16 These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.

We have heard these facts so often and are so calloused to their truth and the love of God, that when this truth is spoken again from the Word of God, many turn away from it.

Oh! May God help us to respond now, so we can be spared at the judgment. Can we place too great a price on heaven? Can we serve God too much? His Son gave himself for our sins?

I fear that most of us have a very low opinion of the value of Spiritual living, and our convictions are too shallow. Our convictions are limited to what feels good to us.

Let him who

 thinks

 he stands take heed lest he fall.

Some of the reasons for this warning are..:

(1) A low opinion (whether expressed or internalized) of the value of Spiritual living. Our convictions are too shallow.

(2) Frivolous concepts of sin will propagate presumptuous attitudes of self-sufficiency.

When we first came to know Christ as Savior, our hearts were so very tender, that we often shuttered at the slightest sin. New Believers have a holy timidity, a reverent fear of offending God and sometimes that fear gets a little boisterous. What a fresh breath of Spiritual refreshment are the reactions of New Believers.

But alas! Like the sensitive young plants of spring (that we see all around us), they too soon become bruised and hardened by the hot winds of Summer. It is so sad to see young tender Christian become calloused to the awfulness of sin.

Little by little, that tender heart is no longer startled by sins that once made the blood run cold. Now those same things are given only a passing glance. Little by little, we get used to sin and sinning.

At the first church we served, our house was next to a railroad track. At first, the sound of the trains disturbed our activities and sleep. However, with the passing of time, our senses got used to the sound, and we really didn't even notice the noise.

I fear, that sometimes our

senses

have been so abused that we

accept

sin as proper, 

EVEN 

as righteous.

Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

If our opinion of Spiritual living is shallow, and our concept of sin is frivolous, we have destroyed the foundation upon which we can stand. Therefore, we are sure to fall!!! Some are, even right now, trying to stand on shifting sand as though it were a solid rock.

Let him who

 thinks

 he stands take heed lest he fall.

Some of the reasons for this warning are..:

(1) A low opinion (whether expressed or internalized) of the value of Spiritual living. Our convictions are too shallow.

(2) Frivolous concepts of sin will propagate presumptuous attitudes of self-sufficiency.

(3) A presumption of self-sufficiency in our worldly prosperity, or our passionate desire to have it.

1 Timothy 6:17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

1 Timothy 6:9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.

We could (and have in the past) spend time on this subject. However, for this lesson, I believe the Scriptures are sufficient for those who want to hear, and for those who do not want to hear, no amount of human words will penetrate such Spiritual deafness.

Allow me to add just these thoughts. This "desire" or lust has become too normal for most American Christians. Therefore, we spurn the command of Scripture saying, "Having food and raiment… let us therewith be content".

If we cannot be content with the necessities of life, we will never be content, even if we gain all the excesses of life. God does not condemn a person for being rich or striving to gain riches.

God condemns our poor attitude toward what He has provided. God condemns the transfer of our love and allegiance from Himself, to earthly things.

Let him who

 thinks 

he stands take heed lest he fall.

Some of the reasons for this warning are..:

(1) A low opinion (whether expressed or internalized) of the value of Spiritual living. Our convictions are too shallow.

(2) Frivolous concepts of sin will propagate presumptuous attitudes of self-sufficiency.

(3) A presumption of self-sufficiency in our worldly prosperity, or our passionate desire to have it.

(4) Pride may very well be the "mother" of all reasons why we so easily fall when faced with temptations.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

1 Timothy 3:4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); 6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.

"ol man" time has snuck up on us. I am going to give you some passages, even though there is no time for comment on them. Which for many will be a blessing. Please, allow the Holy Spirit to minister these passages to your lives.

Hebrews 12:13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. 14 Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking diligently lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; 16 lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.

Hebrews 4:1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

Colossians 2:4 Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words… …8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ… …18 Let no one defraud you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

2 Peter 3:17 You therefore, beloved, since you know these things beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

2 John 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.