Hope and Responsibility Part 1

Hello and welcome to this newest edition of Become a Competent Biblical Counselor. I'm Dr. Dave Jones, and today's episode is entitled Hope and Responsibility. And this is going to be the first part of a three-part series, so make sure you listen to all three of them for the real benefit of what this passage has to share with us. So today we begin a series on the subject of hope and responsibility. You might think that those strange words define place side by side in that way, and yet the two really do run together in the passage that's before us. I'm going to look at 1 Corinthians 10 13. And that passage is one of the greatest promises of the New Testament. Paul writes to the Corinthian church, discouraged and in disheartened perhaps by many of the troubles and heartaches in that divided and undisciplined society. These words, 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, that you may be able to endure it. I know. I know there are some who would say that would say to me that your problem is more than you can handle. Now, I don't know what your problem is. It may be your wife, your husband, your children, your parents, it may be some illness, it may be something else. But if we know Jesus Christ as our Savior, if you have come to the place where you have trusted in him as the one who shed his blood on the cross in your place, who bore the penalty and the guilt and the wrath of God that you deserve, if you have trusted him that way, you believe that God raised him from the dead. If you're a Christian, one who believes that good news, that message, then God promises you, now get this, and don't miss it, that he will send no test, no trial, and allow no temptation to come into your life that is greater, then he will give you the grace to bear. You say, that's not true. You don't know my husband. Well, you don't know my wife. You don't know, I don't need to know. All I need to know is what God says here in this verse. He says there is no test, no trial, no temptation. That's what the word means. All those things wrapped up in one that has overtaken you, but such as is common to man. That God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted or tested beyond what you are able. Thirdly, with the test will provide the way of escape, also that you may be able to endure it. Now there are three things in there that we're going to look at. Today we want to focus upon the first. In the next two broadcasts we'll focus upon the next two elements in that verse, but first, no test has overtaken you, but such as is common to man. Now, what does Paul mean with that comment? I think for two reasons. First of all, to give you hope, and secondly, to call you to your responsibility to face and handle that temptation or test as you ought. There are two sides really, responsibility and hope of the same coin. You can't have hope without assuming responsibility. And when you do assume responsibility, all the hope in the world comes pouring out. Now, let's think about this for a moment. He says that no matter what the problem is that's overtaken you, it is not unique. There is never any unique problem which you or I have to face in life. Oh, I know it's in the superficials, it's the various forms that it takes, or all the aspects of which are not basic to it, each person's life is just each person's face is unique. But when you scrape off all the superficial and secondary factors, when you get down to the bare bones of what the problem is that you're facing, it is not unique. Others have faced it. Indeed, the Lord Jesus Christ, we read in Hebrews, was tempted or tested in this, all points as we are, yet without sin. He is a sympathetic and understanding high priest, the scriptures tell us, who has been face to face with every problem that you and I have to handle in life. And he has shown us in his own life, demonstrated to us how the power of God is able to help us not only to endure, but to come through victoriously. That's the hope. That's the wonder of it all. Isn't that marvelous that there's no truly unique problem down at the bottom anywhere in this world? We all face the same basic issues. You don't have to take my word for that. You just have to read the Word of God. That of course means that you're responsible to handle it. If other Christians have faced it and faced it successfully as Jesus Christ Himself did, so can you. And so does God hold you responsible to face that trial or test or temptation. But you see the very fact that He holds you responsible and the very fact that He says there is no unique problem is what also brings you hope. If other Christians could make it, so can you. Now, let's assume you're out in Colorado and you're driving through the Garden of the Gods, as it's called, there with those marvelous rock formations on every side, that little tilted rock that sits on a dime, that huge stone looking like it's ready to come off of the edge of its balance and run over you, you get by that one real fast as you ride along in your VW. And you're looking at all the beauties and wonders when suddenly the road in front of you disappears into what seems to be merely a crack in a sheer wall of rock. And you figure, well, I'll never be able to drive my VW through that. I'd better find a place to turn around. And as you're looking for a place to turn around, you suddenly spot a small sign that says the narrows. N-A-R-R-O-W-S, the Narrows. A million others can. Yes, you can too. And you figure, oh well, if a million other people have gone through there and that little crack, even though it looks awfully narrow, well then I can do it too. And you know, a minute later, a million and one people have gone through. Or let's say you get some kind of a problem, and you go to a friend down at work and you say, The doctor says I have this problem. Well the friend at work says, Yeah, I had the same problem once, and I went to the hospital and they said that I had to have an operation. You say that's what the doctor told me, and I'm a little concerned about that. You know, he says, Oh, don't worry about it. I've had that operation. I was out and I was back to work in three days. It's a very simple and easy operation. You say, Well, thanks. I'm glad to hear that. And you talk to two, three, four, eight other people. And first thing you know, everybody agrees that it's not all that difficult, not all that tough. They've all been through it, and every one of them is alive, and every one of them has a very successful operation. So, you go to your doctor with a lot of more confidence. You say, Okay, doc, go ahead and operate. You see what's happening, don't you? If others were able to get through the narrows, if others were able to go through the operation, so can you. So Paul tells you your problem is not really unique. No matter whether you think it is or not, take God's word for it. It isn't. And because it's not unique, you're responsible to handle it God's way. And you can, by his grace, you can overcome that problem. But also there's all the hope in the world. Because if others have been able to handle the same problem that you're handling here today successfully by the grace of Jesus Christ, so can you. You can go through life's narrows. You can face life's trials, you can go because the Lord has gone with others before you. And the Lord will go with you too. So, my friend, I don't care how serious it is, that's what we're talking about, serious problems. Take 1 Corinthians 10 13 to heart. Lord, we do pray that you will bless your children as they listen to these words, as they think about your great and marvelous promise here. Give them hope. Hope enough that they may see the responsibility and by your grace assume it. We pray for Christ's sake. Amen. Stay tuned for part two coming up right after this.